Book Review: The Omni Diet by Tana Amen

The Omni Diet: Two Weeks to Lose Weight, Reverse Illness, and Control Your Genes by Tana Amen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The Omni Diet is a book written by Tana Amen, wife of brain doctor Daniel Amen. Tana Amen is a registered nurse who claims to have developed this diet to help herself with many of her own health problems and now uses this knowledge and her connections with her husband to teach this diet to others through the Amen Clinics.

The basic diet is very similar to the Paleo Diet, consisting of 30 percent protein (mostly from meat) and 70 percent plant based foods, mostly vegetables. The diet excludes all dairy products, soy, grains containing gluten, sugar, corn, and heavily processed food. This diet does not encourage fruit consumption but does recommend eating berries, such as blueberries and strawberries. The book strongly encourages eating vegetables and raw nuts and seeds.

A recurring theme is to eat like a gorilla. Gorillas eat a large amount of plant food and a small amount of meat. The problem with this is humans are obviously not gorillas even if we share 99 percent of their DNA. Human evolved to eat a wide variety of foods and we are opportunistic eaters. Keeping our diet strictly like a gorilla has the potential for nutrient deficiencies as we will miss out on key vitamins and minerals that we could easily (and cheaply) get from food such as milk and grains. The only two recommendations the book makes is not avoid highly processed foods and added sugar. Eating whole plant foods is the best way to increase health. Avoiding added sugar will also decrease you risk of diabetes and help with weight loss.

There are three phases to help you get started on the Omni diet but the most important phase is the first. The other two phases are basically relaxing the strict rules of the first phase. The diet has a large list of foods not allowed as stated above. Much of her rationale is based on sketchy science from researchers with agendas. This diet eliminates entire food groups and has the potential for creating nutrient deficiencies. The book does include menu plans but there is not much variety to the sample menus and a person will easily become bored. There is a decent chapter on exercise that will help educate you on the basics of health physical activity.

The book is actually pretty thin on getting in depth information to help you change your behavior. It reads more like an advertisement for taking her class at the clinics than an actual diet book. Most of the book lectures you on why the diet is great and has stories of amazing transformations through this eating plan. 75 percent of the book is filled with these stories but we must wait until the very end of the book to learn how to put the diet into action. Once we get there, it is a bare bones overview of what is basically the Paleo diet. To somehow make the diet different, she recommends strange foods (camu camu powder) that many people can not find in their ordinary grocery store and most likely have no idea how to use. She claims that most of the "superfoods" she recommends can be found at Whole Foods. This is a problem for people on limited budgets who cannot afford such products.

Then to fill in the gaps in your daily nutrition (most likely caused by this diet) she recommends taking at least five supplements. Then she includes a quiz to help us find out what other supplements you may need to take to feel our best. If the diet did not exclude all the food that is does, readers would not need to take this many supplements. "Filling in the gaps" (as she calls it) is taking one supplement not at least five. But you need not worry--the Amen Clinics sell all the supplements you need!

I recommend you avoid this book. Restricting your diet then "filling in the gaps" with supplements is not healthy. The Omni diet reads like an advertisement for the Amen Clinics supplement business and not a way to really increase health.


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Tips for Getting Kids In The Kitchen

One of the keys to teaching children healthy eating habits is to start early. This can be done by getting kids in the kitchen and teaching them how to cook. Start involving your children at age 5-6. Kids will be more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods if they have a part in making them. Most children will find cooking fun and will want to be in the kitchen with you. A consequence of cooking will be that they do better in math and reading, have more confidence and you will be spending some quality time together. Plus, they will be learning skills they can use for the rest of their lives.  

If you want your children to be healthy, you need to be healthy yourself. Children imitate what the people around them are doing. If you eat vegetables so will your children. Start at an early age by offering a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If you start them early, they will want to eat them as they get older. This is also true for cooking.  If kids see you in the kitchen cooking, they will naturally want to cook with you. This is a great way to teach them about where food comes from, how to prepare it, and the best things to eat. Be sure to pick a time when you are not in a hurry and you can take your time to teach them. Always use kid friendly recipes that are easy to prepare. A child will most likely get bored if their meal takes too long.

