What is a Low Carb Diet?

There are many diets that are labeled “low carb” and they all work about the same way. The diets have varying degrees of carbohydrate limitation which causes the body to go into a state of ketosis, or fat burning.

All foods are made up of a combination of three things; fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Each is a necessary part of a healthy body but in the past 100 years we have begun to eat, not only way too many carbohydrates, but we eat them in a very refined state. Generally all the nutrition is removed and we are left with calories.

Highly refined carbohydrates drive blood sugar levels up causing the body to make lots of insulin and quickly change the carbs into fat. Stored fat. This is why the low fat trends of the past 20 years have not caused Americans to get thinner. We have seen a continuing climb in obesity among adults and it is beginning to affect children.

With a low carb diet, then, the carbohydrate intake is restricted, especially the refined carbohydrate intake, while the protein intake is generally unlimited. Various diets have various levels of fat intake that are allowable. Because the body does not turn protein into stored fat it begins to burn calories and people an lose several pounds in the first stage of weight loss- usually about 10% of their body weight. This means that if you start at 160 lbs you can expect to lose between 10-16 lbs in 14 days. Some of this will be water.

As you move through the various stages of the diet carbs will be slowly added back in and weight loss will begin to slow. You can probably expect and average weight loss of 2-3 lbs a week after the first two weeks.

The problem is often one of cravings. It is difficult to cut carbohydrates out of your diet and easy to allow yourself to get hungry and grab for a doughnut. You will need a plan to help you through your cravings.

When it comes to eating, we have strong habits. Some are good (“I always eat breakfast”), and some are not so good (“I always clean my plate”). Although many of our eating habits were established during childhood, it doesn’t mean it’s too late to change them.

Making sudden, radical changes to eating habits such as eating nothing but cabbage soup, can lead to short term weight loss. However, such radical changes are neither healthy nor a good idea, and won’t be successful in the long run. Permanently improving your eating habits requires a thoughtful approach in which you Reflect, Replace, and Reinforce.

• REFLECT on all of your specific eating habits, both bad and good; and, your common triggers for unhealthy eating.
• REPLACE your unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones.
• REINFORCE your new, healthier eating habits.

Reflect, Replace, Reinforce: A process for improving your eating habits

1. Create a list of your eating habits. Keeping a food diary for a few days, in which you write down everything you eat and the time of day you ate it, will help you uncover your habits. For example, you might discover that you always seek a sweet snack to get you through the mid-afternoon energy slump. Use this diary (PDF-36k)  to help. It’s good to note how you were feeling when you decided to eat, especially if you were eating when not hungry. Were you tired? Stressed out?
2. Highlight the habits on your list that may be leading you to overeat. Common eating habits that can lead to weight gain are:

• Eating too fast
• Always cleaning your plate
• Eating when not hungry
• Eating while standing up (may lead to eating mindlessly or too quickly)
• Always eating dessert
• Skipping meals (or maybe just breakfast)

1. Look at the unhealthy eating habits you’ve highlighted. Be sure you’ve identified all the triggers that cause you to engage in those habits. Identify a few you’d like to work on improving first. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for the things you’re doing right. Maybe you almost always eat fruit for dessert, or you drink low-fat or fat-free milk. These are good habits! Recognizing your successes will help encourage you to make more changes.
2. Create a list of “cues” by reviewing your food diary to become more aware of when and where you’re “triggered” to eat for reasons other than hunger. Note how you are typically feeling at those times. Often an environmental “cue”, or a particular emotional state, is what encourages eating for non-hunger reasons.

   Common triggers for eating when not hungry are:

• Opening up the cabinet and seeing your favorite snack food.
• Sitting at home watching television.
• Before or after a stressful meeting or situation at work.
• Coming home after work and having no idea what’s for dinner.
• Having someone offer you a dish they made “just for you!”
• Walking past a candy dish on the counter.
• Sitting in the break room beside the vending machine.
• Seeing a plate of doughnuts at the morning staff meeting.
• Swinging through your favorite drive-through every morning.
• Feeling bored or tired and thinking food might offer a pick-me-up.

1. Circle the “cues” on your list that you face on a daily or weekly basis. Going home for the Thanksgiving holiday may be a trigger for you to overeat, and eventually, you want to have a plan for as many eating cues as you can. But for now, focus on the ones you face more often.
2. Ask yourself these questions for each “cue” you’ve circled:

• Is there anything I can do to avoid the cue or situation? This option works best for cues that don’t involve others. For example, could you choose a different route to work to avoid stopping at a fast food restaurant on the way? Is there another place in the break room where you can sit so you’re not next to the vending machine?
• For things I can’t avoid, can I do something differently that would be healthier? Obviously, you can’t avoid all situations that trigger your unhealthy eating habits, like staff meetings at work. In these situations, evaluate your options. Could you suggest or bring healthier snacks or beverages? Could you offer to take notes to distract your attention? Could you sit farther away from the food so it won’t be as easy to grab something? Could you plan ahead and eat a healthy snack before the meeting?

1. Replace unhealthy habits with new, healthy ones. For example, in reflecting upon your eating habits, you may realize that you eat too fast when you eat alone. So, make a commitment to share a lunch each week with a colleague, or have a neighbor over for dinner one night a week. Other strategies might include putting your fork down between bites or minimizing other distractions (i.e. watching the news during dinner) that might keep you from paying attention to how quickly — and how much — you’re eating.
   Here are more ideas to help you replace unhealthy habits:

• Eat more slowly. If you eat too quickly, you may “clean your plate” instead of paying attention to whether your hunger is satisfied.
• Eat only when you’re truly hungry instead of when you are tired, anxious, or feeling an emotion besides hunger. If you find yourself eating when you are experiencing an emotion besides hunger, such as boredom or anxiety, try to find a non-eating activity to do instead. You may find a quick walk or phone call with a friend helps you feel better.
• Plan meals ahead of time to ensure that you eat a healthy well-balanced meal.

