Summary:

This diet is a quick-fix fad diet designed to help you lose weight fast by allowing super low-calorie meals for 3 days. You then eat normally (should be healthy foods, no over-eating and no under-eating) for 4 days. You can then opt to do the diet again until you reach your desired weight. The dieter must follow the diet exactly for best results. No leaving foods out or adding some in is allowed. There are some substitutions for certain foods. Tips to keep the weight off when done with the 3 day diet:

• Eat a healthy balanced diet. Whole foods are recommended: Fresh veggies, fresh fruits, lean proteins and whole grains. These foods are full of the nutrients you need.
• Stay away from soda, sugary fruit juices and energy drinks. Drink plenty of water!
• Stay away from processed foods and foods stuffed with trans fats, artificial flavors or colors and other chemicals. Also stay away from refined carbs such as white breads, cookies, crackers, donuts, bagels, pastries, etc. When choosing breads or crackers, opt for whole grain!
• Exercise at least 4 times a week – more is better. 35 minutes minimum is best. And try to do both cardio and strength training exercises.

Rules:

1. This diet is for 3 days on and 4 days off. During the 3 days you will follow the exact meal plan. Eat no more, nor no less than what is listed. On the 4 days off, eat a healthy, well balanced diet. Don’t over-eat and for best results, don’t under-eat either.
2. If you can’t eat something on the meal plan or don’t like a certain food item, there are always substitutions. We have an app that gives you all the meal plans and substitutions in it. See below for our app.
3. You must wait 4 days before starting the 3 day diet again. Your body needs to eat regular meals, and a regular amount of calories during these 4 days off. You can repeat this diet until you reach your desired goal weight.
4. Try not to repeat this diet for more than a month at a time. Being that it is very low calorie, it is unhealthy to keep going on it for longer periods.
5. Spreading out meals is allowed. Saving food for later as a snack is allowed. Just make sure you eat everything on the meal plan for the day.
6. Drink plenty of water daily.

Exercise:

Exercise is optional but encouraged especially during the 4 days off of this diet. During the 3 days on you might feel weak from eating such a low calorie diet. If so, work out at your own pace.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Meal plan is easy to follow each day. All foods are easy to find and easy to prepare.
• Exercise isn’t required.
• You are allowed ice cream everyday as a small treat.
• There is a large amount of information online as well as in mobile apps for this diet. (see app recommendations below for this diet – regular, vegan and gluten free options available).

Negatives:

• This super-low calorie diet can be unhealthy for the long term. Repeating it for over a month is not recommended.
• There are healthier ways to lose weight. Sometimes weight might not stay off if the dieter goes back to a lifestyle of unhealthy eating and not exercising. You must put in the effort to keep the weight off that you lost by eating whole foods and exercising regularly. Do not over-eat or under-eat.
• Diet claims “up to 10 pounds loss”, which means you can lose from 0-10 pounds. 10 pounds loss is not guaranteed, its just a maximum you can lose.
• Being that the diet is very low calorie, the dieter might have a hard time with cravings and feeling hungry.
• The food allowed can be bland and boring. Substitutions are allowed for more variety or options.

Recommended Resources:

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Summary:

This diet was created by a biochemist, Barry Spears. On The Zone Diet you must keep proper hormone balance and keep your blood sugar stable. Be sure they stay “in the zone”. This means they are not too high or low. You can do this by eating the right proportions at every meal: 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat. Our bodies need this exact balance of nutrients to stay healthy. Not only will you lose weight following these percentages, but your body will work at peak performance.

No food is off limits, but many are encouraged, such as the following carbs, proteins and fats:
• Examples of good carbs are those low on the glycemic index (GI) such as: vegetables (not corn and carrots), fruits (not bananas and raisins), and oatmeal and barley. Definitely stay away from breads, pastas, potatoes and cereals.
• Examples of good proteins are: skinless chicken, turkey, fish, egg whites, low-fat dairy, tofu, and soy meat substitutes. Don’t eat processed meats like hotdogs or deli meats.
• Examples of good fats include: olive oil and vegetable oils, avocados, nuts and seeds. Stay away from saturated fats (fatty pieces of meat, lard, butter, egg yolks, processed foods) and trans fats (found in microwave popcorn, chips, crackers, commercially made sweets (cookies, cakes, donuts, and pastries), commercially fried foods (french fries, onion rings, fried chicken wings, chicken nuggets, and breaded fish) and margarine or vegetable shortening.

