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The Real Reason Why Losing Belly Fat is a Good Idea

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More and more people are becoming aware of how they look and this has set the stage for a rise in interest in fitness and weight loss programs. Eliminating belly fat seems to be the focus of many new fitness programs and books on how to lose weight fast. Although it’s good that people are making an effort towards exercising and losing weight so that they can feel confident with the way they look, there is a more important reason why a flatter belly is a good goal.

The health constraints that a bulging stomach imposes on your body is something that should be considered when aiming for a flat belly. Excessive belly fat is a sure sign of visceral or intra-abdominal fat, which is linked to high insulin, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure and many other health challenges. This kind of fat may be the most dangerous kind of fat and can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancers. So when you’re dreaming of a new set of washboard abs, let your inspiration be not only looking fantastic in a bathing suit but also living a longer and healthier life.

Now that you have a solid goal in mind, now that you’re motivated to start moving towards a healthier lifestyle, now that you have a picture of the swimsuit you want to wear pinned up on your dream board, there are many effective ways to lose belly fat. Some of these programs and tips are easier than most people think. While working your core muscles is helpful towards getting a flat belly, contrary to popular belief, sit-ups, crunches, and all those exercise machines
designed to target the abdominal muscles are not the best way to get a flatter tummy. Your stomach muscles may be carved into a six-pack but you won’t be any closer to your swimsuit, weight loss or health goals if your six-pack is covered with a layer of fat. Regular aerobic exercise and a healthy diet will burn more fat than these targetted routines because these are designed to burn fat and build muscle all over your body. The good news is that since the abdomen stores more fat than any other part of your body, the belly fat is usually the first to melt away.

Aiming for tighter abs because you want to look good is not a bad goal but remember that a flat stomach has extreme health advantages that will take you a longer way towards a happy life than the right swimsuit will.

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Detailed List of Foods: Proteins, Starches, Neutrals

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go_undiet1Review your packaged foods with this detailed list. You can filter the list by whatever it is you’re watching in your UnDiet, fiber, sugar, fat, transfats …

This page is designed to educate you as to what food group a particular food belongs in – Neutral, Protein or Starch. Use this list to guide you in planning meals and help you to choose appropriate substitutes.

Starches

Grains

    barley
    brown rice
    buckwheat
    bulgar
    couscous, whole wheat
    kasha
    millet
    rye
    wild rice

Legumes/Beans:

    black beans
    black-eyed peas
    garbanzo beans
    kidney beans
    lentils (come in many colors)
    lima beans
    mung beans
    navy beans
    pinto beans
    split peas

Seeds:

Seeds are best eaten raw as toasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes. That said, a toasted pumpkin seed is a wonderful thing to behold. Since seeds are high in calories use them as a garnish rather than eat them by the handful.

    caraway
    poppy
    pumpkin
    sesame
    sunflower

Pasta:

Avoid pasta made with anything other than a whole grain.

    artichoke flour
    brown rice flour
    corn
    buckwheat such as soba noodles
    whole wheat

Cereals:

Look for cereals made with:

    whole grains
    no refined sugars
    chemical-free
    additive-free

Starch Ingredients:

These become starches only when cooked:
Use fresh potatoes. Frozen and dried potato products contain additives which make them difficult to digest. Exceptions can be found in health food stores. corn starch (use browned whole wheat or arrowroot flour instead)

    beets
    carrots
    corn
    fructose (made from corn)
    peas
    potatoes including sweet potatoes & yams
    potato flour
    soy sauce (wheat free can be found in health food stores)

Proteins

Note: the following is one of the more stringent food combining rules – keep each Protein group separate as it takes different digestive juices to digest each group. Honestly, I don’t follow this rule most of the time, but hey – maybe if I did I could lose those last ten excruciating pounds!

Dairy:

Use raw (unpasteurized) dairy products whenever possible. All dairy products contain casein and should be avoided as much as possible.

