Snake Diet 101 - Weight-loss Miracle or Health Hazard?

While the name is a bit too creepy for a diet, it has nothing to do with eating snakes. Rather, the snake diet symbolizes the lifestyle and feeding patterns of a snake. Not very appealing to say the least.

Just like many other restrictive diets like the liquid or potato diet, it promises to help you lose weight quickly. The mechanism of weight loss in humans is not a difficult process to grasp. Simply, imagine the body as a factory that is in production 24/7. It requires energy to keep the production going. This energy is supplied in calories by the food and liquids we intake.

However, the body has stored lots of excess calories to burn on days that it might not receive any calories. This storage of calories contributes to fat. Every restrictive diet works on the basis of absorbing fewer calories than required so we burn the calories in storage.

Yet, the snake diet is not your average restrictive diet. It is an extreme form of intermittent fasting and aims to push your body into aggressive fat loss mode to help you shred those extra pounds. You'll discover all about the Snake Diet in this guide along with its repercussions.

What Is The Snake Diet?

Before we dive into the details, a little background information about the creator should be mentioned. While many diet creators are either professional athletes or health professionals, Cole Robinson, the creator of the snake diet, has no qualifications in the world of medicine, biology, or nutrition.

The self-claimed fasting coach is not only unqualified but also ill-mannered. In a talk show called The Doctors, Robinson used vulgar language against overweight people, saying that they don’t need to eat in the first place because they have more calories stored than they can burn.

The hurtful talk took a turn towards ignorance when Cole remarked how one of his client’s brain tumors had “melted down” because of this diet. He also claimed he didn’t need a medical degree to know that melting tumors is in fact possible.

Now, that you have an image of the founder, you can better understand how this diet is not really a diet with much logic behind it. Starvation and dieting are two different concepts. The snake diet leans more towards starvation than dieting.

The diet has three phases, each designed to push your body into ketosis mode. However, this is an extreme and aggressive approach to fat loss, which can trigger a lot of problems in people, including an Eating Disorder.

How To Do The Snake Diet

The inventor focuses more on the ‘Snake Juice’ than actually talking about what should and should not be eaten during the diet. To make the ‘Snake Juice’ at home, you need:

• 2 liters of water
• 2 grams of Himalayan pink salt
• 5 grams of salt-free potassium chloride
• 2 grams of Epsom salt

The snake juice is basically an electrolyte drink to give you boosts of energy periodically. Now, Robinson claims that newcomers should not consume 3,500 calories per week, which by USDA standards is extremely low and dangerous.

Phase 1

To start your snake diet, you need to go on a 48-hour fast. During this period, you can drink snake juice and apple cider vinegar, the exact amount is not mentioned by Robinson.

After this period, you can eat for 1 to 2 hours. Again, the foods you can eat are not mentioned by the creator. But, you should consume vegetarian salads under 500 calories to fuel yourself for the next fasting window.

Foods Allowed

After the fasting period, a 1 to 2-hour window allows for a meal that should ideally be high in nutrients but low in carbohydrates to keep the ketosis process. Recommended foods include:

• Lean proteins (chicken, fish, tofu)
• Non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, peppers, cucumbers)
• Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds)

Phase 2

Now, your fasting period increases to 48 to 96 hours. You have to fast for as long as possible. During this period, you can drink your electrolytes. But, that is about it. Intense fasting and no food. You keep fasting for long bouts until you hit your desired weight.

Foods Allowed

Make sure to consume nutrient-dense foods and meals in the short eating window you'll get. These may include:

• Moderate lean protein sources
• A wider variety of vegetables
• Small portions of complex carbohydrates (like sweet potatoes or quinoa) to replenish glycogen stores gently without disrupting ketosis significantly.

Phase 3

Many people who do restrictive diets put the weight back on quickly once they resume their normal eating routines. However, Robinson says that these long bouts of fasting are your new lifestyle. Phase 3 calls for 24 to 48-hour fasts.