Give them simple tasks which do not require any sharp knives and doesn’t involve cooking on a burner. For example, they can wash the fruits and vegetables for the meal. Use this opportunity to teach them about food safety. They can snap the ends off of green beans or measure ingredients using plastic measuring cups and spoons. This is also a great opportunity to teach them about basic math such as addition and subtraction. You can also have them read the recipe while you are making it together. This will help to improve their reading skills and they will progress in school easier. They will love helping you and you will hear all about their day and how they feel.

When they are able, you can teach them how to prepare simple snack items. This will enable them to make their own food when they are hungry. There are so many simple snacks that you can teach your children to prepare. Keep it healthy, such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or fruit with a cheese stick.

After the preparation is complete, they can help you clean up the dirty dishes. This is also a great teaching opportunity.  Kids will learn to clean up after themselves and will have these skills when they are older. Getting them to clean when they are young, instead of watching TV or playing video games while others are working, is a great way to teach a positive work ethic and self sufficiency.  

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women. The symptoms are usually minor such as blurred vision, fatigue, and increase thirst and urination. However, these symptoms can signal a dangerous increase in blood glucose that can affect the lives of you and your unborn baby. Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed through an oral blood glucose tolerance test. It can also be diagnosed through a fasting blood glucose test. If the pregnant mother’s blood sugar is elevated above 126 then the diagnosis is confirmed. Usually the mother’s blood sugar returns to normal after the baby is born. However, she is now at increased risk to developing Type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years. It is recommended that she continue to eat healthy and exercise to help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

It is important to get regular prenatal care especially if you have gestational diabetes. The increase blood sugar can put undue stress on the mother and baby. The baby will be unusually large at birth, could have hypoglycemia after birth, and can get jaundice. Babies born to women with gestational diabetes are more prone to childhood – and adult - obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes will need to monitor their blood sugar and make the recommended dietary changes to keep their blood glucose within normal limits. This can be done with diet alone but sometimes women will need insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs. The diet for gestational diabetes is very similar to other forms of diabetes. Women must monitor their intake of carbohydrates to keep their insulin levels working normally. Carbohydrate counting is the process of counting how many carbohydrates you are eating and balancing that with the amount of insulin you will need to inject. The process works for those on insulin and those you do not need it. The steady carbohydrate intake is the main driver of insulin production. If the amount of carbohydrates you take in is not steady blood sugar will go haywire. You will need to see a Registered Dietitian who will give you a diet that spells out how many carbohydrates you will need to consume at each meal. Following this diet will help keep you and your baby healthy.

In general, carbohydrate counting consists of choosing complex carbohydrate foods that will slowly raise blood sugar and keep spikes in check. The goal is to keep blood sugar in the normal limits and avoid wild ups and down. Be sure to eat enough calories to support you and the growth of your baby. You need to eat about 300 extra calories a day to support the extra growth. Be sure to choose high fiber, nutrient dense foods. Eating a variety of healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with some protein is the best way to keep blood sugar in check and for the fetus to grow normally. Choose foods that are filled with fiber. Aim for at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Meals should be spread out into three main meals and two snacks, while avoiding high sugar beverages, such as juice, right before bed. This raises the risk of a blood sugar spike in the middle of the night and possible hypoglycemia in the morning.  For breakfast eat a protein based meal with little carbohydrate. Insulin tends not lower blood sugar as well in the morning as at other times of the day. Eating protein will help insulin lower blood sugar more effectively.

Moderate physical activity is also recommended to help keep blood sugar in the normal limits. Ask you doctor about how much and how intense the exercise should be. Over exercising can cause more problems and should be avoided. Usually a brisk walk is all that is needed to keep mother and baby healthy. If you work out to much you risk not only injuring yourself but you risk starting preterm labor.  Be sure to drink plenty of water, at least 64oz or 10 (8oz) glasses a day, whether you exercise or not. Both you and the baby need to stay hydrated. You may need to drink more water if you sweat a lot during physical activity.

Eating when you have diabetes can be confusing. A Registered Dietitian can help make sense of it all. To contact one in your area, visit www.eatright.org.

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Preparing For A Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of joy and anticipation. As the weeks go buy you start to feel your baby growing and developing inside you. During this time, you will to eat nutrient dense foods. You are also concerned about gaining the appropriate amount of weight. Many women concentrate on having a healthy pregnancy, but most do not realize that they needed to start this process many months before they become pregnant. Healthy eating habits before conception are just as important as healthy eating during each trimester of pregnancy.