1. Reinforce your new, healthy habits and be patient with yourself. Habits take time to develop. It doesn’t happen overnight. When you do find yourself engaging in an unhealthy habit, stop as quickly as possible and ask yourself: Why do I do this? When did I start doing this? What changes do I need to make? Be careful not to berate yourself or think that one mistake “blows” a whole day’s worth of healthy habits. You can do it! It just takes one day at a time!a

Most public around the planet by currently be inflicted with heard of the Atkins diet. It has been lone of the generally highly touted and highly controversial diets of our calculate. Those who love it be inflicted with nothing but splendid things to say in this area it but persons who are vital are not shy in this area their opposition either. The leading evaluation as it comes to the Atkins, or low carb diet would be the virtually absence of total grains, which are considered the keystone to a healthy diet by many.

Dieting with the Atkins diet involved eliminating a generous degree of carbohydrates from your diet. Inside the earlier period here hasn’t been as much of an accent on fitness and implementation with the Atkins diet as here seems to be now. This is skilled news however as an committed fitness regime is as essential to thriving consequence loss as cold calories and in this justification cold carbohydrates.

You must take splendid caution with the intention of you are getting accurate in rank as it comes to Atkins dieting if this is something you are taking into account in order to come across your fitness and consequence loss needs. There is a splendid deal of misleading and incorrect in rank with the intention of is perched around made known here as it comes to the Atkins diet and consequence loss preparation. First of all, consequence loss is the preside over upshot of burning more calories than you consume. It doesn’t topic how many or how hardly any carbs you take pleasure in or deny physically all through the time if by the aim of the time you’ve consumed a hardly any thousand calories too many.

The notion with the intention of you can munch whatever thing you aspire all through the time as long as here are thumbs down carbs is simply incorrect. Calories still deposit on the pounds whether you are using the Atkins preparation pro consequence loss or not. That being understood here are approximately appealing insights in this diet and a skilled man of the foods with the intention of are eliminated are persons with the intention of be inflicted with the generally complicated sugars pro the body to dispose of. For this wits here are many who be inflicted with followed the trustworthy to goodness preparation to tremendous results.

If you are taking into account dieting with the Atkins preparation you must realize with the intention of this is a lifetime stanchness in order to realize the most benefit of the preparation. There will be less significant restrictions as you get to the maintenance phases of the diplomacy but you are making a conscious decision to pretty much sacrifice a skilled deal of the carbohydrates with the intention of many of us be inflicted with enjoyed right through our lives. This is a thought with the intention of is much easier understood than made ended an extended cycle of calculate and especially in a society as generally of us cannot commit to a mate pro with the intention of long.

At one rate, dieting with the Atkins preparation has produced results pro a skilled deal of public around the planet. The news of these results has made it lone of the generally talked in this area, tested, and tried systems prodieting on the planet and many public be inflicted with diverse reviews. Those who love it and feel with the intention of it is effectual are enthusiastic in its support though persons with the intention of are trustworthy will admit with the intention of you sort out feel as though you are sacrificing a skilled deal pro the sake of your dietary needs. Those who hate it hate it, and here is nothing with the intention of is vacant to exchange their attitude. The single way to know pro guaranteed is to try pro physically.

Obesity has many negative health consequences. Some are better known and documented than others. Recent studies have shown that yet another potential consequence of obesity is difficulty when it comes to conceiving a baby. Fertility troubles are a growing problem in this country and around the world. One reason that is being hailed as a very viable culprit is obesity.

While most people look immediately to the female in the relationship for this particular problem the facts indicate that male obesity can also lead to a low sperm count, which can also hamper fertility efforts and progress.

Our bodies were designed for specific purposes. It is utterly amazing how well each part of the human body works to support the others. There are very few machines that can compete with the genius of the design of the human body. After thousands of years to study the human body there are still many mysteries hidden within. The truth comes down to this however, we put things into our bodies, and abuse our bodies in ways that our bodies were simply not designed to take and yet we still manage to adapt and survive many of these things.

It’s amazing when you think about that the human body endures the many things it does without permanent and irrevocable damage. The good news for those attempting to conceive is thatthe human body also has the remarkable ability to heal itself. This means that those who find their efforts to conceive have been hampered by obesity have also seen positive changes by losing as little as five to ten percent of your ability to conceive.

If both partners are overweight then it might be a good idea to work together to shed those unwanted pounds and adopt a healthier, more active lifestyle. Being active when trying to conceive and throughout the pregnancy is a good idea for the female in the relationship at any rate as this can help in the process of labor and delivery.

If you are trying to conceive without success and have been doing so for more than a year it is probably in your best interest to seek the services of a fertility specialist in order to rule out other possible considerations. Though it is rarely a bad idea to adopt a healthier lifestyle you should also consult your doctor before beginning a strict diet or weight loss regimen in order to make sure there aren’t other factors that may be causing your weight issues. This is particularly true if you have gained a good deal of weight in a rather short amount of time.