Now, you just fast and eat one meal to ensure you don’t put on weight. Sounds a bit too extreme just for weight loss.

Foods Allowed

This phase gives you more flexibility, with a focus on balanced meals that provide a variety of nutrients:

• A balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
• Fruits and vegetables for vitamins and fiber
• Whole grains and legumes for those not strictly following a low-carb approach
• Healthy fats from sources like fish, olive oil, and avocados

Does The Snake Diet Actually Work?

Entering ketosis will automatically make you lose weight. But, this approach to enter ketosis is extreme and not something that everyone has the willpower to achieve.

Depriving yourself of food for such long periods will make your body burn the stored fats. Your body is a factory and the production never stops. You can enter ketosis with any restrictive diet, and intermittent fasting is one of the best diet lifestyles out there.

So, it does trigger weight loss but then so do many other diets such as the Dr. Sebi Diet. The problem with this approach is that you do not need to go to such an extreme. You also risk not consuming important nutrients and vitamins your body needs for growth and regeneration. These cannot be found in your stored fats.

Health Concerns Behind The Snake Diet

First, his content and choice of words suggest an extreme mindset towards fasting. He encourages fasting until you can’t take it anymore or feel like dying. This itself is a very dangerous approach. Your body isn’t meant to be treated this harshly. Especially since there are many other ways to lose weight.

Second, it is not feasible or sustainable. You simply can’t treat your body this way and expect zero repercussions. Prolonged fasting may alter hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin.

Lastly, there is no scientific evidence to back it up. Sure, many diets have no proof but they make sense logically. You are at risk of not consuming essential micronutrients and vitamins that are needed for growth and healing. And drinking too much of ‘Snake Juice’ can also lead to an electrolyte imbalance.

Simply, you are playing with too many variables just for the sake of losing weight. Some of the impacts of this diet include:

• Feeling Weak And Too Skinny: If your goal is to lose fat while maintaining lean muscle, you won't be able to achieve it with this diet as it breaks down your muscle. According to a study, extreme weight loss impacts your overall physical strength. It also makes you feel weaker and slows down your metabolism.
• Lack Of Nutrients: As you don't eat a lot and stay hungry for longer periods of time, you're not getting sufficient minerals and vitamins. According to a study, this means that your body is deprived of the essential nutrients, leading to weak bones, fatigue, poor gut health, and a weak immune system.
• Feeling Dizzy And Tired: When you don't eat for a long duration, you're likely to feel weak and dizzy. In extreme cases, you might even faint. This is especially true if you're doing intermittent fasting and workouts, along with other heavy-duty activities.
• Risk of Eating Disorders: Studies suggest that restricting your food consumption so strictly and so below the normal caloric intake often leads to a lot of mental stress as well as triggering eating disorders. This type of eating habit creates an unhealthy relationship with food, which can impact the way you eat in the long run.
• Too Much Salt: The "Snake Juice" is loaded with sodium, which can stir up your blood pressure and impact your heart health if you drink too much of it. In fact, several studies show the harmful impacts of excessive sodium on your cardiovascular health as it is linked with heart failure and other problems. Make sure you're consuming low sodium meals to keep your heart healthy and problem-free.
• Electrolyte Imbalance: Overdrinking the Snake Juice can impact your electrolyte levels. This gives you health problems such as heart issues or muscle cramps.

Key Takeaways

The snake diet is certainly not a miracle but a health hazard. You do not need to apply such extreme measures in your life just to lose weight. Also, there are numerous other diets floating on the internet that are much safer.

What comes quickly, goes quickly. There are no shortcuts in life. If you truly want to get fit, then you have to put in the hard work, dedication, and consistency just like in every other walk of life. Starving yourself is not the answer, and promoting unhealthy eating habits is not right. Using click-bait titles and out-of-context scientific facts to market fads is now a norm on the internet.

Not everything should be followed, inform yourselves and stay sharp. But you need more than your diet to go into a caloric deficit - learn more about whether weights or cardio is better for weight loss!

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