Cheeses: avoid yellow cheeses if you can, they contain dyes

    cream cheese
    cottage cheese
    farmers cheese
    half & half
    hoop cheese
    kefir
    milk (avoid completely)
    ricotta cheese
    yogurt (avoid completely)

Eggs

Meat

    bacon and sausage – be careful of chemical additives
    fish
    poultry
    red meat
    shell fish

Nuts:

Nuts are a carb/protein mix so limit them and remember that toasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes. The list below shows those nuts with the higher protein counts first.
brazil
macademia, pine nuts
almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts
hazelnuts, filberts, peanuts, pistachio
mixed nuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
soybeans, cashews
coconut, almond paste

Protein Ingredients:

    gelatin

Neutrals

While vegetables are a carbohydrate they’re considered Neutral and can be eaten with any other food. The only time you need to be aware of vegetables as a carbohydrate is when you’re on an extended (more than one day) Protein Binge.

All vegetables (except Starch Vegetables when cooked)

    agar-agar (gelatin substitute made from seaweed)
    agave nectar
    honey, preferably raw, unfiltered
    maple syrup
    nuts, preferably raw
    soybeans
    soy flour
    soy milk (check label for chemicals or processed sugars)
    soy products (check label)
    soy nuts (check label for chemicals)
    tofu – silken, soft, medium, firm, baked

The predominant element in the foods below is fat. These can be used with both Proteins and Starches as the fat makes them Neutral.

    creme fraiche
    whipping or heavy cream
    butter
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Fast Weight Loss with a Belly Fat Diet

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If you have made the decision to lose a few pounds, or even if you have quite a few pounds to lose, it is going to take some effort. No one loses weight without putting in a good deal of determination and planning.  In fact, the best way to lose belly fat will often be with the right belly fat diet.

If you have researched all the various diets that claim to help you shed pounds quickly, then you are probably a bit overwhelmed and starting to wonder which plan is really the one that will work for you. There is no doubt that the number of fad diets continues to rise, but research consistently tells us that if we want to lose belly fat, there needs to be some healthy changes in our eating habits as well as the implementation of an exercise program.

Many people go into a weight loss plan hoping to lose belly fat, or to lose weight overall, but they are not ready to make a change in their lifestyle. This is exactly what sets up the yo-yo dieting which not only leaves most dieters extremely frustrated, it slows the metabolism making successive attempts at weight loss even harder. This constant up and down with your weight is not only hard on your self-esteem; it is not good for your health either.

To successfully lose weight and maintain that weight loss requires a determination to change some simple dietary habits you may have established. Some people like to eat snacks in the evening while watching television, others have gotten complacent about getting up and engaging in some form of exercise; maybe you’re one of the many people who have become accustomed to running through the local fast food drive-thru. All of these little habits can result in big weight gains if not taken into control.

The belly fat diet will help you learn to eat properly and finally lose the weight, but even better, it will help you keep the weight off once you’ve reached your goal.

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Don’t Fall For These Camouflaged Saboteurs

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Arm Yourself With Knowledge

We’re going to unmask those camouflaged goodies that woo you with promises of energy, satisfaction, extra vitamins, masses of protein … NEWS FLASH – they’re the enemy, disguised with pretty labels and misleading verbage, laying in ambush, waiting to sabotage your weight loss and health efforts. Knowledge is your best weapon against these insidious tricksters. In this week’s Step we’ll identify some of the most popular saboteurs and give you the ammunition to effectively disarm them.

A Sticky Situation

While peanut butters marked “reduced fat” do have less fat than the average jar, they usually have just as many calories when you total up the additional sugar added to give the finished product the same flavor as the full fat version.

Jams that are labeled “all-fruit” tend to contain ingredients other than Fruit and may even have less Fruit than jams that don’t carry the “all-fruit” labeling. The label on the front a package is a clue to what it’s inside but not a promise. Where you’ll get the real info is in the Ingredients and Nutrition Info sections.

UnDiet Ammunition
Look for:

  • “oil on top” nut butters – you can pour off some or all of the oil. These nut butters are also lower in saturated fat since the oil in them comes only from the nut instead of the added oil in other types of nut butters. When you pour off all the oil the resulting nut butter will be pretty dry so you may want to puree it with low-fat silken tofu or bananas for a low cal, low fat, refined-sugar-free, tasty treat or just puree it with the jam for any ready-made jar of sandwich filling.
  • jams that list Fruit as the first ingredient in their ingredient list and that contain no refined sugars

These Goodies Will Double Cross You Every Time

Don’t be fooled by the cookies, cakes and other baked goods in the diet aisle which are labeled “low fat” and “sugar free”. The low fat items typically have a higher degree of refined sugar, the sugar free items could be sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, aspartame, Nutrasweet, or evaporated cane juice, all of which will stall your weight loss.

