Hydrophilic diet: weight loss by attracting water

Gastric bands, bypasses and balloons: these weight-loss surgeries are among the solutions of last resort for the obese. But rather than go under the knife, a new type of diet could be a safer and more natural option to keep hunger pangs at bay and limit how much you can eat.

Hydrophilic foods may be the answer to achieving lifelong weight loss, suggests dietitian Keren Gilbert, creator of the hydrophilic diet and author of The HD Diet that will be published next month.

Hydrophilic is a fancy term for "water loving" - the word originating from the Greek words for water ( hydro) and friendship ( philia). Hydrophilic foods, Gilbert says, fill up with water and in turn fill you up, leaving you feeling satisfied.

Before you brush this off as just another fad, she notes that unlike other popular diets such as Atkins and Paleo, the hydrophilic diet plan allows for all food groups, including carbs and fruit. Animal proteins are fine. The foundation of the diet is high-hydrophilic fruits, vegetables, and legumes such as chia seeds, okra, oats, pears, barley, Brussels sprouts, kidney beans, chick peas, oranges and agar.

The secret of these foods lies in what's more commonly known as soluble fibre.

"When ingested soluble fibres dissolve they form a gel in our intestines," says Gilbert, a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist from New York state in the US. "The gel is the key to steadying blood sugar and thus diminishing cravings, keeping you full, and maintaining digestive health."