Rules:

1. Eat 5 times a day. 3 meals (every 5 hours) and 2 snacks in between. Each meal should have 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
2. Breakfast should be eaten within 1 hour of waking up.
3. Daily calories 1,200 for women (1,500 for men).

Exercise:

Exercise isn’t required, but it is encouraged for weight maintenance rather than weight loss. At least 2.5 hours of cardio and 1 hour of strength training per week is recommended. Walking, biking, swimming or running are great cardio options.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Eating this way could lead to weight loss and many other health changes, such as bringing down cholesterol levels, for the better.
• Eating every 5 hours helps keep your blood sugar down and reduces hunger pangs.
• You can also purchase Zone Diet specific food, created by Barry Sears himself, to help you with this diet.

Negatives:

• There has been limited research done to show this diet really helps with weight loss effectively.
• Trying to fit exactly 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat into each meal can become daunting for many.

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

     

APPS:

Summary:

A raw food diet is eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Fresh picked, washed and chopped is all the preparation you need to eat raw. Raw foods have living enzymes that help your body with digestion, absorption and elimination. Eating like this is the best way to make sure you digest all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Raw food is anything uncooked or cooked/dehydrated under 115 degrees F. Depending on how long you cook your foods, anything above 115 degrees can kill all the living enzymes and will diminish 50-100 percent of the nutrients in your food.

Eating a fully raw food diet will lead to weight loss, clearer skin, clearer sinuses, more energy, mental clarity, less depression and balancing other emotional issues, plus it even improves regular bowel movements. Those are just to name a few – you’ll also be reducing your risk of many health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and many other debilitating problems our society deals with.

Rules:

1. Raw Food consists of all vegetables & fruits. You can also eat some grains and legumes raw by soaking and sprouting them first.
2. Food must never be heated/cooked/dehydrated over 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Exercise:

Exercise is definitely recommended. Keep it simple at first, as you might notice a lack of energy in the beginning from lack of the heavy carbs many are used to. Some might not notice anything at all and exercise will be fine. Watch your body and apply exercise accordingly.

Rating:

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Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Eating this way will lead to weight loss and many other health changes for the better.
• There are many “Happy Ending” stories out there of people who have completely reversed health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc. from going on a raw food diet.
• The energy you will feel when you change to a raw food diet, is a feeling like no other.
• Not having to cook can be awesome for many who don’t like to cook. Just chopping veggies for a salad or throwing veggies/fruits into a blender for a soup or smoothie is super simple and pretty much anyone can do it!
• There are so many resources out there to help you start living Raw. You can start off by trying a Raw Food Cleanse or detox to see if you like it. Below are links to a 3 day cleanse, 7 day cleanse, 14 day cleanse or 28 day cleanse. These might be just what you need to get on the road to Going Raw!

Negatives:

• It might be hard at first to not eat warm/hot foods.
• Changing your whole way of eating might take some getting used to. Check out apps for the iPhone to help, below. You can take the app with you to the grocery store to help you shop.
• Some might experience detox symptoms when starting a Raw Food diet from eating unhealthy foods in the past. Just know that this will pass and you will soon feel awesome.

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

    

 

APPS:

       

Raw Food Cleanse 3 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 7 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 14 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse 28 Day - $1.99
Raw Food Cleanse Complete - $2.99

Summary:

This diet plan was discovered by naturopathic physician Dr. D’Adamo. He discovered that if you eat foods containing proteins that are incompatible with your blood type, you may experience negative effects such as bloating, weight gain, sluggishness, a slower metabolism, and even diseases such as diabetes or cancer. When you follow a diet plan based on your blood type you could experience many positive health effects such as weight loss, more energy, better digestion, less allergies and more.

There are four blood types A, B, AB, and O.

Type A

Type A thrives on a vegetarian diet. Many vegetables, fruits, tofu, beans & grains are just a hint of what is beneficial for this type. Avoid meats, dairy and wheat. It’s recommended that their foods are organic and fresh.

Type B

Type B thrives on an omnivore diet. Because Type B’s digestive system is tolerant of most food types, they can eat a wide variety of foods including vegetables, meats and low-fat dairy. This type has some specific foods that should be avoided such as tomatoes, shellfish, chicken, most nuts and seeds, lentils and corn.

Type AB

Type AB is somewhat of a mix of type A and B. Their diet is a balanced mix of meats, dairy, vegetables, beans and grains. They have a sensitive digestive tract and they have low stomach acid, so they must eat meat in small portions during each meal. Tofu or seafood is a good protein substitute and they can enjoy dairy and most vegetables.

