The Eat Your Colors Diet was created by Marcia Zimmerman, nutritionist. It is associated with Ayurvedic medicine, a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent whose components include herbs, massage, and yoga. As you may guess from its name, food colors play a major role in this diet. The accent is placed on yellow, red, and green foods.

According to Ayurvedic medicine and this diet, individuals belong to one of three groups, Vata (yellow), Pitta (red), and Kapha (green). Each group is associated with a specific body type and personality type. For example, Kaphas don't talk a lot and tend to store excess weight on their butt. Each group has a different list of foods to privilege and foods to avoid. For example, Vatas are expected to avoid caffeine and excessive alcohol while Pittas are expected to avoid lamb, duck, and several other foods. The list of foods to privilege is quite complicated; it is broken down into colors and varies from group to group. Obviously, if you are going to follow this diet you must determine which is your group and then learn a long list of dos and donts.

A major advantage of the Eat Your Colors Diet is its reliance on fruits and vegetables. You won't lack for vitamins or fibers. On the other hand, this diet is complicated, even for a single person. The situation may really get out of hand if family members belong to different groups.

Here are two sample menus: Menu 1 (Vata) Breakfast: A bowl of oatmeal, one skim-milk yogurt, a half cup of strawberries, and a glass of tomato juice. Lunch: Sole and vegetable couscous. Supper: Hard boiled egg salad with radishes and cucumbers. A slice of whole grain bread. A glass of soy milk.

Menu 2 (Pitta) Breakfast: A slice of whole grain bread, one skim-milk yogurt, and a glass of mango juice. Lunch: A bowl of pea soup, a slice of whole grain bread, green salad with cucumbers and olive oil. A glass of soy milk. Supper: A green salad. A small plate of noodles with vegetables drizzled with olive oil. A cup of red beans.

Some of the information in this article comes from a fascinating new book, La Bible des Regimes, written by Jenny de Jonquieres and published by Amerik Media. Her book describes over 80 diets and weight reduction programs. Each diet is presented with 5 menu plans, a detailed discussion of its advantages and disadvantages, and lots more. La Bible des Regimes is presently available only in French. For additional information consult the publisher's website.