Graham crackers often have very little graham (whole wheat) flour and almost always will contain refined sugar.

UnDiet Ammunition

Take a stroll down the diet or health food aisle and you’ll find many alternative cookies, cakes and other dessert items.

Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar in Any Diet


This timely book is aimed at the millions of people whose low-fat diets aren’t providing the health benefits and weight loss they expect.

More than 50 recipes make Get the Sugar Out a great guide to low-sugar adaptations of favorite meals, snacks, drinks and desserts, along with tips on how to read food labels and ratings of popular foods.

Check out Gittleman’s recipe for Living Apple Pie on the UnDiet site this month.

Falling For Mr. Goodbar

Energy, sports and protein bars are generally not a good item for UnDieters. They’re designed as a portable meal replacement for athletes on biking trips or mountain treks. The excess protein they contain may do more harm than good when you eat them regularly as a snack between meals. Excess protein can cause the body to excrete calcium. When eaten regularly they could increase the risk of osteoporosis. Extra protein is not something that the average person needs to look for in their diet. Even a balanced vegetarian diet contains enough protein to sustain you. Besides these bars are almost always a mix of Protein and Starches, and contain a lot of refined sugars. The UnDiet alternatives are better snack options – they have approximately half the calories of energy/sports bars and no refined sugars.

UnDiet Ammunition
The items below are great non-perishable meal replacements to carry with you when you’re on a hectic schedule:

  • The diet and/or health food aisle of your local grocery store will have a good selection of meal and snack bars that cater to UnDieters, low carbers and diabetics. Of course you can also find these in a health food store.
  • Low-fat granola: make your own or pick some up at the grocery or health food store – remember to read the ingredients list looking for refined sugars and added oils.
  • Tofu Jerky (meat jerky is fine also, just difficult to find without all kinds of nitrites and other additives including refined sugars).
  • Trail mix, make your own or look for it at your local grocery or health food store. Just remember to look for refined sugar and other additives and avoid them.
  • Breakfast bars that contain whole food ingredients and do not contain refined sugars and trans-fats.
  • Dried Fruit, make sure it’s sulfur-free.
  • Nuts
  • Really Nutritious Nutri-Grain Bars (the recipe will be in an upcoming Step)

When a Rose By Another Name is Not a Rose (so sorry WS)

Watch out for tricky labeling. Air-popped popcorn flavored with high-fat or sugary coatings can supply as much fat and calories as potato chips. Words like “stone ground wheat” or “hearty” used to describe crackers trick you into believing that they’re made with whole grains, when they may not be at all. Read the ingredient list to determine if “stone ground wheat” products are actually made with “whole wheat”, the key word being “whole” whenever an ingredient list is referring to a grain. And don’t forget to check further down on the ingredient list as many whole grain products also contain refined sugar in the form of “high-fructose corn syrup”. “Evaporated cane juice” or “brown rice syrup” are good alternative sweeteners.

Fruit leathers and other Fruit-based treats whose labels claim they’re made with real Fruit may not contain much real Fruit at all.

The word “natural” on a food label does not always mean the product is healthy. So-called “natural” Fruits can contain refined sugar since sugar is considered a “natural” ingredient.

UnDiet Ammunition

  • Healthy Choice or Newman’s Organic microwave popcorn contains no trans-fats and the surprise bonus is that you’ll never taste a better microwave popcorn than Newman’s Own Organics.
  • packaged popped organic popcorn which you can find at any health food store or health food aisle of grocery store
  • If you can find Farmer Steve’s Organic Microwave Popcorn consider yourself lucky – it’s oil-free and lightly salted.
  • Triscuits and Wheat Thins are good cracker choices, although I find that the low-fat versions of both of these crackers tend to taste stale, so stick with the regular version.
  • Sulfur-free dried Fruit snacks with Fruit or dried Fruit listed first or second in the ingredient list.

Not-So-Smoothie-Sailing

With juice-bar Fruit and frozen yogurt shakes, often called “smoothies” you can gulp down a LOT of calories and refined sugars. If Fruits are processed in a juicer, most of their fiber is lost, and the fiber is what makes you feel full. Then, juice concentrates are added which make for additional calories with absolutely zero nutritional benefit.

