Article by James Collier BSc (Hons), RNutr - Nutrition Consultant and Co-author of The HiPaCC Diet - www.HiPaCC.org

The HiPaCC Diet is a new concept for weight loss. Fundamentally it is a healthy eating nutrition weight loss regimen designed using the Healthy Eating Guidelines as its basis, but it is tailored in such a way to include scientific and practical factors to initiate a net weight loss and make it enjoyable for the 'dieter' to adhere to.

There is no perfect diet, as all diets are vulnerable to those same unique differences which make us individuals. There are however those fundamental principles which form the foundations of a diet which will prove successful for most individuals. Nutritional science is driven by two forces, social experimentation, which we refer to as 'fashion', and by advances in basic medical science. Many diets have come and gone, some failing spectacularly, each rising on its merits and failing through its extremes.

What is The HiPaCC Diet?
HiPaCC is an acronym of High Protein and Cycled Carbohydrates and has been influenced both by research into understanding the failures of previous diets as well as by recent advancements in the fields of metabolism, nutrition and appetite. The inspiration for HiPaCC came from the advances in our understanding of how athletes maintain their vitality and muscle tone whilst removing excess fat from their bodies. Although most of us are unlikely to compete in the sporting arena, there are still valuable insights to be learned from their secrets.

The project was driven by the necessity to overcome the failings of recent diets along with the rising epidemic of obesity in the West, although it was undoubtedly inspired by the lean muscle mass routinely achieved by athletes. Mark Barber, a bodybuilding champion and keen nutritional theorist debated this issue at length with Dr Rhodri Walters, a medical scientist with specific interests in insulin and the metabolism. As a professional nutritionist, I was invited on board because I shared many of their reservations about the efficacy of low carbohydrate diets, and, like my conventional nutrition and dietetic colleagues, have concerns over the health implications of nutritionally imbalanced, calorie-restricted diets.

The Principles of HiPaCC
HiPaCC is the culmination of recent advances in the sciences of appetite and nutrition and fresh thinking. The HiPaCC diet is unique for several reasons:

• It advocates the cycling of dietary protein and carbohydrate intakes, combining natural healthy foods with a balanced lifestyle

• A low fat intake is combined with special dietary factors designed to suppress appetite and cravings, making the process of weight loss a more pleasurable experience

• It seeks to create a diet which is moderate, affordable, sustainable and compatible with the rigors of every day living that low calorie or low carb diets advocate

• It aims to match the body's requirements for carbohydrates, essential oils and proteins, whilst taking advantage of recent scientific advances to achieve sustained fat loss without the loss of health, vitality or muscle tone

• Every dieter craves variety and an occasional indulgence. HiPaCC followers can enjoy normal foods as part of their diet program as HiPaCC promotes variety

• It seeks to maintain weight loss without stress or rebound weight gain after dieting

What makes HiPaCC a successful diet?
HiPaCC tackles the psychological aspects of dieting, and explains why a well planned diet does not have to seem like an ordeal. The HiPaCC ebook attempts to explain the key principles of the HiPaCC diet in a digestible and quick reference format. For a diet to be successful in achieving weight loss it should possess five key elements.

1. For weight loss to occur calorie intake must be appreciably lower than expenditure, a fundamental law of 'thermodynamics'.* While this statement appears to be simple and straight-forward, it is surprising just how many diets fail to adhere to this maxim.

2. A diet must fit in with the way we live today - there's no use in recommending foods and supplements which are expensive or inaccessible at the over-stressed modern parent, student or commuter. If foods are not readily available easily and conveniently, then the diet is likely doomed to failure, regardless of issues of 'will power'

3. A diet should be both balanced and healthy, whilst not denying natural desires to snack or to take part in life's many social breaks. Diets which rely on will power and abstinence alone are likely to be unsuccessful, as appetite is an almost irresistible natural force which is driven by the body's nutritional needs and hormonal balance. Weight loss should be both gradual and preferably sustained after a dietary program has ended.

4. A diet needs to harness the natural driving force of behaviour - appetite. An understanding of the biological causes of appetite allows dieters to manage it naturally, ultimately making the diet itself a subconscious activity. A successful dieter eats when hungry, and avoids binge or comfort eating.

5. Counting calories is a chore that most people wish to avoid, and we can free ourselves from this burden by learning to listen to our (moderated) appetite, and by consuming the right foods and snacks when hungry.

6. Diets which are not accompanied by exercise or increased activity will not encourage fat metabolism in muscle, and are therefore less likely to succeed. Moderate exercise is not only important for the calories that are consumed, but also for its effects on fat and glucose metabolism.

The failures of previous diets have opened the door on our understanding of appetite and metabolism, allowing the development of a diet which takes into consideration all of these key elements. Their failures have revolutionised our understanding of nutrition and appetite, allowing us to create a simple, affordable, healthy and sustainable weight reduction programme - the HiPaCC diet.

Why should nutrition health professionals support HiPaCC?
Dietitians and conventional nutritionists seem to shy away from generic weight loss programs, in favour of tailored advice. So why should you support HiPaCC? What makes HiPaCC so different from Atkins, GI, Hay, Cambridge, etc? Is it not just another fad diet?

Sure, I admit I did have some reservations about putting my name to a 'diet plan' as my consultancy business is based around providing personalised nutritional advice to my clients. However, although HiPaCC is a nutrition plan, it has been designed for the dieter to tailor their own nutrition with ease from the modular format of the meal plans using the information gained from the accompanying text.

HiPaCC is evidenced based; writing it involved and extensive literature review from credible journals. The concepts are scientific, but are drawn from the experiences of athletes. The regimen is designed to be practical and enjoyable in order to suit everyday people from all walks of life. HiPaCC addresses the flaws of other, failed diet and nutrition plans.

HiPaCC is for the general public, but should be supported by credible dietitians and nutritionists. If you would like more information see www.HiPaCC.org or please ask questions on the www.dietetics.co.uk forums.