In addition to conception difficulty obesity can also lead to a greater risk of miscarriage once conception has occurred. Obesity also leads to a greater risk of conditions such as gestational diabetes during the pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, and in some cases still birth and birth defects. It is no small hindrance to a healthy pregnancy and should be carefully considered before attempting to conceive.

Another consideration when it comes to obesity and fertility is that being overweight can also hamper the affects of fertility treatments. This means that the process is typically lengthier and will cost significantly more over time than if obesity were not a factor. When coupled with the risks to the baby this is something that should not be taken lightly when making plans forfertility treatments.

If your BMI is greater than 30 there are many fertility clinics that simply will not offer their services. Some limit it to greater than 35 and others 40. If you feel thatfertility treatments are the only course of action available to you and your BMI is greater than 30, the first suggestion you are likely to hear is the suggestion that you make serious weight loss efforts and lifestyle changes before proceeding. You may find that once you begin to shed the pounds, fertility intervention is no longer necessary.

Discover the low GL (Glycaemic Load) diet, lose weight with a healthy diet

GL (Glycaemic Load) is more effective than low fat / low calorie diets

Overweight people lost more weight on low GL (Glycaemic Load) diets than on high GL or other weight reduction diets and their cardiovascular risk marker profile improved according to a review in July 2007 carried out by the highly respected and independentCochrane Collaboration.

The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a test done in a laboratory with human volunteers involving blood tests to see how different foods affect our blood sugar level.

• What is Glycaemic Load? An equation based on the GI that also takes into account the amount of carbs in each portion.
• Why is GL better than GI? It’s a more accurate indicator of fat storage as it takes into account portion sizes and carbs so that you can balance your blood sugar level more easily.
• Why is balancing your blood sugar level important? Eating a low GL diet helps keep your blood sugar level stable and is the key to weight loss, long term health and prevention / management of diabetes.

Choosing low GL foods that don’t produce more glucose (energy) than you need results in weight loss because excess glucose is stored as fat.

There are proven health benefits to a low GL diet:

• Helps you lose weight
• Increases body’s sensitivity to insulin
• Improves diabetes control
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Reduces blood cholesterol levels
• Helps to manage the symptoms of PCOS (Poly cystic ovary syndrome)
• Reduces hunger and keeps you fuller for longer
• Prolongs physical endurance
• Helps re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
• Helps prevent diabetes
• Improves diabetes control
• Helps protect heart health
• Helps prevent some forms of cancer
• Helps protect eye sight
• Improves acne

Very soon you won’t need the comprehensive food lists provided, you’ll know which foods are low GL and with the help of our automatically generated shopping list, you’ll be able to whiz around the grocery store and gather up your healthy low GL goodies!

The science of GL

What is Glycaemic Index (GI)?

The GI is a recognised test done in a laboratory setting with human volunteers involving blood tests to see how different foods that contain carbs affect our blood sugar levels. You end up with foods being given a rating of high, medium or low GI.

What is Glycaemic Load (GL) and why is it better?

To work out the GL we take the GI rating, divide it by 100 and then multiply it by the amount of carbs in a normal sized portion which gives us a GL ‘per portion.’ Don’t panic if you are equation averse at this point – you don’t have to work this out – we’ve done it all for you.

So the GL relates to what we actually eat (whereas GI doesn’t) and it takes into account the carbohydrate amount in the food we eat. This means that the GL gives a far more accurate prediction of how foods will affect your blood sugar levels.

This is vital as keeping your blood sugars balanced is the key to weight loss and keeping you in good health.

Highs and lows

We get a huge amount of feedback which we love and one of the main changes, after lowering the GL of their diet is how much better they ‘feel.’ Balancing your blood sugar levels will also mean no more afternoon energy slumps or cravings. These are caused by eating high GL foods which raise your blood sugar levels too quickly, they then drop rapidly causing the slumps and cravings for more high GL foods, creating a vicious and very unhealthy cycle of blood sugar highs and lows.

When you eat high GL foods they produce an excess of glucose in your blood. To keep you safe insulin (the most powerful hormone in your body) is triggered to rush in and remove the excess glucose and store it in your liver and muscles as energy for later use, but as these areas can’t store very much any excess is turned into fat.

That’s why choosing low GL carbs that don’t produce more glucose than you need results in weight loss.

So, back to the test results – you end up with foods being classed as high, medium or low GL. You don’t need to count or work anything out yourself, we’ve done all that. All you need do is choose the delicious low GL foods and snacks you prefer from our recommended lists and our low GL recipes. Easy peasy!

If you have tried a GI diet and found it complicated or confusing, or it didn’t work for you, then switching to low GL will be a revelation!

Stop counting

We HATE counting and restrictions – it makes eating seem like a sinful act – when it should be something you look forward to and enjoy! If you are used to painfully counting points / sins etc you will find this ‘very different’ but once you get into your ‘low GL groove’ you will love it and there will be no turning back – ever, we promise.

And so, on to the research bit – we highly recommend a low GL diet as it has many scientifically proven health benefits including:

• Helps you lose and control weight
• Increases your body’s sensitivity to insulin
• Improves diabetes control
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Reduces blood cholesterol levels
• Helps to manage the symptoms of PCOS
• Reduces hunger and keeps you fuller for longer
• Prolongs physical endurance
• Helps re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

What the experts say -

The GL was devised in 2001 by the highly respected Professor Walter Willett, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School as an improvement over GI. Harvard is renowned for nutritional research having carried out the longest running nutritional studies in the world.