UnDiet Ammunition

At a juice bar:

  • Pick vegetable blends instead of juice blends.
  • Choose juices which are made fresh at that bar (usually orange, apple, and grapefruit).
  • Order a smoothie instead of a juice. Smoothies contain the whole fruit, whereas a juicer removes the fiber. Look for smoothies made with fresh juice, bananas, and/or yogurt (if it’s sugar-free).

If you’re at home you can whip up a low calorie smoothie that’s brimming with live digestive enzymes. Drink up and you won’t miss your juice-bar smoothie at all. If you’re short on time you can make up a pitcher full of smoothie and then just pour them into your thermal cup as you run out the door.

Dairy Disasters

Yogurts marked “natural” or  “no artificial ingredients” can contain refined sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup (but not artificial flavors or colors). Yogurts whose labels don’t have the “live and active cultures” seal may not contain the live bacteria cultures that give yogurt it’s health and digestive benefits. Puddings made with “70% nonfat milk” may contain more fat than puddings made with whole milk, because vegetable oil may have been added. Kind of makes you mad doesn’t it when you see how the “art of labeling” messes up your attempts to eat healthy?

UnDiet Ammunition

  • “Reduced fat” and “part skim milk” cheeses have less fat than regular cheeses, yet taste and melt almost the same – “nonfat” cheeses however, don’t taste or melt any better than the packaging they come in.
  • Yogurt with the “live and active cultures” seal on the label and no refined sugars.
  • Ready-to-eat puddings without fats or oils high on their ingredient lists and with no refined sugars.
  • UnDiet Fruit Puddings such as Cocoa Pudding and Raisin Nut Pudding.

Frozen Ass-ets (which is where these treats will end up on you!)

Frozen fruit bars usually aren’t 100% Fruit. Some contain a high percentage of refined sugar. Low-fat pudding or ice cream bars often contain so much refined sugar and processed ingredients that the lack of fat is hardly the issue. Even the sugar-free varieties are no plus for weight loss when they’re sweetened with Nutrasweet/aspartame.

UnDiet Ammunition

  • Commercially frozen bars made from 100 % Fruit or juice – can also contain yogurt, cream, milk, or nuts.
  • Homemade frozen bars made from any UnDiet Fruit Shake, Fruit Pudding, or Citrus Cooler.

Caught in a Crunch

Even though vegetable chips contain about half the fat of regular potato chips they have almost the same number of calories. Terra chips substitute insulin producing vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets for plain old spuds. Designer chips contain such a small amount of nonstarchy vegetables or whole grains that you’re not getting much more fiber or antioxidants than you’d find in a bag of old-fashioned potato chips. The big issue here is that during weight loss these starchy vegetables cause your body to produce more insulin than is conducive to weight loss. When you’re into maintenance these chips are okay – just not on a daily basis.

UnDiet Ammunition

  • Baked Tortilla Chips (make your own – the store-bought variety tastes awful) – corn is another insulin overloading vegetable though so save these for maintenance or eat them sparingly.
  • Make your own whole wheat tortilla and pita chips.
  • Air-popped popcorn, with or without a short burst of butter spray, sea salt, Parmesan cheese, herbs & spices – popcorn is an insulin overloading food so save these for maintenance or eat sparingly.
  • Zucchini Chips, Kale Chips, Apple Chips – make your own or find a brand that you like.
  • Chew on dried tomatoes – sort of like an Italian jerky.
  • Cheddar Crisps
  • Spicy Cheese Crisps
  • Sun Chips brand chips are made with whole wheat, but eat sparingly. In other words, enjoy the 100 calorie bag but don’t use them as a substitute for dinner.

For those on Protein Blast:

  • Pork rinds (sounds gross but they’re really good) give you the satisfaction of a crunchy snack. They’re high in fat but you’re not worrying about that on a Protein Blast, are you?
  • Cheddar Crisps
  • Spicy Cheese Crisps
  • Zucchini or Kale Chips

Tips & Tricks

Stop a moment before you reach for a snack. When you’re stressed, tired, frustrated, bored, angry … it’s so easy to grab a prepackaged snack food. Instead, get away from what you’re doing, even if for just a little while; take a walk, run an errand, make a phone call, visit an office compatriot … Then if you still feel you need a little something, choose an UnDiet alternative.

$$$aver

Write out at least a week’s worth of menu’s using your favorite grocery store’s ads to plan sale items into your menu.