One of the most important aspects of having a healthy baby is what you eat before you conceive. You should begin eating a healthy diet at least a year to 18 months before you begin trying to become pregnant. This gives your body adequate time to resolve any minor nutrient deficiencies and for you to lose excess weight if necessary. It is very important for you to be at a healthy body weight when you become pregnant. This will decrease the risk of birth defects and other problems. A health body weight is defined as a BMI of 19-24. If you are overweight, the developing fetus will be at risk for higher birth weight which will increase the risk of obesity as adults. Healthy babies are born from healthy mothers—it is that simple.

Weight loss can be achieved by an increase in exercise and healthy eating. Focus your meals on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low fat dairy products. An important aspect of this renewed eating plan is to start incorporating foods that your developing baby will need to grow properly. These foods should contain calcium, iron, and folic acid.

Incorporating enough calcium in your diet is important since you will need to eat an increased amount during pregnancy. Calcium is an important nutrient for the development of the baby’s skeleton and if you do not intake enough calcium the fetus will begin taking for your bones and you are at risk for osteoporosis. Good food sources of calcium are low fat dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, and dark leafy green vegetables.

Iron is another major focus of your new diet plan. Iron is important for not only fetal development to help you avoid iron deficiency anemia. If you do not eat enough iron fortified foods the baby will take the iron from your body. Some good sources of iron are chicken liver, beef, and oysters. Aim to keep your beef intake down to a maximum of twice a week. Other vegetable sources of iron are iron fortified cold cereal, iron fortified oatmeal, lentils, and a variety of beans, such as kidney beans. Choose to eat these foods without any dairy products as the calcium in dairy products can inhibit iron absorption.

Another important nutrient to incorporate into your diet is folic acid (a B vitamin). This nutrient will help to decrease the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. Folic acid is found in orange juice, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. A variety of beans are also good sources of folic acid.

During this time you will also want to increase your physical activity. This not only aides in weight loss but also strengthens you body for the demands of pregnancy and childbirth. Aim for some form of physical activity, such as walking or biking for 30 minutes 3-5 days a week.

The Role of Dietary Iron in a Healthy Life

Dietary iron is an important nutrient for keeping the body healthy and strong. Dietary iron is found in hemoglobin (red blood cells) and in myoglobin (muscle cells). Iron is needed to help carry and release oxygen from both red blood cells and muscle cells. Getting too little iron can cause iron deficiency anemia, a lack of iron in red blood cells from poor absorption. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include lack of energy, pale skin, light headedness, deceased appetite, and brittle finger nails.

Iron deficiency often occurs during pregnancy when the developing fetus may take iron from the mother’s body – especially when there is not enough for both the developing baby and the mother. Iron deficiency can also occur during a women’s menstrual cycle from the shedding of the blood layer in her uterus. Infants, young children and adolescents also need extra iron to support their rapid growth. Infant and young children have a milk based diet that lends them susceptible to iron deficiency. Adolescent girls are also vulnerable from their rapid growth and initiation of their menstrual cycle.  

In contrast, getting too much iron can also be a significant problem. Iron toxicity can cause heart damage, liver damage, and bacterial infections. Symptoms of iron toxicity are loss of appetite, gray look to the skin, headaches, lack of energy, and shortness of breath. Toxicity usually occurs when a person takes too many iron supplements. It is very rare to get too much iron from diet alone.

There are two forms of iron in the foods we eat, Heme iron and nonheme iron. Heme iron usually comes from animal products such as beef, poultry, and fish. Most of the iron our body absorbs is heme iron. Nonheme iron comes from plant based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. For example, kidney beans are a good source of nonheme iron. Both heme iron and nonheme iron are needed by the body to maintain total iron stores at a healthy level.

There are ways to enhance the absorption of iron by combining certain foods. Heme iron is easier for the body to absorb. It also has a compound that helps nonheme iron be absorbed by the body when both are consumed during the same meal. Another way to improve the absorption of nonheme iron is to consume some vitamin C/citric acid such as citrus fruits and juice, with your meal. Lactic acid also helps with nonheme iron absorption. Nonheme iron is also more available to the body if the nonheme food is cooked in a cast iron skillet or pot. Certain foods decrease the absorption of nonheme iron and should be avoided when eating heme iron containing foods. Avoid excessive amounts of coffee or tea and food that contain tannic acid, high fiber foods such as bran and fiber supplements, large amounts of calcium during a meal, and some food additives.

