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Though the New York Post is sticking by the Manhattan Girl diet, many media outlets have decided gluten-free is the diet du jour. But is it only a flash in the proverbial pan? And which fad diet is right for you? We took a look at some of the media's recent dietary darlings -- "Manhattan Girl," "Gay Food," and "Paleo" -- to see how they compare to the current gluten-free blitz.
The Actual Diet:
Gluten-Free: Cut out grains like wheat, barley, and rye. This also means saying no to certain types of flours, which probably means you will have to say goodbye to breads, cakes, pies, cookies, and crackers, unless they're marked "gluten-free". You can definitely partake in delicious things like hominy and, as the Mayo clinic notes, arrowroot. The Mayo Clinic also says that the diet is primarily used to treat celiac disease, but it's also found some mainstream legs.
Manhattan Girl: According to The Post and Eileen Daspin's new book, this one come from Daspin's skinniest Manhattan friends. "Daspin reveals that Manhattan women don’t starve themselves — they eat good quality food and the occasional treat," according to the Post. This means reducing Chinese food into "string beans and rice", turning Tootsie Roll pops or 3.5 Twizzlers into a "cheat," making sure there's something to throw away on your plate, and eating lots of quinoa, spelt, Kamut, and rye. Oh, and diluting alcoholic drinks with ice, water, and seltzer. On the health benefits, Daspin argues, "I think it's unhealthy to deprive yourself of stuff." Jezebel's Madeleine Davies, has her own snarky take on the Manhattan Girl diet in which one of the integral components means never being able to afford more than a side salad.