Step By Step

1. Be on the lookout for your particular camouflaged saboteurs.
2. Shop for and/or prepare alternatives that satisfy and beat your saboteurs at their game.
3. Print out this Step and post it near the places where you snack attacks creep up on you.
4. Go to Coupon Clearinghouse – find coupons for thousands of food items.
5. Once you’ve cleaned out your cupboards you’re ready to move on to Step 4: Separate Foods.

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Extreme Weight Loss

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Today it seems that everyone is looking for the fastest way to lose weight, but it is really important that safety does not take a back seat. You’ve heard it before, but it can’t be stressed enough; you must consult your doctor before starting any kind of weight loss program, especially the more rigorous ones that are available today. Losing weight too fast can cause all kinds of medical issues that you don’t want to suffer from. There are plenty of safe and effective ways to lose weight. You only need to be careful and do proper research before starting.

One of the most popular extreme weight loss methods today is the gastric bypass operation. This surgery reduces the size of the stomach by placing a band or staples in the stomach. This type of weight loss is only recommended for the obese who need to lose a drastic amount of weight for health concerns. It also requires the patient to be on an aggressive gastric bypass diet for the rest of their lives. This is a diet of very small portions. If not adhered to the patient risks tearing and dangerous complications.

There are other methods of extreme weight loss that don’t involve surgical procedures, but that can be just as dangerous. Diet pills can be very harmful if not taken as directed by a physician. Many are made to speed up the users metabolism to speed up weight loss and burn fat. If you are not on a nutritious diet and not getting the right amount of exercise, many of these pills can be dangerous to your health. They have been know to be particularly harmful to the heart and circulatory system. The bottom line is that nothing beats a nutritious diet and a healthy regimen of exercise. If you turn that into a lifestyle you won’t need the aid of weight loss supplements, or dangerous surgeries.

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Family Breakfast: Weight Loss Tips & A Healthy Diet For Children

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These weight loss tips are not only the quickest way to lose weight but are posted to help a parent who is trying to develop a healthy diet for children.

While eating nothing but Fruit in the morning is the best way to lose weight fast, if you find it too difficult or need a break now and then, don’t despair. As long as you eat nothing but fresh or frozen Fruit on most days you’re still off to a roaring good start. And if you’re concerned about your family’s health, relax, you don’t need to work hard to convince everybody to eat nothing but Fruit in the morning. If they like it, great – but it won’t be detrimental to their health (or weight loss) if they can’t live without their cereal. Eating nothing but Fruit in the morning until noon is a healthier way to live and a big boost to your weight loss goals but if your family isn’t buying it, let it go and work on putting into practice the weight loss tips outlined below to get them off to a healthier start in the morning.

You may eat Fruit with other foods, but with caution. Fruit must be eaten either alone, with other foods, or immediately following a meal or snack. Fruit eaten an hour after dinner will cause indigestion & weight gain. So you are allowed to eat Fruit with your meal or for dessert immediately following the meal, but wait 4 and 1/2 hours after eating a Protein meal and 2 and 1/2 hours after eating a Starch meal before eating Fruit again. If your family wants bananas or raisins in their oatmeal, let ’em. These Fruits actually help to digest Starches. I’ll be placing a chart in an upcoming Step showing which Fruits help to digest which types of food, but for now go ahead and have any Fruit with any other type of food.

Probably the most difficult part of implementing these weight loss tips for a healthy diet for your children is keeping your family happy without putting yourself in the position of preparing two completely different menus for each meal. You want them to start eating healthier, but you know you’re going to get complaints and grumblings. My advice, try fooling them rather than fighting them. To accomplish this trickery here are some suggestions for a Step-By-Step transitional breakfast plan. These tips will also work well for you if you’re like my dad (breakfast is his favorite meal) and having trouble eating nothing but Fruit in the morning.

When they sit down to breakfast have a bowl of fresh Fruit sitting at each family members place. Let them munch on that while you fix the breakfast they’re used to. If you really want to entice them, place a small bowl of one of the UnDiet Fruit Dips, Sweet Creme Fraiche Dip or Sweet Whipped Cream next to their fruit bowl.