Although the GI of a food is helpful information, it is only part of the story, because the effect of eating a food on blood glucose and insulin levels depends on both the amount of carbohydrate and the GI of that carbohydrate. For this reason the concept of the ‘Glycaemic Load’ or GL has been developed. This is the amount of carbohydrate in a food multiplied by the Glycaemic Index of that carbohydrate. The GL better reflects a food’s effect on your body’s biochemistry than either the amount of carbohydrate or the GI alone.

Professor Walter Willett, Harvard Medical School

The increasing prevalence of diabetes has huge social and financial implications for developed countries. With increasing incidence of conditions such as the metabolic syndrome, predisposing people to diabetes, the trend is even more worrying. I am convinced that making diet and lifestyle changes to reduce the risk or improve the treatment of diabetes is one of the most critical steps and individual can take. The GL diet combines the fundamental principles of a healthy balanced diet with practical advice to help improve glycaemic control and long-term health.

Sir Michael Hirst, Trustee & Former Chairman, Diabetes UK

Rather than being just a fad diet, GL represents a sustainable lifestyle choice, which is healthy and satisfying in the long term. The science is well founded, and has been talked about in academic circles for years, but now, as we are becoming expert nutritionists, we should all be more aware and conscious of GL as part of a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Dr David Haslam, Clinical director of the National Obesity Forum

If you would like to read more in depth research about the health and weight loss benefits of eating a low GL diet see our GL Research page.  As a member you have access to a huge and constantly updated searchable database of health, advice and research.

Why is low GL better than low carb diets?

Low GL is based on slow carbs not no carbs. Low carb diets work by radically cutting out carbs and shocking your system. For a short period these diets are fine, but are not considered healthy or sustainable long term as they are very restrictive and you may end up cutting out some very nutritious foods. You can end up feeling tired with no energy if you radically cut out carbs.

GL takes the best of the GI science whilst also respecting the fact that the amount of carbs you eat is important. The focus is on eating good quality, slow-release carbs to help keep your blood sugar level balanced and provide a steady supply of energy throughout the day. Low GL also equals far more food choices than low carb.

Researchers have found out over the years that:

• Having low blood sugar levels caused by eating high GL foods causes cravings and an urge to overeat.
• Only carbohydrates – not fat and protein – have a major impact on blood sugar levels.
• Low calorie and low fat diets have failed to offer sustained weight loss.
• Low carb diets such as Atkins worked initially as they can help stabilise blood sugar levels but long term they are unsustainable and there are long term health concerns, particularly in regard to kidney and heart health.
• Low carb diets such as Atkins came along and worked initially as they can help stabilise blood sugar levels but long term they are unsustainable and the subject of long term health concerns, particularly in regard to kidney and heart health.
• Scientists found out that not all carbohydrates affect our blood sugar levels in the same way – enter the Glycaemic Index or GI.
• The GI of a food is a measure of how quickly the sugars within a food raise your blood sugar levels and for how long they remain elevated.
• Diets based on eating low GI foods as a means to control appetite and weight have a major flaw in that the GI only tells us about the quality of the sugars in a food in respect of raising blood sugar levels but does not take into account the amount of carbohydrates.
• Foods can have the same GI score but very different effects on blood sugar levels depending on how many carbs they contain.

The GL diet is an evolution of the GI diet

• The GL is based on the GI score but then factors in the amount of carbohydrates in the food, combining quality and quantity for an accurate measurement.
• GL is therefore a superior, quantifiable and accurate measure of a diet’s effect on blood sugar levels, a best of both worlds scenario – by taking both the quantity of carbohydrate eaten (as per low carb diets) and the quality of carbohydrate eaten (as per GI diets).
• Balancing blood sugar levels is the goal for weight loss and general health. By following a low GL diet you can achieve both without ever feeling deprived or hungry

Why You Are What You Eat… Literally!
This very minute as you read this, old cells in your body are dying and new ones are replacing them at a rate of about 50,000 cells per second. The raw material for new cell construction comes directly from the foods you eat. You are literally what you eat.

The condition of your body today is the sum total of all the food choices you’ve made in the past. The condition of your body in the future will be the sum total of all the food choices you make today. Most people take their food choices very lightly, not realizing that everything they eat has an impact on their physical condition. Even worse, some people give no thought at all to what they eat every day – they choose anything without giving any consideration to the long term consequences.

Choose low grade foods and you’ll have a low grade body. Choose high grade foods and you’ll get leaner, stronger, healthier, more muscular and more energetic. The problem is, how do you know what to choose? Which foods get good grades and which foods get bad grades? When you walk down a supermarket aisle or look at a restaurant menu, you’re faced with a dizzying array of choices. Label claims like “low cholesterol,” “low fat”, “30% less fat,” “all natural,” and “100% organic” grab your attention and seem to scream, “pick me!” But how do you really know what’s a good choice and what’s a bad choice? Worry no more, because you now have in your hands a one of a kind rating system you can use to “grade” your food choices.

This rating system is set up in grades, because food choices don’t simply fall neatly into two categories; “pass” or “fail.” Food quality can range from very poor, to poor, to fair, to good to excellent. It’s a scale or a spectrum – the way temperature and color are spectrums. At what temperature does hot become cold? Where does black become white? Black and white or hot and cold are simply two ends of a spectrum. It’s the same with food choices. Food quality can range from highly processed with zero nutritional value on the low end (an “F”) to all natural with high nutritional value on the high end (an “A”).

