Diet and Nutrition
Get Fit Today UK
What Diet is For Me - A
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The Abs Diet is a nutritional diet created by Men's Health Magazine editor David Zinczenko. It is designed to be implemented as a life-style change.
The diet emphasizes the so-called Twelve Power Foods. The diet recommends six small meals spread throughout the day. Each major meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) should contain at least three of the Power Foods. The snacks should contain at least one "Power Food". The name "Abs Diet" does not imply a focus on the abdominal muscles, but is an acronym representing the twelve power foods ("A" for Almonds, etc.). However, Zinczenko says that following this diet, the reader's abdominal muscles will become more visible.
Unlike most other nutritional diets, the Abs Diet gives the reader one "free meal" a week, where they are allowed to eat as much of and anything they like, whether it be of the recommended foods or not.
Twelve power foods
- Almonds and other nuts
- Beans and legumes
- Spinach and other green vegetables
- Dairy: fat-free/low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
- Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
- Eggs
- Turkey/lean meat (lean steak, chicken and fish)
- Peanut butter (all-natural, and limit to 3 tablespoons per day)
- Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
- Whole grain bread/cereal
- Extra protein (whey) powder
- Raspberries and other berries
Eat occasionally
- Baked potatoes
- Beer (light)
- Butter (light)
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Lamb
- Lasagna
- Lunchmeat
- Macaroni
- Margarine
- Pudding
- French fries (only if not cooked in vegetable oil)
- Graham crackers
- Granola (low fat)
- Ham
- Honey
- Ice cream (low fat)
- Jam and marmalade
- Pork tenderloin
- Rice
- Sauerkraut
- Sorbet
- Sherbet
- Veal
- White wine
- Frozen yogurt
Foods to avoid
- Vegetable oil
- Butter
- Soda
- Foods with high fructose corn syrup
- Finger foods, such as: pizza, hamburgers, french fries, chicken wings, etc.,
- Greasy foods
- High sugar foods and beverages
- High sodium foods
The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide by David Zinczenko and Ted Spiker. Paperback - Jan 5, 2005)
The Alkaline diet (also known as the alkaline acid diet and the acid alkaline diet) is a controversial dietary protocol based on the consumption of mainly fresh low sugar fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes and avoiding grains, dairy, meat and excess salt, in order to balance the acidity and alkalinity (the "pH balance") of one's body. In recent years it has been a popular topic among authors of diet and nutrition. A common belief among many medical practitioners, however, is that the blood alkalinity (pH) is not significantly affected by diet, except for pathological cases (e.g., of ketoacidosis produced by diabetes). Without well designed human research studies showing that these diets actually do what they say they can, many qualified dietitians, nutritionists and other health care professionals have not recommended these diets to their patients.
According to some alternative practitioners, the shift to an acid-producing diet is the cause of a number of chronic diseases. Some practitioners recommend the alkaline diet if a person has the following symptoms and other illnesses have been ruled out.
- Lack of energy
- Excessive mucous production
- Nasal congestion
- Frequent colds and flu
- Anxiety, nervousness, irritability
- Ovarian cysts, polycystic ovaries, benign breast cysts
- Headache
Although conventional doctors do believe that increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and reducing one's intake of meat, salt, and refined grains is beneficial to health, most conventional doctors do not believe that an acid-producing diet is the foundation of chronic illness. In conventional medicine, there is evidence, however, that alkaline diets may help prevent the formation of calcium kidney stones, osteoporosis, and age-related muscle wasting.
Atkins Nutritional Approach, popularly known as the Atkins Diet or just 'Atkins', is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet created by Dr.Robert Atkins from a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association and utilized to resolve his own overweight condition following medical school and graduate medical training.
The Four Phases
There are four phases of the Atkins diet: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance.
Induction
The Induction phase is the first, and most restrictive, phase of the Atkins Nutritional Approach. It is intended to cause the body to quickly enter a state of ketosis. Carbohydrate intake is limited to 20 net grams per day (grams of carbohydrates minus grams of fiber, sugar alcohols, or glycerin), 12 to 15 net grams of which must come in the form of salad greens and other green vegetables (broccoli, green beans, spinach and asparagus). The allowed foods include a liberal amount of all meats, fish, shellfish, fowl, and eggs; up to 4 ounces (113 g) of soft or semi-soft cheese; salad vegetables; other low carbohydrate vegetables; and butter and vegetable oils. Drinking eight glasses of water per day is a must during this phase. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed during this phase.[4] Caffeine is allowed in moderation so long as it does not cause cravings or low blood sugar. If a caffeine addiction is evident, it is best to not allow it until later phases of the diet.[4] A daily multivitamin with minerals is also recommended.
The Induction Phase is usually when many see the most significant weight loss — reports of losses of 5 to 10 pounds per week are not uncommon when Induction is combined with daily exercise.
Atkins suggests the use of Ketostix, small chemically reactive strips used by diabetics. These let the dieter monitor when they enter the ketosis, or fat burning, phase. Other indicators of ketosis include a metallic taste in the mouth, or bad breath.
Ongoing weight loss
The Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase of Atkins consists of an increase in carbohydrate intake, but remaining at levels where weight loss occurs. The target daily carbohydrate intake increases each week by 5 net grams. A goal in OWL is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing" and to learn in a controlled manner how food groups in increasing glycemic levels and foods within that group affect your craving control. The OWL phase lasts until weight is within 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of the target weight.
During the first week, one should add more of the induction acceptable vegetables to his/her daily products. For example, 6-8 stalks of asparagus, salad, one cup of cauliflower or one half of avocado. The next week, one should follow the carbohydrate ladder that Dr Atkins created for this phase and add fresh dairy. The ladder has 9 rungs and should be added in order given. One can skip a rung if one does not intend to include that food group in one's permanent way of eating, such as the alcohol rung.
The rungs are as follows:
- Induction acceptable vegetables
- Fresh dairy
- Nuts
- Berries
- Alcohol
- Legumes
- Other fruits
- Starchy vegetables
- Grains
Pre-maintenance
Carbohydrate intake is increased again this time by 10 net carbs a week from the ladder groupings, and the key goal in this phase is to find the "Critical Carbohydrate Level for Maintenance", this is the maximum number of carbohydrates you can eat each day without gaining weight. This may well be above the level of carbohydrates inducing ketosis on a testing stick. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain a positive ketosis test long term.
Lifetime maintenance
This phase is intended to carry on the habits acquired in the previous phases, and avoid the common end-of-diet mindset that can return people to their previous habits and previous weight. Whole, unprocessed food choices are emphasized, with the option to drop back to an earlier phase if you begin to gain weight.
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