One way to get them interested in an all-Fruit breakfast is to pour them a small glass when you make yourself a Fruit smoothie. To give them a really rich and creamy taste sensation you might try adding just a touch of heavy cream, some nondairy milk or a little sweetener such as honey, agave nectar or date sugar after pouring off your portion of the smoothie. The milk and Fruit sugar aren’t strictly forbidden for you on The UnDiet but since it’s two more steps – and quite a few more calories – I tend to skip them unless it’s one of those days where I just need something special. If they want more, or seem to like it, make a bigger glass for them next time and cut back on the rest of their breakfast. NOTE: when following any of the UnDiet Fruit Smoothie recipes you may now use soy/nut/rice/seed milk in place of Fruit juice if you prefer, it will not affect your weight loss.

Switch their frozen, canned or bottled juice for fresh juice, and don’t automatically serve a glass of milk with their breakfast. If they want it fine, but try serving up to 1/2 and 1/2 nondairy milk with the dairy milk. Keep upping the ratio of nondairy milk to dairy milk.

They may not ask for anything else, but if they do, see if you can get away with giving them more Fruit or veggies such as celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, and lettuce which digest well with Fruit. If your kids won’t touch a celery stick unless it’s accompanied by ranch dressing, make up one the UnDiet Veggie Dips to keep them happy.

If your family won’t eat Fruit and turn their noses up at celery sticks in the morning, serve fresh Fruit followed by one of the transition foods listed below.

UnDiet Transition Foods

  • Get them used to whole grains by making whole grain pancakes topped with pure maple syrup, or a little butter and/or a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice, or chopped, pureed or mashed Fruit.
    Try Grape Nuts (not the flakes – they have sugar in them).
  • Cut back on dairy and start getting them used to non-dairy products by serving rice/soy/nut/seed milk with their cereal. If they won’t touch the “weird” milk then mix 1:4 with dairy milk gradually cutting back on the dairy milk.
  • If they need sugar on their cereal (don’t just automatically serve it, let them ask for it), sprinkle on date or maple sugar. I would suggest just throwing out all the white sugar in your house. You don’t want to eat it, you don’t want to serve it to your family, and I would hope you wouldn’t want to serve it to your friends. I doubt anyone will even notice. If they ask why the sugar looks different just tell them it’s date or maple sugar, or if they’re really resistant tell them it’s brown sugar – well, it is brown and it is sugar. They’ll most likely shrug and keep eating, although they may use more than they would with white sugar as date/maple sugar isn’t as sweet as white sugar.
  • Whole grain toast with butter and/or honey, or sugar-free jam. Add a dash of cinnamon (not cinnamon sugar).
  • Whole grain zucchini or carrot bread made with pureed tofu (or soy egg-replacer) in place of eggs.
  • Oatmeal with any of the following stirred in: Fruit, cinnamon, honey, applesauce, maple syrup, sugar-free chocolate chips.

After they’ve been eating this way for a couple of weeks, make sure they have enough Fruit and transition foods but don’t replenish your pantry with sugary cereals and Pop Tarts or whatever it is they’re eating that you want to switch them from. Children take a simple “we’re out of it” way better than “you can’t have it”. If they take this without complaints you may be able to switch them completely to Fruit in the morning. If they still don’t like it, keep transitioning them and try again in a week or so.

UnDiet Feedback

Some of you have written me to tell me that you’re still hungry after having your Fruit in the morning. There are several things you can do that will help you to feel more full.

Bananas tend to be more filling. Add them to your Fruit bowl or make a Dirty Monkey.

I’ve also been making a raw applesauce which is basically pureeing 1 banana with 2 apples, that is very filling. For variation add vanilla, a very teenie bit of salt, and/or cinnamon or apple pie spice.

Get moving. After having your Fruit, do a mini workout. Sounds strange but I find I feel less hungry both during the workout and for the rest of the morning.

If all else fails go ahead and have one of the transition foods.

Batter Breads

It’s difficult to make whole grain batter breads that are a proper UnDiet combination if you’re strictly following food combining because these recipes require mixing eggs (Protein) & flour (Starch). One simple solution is to substitute 1/4 cup pureed tofu (or soy egg-replacer) for each egg and soy milk for any milk in your recipe. Go ahead and try it in your own recipes, you’ll be amazed. I’ve even made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dinner this way and the family LOVED it. Of course they didn’t know I’d made it with date sugar and tofu … Future “Weight Loss Tips: The UnDiet Step By Step” will have recipes and information on how to bake with tofu as an egg replacer. It’s really an incredible weight loss tip!

If you’re not ready to use tofu in place of eggs go ahead and use the eggs. The amount of Protein in relationship to the amount of Starch makes this an okay (not great, but okay) combination.