Here’s an example: An apple is an A grade food. An apple is a raw food found in its natural state, un-tampered with by man. Now, what about unsweetened applesauce? It too is nothing but apples, but since the apples have been pureed and are not in their MOST natural state, it has dropped to a “B” (still a good “grade,” mind you). Turn it into apple juice and you’re down to a “C” (still a passing grade). Then if you add sugar (sweetened applesauce or apple drink), you’re down to a “D”. Finally, if the apples eventually become a fat and sugar filled apple pie, your grade has plummeted to an “F” (yes, you flunked!)

You could take nearly every food through this type of scale to “grade” it. Your task is simple: Look for places in your diet where your grades have room for improvement (C or lower), then improve them. If you have straight A’s already, or even A’s & B’s, the chances are good that you’re in great health and excellent shape.

The easiest way to improve your food grades

The easiest way to improve your food grades is to eat natural foods as much as possible. The foods with the highest grades are always those that are NOT man made, processed or refined. How do you know if a food is “natural” or not? You simply ask: “Did this food come out of the ground or off the tree/plant this way?” If the answer is yes, then it’s natural and it’s an A grade food. To take it a step further and include protein foods, you could expand on this definition and say, “If it grew from the ground, walked, flew or swam, it’s natural.” (vegetarians, no hate mail please; you can use the first definition).
A-grade foods should make up the majority of your calories, but if you only eat A-grade foods and nothing else, that means your diet would be somewhat restricted and limited (a straight A’s diet is a strict diet). It might also make it difficult to gain (lean) body weight, because many A-grade foods such as green vegetables and lean proteins lack the caloric density required to stay in caloric surplus.

That’s why it’s ok to use “B” foods like whole wheat bread or pasta sometimes – especially on a muscle size-gaining program.

Another Simple and Easy Way to Improve Your Food Grades

Before we move on to the actual grading system, here’s another way to quickly and easily improve your food grades: Shop in a health food store, farmer’s market or natural foods market. Not only will this improve your grades almost automatically, but you’ll also find a much greater variety than you would in a regular supermarket. You’ll find shelf after shelf of whole grains and other natural foods. In a regular supermarket, the vast majority of the foods are boxed, canned, packaged and/or highly processed.

For example, in your typical supermarket you would be lucky to find more than a few brands of 100% whole grain boxed cereal. Shredded Wheat is one of the few. If you look at the ingredients list in Shredded Wheat, you’ll see only 100% whole wheat. If you look at most of the other brands, you’ll see refined grains and lots of sugar. Some people consider unsweetened whole grain cereals very bland, but that’s the type of food that gets a high grade. You can always slice up strawberries or bananas on top of the cereal to sweeten it. If you look in a health food store, you will find dozens of 100% whole grain cereals, both cooked and cold varieties.

A-Grade Foods

An A is the highest grade a food can receive. To earn an A grade, a food must be 100% natural (not refined or processed in any way). A-grade foods must also be extremely nutrient dense. These top-of-the line “super-foods” are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, carotenoids, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, fiber and other healthy stuff that’s extremely good for you.

For example, red peppers are the only food with an entire days worth of vitamin C. Tomatoes contain cancer-fighting lycopene. Spinach is rich in calcium and vitamin D. Orange veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash are packed with carotenoids. Asparagus is loaded with vitamin K. Deep leafy greens like spinach are nutritional powerhouses with ample quantities of Vitamin K, Carotenoids, Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Vitamin C. All fibrous carbs, green veggies and salad veggies get an A grade.

Fibrous carbohydrates, (green veggies and salad veggies) would even quality for an A+ because they have extremely high nutrient density with extremely low calorie density, making them ideal foods for reducing body fat.

Some dieters are afraid of starchy carbohydrates because they’ve been led to believe they are fattening. However, starchy carbs are not fattening or unhealthy, refined carbs and other man made foods are the real culprits. The A-grade starchy carbohydrates like yams, brown rice and old fashioned unsweetened oatmeal are staples for athletes, bodybuilders and fitness buffs. Other A-grade starches include black eye peas, lentils, beans (navy, pinto, kidney, garbanzo) and barley. It’s true that some people are carb sensitive, but don’t fall for the “all carbs are fattening” myth. Fat loss is all about calories in versus calories out and the type of carbs you eat…

The A grade starchy carbs are 100% natural, eaten almost exactly the way they come out of the ground. Most of these starches (with the exception of white potatoes and carrots) are also either low on the glycemic index or they have a nice balance between carbohydrate and protein, which causes them to be released slowly into the bloodstream as glucose. Even on strict bodybuilding or fitness competition diets, these are the carbs of choice for physique improvement.

Fruits, although they are considered a “simple carb” (fructose), are also on the A-list because they are natural and high in nutritional value. Fat burning nutrition isn’t as black and white as complex carbs and simple carbs. Simple versus complex is one consideration, but the far more important selection criteria is whether a food is refined or natural. Some bodybuilding guru’s even believe that “fruit is fattening.” For very strict fat loss diets for bodybuilding and fitness competition or on low carb diets for the hypoglycemic and insulin resistant, fruit is sometimes temporarily reduced or even removed. However, for overall health, fitness and body composition improvement, fruit should almost always be one of your top picks.

Rounding out the A-grade food category are A-grade proteins, which are the LEAN, complete proteins (those containing all the essential amino acids) and the A grade fats, which are those high in omega-3’s and other healthy essential fatty acids. Foods such as Salmon, which are high in protein and heart healthy Omega three fats could even be graded as an A+!

