regimen
noun

- a therapeutic course of medical treatment, often including recommendations as to diet and exercise

Compact Oxford English Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word regimen is derived from the Latin regere, meaning "to rule" or "to direct." Regere is also the root of related words like “regulate”, “regal”, and “rector”, all of which carry connotations of control or direction.

In Medieval Latin, regimen began to take on a specific meaning related to the control or guidance of health, diet, and lifestyle. It referred to a system or plan designed to maintain or improve well-being.

By the late 14th century, regimen entered Middle English, maintaining its medical and health-related connotations. It was often used to describe a prescribed course of treatment, diet, or exercise to improve health.

Over time, regimen broadened in meaning to include any systematic plan, set of rules, or structured approach, though it is still most commonly associated with health, fitness, and discipline.

Interestingly, while "regime" (political system) and "regimen" (systematic plan) have the same root, they've developed distinct meanings in modern usage, though both retain the core concept of systematic rule or control.

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DOPEY DIETS

- The Chewing and Spitting Diet (1899). Horace Fletcher, known as "The Great Masticator," proposed a diet where you chew each mouthful 100 times per minute until it turns to liquid, then spit out any remaining solids. There's absolutely no scientific evidence supporting this method. It's more likely to cause digestive issues and nutritional deficiencies.

-  Baby Food Diet (2010s). This diet involved eating up to 16 jars of baby food per day instead of regular meals, with one normal meal allowed. Supposedly created by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, it claimed to promote weight loss and detoxification. Dr. Seltzer, a medical expert, called it "infinitely ridiculous" and noted that no one with a healthy body actually needs baby food as a diet.

- The Vision Diet (2010s). This diet required eating while wearing blue-tinted glasses. The theory was that blue-tinted lenses would make red and yellow foods (often high-calorie options) look less appetizing. While creative, this approach doesn't address the root causes of overeating and is unlikely to lead to sustainable weight loss.

- The Cotton Ball Diet (2010s). This dangerous trend involved dipping cotton balls in juices or other liquids and eating them to feel full while consuming fewer calories. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious health issues including choking, constipation, intestinal obstruction, and malnutrition.

- Glitter Smoothies (2024). This Instagram-worthy trend involved adding edible glitter to smoothies, marketed as a fun and glamorous way to boost health. Glitter offers no nutritional value and can even cause digestive issues if consumed in large quantities.

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SYNONYMS

- for “health”

alive and kicking, all systems go, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, battle readiness, bloom of youth, bursting with energy, clean bill of health, cleanness of body and mind, fighting fit, fine fettle, fit and healthy, fit as a fiddle, fortitude, full of beans, good nick (repair, shape, trim), hale and hearty, healthiness, in good shape, in the pink (of health), lustiness, match fitness, mettle, mint condition, peak condition, picture of health, right as rain, robustness, ruddy health, running order, salubriousness, ship-shape, soundness, stamina, tip-top condition, top form, vigour, vim, vitality, well-being, wellness, working order

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“The cat's grooming REGIMEN: lick paw, rub face, knock things off shelves.”

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THANKS to Benjamin, for suggesting today’s OWAD.

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