Important Information for Babies


Children under 18 months of age don’t have the enzyme necessary to break down starches, so you’ll want to give them only fresh Fruits and vegetables for breakfast until they’re at least 18 months old. Of course, run this by your pediatrician to make sure your child(ren) is getting the nutrition he/she needs. I know several doctors who recommend serving children this age banana milk (bananas pureed with water) in place of formula.

A Word About Protein

You don’t need to eat meat and dairy to get the protein your body needs. You receive enough protein from fresh Fruits and vegetables to satisfy your body’s protein needs. Fruits and veggies don’t actually contain protein, but they do contain the amino acids necessary for your body to build the protein it needs. Protein overload is a much more common occurrence than protein deficiency. You would have to work very hard to acquire a protein deficiency – starving yourself is really the only way to end up with a protein deficiency.

Weight Loss Tips & Tricks

You don’t need to tell your family they’re going on the UnDiet. When you’re changing something just tell them you’re trying out a new recipe. When you’re fazing something out tell them you’re out of the old food and use the UnDiet substitute for awhile. If they still complain, experiment until you find something they like.

Serve a variety of Fruits including some they’ve never tried before. Make a mental note of what gets devoured and what stays on the plate. One way to get kids to eat Fruit is to get them involved. Many Fruits are soft enough to be cut with a plastic knife. Give your kid(s) a peach and a plastic knife and step back.

Make Fruit fun by cutting it into thick slices and using cookie cutters to cut each slice into fun shapes.

Make up some Fruit With Attitude. It’s a little more work, but worth it if it will get your family to eat Fruit. Fruit With Attitude is also good to have on hand for after-school and after-work snacks.

Step-By-Step

1. Print out the following recipe pages:

2. Make a shopping list.

3. Go shopping.

4. Prepare anything you won’t want to fiddle with in the morning.

5. Serve fresh Fruit and/or juice first thing in the morning.

6. If necessary make up of one of the UnDiet Fruit Dips.

7. If necessary serve one or more of the transition foods.

Talk Back

I encourage you to comment on this Step with your questions, your challenges, your own tips and discoveries … Together we can all Step Up to the UnDiet Challenge and move closer to our health and weight loss goals.

Recipes Starches Uncategorized Vegetarian

Adults Only Grilled Apple Sandwich

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Melt a little butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place 1 of 2 slices of whole grain bread topped with nondairy mozzarella cheese in skillet. Grill until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Remove to plate. Melt some more butter and add the other slice of bread topped with cheese.

While second slice is grilling spread first slice with Celery Pesto and top with thinly sliced apple. When 2nd slice is done spread it with more Celery Pesto and place on first slice of bread.

Dessert Recipes Uncategorized

The UnDiet Joe-Joe

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If any of you have ever had a Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe then you know the magical power they have to wreck your best intentions for eating healthy. Each 150 calorie, sugar-laden round of deliciousness is engineered to add lumps and bumps to your silohette.

One afternoon last week I decided that I would wrestle the crown of deliciousness from Joe-Joe and create my own healthy version – and here it is.

Start with as healthy of an Oreo type cookie as you can find. Go for double-cream if it’s available. I like Newman’s Own brand but any brand will do. You won’t find one that is perfectly healthy but do your best.

Melt grain-sweetened chocolate chips with a bit of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Carefully dip cookies in melted chocolate and lay out to cool on a wax paper lined plate or tray. You can stick the cookies in the fridge to cool faster.

A nice variation is to use grain-sweetened peanut butter chips in place of all or half of the chocolate chips.

POW – take THAT Joe-Joe!

 

 

Tips Uncategorized

Eating Out – Road Trip

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It can be difficult to stick to your eating plan while traveling, especially while on a road trip. It’s so easy to pull into a fast food drive-thru and takes a little forethought to plan ahead how you will stick to your eating plan while on vacation.

Start with packing items that will get you through when you don’t feel like stopping or when the McDonalds arches beckon to you from a freeway billboard. Pack by putting the items for later in the day at the bottom of your cooler or food box.

Pack plenty of fresh Fruits for breakfast. You may even want to continue eating fresh Fruits until dinner time. They’re easy and will give you a chance to lose a little more weight and cleanse your system of toxins and past dietary mistakes.