A-grade fibrous carbs
Spinach
Kale
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussel sprouts
Green Beans
Asparagus
Collard greens
Green and red peppers
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Onions
Cucumbers
All other fibrous carbs, green vegetables or salad vegetables
A-grade starchy carbs
Yams
Sweet potatoes
Barley
Oatmeal (Old fashioned unsweetened)
Beans, all types
Black eye peas
Slow cooked brown rice (long grain/basmati)
Lentils
White potatoes Red potatoes
Carrots
A-grade simple carbs
All fresh fruits (not including canned, sweetened, or juice)
A-grade fats
Flaxseed oil
Udo’s Choice essential oil blend
Fish Oil
Fatty fish (salmon, trout, herring, sardines)
A-grade proteins
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Extra lean ground turkey
Ostrich
Buffalo/Bison/lean game meats
Fish, all types
Shellfish
Egg whites
Non fat cottage cheese
Top round steak (leanest cut of red meat)
Protein powder supplements (whey, casein, or combination)

B-Grade Foods
A “B” is a good grade. Not the best grade, but a “good” grade nonetheless. Physique athletes (bodybuilders and fitness competitors) often drop out B grade foods prior to competitions, opting for 100% A-grade choices. This makes the diet much more restrictive.
If you’re a perfectionist, you might strive for “straight A’s,” and that’s fine. But keep in mind that it’s not only okay for you to eat some B grade foods most of the year, it might actually be a good thing because it makes your diet much easier to maintain. Adherence to your nutrition program is much easier when you give yourself more options. On the other hand, if you are preparing for a physique competition or you’re on a “peaking” phase, then you should “tighten up” your diet and get as many A-grade foods as possible.
There are many good B grade foods to choose from. Allowing products that are 100% whole grain, yet slightly processed (whole wheat bread, cereal or pasta, for example), opens up a whole new world of options and adds great variety to your diet. Why doesn’t whole wheat bread get an “A?” The only reason whole wheat bread doesn’t get an A is because it is processed. Although it may be whole grain, a loaf of bread doesn’t grow on a tree does it? It’s unsweetened (except for a tiny amount of corn syrup) but it is slightly processed. An all-natural food is one you eat in the same form that it came from in nature.
B-grade proteins include those which are still low in fat, but are not as lean as their A-grade counterparts. For example, flank steak is great, but not as lean as top round steak, so the top round gets an A and the flank gets a B.

B-grade Carbohydrates
100% whole grain, unsweetened boxed cereals 100% whole grain cooked cereals 100% whole grain pastas (amaranth, quinoa, wheat, etc) 100% whole grain breads (100% whole wheat, rye, spelt, etc) 100% Whole wheat pitas
100% Whole grain, unsweetened muffins
Quick brown rice
Quick oatmeal (unsweetened)
B-grade Proteins & dairy products
Flank steak
Extra Lean top sirloin
Extra lean ground beef
Extra lean red meats, other
Lowfat ground turkey
Non fat or 1% low fat sour cream
Non fat or 1% low fat cheese
Non fat or 1% low fat cream cheese
Nonfat or 1% low fat, sugar free yogurt
1% low fat cottage cheese
Whole eggs (1 whole egg per 5-6 whites is a good ratio)
B-grade Fats
Extra virgin olive oil & olive oil salad dressings
Natural peanut butter
Olives
Avocado
Nuts & seeds
Reduced fat, reduced calorie salad dressings

C-Grade Foods
A “C” is an average grade; not poor, not failing, but not good either. If most of your diet consists of “C” grade foods, your results will be average…not poor…not absent….but not good either. Breakfasts cereals like Cheerios are C list foods.
Most boxed cereals such as Cheerios only get a C because even though they’re made from whole grain oats, they’re sweetened with white sugar. If you go to a health food store you can often find generic brand Cheerios (usually called “oat o’s or “Oat circles, etc.) This would bump the grade up to a B. Any cereal sweetened with refined sugar automatically gets bumped down to a C. If the cereal is mostly sugar (think “Fruit Loops” or “Sugar Smacks”) it gets a D or an F.

C-grade carbohydrates are those which are processed or sweetened slightly, but most of them are still made from a whole grain. Starches that are processed (white rice) also get C’s because even though they are complex carbohydrates, they are rapidly absorbed and stripped of much of their original nutritional value. C-grade carbohydrates also include very calorie dense carbs, like fruit juice. Fruit juice is a fairly healthy food, but the high calorie density is not good when your goal is calorie control for a fat reducing diet.
C-grade proteins are those which are moderate in fat content and relatively unprocessed. Very low fat lunch meats are C foods, but generally lunch meats are not good choices because they are processed foods (not real meat, but a meat “product.”)

C-grade carbohydrates
Grits
Cream of rice
Cream of wheat
White rice Pasta made from enriched flour (durum semolina)
Whole grain, low fat snack foods (pretzels, crackers, etc)
Bagels
Cheerios
Sweetened and /or flavored oatmeal
Raisin Bran cereal (wheat flakes, sweetened)
Enriched wheat bread
Unsweetened fruit juice
C-grade proteins
Turkey thighs or dark meat
Chicken thighs
Ground turkey
Lean Sirloin steak
Lean ground beef
Lean red meats, other
Very low fat sliced chicken breast (lunch meat)
Very low fat sliced turkey breast (lunch meat)
Very low fat sliced ham (lunch meat)
Low fat ham or pork
Low fat (2%) cheeses
Low fat (2%) cream cheese
Low fat (2%) cottage cheese
Low fat (2%) sour cream
Low fat (2%) unsweetened yogurt

D-Grade Foods
A “D” is a poor grade, no doubt about it. If you’re eating a lot of D-grade foods, your results will be poor for sure. Most D-grade foods are also bad for your health. D foods are those that are high in refined sugars or made primarily from bleached white flour. D-grade foods also include proteins that are moderately high in total fat and saturated fat and proteins that are highly processed and refined. You might think you’re doing well by eating “low fat hot dogs,” but refined meat products – even those low in fat – should not be a regular feature in your diet.