Type O

Type O thrives on an animal protein based diet. They don’t do well with breads, grains, legumes and beans. They have higher stomach acid content which helps in the digestion of meats. Type O’s also have a hard time digesting dairy products and eggs.

Rules:

1. If you don’t know your blood type, visit your doctor or a blood bank to get tested.
2. Once you know your type, be sure to follow the food lists to make sure to eat only the foods that are beneficial to you and to avoid those that are dangerous to your health.

Exercise:

Gentle exercise is encouraged for Type A’s – walking, yoga and swimming are all good. Type B’s should exercise moderately – any exercise is great, as long as its done to a moderate level. Calming exercise is great for Type AB’s such as yoga or tai chi. It is recommended that O’s exercise vigorously – they need lots of exercise at high intensity.

Rating:

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Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Eating this way could lead to weight loss and many other health changes for the better.
• There are many great resources out there with lists of foods allowed and not allowed for each Type. Check out links below to apps for your iPhone or books to guide you.

Negatives:

• It may force some people to eat a certain way that they normally wouldn’t eat, not taking into consideration personal tastes, preferences or dietary needs. For example: a vegetarian who is type O might have a real hard time accepting this diet, because type O’s primarily eat meats.
• No real clinical conclusions have been made that blood type and foods you eat are related in any way.
• Changing your whole way of eating might take some getting used to. Following long lists to discover what you can and can’t eat can be daunting. Check out apps for the iPhone to help, below. You can take the app with you to the grocery store to help you shop.

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

APPS:

Summary:

The Dukan diet was developed by the French doctor Pierre Dukan. This protein-based diet plan is based on scientific findings that proteins are filling, take more time to digest and don’t have that many calories per serving. Carbs are limited, so the body is forced to burn fat, which will lead to weight loss.

This diet is very strict. There are 4 stages you must follow exactly: attack, cruise, consolidation and stabilization.

Attack Phase

This phase is super high protein. You can eat as much protein as you’d like. You should only eat meats that have no more than 5% fat. This includes chicken and turkey meat (no skin and wings), beef, rabbit, veal (no rib), fish, low-fat ham, shellfish, eggs (only 2 per day, unlimited egg whites, restrict yolks if suffering from high-cholesterol problems), low-fat dairy products, water, calorie free drinks and 1.5 TBSP of oat bran. You can use different spices to help with seasoning your preferred proteins. Most dieters lose 4-7 pounds during this phase.

Cruise Phase

This phase incorporates the addition of vegetables – mainly non-starchy ones. You should alternate attack phase days with cruise phase days during this phase. There are 3 ways you can do this, and they are explained in the Rules below. Weight loss of about 2-4 pounds a week is average.

Consolidation Phase

This is sort of a maintenance period. You’re taking what you’ve learned and aiming to keep the pounds off. This phase could last a long time – it all depends on how much weight you’ve lost. You stay on it 5 days for each pound.

Permanent Stabilization Phase

This final phase is noted as the way you should eat for the rest of your life. You can eat anything you’d like as long as you use what you learned in the last phase.

Rules:

1. You’ll stay on the Attack Phase (PP – pure protein) for 1-10 days, depending on how much you have to lose. You’ll eat as many proteins as you’d like, low-fat dairy products, water, calorie free drinks and 1.5 TBSP of oat bran during this time. Follow the allowed foods guidelines exactly! No other foods allowed.
2. During the Cruise phase you’ll add in vegetable days (PV – pure vegetables). Alternating days of pure protein (PP) and pure vegetables (PV) is required. It doesn’t have to be every other day you switch off 1PP + 1PV – although this is the easiest option. You can also try doing 5PP+5PV – this is alternating what you eat every 5 days, which is the hardest. The last way to alternate is 2PP +5PV, which is 2 pure protein days and 5 pure veggie days and repeating that. Follow one of the patterns above and continue this pattern until you reach your goal weight. Eat only foods on the allowed lists. Also, you must now eat 2 TBSP oat bran each day.
3. Consolidation phase lasts 5 days for every pound you’ve lost. You can eat as much protein and veggies as you’d like and mix them as you please now. You can also add 1 ½ oz. of cheese a day, 2 slices of whole-grain bread and 1 portion of fruit per day. Each week you can add 2 servings of pasta or quinoa to a meal and you’re allowed 3 protein indulgences (examples are: leg of lamb, roast pork and cooked ham). Stick with the 2 TBSP required oat bran a day. You’re also allowed 1 or 2 “celebration” meals of your choice. In the celebration meal, do not overeat and do not have celebration meals back to back. Once a week you should have pure protein (PP) only. On this day, you can only eat from the list provided in the attack phase.
4. During the Permanent Stabilization Phase you eat what you want, taking into mind what you’ve learned during this diet. The only additions are one day per week you should follow the Attack phase of pure protein, 3 TBSP of oat bran a day, and exercise 20 minutes a day.

