What is the Salisbury System?
The Salisbury system is a very early example of a “fad diet”. Dr. James H. Salisbury started this diet in the 1800s when he was a physician for the Union Army in Ohio during the American Civil War. Dr. Salisbury saw that many of the army troops were suffering from various aliments and thought that a new diet would be the key to keeping them in top condition for fighting.
Dr. Salisbury designed this diet to consist of broiled beef and coffee. He determined that after feeding the troops this meal consistently, they had more energy and had fewer bouts of diarrhea. So impressed by the results of his diet, Dr. Salisbury decided to publish this idea along with his findings in a book for the general public.
In 1888, Dr. Salisbury’s book, “The Relation of Alimentation and Disease”, debuted for the whole world to read. In this book, the doctor recommended that people consume an all meat diet, but more specifically, consume what later became known as the “Salisbury Steak”. Dr. Salisbury stated that each person should consume this chopped beef patty three times per day, and even provided a specific recipe to be followed to prepare the meat. The diet became extremely popular and took hold for about two decades. Eventually, the fad lost steam but people today still enjoy a Salisbury steak every now and again.
Now, you may find yourself thinking that this seems just down right silly. How could anyone ever believe that a Salisbury steak diet could be healthy?! However, today we have several fad diets that are quite similar in nature; many of which people believe and practice on a regular basis. From the cabbage soup diet, to the lemonade diet, and the grapefruit diet to the all lettuce diet, there are still countless diets that claim to cure all sorts of problems, ailments, and promote weight loss.
Through all the years, and all of the diets, one thing has remained true: fad diets just do not work. As much as we all want to believe there is a magic food combination, or one specific ingredient that will zap our unwanted pounds away, the truth is there is no one sure fire diet this is going to do all of the hard work for you. The best way to get healthy, stay healthy, and to lose weight is to eat a well balanced diet consisting of many different food groups, and get regular physical activity.
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