High saturated fat content also lowers your grades. The role of saturated fat in disease is controversial, but at this time it still appears wise to keep your saturated fats low, regardless of what the “low carb gurus” are saying. High saturated fat foods are D’s and F’s. Also remember, fat and carbs together are a nasty combination. The lower your carbs, the more fat you can eat, but in this grading system (in the context of a low or moderate fat diet), foods high in get low grades (C or D).

D-grade carbohydrates
Sweetened boxed breakfast cereals with no whole grains
Snack foods made from white flour (pretzels, crackers, etc.)
Bleached, enriched white bread (i.e., “wonder bread”) or white bread products
Muffins and baked goods made with white flour, sugar and or hydrogenated oils

D-grade proteins & dairy products
Low fat sliced chicken breast (lunch meat)
Low fat sliced turkey breast (lunch meat)
Low fat sausage
Low fat ground beef
Cream cheese, full fat
Cottage cheese, full fat
Sour cream, full fat
Butter
Cream, half and half
High fat cuts of red meat
Roast Beef
Ham, pork
Reduced fat beef jerky
Reduced fat Hot dogs
Reduced fat Sausage
Reduced fat Bacon

F-Grade Foods
F foods are the foods you should almost never eat. And if you do ever eat them, it should be a rare occasion indeed (holidays, celebrations, once weekly “reward” meals, etc). These are the foods that not only spell disaster for your physique; they’re also horrible for your health. F-grade foods include the following categories: 1) foods containing trans fats, 2) foods high in saturated fats, 3) Highly processed or refined foods, 4) highly sweetened foods or foods that are pure sugar, 5) foods that are high in refined sugars and fats, 6) processed, high fat meats.
Foods very high in saturated fats and or trans fats
Hydrogenated tropical oils (Palm oil, Palm kernel oil, Coconut oil)
Hydrogenated vegetable oils
Anything deep-fried
Margarine
Very high calorie and high fat cuts of pork
Very high calorie and high fat cuts of red meat such as porterhouse and prime rib
Foods made mostly of white sugar or other refined carbohydrates (corn syrup, etc)
Candy
Sweets
Chocolate
Cookies
Soda (Coke, Pepsi, etc)
Sugar Sweetened beverages
Pastries and Baked goods high in both fats and sugars
Pies
Doughnuts
Croissants
Éclairs
Cinnabons
Cakes
Foods high in both refined carbohydrates and saturated fat
Fettuccine Alfredo
Potato chips
Hot Dogs on white bun
Fast food hamburgers on white buns (even worse with cheese, bacon)
Sweetened peanut butter
Chocolate milk (full fat, whole milk)
Meats that are processed and high in fat
Sliced full fat ham (lunch meat)
Sliced full fat turkey breast (lunch meat)
Sliced full fat chicken breast (lunch meat)
All other full fat luncheon meats and cold cuts
Bologna
Hot dogs
Salami
Beef jerky
Beef sticks (“Slim Jim”)
Sausage
Bacon

Your Score?
So how did you do? Did you pass? Did you get straight A’s? Did you flunk? Don’t worry, if your “grades” weren’t so good, it doesn’t matter. What’s in the past is done. What matters now is that you look ahead and make an effort to improve your grades. Don’t feel like you must get straight A’s. If you get mostly A’s & B’s, you’ll get fantastic results. Just do your absolute best to improve your grades by improving your choices, starting with your very next meal.
Remember, you are what you eat – literally. From a cellular and physiological perspective, there’s no such thing as standing still or maintenance; everything you eat helps or hurts. One of the few things in life you can always be certain of is change. Make sure your body is changing for the better by choosing the highest grade foods possible.

You eat one of your favorite foods, as usual. You feel funny after 20 minutes. Not usual. One look in the mirror reveals that your lips are swollen beyond Angelina’s pretty proportions—definitely not usual. As shocked as you might be, the truth is that “you could wake up tomorrow with an allergy to something you’ve eaten your whole life,” says Melinda M. Rathkopf, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, FAAP, of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska and assistant clinical professor at the University of Washington. Though, according to the FDA, adult onset food allergy occurs only in about 2 percent of the population, it is nonetheless on the rise. The reasons for this are unclear, but experts have theories. One is that negative food reactions stem from an existing pollen allergy: Rathkopf says that if you’re allergic to pollens like ragweed or birch and you consume fruits or veggies with a protein similar to one found in pollen, your body may mistake the fresh produce for the environmental allergen. An allergic reaction then ensues, causing your mouth to itch and tingle.

Another theory is that the increase in adult food allergy is a byproduct of better hygiene. “Our current daily living includes many ways to keep us healthy from germs such as using plenty of antibiotics and being clean—as compared with farm or jungle living with exposure to many germs,” says Scott H. Secherer, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “As such, our immune system keeps less busy fighting bad germs and more likely to get misdirected to attack harmless proteins in foods, animal danders, pollens, etc.”