Exercise:

Exercise is required for a minimum of 20 minutes during Attack phase, 30-60 minutes in Cruise phase, 25 minutes in Consolidation phase and 20 minutes in Stabilization phase. One can increase duration for 30 minutes as tolerated. Exercises recommended include (but aren’t limited to): walking, running, calisthenics and many others.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• It is an effective way to lose weight with a different kind of approach. A good way to jumpstart a different lifestyle.
• There is a good chance of attaining lean body mass especially when combined with exercise.
• A celebration day is allowed, once you reach your goal weight, in which the dieter can choose any foods desired. This is a great way to congratulate your self for reaching goals, and avoid any feeling of food deprivation.

Negatives:

• It may be hard to follow guidelines in the beginning as eating only proteins at first might become boring.
• It may cause temporary side effects due to changes of the diet. Some of which are flatulence, stomach discomforts, constipation and many others.
• It will be a long-term lifestyle change, but might take some getting used to.

Recommended Resources:

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Summary:

The Flat Belly Diet consists of a Mediterranean-style menu, the Flat Belly Diet is a sensible eating plan that uses the benefits of monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, to promote weight loss. You may be wondering, What is a MUFA?? MUFAs are found in some of the best-tasting foods: nuts, olives, oils, avocados, and dark chocolate. They’re not only heart-healthy, but give a feeling of fullness when made a part of each meal.
The diet starts out with a 4 day jumpstart period that prepares your body for serious weight loss. During these four days you drink “Sassy Water” to reduce water retention and hunger pangs. When the 4 days is up, you go through 28 days of eating 400 calorie meals (4 meals a day = 1600 calories a day) that each include one MUFA.
Not only will you lose weight, you’ll wean yourself off of the unhealthy, fatty, processed foods that made you gain weight as you incorporate more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins into your diet.

Rules:

1. The diet is 32 days long which includes a 4 day jumpstart. The jumpstart period is there to help you de-bloat and get in the mode of healthy eating. During the jumpstart you’ll eat less calories (1200-1400) and you should drink at least 2 Liters of “Sassy Water” daily. Sassy water is a blend of water with spices, herbs, citrus, and cucumber and it’s to help reduce water retention and hunger pangs.
2. Once the jumpstart is over you will eat four meals a day, every four hours, each about 400 calories: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner.
3. You must include one serving of a MUFA with each meal: Oils (1 TBSP), Nuts/Seeds (2 TBSP), Avocado (1/4 cup), Olives (10 large or 2 TBSP Tapenade) or Dark Chocolate (1/4 cup).
4. Drink plenty of water daily.

Exercise:

Exercise is optional but encouraged. Working out each day for at least 30 minutes would be sufficient. Try walking, running, biking, swimming, dancing. Any type of workout would do. The book Flat Belly Diet has a 28 day workout routine you can follow.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Encourages eating a healthy diet of whole grains, veggies, lean proteins, fruits, and of course healthy fats.
• The jumpstart will be a nice push towards eating healthier. You will become more motivated once these 4 days are up.
• Diet is easy to follow, food items are not hard to find.
• Aside from the book, there is a large amount of information online as well as in mobile apps for this diet. (see book & app recommendation below for this diet).

Negatives:

• First 4 days might be a little hard cutting back on foods you love and limiting calorie consumption.
• Trying to fit a MUFA into each meal might be a little difficult, but its possible. Find recipes in the app (see below), in books or online. Menu planning can become time consuming because of this.
• Not a whole lot of evidence that MUFA’s are a magic cure to burning belly fat.
• Dieters might become bored of always trying to find a MUFA to fit into their meals.

Recommended Resources:

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Summary:

This diet is physician-approved and was created by Dr. Mike Moreno. It provides visible results in 7 days and weight loss of up to 12 pounds in the first 17 days. It’s not a fad diet, but a balanced eating plan that adjusts every 17 days so that your metabolism won’t slow down and you won’t get bored. This diet is great as a jumpstart to living a healthy lifestyle as it teaches you what is good for you and allows only foods that are healthy.