Getting enough iron is tricky, since there are delicate systems at work. It can be very difficult to create menus when some vegetables may actually inhibit iron absorption and some increase it. The safest bet is to eat a generally healthy and balanced diet rich is fruits, vegetable, whole grains, lean meats and poultry, and low fat diary products. Aim to eat one meal a day that is meat based with some whole citrus fruit or fruit juice with it. For example, for breakfast you can have a piece of low sodium breakfast ham with a glass of orange juice.  Another meal option could be beef and kidney bean chili and a salad (no spinach) with a citrus based dressing.

How To Create A Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is the time when you are breaking the fast your body has been going through during sleep, and revitalizing your brain for the day ahead. Eating breakfast can keep you alert throughout the morning and regulate your metabolism. This will help to keep you from overeating during the rest of the day. Breakfast also keeps your body out of starvation mode. Starvation mode can lead to weight gain because your body is trying to save every calorie you eat. Breakfast does not have to be a difficult endeavor. Follow these steps for easy weekday breakfasts.

Meal planning is the most important concept to getting a healthy breakfast on the table fast. It is important to sit down and plan out what you will eat during the week. Avoid fast food breakfasts as they will lead to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is a much healthier idea to make your own healthy breakfast. Think about the week ahead and what kind of breakfast you would like to eat. This is the time to get ingredients for simple but healthy high fiber muffins or breakfast scones. Make the muffins/scones on a weekend when you have more time. Bake and cool completely then place them into a freezer bag or freezable container. When you would like to eat one, take it out of the freezer bag/container and microwave for about 15-20 seconds. For something more substantial, you can even make pancakes or waffles. Mix up your favorite high fiber pancake/waffle recipe and cook according to the recipe. Once cooked, cool completely and place into a freezer bag or freezable container. When you need your breakfast, take out how many pancakes/waffles you want to eat and reheat in the toaster or toaster oven. Each of these items freeze perfectly until you want to take one or two during the week.

Another healthy breakfast idea is eggs. Not only are eggs cheap but they are quick cooking and filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are not the demons they once were but you do need to keep your consumption of eggs down to about 1 to 2 a week or less. Eggs still are a high calories food and contain some saturated fat.  A great way to use eggs is to make a vegetable omelet or frittata. Take any leftover vegetable you have in the refrigerator (you can also use a frozen vegetable mix with no sauce) and put then into a hot sauté pan. Cover the vegetables with two beaten eggs and scramble until eggs are firm and vegetables are hot. You could also serve this with two defrosted pancakes or a muffin.

Smoothies are another great breakfast option and they are so simple to prepare. Simply mix you favorite frozen or fresh fruit into a blender with some vanilla (or another flavor) low fat yogurt, add a little flaxseed meal and blend. You can drink alone or have with a defrosted scone. You can also make this mixture ahead and either keep it in the refrigerator or freeze to use later in the week. There are so many combinations that the possibilities are endless.

One of the most important aspects of any meal planning is to have a good source of recipes. There are many website online that have hundreds, even thousands, of recipes. These recipes will help you cook/bake healthy breakfast foods fast. There are also many cookbooks and cooking magazines at your local library that have a wealth of great recipes that will meet your needs. Using these techniques it is no longer too easy to skip breakfast.

Healthy Action Step: Aim to eat breakfast at least three times a week.

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How To Cook Your Way To Health

Low fat cooking has been given a negative spin in the last several years. For years beforehand we were told that eating low fat foods would help the US population lose weight and become healthier. But the opposite has occurred. Americans are continuing to gain weight at an alarming pace, even with the widespread consumption of low fat products--mostly in the form of low fat cookies and other processed foods. Most low fat processed foods have a high amount of sugar to compensate for removing fat from the food. People thought the food was healthier and they ate more than they should have. The sugar in the food did not decrease the calories in the food. The low fat craze also turned into a food marketing campaign to sell more processed food products. Food companies realized that Americans would buy up low fat products -- and eat them.