If however, you’d rather move up the dietary pyramid for lunch and dinner, then pack:

  • veggie sticks
  • dill pickles
  • Starch or Protein sandwiches
  • fill and roll up whole wheat tortillas or lavosh
  • cold chicken
  • cheese cubes
  • deli-sliced pastrami, proscuitto or ham rolled around spears of cantalope
  • whole grain crackers topped with sliced nondairy cheese
  • cold quiche
  • tuna or chicken salad packed on top of lettuce leaves
  • hard boiled eggs
  • sugar free jello
  • single serving yogurts
  • roasted soybeans
  • french toast made with low carb bread, topped with sugar-free jam

Use the supermarket and deli guidelines to pick up food along the way, putting any leftovers in a cooler.

Use the Eating Out – Fast Food guidelines to pick up fast food along the way.

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Fruit First

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If you’re on a high-protein or low-carb diet plan then this Step isn’t for you. Fruit is too high in carbohydrates if you’re relying on your body’s metabolic reaction to a Protein Binge for weight loss. We’ll take a look at the Protein Binge Breakfast in a later issue which would be a more appropriate breakfast choice for you. That said, you should still be aware of the basics of Fruit First as we’ve found that when weight loss on a high protein diet plan stalls, carb loading will often kick you back into weight loss mode.

The single most effective step in successful weight loss, using the power of properly combining whole foods, has been shown to be the living Fruit breakfast. This step speeds along the process of eliminating the waste products that your body is still working to rid itself of from the previous day. It also ensures that you have at least one meal each day, that is nothing but living foods. We’ll talk more about living foods and their contribution towards weight loss in an upcoming UnDiet Step.

This Step is all about changing your breakfast habits. You’ll eat nothing but fresh or frozen Fruit, (no canned Fruit, because the canning process cooks the Fruit) until noon. During weight loss, go easy on the bananas, dried Fruit, and watermelons as these cause your insulin level to rise too high. Eat as much Fruit as you need to feel satisfied, either all in one sitting or staggered throughout the morning.

When you get up in the morning it’s good to start with an UnDiet compatible beverage such as a glass of water, a cup of herbal tea, water with fresh lemon or lime juice. Skip high-glycemic sweeteners and Fruit juice during weight loss. If it’s not morning without a cup of coffee in your hands, switch to decaf and use only nondairy milk, cream, half and half and/or Splenda, Sweet ‘N Low or Stevia if you must have sweetener in your java. A half hour later you might fix a bowl of fresh Fruit. An hour or two later you might have a Fruit shake. Whatever it takes to make you glad to wake up to another day on the UnDiet.

Note: Eating nothing but fresh and/or frozen Fruit in the morning until noon is one of the most important ways to achieve your weight loss and health goals. I realize though that there will be some mornings that through either circumstance or mood nothing but fresh Fruit is not possible. When that’s the case, go ahead and have a whole grain, sugar-free cereal or other UnDiet compatible breakfast food along with as much Fruit as possible before or with the meal, but not after the meal. Wait two hours after you’ve taken your last bite and have a large beverage. Continue enjoying UnDiet compatible beverages until lunch.

Tips & Tricks

If you don’t have time in the morning, or if you’re afraid you’ll lose your resolve when faced with a banana and a blender when what you really want is a bowl of Lucky Charms, blend up a Fruit shake the night before. I like to make up a big batch of Fruit shakes and then I have them for several days. It’s more difficult to make up a Fruit salad the day before as most cut Fruits turn brown after an hour or so. I do however wash grapes, cut up melons, strawberries, and citrus Fruits, putting them in baggies or airtight containers, as they keep very well for a couple of days this way. This also makes them easy to snack on when you want “just a little something”. You can also find pre-sliced apples in most grocery stores.

Step-By-Step

  1. Eat nothing but fresh or frozen Fruit until noon.
  2. Read through the recipes and print out any you want to make up:
  3. Make up a shopping list.
  4. Go shopping.
  5. Be prepared by cutting up Fruit and making shakes the day before or on the weekend.
  6. Keep sulfur-free dried Fruits on hand for when you’re in a hurry or especially hungry. If you’re having trouble feeling full, dried Fruit will make you feel full longer than fresh Fruit.
  7. For those of you who have not read through the blog and therefore don’t know what to eat during the rest of the day, go to The UnDiet Basic Guidelines. They’ll get you through your day as you continue to receive supplementary information through the UnDiet Steps.