On this diet you will eat mostly lean proteins, vegetables, low-sugar fruits, probiotics, and “friendly” fats that are heart-healthy and promote fat loss. Gradually you will add a greater selection of foods, including natural carbs. Eventually you will even be able to enjoy alcohol and your favorite foods again, though in moderation. You won’t just be losing weight, you’ll be moving away from refined, processed foods to cleaner foods that are friendly to your digestion system.

There are 4 cycles to this diet:

• Cycle 1, Accelerate: This cycle is the most restrictive so that you see results right away and stay motivated.
• Cycle 2, Activate: The Activate cycle resets your metabolism so that you don’t plateau and keep burning fat. Every other day, you will alternate Accelerate cycle with the Activate cycle. Natural starches are added during this cycle giving you more carbs and more variety to your meals.
• Cycle 3, Achieve: The goal of the Achieve cycle is to establish healthy eating habits and steady weight loss while adding even more variety such as breads, pasta, snacks, and even alcohol into your diet. Your weight loss won’t be as rapid, but you can offset this by exercising more and avoiding alcohol and snacks when possible.
• Cycle 4, Arrive: Arrive is simple: during the week, you will eat from any of the meal plans on the Accelerate, Activate, or Achieve cycles. On weekends, you will increase your calories and enjoy favorite foods like pizza, hamburgers, or cheesecake. To prevent yourself from gaining weight, you should have no more than 3 favorite foods each weekend.

Rules:

1. Eat mostly lean proteins and vegetables; fruits, probiotics and fats are allowed in limited quantities. Starches are not allowed until cycle
2. Only 2 servings of fruit a day and no fruit after 2pm.
3. Drink 64 ounces of pure water a day. You are also allowed coffee, tea & diet soda. These do not count towards your daily water requirement.
4. Eat only foods that are on the allowed foods list for that specific cycle. See below for a quick idea of what is allowed per cycle.

Exercise:

For the first 2 cycles start off with walking for a minimum of 17 minutes a day. You could also double this amount and walk 34 minutes, or split it up and do 2 walks throughout the day- 17 mins each. You could also try jogging, riding a bike, dancing or any exercise you like. Try not to overdo it during these cycles because you are taking in less carbs at this time.

For the rest of the diet push yourself to go longer and harder in your exercise routines. This is best considering you are taking in more different types of carbs and once on the 4th cycle you are allowed to eat your favorite foods such as pizza or cheesecake, so exercising more is best. It will also be good for you to train for an active and healthy lifestyle.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• Encourages eating a healthy diet of whole, unprocessed foods.
• Changing what you can eat each 17 days allows for variety which helps the dieter not get bored of the diet as easily.
• Changing what you can eat each 17 days allows for variety which helps the dieter not get bored of the diet as easily.
• Aside from the book, there is a large amount of information online as well as in mobile apps for this diet.

Negatives:

• First cycle might be a little daunting for many because it cuts out a lot of carbs and sugar.
• Curbing cravings is hard in the beginning for many, but gets easier as the diet goes on.
• Menu planning can become time consuming.
• Keeping track of serving amounts might be slightly difficult at first; luckily there are apps for helping you do this. (see below for app recommendation)

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

DVD:

APPS:

17 Day Diet Complete – Has all the tools you need to do this diet. Tracking weight, tracking food, tracking exercise and tracking water. Also has tons of recipes and a personal support chat feature where you can ask any questions you have about the app or the diet and you’ll get answered directly through the app! A must-have app for this diet!

Summary:

The DASH diet is short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It consists of a balanced diet with the consumption of high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Following this diet will lower the amount of saturated fat, cholesterol and other unwanted fats that come with an unhealthy diet. DASH dieters must also limit consumption of sweets, red meats and processed foods.

The main restriction is salt. This will reduce symptoms of (or avoid) hypertension and lower blood pressure. Eating foods high in calcium, potassium, and magnesium is highly recommended as these all lower blood pressure.

Rules:

1. Only 1,500 mg – 2,300 mg of sodium is allowed per day
2. Most carbohydrate foods should come from whole-grains. Examples include: whole whet breads, whole grain cereal, brown rice or whole grain pasta.
3. It is required to consume more than two servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Eat them as a snack or as a dessert to one of your 3 major meals.
4. There should be 3 servings of low-fat dairy products daily.
5. Meat is limited to only 6 ounces a day that should be split up between breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you eat a large portion of meat at a meal, wait a couple days before eating meat again
6. Each week, there should be 1-2 meatless days. Try vegetarian protein sources such as beans, legumes, tofu and tempeh. They are lower in cholesterol and fats.
7. Since sodium is limited in this diet, one should always check the nutrition facts of products. Check the sodium content and the percent daily value. A 5% daily value is ideal while 20% is considered as a high-sodium source.