What would have been better for Americans was to stop buying the processed foods and learn to like fruits and vegetable based snacks/meals. These are naturally low fat and full of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If the public had learned that the most effective way to lose weight and increase health was to consume these naturally healthy foods perhaps the obesity epidemic would be slowing. Health professionals should have emphasized teaching Americans how to cook at home, because in order for people to eat more fruits and vegetables people need to know how to cook. There is a hidden, and growing, epidemic of people who cannot cook for themselves. People with no time or money to cook find it easier to buy their foods from a fast food restaurant or a meal in a box. But it does not have to be this way. Cooking can really be as quick--sometimes quicker--as take out. Low fat cooking, in particular, is really about making fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain the base of your diet.

A plant based diet is really not hard to follow, but you do need a good source of recipes. There are many websites that have hundreds of good recipes. Choose easy recipes that that take 30 minutes or less to prepare and don’t use a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. Chicken recipes are always a good start. Boneless chicken breasts are naturally low in fat and are a fast protein to cook. Make sure the recipes have vegetables either topping the chicken or in the sauce. Avoid red meat such as beef whenever possible. Red meat is high in saturated fat which has been implicated in increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Next you need to learn to plan meals for the week. This is not as hard at it sounds, but does take some thought before going to the grocery store. Try to buy food that is on sale in the bulk meat section. The store sometimes has family size meat packages that go on sale. After you bring the packages home, break them down into 4-6 servings and freeze. This helps keep the cost down and gives you a protein source. 

Third, focus on in season produce to also keep costs down. Seasonal produce is always cheaper than out of season produce. There are many great recipes for seasonal produce online. Check your grocery circular for which fruits/vegetables are exceptionally low. A great money saving idea is to buy a large amount of on sale produce and freeze in servings of 4-6 for use throughout the year. This technique also works if you go to the farmer’s market or pick you own farm and bring home a large amount of produce from this trip.

Lastly, aim to make one or two vegetarian meal a week. This is a sure fire way to not only save money but to learn how to eat a more plant based diet. There are many vegetarian recipes/website that can give you ideas on what to make. Not only does this keep your grocery bill down but it also helps your health because you are eating more vegetables and whole grains. 

Healthy Action Step: Work towards learning to cook dinner at least twice a week. As you start to become more comfortable, increase cooking dinner to three times a week.

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How To Reduce Your Sodium Intake

Sodium is an important element -- one that our bodies need to function properly. Sodium helps maintain our acid/base balance, signals our muscles to contract, and keeps our water balance in check. Sodium also regulates how much water our body stores and how this water is used. But many times the amount of sodium we eat is too much for our body to handle properly. Too much sodium (including table salt) can cause many health issues such as dehydration, hypertension, kidney disease and elevated blood glucose levels. Sodium causes high blood pressure when it removes water from the blood, making the heart pump harder to get blood throughout the entire body. Those with kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension are required to eat a low sodium diet to reduce the salt burden on their system.

The recommended sodium intake is 2400mg or less a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of table salt. For those at risk for, or have been diagnosed with, hypertension, 1500mg of sodium or less is the recommended amount. Most of the food we eat contains sodium so it is very easy to meet the recommended intake—and easy to get too much. Most of the sodium/salt in an individual’s diet comes from packaged foods. There is sodium in nearly every packaged food so it is important to read the Nutrition Facts label to determine how much sodium is in a serving for the food you are planning to eat. Highly processed packaged foods such as dehydrated potatoes and other dehydrated foods, canned food, and boxed mixes have the most sodium.

To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet it is important to stick with fresh fruits and vegetables and other unprocessed, unpackaged foods. These items typically have far less sodium/salt than processed foods. Also, when you cook with whole foods you can control how much salt you put into the food. Only a small amount of the sodium we eat comes from salting your food during cooking. If you want to reduce your salt to the lowest level possible, there are many good sodium replacements that can make your food taste just as delicious without any salt. Instead of over salting, you can add lemon juice and pepper to bring out the natural flavor of the food. You can also add herbs such as rosemary and thyme. These herbs taste much better with the natural flavors of what you are cooking than a handful of salt does.

If you do not want to cook, you can choose reduced sodium packaged foods when you want to use a packaged food item, but be sure to only add a small amount of extra salt or none at all.  To have complete control over your salt intake it is best to cook your own food. If you don’t know how to cook, take a cooking class through continuing education. Learning to make a few simple low salt meals will keep you healthy and your blood pressure in check.

It is also important to drink enough water, especially if you choose to eat even reduced sodium packaged foods. Reduced sodium foods still have considerable sodium in them that can be detrimental to your health. The water you drink will keep you from becoming dehydrated. Small amounts of sodium will reduce the amount of water in the body – and water retention can also lead to weight gain.

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Book Review: The DASH Diet For Weight Loss

The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep It Off--the Healthy Way--with America's Most Respected Diet by Thomas J. Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The DASH Diet For Weight Loss by Thomas J Moore, MD is a top notch book on weight loss using the DASH Diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH Diet was originally created as a treatment for people with high blood pressure (hypertension). Through extensive scientific study, the original diet is also shown to help prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes. DASH has also been ranked the number one diet by US News and World Report. This book takes the essential principals of the original DASH diet and assigns different calorie levels based on your current weight.

The books begins with an explanation of the basics of weight loss and determining your body mass index (BMI). From there you determine your calorie goal for optimal weight loss. Each of these things has an easy step by step approach with charts. They are very easy to use but are only able to give you an estimate of your actual numbers. If you want, or need, more accurate information, see a Registered Dietitian. Once you have determined your estimate of your calorie intake, you are given you calorie goal for weight loss and the number of servings in each DASH group. The groups insist of Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Dairy, Meat/Fish/Poultry/Eggs, Nuts/Seeds/Legumes, Added Fats, and Sweets. The diet is heavy on Vegetables and Fruits, with moderate Grains and low on sweets and added fats. Once you have determined your number of servings, the book explains what a DASH serving is for each group in your calorie level.


A large portion of the book is about explaining how to incorporate this basic concept into you eating plan. The writing is very easy to understand and less confusing than most diet books especially when it comes to implementing the concepts into your lifestyle. Each section has space to write down your calorie goal and number of servings for each food group. This makes it much easier to remember what your DASH serving are instead of having to flip back to earlier in the book.

There is also a chapter on food tracking and exercise. The food tracking section is a basic food log that you can copy out of the book for your continued use. The physical activity chapter is quite helpful and detailed.  Most of the suggestions are very doable and easy for a beginner to implement. The authors seem to understand that most people are not athletes and have no desire to become one.

The book also includes chapters on creating realistic goals, using visualization techniques, grocery shopping, restaurant eating and other tools for supporting your new eating habits. These are very short chapters that explain the basics but there is enough information for you to make positive change. There is one large section of frequently asked questions that is quite helpful and worth reading as it will answer many of the questions you probably will have after reading the book. Both section are very supportive when you are trying to incorporate the concepts into your life.

The end of the book has extensive 7 day meal plans for both meat eaters and vegetarians at each calorie level described in the book. They are helpful in trying to figure out what to eat in a typical week. It was quite interesting and helpful that the book includes information on a vegetarian DASH 7 day meal plan. Many people on the DASH diet are vegetarians and the original diet emphasizes a plant based eating pattern over eating meat.. Meat is really more like a side dish than a main meal and vegetarians can easy fit the diet into their lifestyle.

The last section consists of DASH recipes. The recipes are made with mostly whole foods and are quite healthy, but there are not that many of them. It would have been a good idea to add more recipes in place of all the meal plans as that would make it easier to incorporate the diet into someone's lifestyle. Since most people don't know how to cook, a simple recipe would help the reader put a meal together.



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How to Indentify a Fad Diet

For years certain diets have been advertising that their plan will make you lose weight miraculously with little effort. Look at infomercials and website ads that claim that on their plan you will lose 10 pounds in a week by following only one easy rule. These are not only unhealthy but can be potentially harmful. And these plans are not sustainable over the long term. Most people who try these programs will gain the weight back-- plus more. The best way to avoid these diets is to not start one in the first place. To easily detect a fad diet, evaluate each plan with these six questions.

Does this plan eliminate entire food groups such as no fat or no sugar?  If a diet plan cuts out entire food groups, stir clear of it. .Many plans will claim that the key to losing weight is by eliminated carbohydrates.  However, eliminating entire food groups, like carbohydrates, also eliminates the important nutrients that these foods provide. Carbohydrates are important for brain function and energy. Cutting them out can lead to lack of energy and concentration problems. Many of these plans can then lead to malnutrition.

Does this plan contain a list of “good” and “bad” food?  If there is a “good” and “bad” list, avoid this plan. There are no “bad” foods as many diet plans claim. There are foods to eat less of, such as desserts, but not completely ban. There are also foods that we need to eat more of, like fruits and vegetables, but calling them “good” can lead to guilt when we eat the “bad” ones. All foods have a place in a healthy eating plan.

Does this plan call for you to take a special pill/herb or drink a shake in place of a meal? Any diet plan that says weight loss will not happen unless you take this special pill/herb or shake is just trying to sell its product. Many weight loss pills can cause heart attacks and other health problems. Always eat real food when you are trying to lose weight.

Does this diet plan call for a major cut back on eating, effectively starving yourself?  If you find that the diet calls for an extreme lack of calories then it definitely is not worth your time. Starvation can lead to weight gain because the body is trying to conserve its resources from what little food energy you are taking in. Then, when you start eating again you will overeat and gain more weight. Eat enough nutrient dense foods so you do not feel constantly hungry.

Does this plan have a promise of a quick weight loss, such as 10 pounds in one week? Stay as far away from this type of plan as possible. Losing 10 pounds in a week is extremely unhealthy and you could do real damage to your body. Plus, most people would not be able to sustain the starvation long enough. You will become discouraged with your progress and overeat when you decide you can’t be on the diet anymore. A healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week maximum.

 Does this plan use an overall claim that sounds too good to be true? If it sounds so good that you wonder how true it is, go with our gut feelings…the plan is a fad. Real weight loss takes work and commitment, and can be a slow process. This process will pay off with permanent weight loss. Stick with a sensible plan that focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy products broken down into three meals and two snacks a day. Exercise regularly and eat less high fat foods. No fad diet required.

The Basics Of The Gluten Free Diet

A gluten free diet is the recommended treatment for a person with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks itself in response to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in several grains. It makes bread soft, and can make cakes and muffins tough.  In response to gluten, the villi, a hair like structure lining the small intestine, flattens. This inhibits the proper absorption of nutrients from food. When this occurs the intestine becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of celiac disease are abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and unintended weight loss. This disease can also cause a rash on the skin. It is usually diagnosed through a positive blood test and an intestinal biopsy. Adults are more likely to have no digestive symptoms, sometimes making the disease difficult to detect. Since the small intestine is unable to absorb nutrients from food, the individual can develop malnutrition and anemia. In children, Celiac disease can cause delayed growth and many other health problems.  

Celiac disease can be effectively managed through a gluten free diet. This diet requires the complete elimination of gluten. Avoid these main foods: wheat (kamut, spelt, bulgur), barley, rye and oats. Although oats do not contain gluten, they are often processed in the same factories as wheat. The oats can become contaminated with small amounts of gluten from leftover wheat powder and this most likely causes symptoms. Oats may not cause a reaction if they are processed by themselves. When choosing food for meals, it is important to read labels carefully.

Additional recommendations are as follows:

• Most fresh fruits and vegetables are safe and highly recommended on a gluten free diet. Be vigilant for vegetables with any type of breading since they are usually made with wheat flour.

• Any meat is generally safe as long as it is not breaded.  Avoid any meat with a cream base. These cream sauces are usually thickened with wheat flour. Also, check that raw meat does not have any type of gluten fillers or stabilizers in them. Simply sautéed, roasted or grilled meat and poultry (with no fillers) is acceptable. 

• Choose from the many grains without gluten such as buckwheat (labeled gluten free), cornmeal, rice flour, potato flour, millet, tapioca flour, popcorn, hominy, and rice. Choose these most often when looking for a grain/carbohydrate source. Avoid bran, pasta made with wheat flour, wheat germ, and matzo. Since many packaged foods have gluten based additives and stabilizers in them, learn the various names of these substances. Completely avoiding these is vitally important to staying symptom free.

• Avoid alcoholic beverages such as beer, ale, and certain whiskey’s such as Canadian rye.

• Be aware when using butter, jelly, jam and condiments of cross contamination from other individuals using these products. It is quite common for bread crumbs to land in your butter or jelly. For a person with celiac disease, one bread crumb can cause a bad flare up of symptoms. Be sure to use separate butter and condiments to avoid any adverse reaction.

 To be truly gluten free takes a fair amount of study to learn what products are acceptable. Cooking at home with fresh ingredients and avoiding highly processed packaged foods can make this process easier.