All About the Volumetrics Diet: Health and Wellness Writing for Self Care Week

In the UK, November 13-19 is known as Self Care Week, and this year’s theme is “Mind & Body.” Because my blog posts in both September and October were about mental health, I thought that in honor of Self Care Week, I’d emphasize bodily health for a change. I’ve shared several blog posts about health and wellness before, mostly focused on exercise and fitness, including on the topics of Pilates, running, yoga, and swimming. However, I haven’t focused on healthy eating yet, and this seems like a great opportunity.

Self Care Week 2023 Mind & Body (Self Care Forum/Mark Osborne)

As with several other of my blog posts, this one was originally written for a client who decided to no longer keep a blog before I had a chance to submit it to him. His loss is your gain, because that means I can share it here instead. With just a few edits, then, here’s a blog post focused on healthy eating. Let me know what you think!

The Volumetrics Diet: What You Need to Know for Health and Fitness

Have you ever heard the saying that your abs are made in the kitchen? To a certain extent, it’s true. While there are other factors involved in maintaining a healthy weight, an optimal fitness level, and strong muscle tone, diet is certainly important. However, there are many healthy diets to choose from. Which one is right for you? Maybe the Volumetrics Diet is worth a try. Read on to learn more.

What is the Volumetrics Diet?

Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutritional sciences professor at Pennsylvania State University, wrote the book on the Volumetrics Diet, literally. In it, she and her co-author, Mindy Hermann, describe a 12-week program designed to help people adopt new eating habits. Far from being restrictive, the Volumetrics Diet cookbook includes 105 recipes spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts.

In an article on the Muscle & Fitness website, Jacob Klessens, a licensed dietitian, described the Volumetrics Diet as based on eating high volumes of healthy foods so as to feel full without leaving room for unhealthy choices. He noted that foods that are high in nutrients but low in calories should be eaten when following the Volumetrics Diet. This is because high-nutrient foods are full of water, lean protein, and fiber, all of which leave diners feeling satisfied without piling on unnecessary calories.

As outlined by Muscle & Fitness, those following the Volumetrics Diet eat mostly fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and brothy soups. The diet also allows for some whole grains, lean meats, beans, and low-fat dairy. Foods that are eaten less or avoided altogether include bread, cheese, and high fat foods such as deep fried foods and sweets.

Benefits of the Volumetrics Diet

According to an analysis by Ruben Casteneda for US News & World Report, the Volumetrics Diet has many benefits. He reported that a panel of health experts ranked the diet #4 for best plant-based diet; #5 for best weight loss and healthy eating; #6 for best overall, easiest to follow, and diabetes; #7 for best fast weight loss, best family-friendly diets, and best heart-healthy diets; and #9 for best bone and joint health. As these rankings attest, the Volumetrics Diet is among the best options out there.

When it comes to weight loss, Casteneda noted that the Volumetrics Diet is likely to be effective not only over the short term but also for the long term. This can be an important factor in reducing obesity, which can help reduce inflammation. Reducing obesity can also help the immune system work more effectively.

As for heart health, Casteneda cited several reasons this diet is beneficial. One is because of its emphasis on avoiding processed foods, which contribute to cardiovascular, coronary heart, and cerebrovascular diseases. Another reason the Volumetrics Diet is a good choice is because research shows that eating low-calorie-dense foods, such as the Volumetrics Diet encourages, results in lower blood pressure, which can reduce heart disease.

Diabetes prevention and management is another benefit of the Volumetrics Diet outlined by Casteneda. He explained that research has shown that women who followed a diet with low-calorie-dense foods, such as the Volumetrics Diet, were less likely to develop diabetes. Additionally, the Volumetrics Diet encourages eating fruits and vegetables, which has been linked to both the prevention and successful management of diabetes.

The Volumetrics Diet might also benefit brain health, according to Casteneda. This is because it encourages eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, and spinach. These foods are high in flavonoids, which have been shown to lower the risk of cognitive decline.

One last area that benefits from the Volumetrics Diet is bone and joint health, as reported by Casteneda. Although no studies have been conducted to prove this relationship, it seems likely. This is because the Volumetrics Diet helps with weight loss, and maintaining a healthy weight is known to benefit bones and joints.

Drawbacks to the Volumetrics Diet

Because of its emphasis on eating high-nutrient foods, there are only a few potential drawbacks to the Volumetrics Diet. One of them, as pointed out by Klessens in the Muscle & Fitness article, is that even healthy fats are limited by the diet. This can be a hindrance to producing enough energy, producing enough hormones, and absorbing enough nutrients. Therefore, when following the diet, it is important to not completely eliminate healthier, unsaturated fats such as can be found in nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and cooking oils like olive or canola oils.

Another potential drawback that Klessens pointed out is that some people might become overly focused on counting calories when following the Volumetrics Diet. This is because of the careful calculations needed to ensure the foods eaten are considered high-nutrient and low-calorie. For those who might tend to take things to the extreme, this could be dangerous both mentally and physically.

Finally, Casteneda in the US News & World Report analysis warned that people who should not lose weight should not follow this diet. Anyone who is already at their ideal weight or who is underweight should not follow this diet. Similarly, children, anyone who is pregnant, immunocompromised, has poorly controlled chronic health issues, or has an eating disorder should not try this diet.