Exercise:

Exercise is recommended with DASH diet but isn’t required. The aim of DASH is to regular blood pressure by lowering the amount of fat and sodium in the body. With that, only moderate exercise is done at a comfortable pace. Exercise can be done at least 30 minutes a day at 3 times a week. Examples of moderate exercises are walking, running, cycling and swimming.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
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Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• It is a natural and effective way to provide treatment of high blood pressure and hypertension.
• This diet is approved by many health professionals.
• It does not restrict other food choices than high-sodium foods.
• Overweight people might lose significant amount of weight just by following this diet./li>

Negatives:

• Adjusting to foods without salt (especially if you’re normally a big salt user) might be hard. Foods might taste bland to start. You must learn to experiment with other seasonings for taste.
• The dieter may not follow the diet rules when dining out. Restaurants and fast food meals usually are prepared in good amounts of sodium.

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

                   

Summary:

The Paleo Diet promotes the consumption of natural foods instead of processed ones. It goes back to basics of eating as it imitates the diet pattern of hunter-gatherer ancestors. The aim of this diet is to only consume foods that a caveman would have eaten. There is no grains, no sugar (some use honey), no artificial sweeteners, no soy, no trans-fats, no legumes and for some no dairy.

There is no calories to count or carbs to track, only restrictions of certain food items. Since it mainly focuses on protein consumption, this diet is preferred by many health buffs as it is said to be effective in gaining more muscle mass. Carbohydrate foods are sourced only from fresh vegetables and fruits – no processed ones like rice, pasta, bread and other common items. It constitutes about 40-50% protein, 15-20% carbohydrates and 30-40% fat. With that, it can be derived that it is low in carbohydrate and high in protein and fat.

Rules:

1. This diet is high in fat. There is no calorie counting or portion-control. You can eat unlimited amounts of coconut oil, butter or clarified butter. Other recommended fats are grass-fed beef tallow, duck fat and lard. Olive oil, macadamia oil or avocado oil can be used to drizzle on salads but not for cooking.
2. This diet is also high in animal proteins. This includes poultry, beef, pork, eggs, organ proteins (liver, heart, etc.), fish and shellfish. It is highly recommended that these meats come from animals that are grass-fed. All meats should be unprocessed and without the addition of additives, preservatives and hormones.
3. Cereal grains and legumes must be avoided. These include but are not limited to rye, barley, oats, brown rice, beans, black-eyed peas, oats, peanuts & soy.
4. Starchy vegetables are source of carbohydrates. The best examples are yams and sweet potatoes. Consumption of fruits and nuts are also allowed but fruits should be low-sugar. All green leafy vegetables are allowed, as well as fresh herbs.
5. Sugary foods, processed foods, fried foods and other packaged products are absolutely not allowed.
6. Dairy foods aren’t recommended. However, butter is allowed and whole milk is too if it comes from grass-fed cows.

Exercise:

Since this diet is generally high in protein and fat, it goes to say that exercise is necessary. The Paleo Diet is highly preferred by health buffs since it requires a high consumption of protein and fat. This meets the requirements of intense exercises since the body will need proteins for muscle build-up and repair, and fat for energy reservoir. The usual advocates of this diet are athletes who perform CrossFit – an intense strength and conditioning exercise that combines sprinting, weight lifting, gymnastics and other variety. Similarly, this diet is said to be perfect for any other sport or intense exercise.

Rating:

Short-Term Quick Fix:
Lifestyle Change Diet:
Simple Diet to Follow:
Good For Your Health:

Positives:

• It is an effective way of gaining lean muscle mass as the diet is composed high protein.
• This diet eliminates some carbs (but not all), which will lead to weight loss, lowering blood sugar levels and much more.
• Perfect for active people, athletes and those who want to have a more active lifestyle.
• Eating natural and whole foods reduces your chances of negative health effects from the consumption of additives, preservatives and other artificial ingredients.

Negatives:

• A dieter has to experience drastic lifestyle changes since it requires limited food choices and increased physical activity.
• A busy person may not completely adhere to the diet especially when food preparation time is lacking, and there is limited time to do exercise.

Recommended Resources:

BOOKS:

                             

APPS: