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Category Archives: UnDiet Eating Plans
FREE BOOK – “Intermittent Fasting for Health & Weight Loss”
Today through July 9th my newest book will be free to download from Amazon!
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FREE on Kindle: 14 Days – 14 Pounds ~ Low Carb Daily Plan
This book is what you’ve been waiting for, the missing piece of the low carb puzzle.
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300 Calorie Day
We haven’t talked about the Rotation Diet here on The UnDiet – I’ll do that in an upcoming post, but I did want to give you a taste of how easy it can be to do what most people would think is impossible and that’s to have only 300 calories in a day and not be hungry.
On 300 calorie days you’ll want to use salad dressings and sauces that are 25 calories per tablespoon (or less) so that you don’t use up the majority of your calorie allotment on jazzing up your salads and veggies . I’ve included a recipe in this post, but for those of you who are crunched for time most health food stores carry these in the produce section by the lettuce or on the shelf in salad dressings section, or you can whip up your own by combining yogurt and herbs seasoned with sea salt and black pepper – my Yogurt Dill Dressing recipe will show you how it’s done and you can create endless variations from there.
Oh and if you’re checking my math and wondering why it doesn’t add up, when doing the Rotation Diet you don’t count the calories in fruits or veggies, so they’re freebies. Eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. That’s the secret to staying out of the “gorilla hunger” zone.
Breakfast
40 calories
- apple slices dusted with cinnamon
- coffee with 2 tablespoons half & half
Lunch
50 calories
- green salad tossed with 2 tablespoons Yogurt Dill Dressing
- artichoke cut in half, hairy choke removed and cooked with cut side down until tender in a broth made of white wine, vegetable broth, garlic and balsamic vinegar, allowing the broth to boil down so that the cut side of artichoke is carmelized.
Quick version: use frozen artichoke hearts instead of whole artichokes. Don’t use canned artichokes, they’re a whole different animal – a bit tough and vinegary. If you use canned artichokes you’ll not be satisfied with your lunch salad. If you’re not satisfied with your lunch salad you’ll start to think that eating healthy doesn’t really work. If you start thinking that eating healthy doesn’t work then you’ll start eating junk food. If you start eating junk food then you’ll start gaining weight and feeling lousy. If you start gaining weight and feeling lousy, you’ll get really really grumpy. If you get really really grumpy then … well you get the picture – don’t use canned artichokes.
Dinner
50 calories
- celery sticks with 2 tablespoons any 25 calorie/tablespoon dressing
- Imagine Foods Butternut Squash Soup thickened or vegetable broth with pureed roasted onion and/or cauliflower.
- 1/2 whole wheat roll
Snack
120 calories
- 2 cups lite popcorn (if no cream in your coffee you can melt 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon honey, drizzle over popcorn, toss until well mixed – m-m-m, who needs caramel corn?!)
- sliced apples
Yogurt Dill Dressing
1 serving = 2 tablespoons
Per serving: 19 calories, 1.5 net carb, 2.3 grams protein, .5 grams fat,
Since I use this recipe in my Rotation Diet menus (and another version in my low carb menus) I’m using low calorie ingredients and including the calorie count as well as the carb count for any low carbers using this.
Even if you’re going for the low calorie bang, be sure to use real mayo, not the light stuff which contains added sugar and other ingredients to make up for the loss of fat.
Stir together:
1 cube dill pesto or 2 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 cube parsley pesto or 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
At the end of the day, you’ll have lost around a pound – maybe a little more, maybe a little less. That’s a nice way to recover from a day or two (or a lifetime) of unhealthy eating. Rinse and repeat.
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Nutrisystem as an UnDiet Option
If you choose carefully you can get some healthy options at NutriSystem. If you’re crazy busy, are just getting started learning about healthy eating, or need the discipline of a carefully structured meal then the Nutrisystem plan can be a good place to get started with your UnDiet. And BONUS – they generally have some type of discount going on.
