What Is the Snake Diet?
You Can Lose Weight With This Diet, But It Is Not Safe
Cole Robinson, who describes himself as a fasting coach, created the severe intermittent fasting regimen known as The Snake Diet. (Side note: Since there isn't a specific certificate for fasting coaches, this truly isn't a thing. Robinson lacks any credentials in medicine, nutrition, or health coaching, according to evidence that is readily available.)
The Snake Diet website asserts that in addition to weight reduction, this sort of fasting can result in tighter, smoother skin, an accelerated metabolism, and the reversal of type 2 diabetes.
Robinson also said that he utilized this fasting method to heal himself of herpes during an appearance on the television program The Doctors and to aid in the reduction of a woman's brain tumor.
The Snake Diet's promises of improved health and six-pack abs are seductive, but there are several warning signs. Let's examine the Snake Diet's definition, potential benefits, and distinctions from other fasting methods.
The Snake Diet is what?
Simply, the Snake Diet encourages lengthy periods of fasting. In addition to various kinds of fasting that have been investigated, most people observe a 16-hour fasting window or fast (or eat very little) twice a week on different days.
On the other side, the Snake Diet advises intermittent fasting. The eating window is brief on the days you are allowed to eat, only lasting one to two hours as opposed to up to eight hours on a more accommodating fasting schedule.
The rest of the rules are quite straightforward. The Snake Diet calls for Snake Juice, a mixture of water, salt, and other minerals, and advises restricting variation to make meal planning simple.
Although the website provides a recipe for making snake juice, you can also purchase 30 packets for approximately $40, which adds up rapidly given that drinking one to three glasses of snake juice every day is advised.
Is Snake Juice good for you?
The electrolytes in Snake Juice are intended to keep you hydrated enough throughout your fast. However, the commercial product's packets contain 1,045 mg of salt instead of the 2,300 mg daily top limit advised by our Dietary Guidelines.
An optimal daily objective, according to the American Heart Association, is closer to 1,500 mg per day. Therefore, consuming up to three packets of this beverage each day might raise your blood pressure over the recommended level. High blood pressure eventually damages blood arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Additionally, calcium travels with the extra sodium when your body tries to excrete it. Since you're fasting, you're not getting enough calcium, which over time can cause brittle bones and osteoporosis.
Additionally, each Snake Juice package has 100 mg of magnesium citrate. Magnesium is a vital element that helps maintain good sleep patterns and is involved in the regulation of heart rhythm, blood sugar, blood pressure, neuron function, and stress hormones.
The drawback of this kind of magnesium is that it may cause cramping, bloating, and a laxative effect in your intestines due to the water it attracts.
What all of this leads to is that in an effort to reduce weight, you might be damaging your body.
The Snake Diet: Does it work?
You would probably lose weight if you went from eating many times a day to the Snake Diet. But do not interpret this to imply that it is a wise decision. I would advise against the Snake Diet as a certified dietitian for two key reasons.
The Snake Diet's claims lack any basis in science.
Robinson cites his Facebook group as evidence, but Facebook stories don't show that a product is safe or effective. A much higher standard than Facebook group comments and photographs is set by scientific data.
Randomized studies, in which one group of participants adheres to one diet while another does not, provide the strongest data. The groups will next be compared by researchers studying weight reduction to determine whether there were any differences between the two diets and whether those differences were significant.
To determine if the intervention has an impact on people's health, researchers may also examine indicators like waist circumference and markers of metabolic health.
Finally, they'll check to see whether a diet has any negative side effects and how many individuals give up because of them. Professionals in the health industry use this data to make wise suggestions.
Other kinds of intermittent fasting, however, have undergone extensive research, allowing us to draw conclusions about their potential efficacy and safety.
For instance, in one assessment of individuals with type 2 diabetes, researchers assessed three fasting protocols: an alternating fast/feed protocol, a treatment requiring two non-consecutive fasting days, and a procedure requiring a window of time between four and 12 hours for eating.
They came to the conclusion that all three diets might result in weight reduction, enhance insulin sensitivity, and perhaps aid with type 2 diabetes treatment. (Note: Before attempting any type of intermittent fasting, ask for your doctor's approval if you have a medical issue.)
The Snake Diet could be dangerous.
You cannot, and probably won't, get all the nutrients you need from one meal a day. Researchers in the study on fasting and type 2 diabetes express worries about satisfying nutritional needs with constrained meal windows and advise seeking advice from a licensed dietitian. In case you were wondering, supplements are not a replacement for a diet high in plants that are balanced.
In order to make grocery shopping and meal preparation easier, the Snake Diet advises reducing the diversity in your diet. However, this tactic can potentially have unanticipated negative health effects.
This is due to the fact that a diet that contains 30 or more distinct plant items might result in a more varied microbiome. Limiting diversity might lead to health and mental issues because a good microbiota regulates inflammation, weight, mood, and immunity.
You can also have unpleasant side effects from excessive fasting, such as headaches, dizziness, fainting, constipation, and other potentially dangerous symptoms.
Food serves as more than just fuel. Most festivities revolve around it, and many religious rites depend on it. It also fosters interpersonal relationships.
Extreme dieting may indicate that you have a problematic relationship with your body and food if you're prepared to give up the pleasures of eating in order to engage in it. If so, the Snake Diet—or any other severe diet—could do more harm.
Other issues with the Snake Diet include Robinson's use of fat-shaming rhetoric and the marketing of the program using before-and-after weight reduction pictures. These are major factors in the development of eating disorders since they might encourage body dissatisfaction and societal pressure to be slim.
The most effective diet is the one that is practical for you.
Although you will probably lose weight on the Snake Diet, the significant dangers are not worth it. Even if it results in more moderate weight reduction, it is preferable to discover a more realistic strategy for weight loss that supports you physically, socially, and emotionally.
Other types of intermittent fasting, meanwhile, could be beneficial for certain people. Before attempting any form of intermittent fasting, you should see your doctor if you have a medical condition like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or digestive disorders, or if you're over 65 years old.
Additionally, if you often exercise, you should think twice before trying intermittent fasting because it is inappropriate on days when you are active. Finally, anyone under the age of 18, those who are pregnant or nursing, and those who have a history of disordered eating or an eating disorder should avoid intermittent fasting.
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