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Fast Food For the Gluten Intolerant
The growing interest in gluten free eating has not gone unnoticed by the fast food giants. Reluctant to lose business to the gluten free crowd many fast food restaurants have added gluten free menus to their websites. Not many of them other than some pizza places which have added gluten free crusts have actually made changes to their menus to accommodate gluten intolerant guests but at least you now have easy access to their gluten free menus.
If you are simply trying to eat gluten free as a diet choice then you probably don’t need this article, choose a salad, a potato, beans, corn, the obvious choices and you’ll be fine, but for those with celiac disease you need to know if there is even a miniscule amount of gluten in a menu item and this article will help you to make the right choices.
Arby’s
Arby’s has published a list of menu items that are gluten free. Nothing surprising and it’s mostly a list of ingredients that are gluten free, although it’s nice to have a selection of gluten free salads and salad dressings. You can print out their list at Arby’s Gluten Free Menu.
Blimpies
Salads, soups, sides, desserts and a few other items make up the gluten free items at Blimpies.
Burger King
BK has developed a list of menu items that are safe for people who are gluten-intolerant. You can see their list at Burger King’s Gluten Free Menu to see a list of foods that are made without wheat, barley, oats, or rye.
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s gluten free menu is pretty basic, but so is their regular menu. Get a burger, chicken patty or hotdog without the bun and you’re good to go.
Del Taco
Del Taco does not have many gluten free items, but still if the posse wants to eat there it’s helpful to know what to order – Del Taco Gluten Free Items, crinkle cut fries and hash browns anyone?
Dominoes
It’s buried deep in the Dominoes website but they do publish a selection of gluten free items. The really cool thing at Dominoes though is that they now have a gluten free crust! Yay Dominoes!
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco has one of the most varied menu of gluten free foods that I’ve seen. Corn on the cob, Impressive Gluten Free Menu.
Godfather’s Pizza
Godfather’s has six gluten free pizza options and a very compassionate attitude towards celiac disease.
Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box doesn’t have many gluten free menu items and navigating their published allergen menu is impossible. Thanks to The Gluten Free Guide though we can get an idea of what to eat if we find ourselves at Jack in the Box.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
A word of warning to those with celiac disease. You may not want to stick to the drive thru at this restaurant. When you step inside you’ll find that the flour used to coat the chicken is airborn. That said you can order a salad, corn and a few other sides through the drive thru window.
Long John Silvers
LJS has some nice gluten free seafood options as well as the usual sides.
McDonalds
McDonalds no longer publishes a list of gluten free items. There has been much debate as to whether or not their fries are gluten free and for those who are truly gluten intolerant versus those who simply chose a gluten free eating plan I would avoid the fries given that they are cooked in the same friers in which the hash browns are cooked in and their hash browns are not gluten free.
Thank you to the GlutenFreeGuide.com for publishing this list of McDonalds Gluten Free Foods.
Popeyes
Click on the Gluten Free Button at the top of the Popeyes Nutition Menu and you’ll find that you can order coleslaw, beans, rice, jalapenos and applesauce for dessert.
Subway
Given that Subway is a sandwich place you’re not going to find much here other than salad, but if your dining companion is a Subway fanatic it’s good to know what you can eat. Warning – not all salad items are gluten free so be sure to check out Subway’s Gluten Free Guide before dining there.
Taco Bell
Check out Taco Bell’s Chart for Gluten Free Items. It’s a little hard to read since it doesn’t separate the gluten free items from other allergens, but if you sit down with a notepad you should be able to jot down the items that will work for you.
Wendy’s
You can eat pretty well on Wendy’s Gluten Free Menu. Salads, chili, various baked potatoes, burgers and grilled chicken …
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South Beach Diet and the Hunger Pangs: The Odds are in Your Favor
Looking for answers to better dieting, cardiologist Arthur Agatson and dietician Marie Almon created the South Beach Diet to help patients successfully lose weight and keep it off.
What once was purposed for reducing the risk of heart disease, the South Beach Diet has become a well-known approach to weight loss since its creation in the early 2000s by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon. The South Beach Diet focuses on instructing dieters to learn the difference between good fats vs. bad fats and good carbs vs. bad carbs. With this knowledge, Agatston wanted to empower both men and women with the ability manage their diet in a healthier way.
Why the South Beach Diet is different
Before the South Beach Diet came into existence, during the 1980’s Dr. Agatston noticed that his patients had a hard time following low-fat diets that were heavily recommended by cardiologists in an attempt to lower weight gain, cholesterol and heart disease. Such popular diets included the Ornish Diet and the Pritkin Diet. After much study of insulin resistance, Agatston figured that low-fat diets were causing weightwatchers to make up for the fat by consuming refined sugars and carbs. These “bad carbs” increased the release of insulin in the body, thus dropping the level of blood sugar and producing the sense of hunger. This hunger was then apt to be satisfied by dieters and eventually led to failed dieting and weight gain.
Three phases for dieting success
The South Beach Diet implements 3 phases to follow to help the body overcome blood-sugar spikes and drops and help reduce hunger pangs.
Phase 1 of the diet is to learn to eliminate cravings and promote rapid weight loss in 2 weeks. The idea of eliminating cravings comes from an ability to stabilize blood-sugar levels which helps get rid of a need to feast on refined carbs and starches. The rapid weight loss is designed for women that want to lose 10 pounds or more. After establishing a routine of eating specified, nutritious foods and cutting out the “bad fats” and “bad carbs” dieters will be ready for Phase 2.
Phase 2 includes bringing in nutritious food to the diet plan that was avoided in Phase 1, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And instead of focusing on rapid weight loss, Phase 2 accommodates for steady weight loss that is easier to keep off. Unlike Phase 1 that can be completed in 2 weeks, Phase 2 lasts for as long as it takes for the dieter to reach their weight goal.
Phase 3 is all about maintenance and using your acquired knowledge to keep the weight off. Here dieters will have already learned which foods they can or should not eat, how to return to a different phase if needed and how to keep the weight off forever.
Recipes
Our thanks to Janie G. – a writer for Holtorf Medical Group for such a fantastic explanation of what the South Beach Diet is all about. If you’re looking for a way to lose weight, their medical professionals can help you get great results.
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What Makes Up an Alkaline Diet Plan?
Some of our readers have expressed an interest in an alkaline diet which is recommended for cancer patients and those experiencing other health challenges. Hopefully this guest post will help to steer you in the right direction.
Looking after our bodies is important if we are to live a long and healthy life. We may feel at times that certain diets are attractive and fall into the trap of the promises of an extreme diet. Be careful though, crash dieting is not always the right thing to do. This is not what we are going to focus on today. Instead, what I think is more important is consuming a well balanced diet. What we are going to discuss is how to alkalize your body.
The alkaline diet is pretty straight forward. The general idea is to increase the percentage of alkaline food that we consume. So what are alkaline foods? Overall, the distinction between acid and alkaline foods is pretty simple. Fruits and vegetables are “alkaline” everything else is “acidic”. The definition has nothing to do with the pH of the foods themselves.
For example, lemons are acidic. However these fruits actually alkalize the human body. This can seem a bit confusing. The reason for the alkaline/acid effects of foods is as follows. It is actually the nutritional content of foods that determines whether they alkalize or acidify. Proteins cause foods to acidify our body. On the other hand, high potassium foods alkalize. So if you’d like to start feeling more energetic throughout the day, you could try eating more fruits and vegetables.
An alkaline diet plan is actually quite easy to follow. If you have your own juicing appliance, it’s even easier. When you first get up in the morning, get yourself a glass of water. Then for breakfast include an extra piece of fruit, an orange or grapefruit is a good choice. If you’re able to make yourself some homemade orange juice, that would be perfect. At every meal, try to eat one more serving of vegetables than you do at present.
And that’s it in a nutshell. Thank you to our guest poster for simplifying the alkaline diet for us.
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Choosing a Natural 1500 Calorie Diet
Have you heard about the 1500 Calorie Diet? If not, you might just be the last person on the planet not to have asked us about this quick weight loss plan. Read on as our Guest Blogger talks about this popular diet.
The books, recipes and complete menu plans that form part of the popular 1500 calorie diet need to be chosen with care in order to get the highest quality calories you possibly can. What do I mean by “high quality” calories? It means that a meal that is carefully planned to come in at around 400 or 500 calories can end up containing little to no nutrition. Or that same calorie count can contain foods that are full of nutrients and vitamins that your body needs to lose weight safely. For example a 1500 calorie diet meal plan could be entirely designed around items that come from boxes, cans and packages – refined foods, dry goods, lean meats, poultry, even dairy and still add up to the same number calories as eating a large fresh salad with dressing, steamed veggies, a variety of raw vegetable juices and even whipped fruit drinks and desserts. The difference is that while one 1500 calorie diet may be primarily fresh, full of water, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids, the other may be devoid of almost all nutrients.
How can you know if your 1500 calories are natural or not? How can you be sure to choose the best 1500 calorie diet possible to heighten weight loss and increase energy? There’s a simple rule. If eighty percent of everything you eat is fresh and raw and comes from the produce aisles and not from cans boxes, bags or bins, chances are that you can eat MORE and still consume less calories, and those calories will not be empty but instead will be nutritious and give you health and energy.
A low calories menu plan can include unlimited amounts of celery, cucumber, lettuce, spinach, leafy greens and sprouts. Instead of a sandwich with bread, dressing, turkey or something similar, try making a large cucumber, tomato and lettuce salad with a little chopped turkey. Get more of your calories from carrots, beets, cabbage and thick fresh tomato soups, than from bread, pasta or potatoes. Don’t overcook your vegetables and try to eliminate as much dairy as you can. Try a 1500 calorie diet, but choose your meal plans carefully and you will not only lose weight quickly but you’ll be healthier and full of energy.
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Ayurvedic Weight Loss Tips
It is no secret that the weight loss industry is huge in the US. In fact, it is one of the largest industries in America with over 60% of the country fighting obesity. Because of this, there is a huge selection of pills, diets and expensive foods to help you lose weight. However, Ayurvedic weight loss tips don’t require you to purchase pills or expensive foods. Ayurvedic weight loss techniques have been around for thousands of years because they work.
Ayurveda is an ancient healing science that utilizes the whole realm of health and nutrition to help a person lose weight. Ayurvedic tips for weight loss include eating warm foods to burn fat and avoiding cold beverages, especially during critical points in one’s life. It also includes using the mind, body and spirit together to lose weight and keep it off.
A few easy at home weight loss tips you can follow is to avoid leftovers and to eat and drink warm foods rather than cold foods. You want to focus on fresh foods and avoid heavy foods like red meat, harmful refined sugars, oils, high-fat dairy, poultry and flour. You also want to avoid carbonated drinks at all costs and even rice and potatoes to lose weight. The Ayurvedic diet shows you how to use whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and legumes to achieve your weight loss goals as well as including a routine of drinking warm tea (if you don’t want a warm beverage at least drink a room temperature beverage) with a bit of honey and lime each morning to start your metabolism in the right direction, and fasting 1 out of every 7 days to purify the body. Adding a regular exercise regimen which lets you sweat a bit but doesn’t leave you exhausted and out of breath will have you on your way to your weight loss.. Ayurvedic and easy weight loss tips also center around using yoga, massage, walks in the sun and meditation to take care of the mind and spirit as well.
For more essential information on this topic and many others, including abdominal exercises to lose belly fat