Despite the fuzziness about its causes, what’s happening in the body during a reaction is no mystery. “A food allergy occurs when an antibody, called immunoglobulin class E (IgE), or another immune cell, called a T-lymphocyte, encounters a food protein it recognizes and triggers an immunologic reaction,” says Matthew Jason Greenhawt, MD, MBA, a clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Medicine’s Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In other words, your body mistakes certain food proteins for something harmful and your immune systems wages an attack.

“Part of this attack is creating antibodies against the food, which means that the next time you eat the food, even a teeny amount, antibodies are on high alert to tell your immune system to respond,” says Willow Jarosh MS, RD, CDN, of C&J Nutrition in New York City. “It’s this immune system response that leads to the symptoms of an allergic reaction.”

How to Recognize an Allergy

Hives and annoyingly persistent itching are the most common, most visible, and most immediate adverse reactions to food. And they can last six to eight weeks—even with treatment. “It takes that long to shut down what’s going on internally that triggered the allergic reaction,” says dermatologist Audrey Kunin, MD. Kunin’s treatment plan involves oral antihistamines, ranging from Benadryl to prescription options such as Atarax: “Particularly for women, I like the children’s syrup versions, which allow the patient to more readily monitor their dosage and balance it out with the resulting drowsiness. Sometimes I will also prescribe a topical cortisone cream.” Tepid baths also help. “Aveeno oatmeal baths or baking soda baths can be very soothing,” says Kunin.

Other symptoms of a food allergy include stuffy nose, wheezing, cramping, vomiting, and/or a drop in blood pressure, says Rathkopf. Reactions can progress from mild to more severe with the most dangerous being anaphylaxis, where “blood pressure drops dangerously low and the throat swells, making it difficult to breathe,” says Jarosh. About 150 people die every year from an allergic reaction, so it’s imperative to see a doctor if you think you’ve encountered a food allergy. Pinning down what’s causing your adverse reaction can be a tedious process—for example, the allergy could be cross-reactive and only flare when you come into contact with two specific things simultaneously—but a board-certified allergist can get to the root of the matter via skin or blood tests and by pulling things out of your diet one at time as part of a food challenge.

“It’s possible an individual will need prescribed medication like autoinjectable epinephrine in emergency situations,” Greenhawt says. “If such medication is prescribed, the person should always carry it.” Epinephrine is an adrenaline hormone your body produces naturally in response to stressful situations. The synthetic epinephrine you get as a medication has a similar effect on your body—increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, relaxing muscles in your airways, reducing swelling, and suppressing your immune system’s response to allergens. But while autoinjectable epinephrine may relieve symptoms and prolong your life until you get medical attention, Greenhawt says it doesn’t substitute emergency care if a severe allergic reaction occurs. In fact, even if the epinephrine seems to have done its duty, you should still get to a hospital immediately; the drug’s effect will only last for 15 to 20 minutes and in a recent study up to 19 percent of users were shown to need a second dose. Some individuals may require further emergency care, but do not be afraid to use medicine: While it may temporarily increase your heart rate and blood pressure, the chances of it putting you at a greater risk for cardiac arrest are minimal.

Outgrowing an Allergy

You’ve probably heard people talk about getting over an allergy and “outgrowing” it. While it is possible to lose an allergy as quickly and inexplicably as you developed it, this occurrence is most common in children, so don’t bank on saying good-bye to yours. Though there’s no clear explanation why, research shows it’s more likely that adult onset allergies will stick around as will certain types of allergies. “Typically, studies show that individuals allergic to milk, egg, wheat, and soy tend to outgrow these allergies by age six,” says Greenhawt. On the flipside, those allergic to nuts, fish, and shellfish are much less likely to lose their allergy—whether you’re 14 or 40.

When a Food “Allergy” Isn’t…

Experts say a lot more people believe that they have a food allergy than those who actually do. “About 25 percent of the population think they are allergic, but really only about 2 to 3 percent of people have a true immune response to food,” says Rathkopf, who adds that many mistake a food intolerance or sensitivity for an allergy.

Headache, psycho-behavioral changes (aversions based on taste, sight, smell, or past experience with a food), and fatigue are often tip-offs that the reaction may not represent an allergy. Additionally, “symptoms in an allergic reaction to a food usually develop within a few minutes to two hours after ingestion,” says Greenhawt. “Symptoms that occur more than a few hours after ingestion, with very rare exception, are unlikely to be related to a food allergy.”

Deconstructing Food Sensitivities

If you’re having a lot of stomach issues and ones that endure long after the 12-hour mark, your problem might be food intolerance or sensitivity—which means that while there’s no risk of your throat closing up, you might not feel so great the next day. Think of it as a guaranteed food hangover. “Food intolerance doesn’t involve your immune system and can be caused by a variety of reasons,” Jarosh says. “Two common ones are the body’s lack of an enzyme to break down certain components of a food and sensitivity to specific additives in the food.”

Common nonallergic offenders are lactose (milk sugar) and gluten (protein found in wheat, barley, and rye). Symptoms of both lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity usually involve gastrointestinal problems and discomfort, headaches, and fatigue. Of the two sensitivities, however, gluten has the propensity to be the more serious. “Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that causes an immune reaction to the protein gluten, which damages the lining of the small intestine, diminishing the ability of the small intestine to absorb certain nutrients,” says Jarosh. “The symptoms of celiac can vary and tend to mimic those of other conditions such as chronic fatigue or iron-deficiency anemia, among others.”

As awareness of these conditions increases, many restaurants and food manufacturers are developing lactose-free and gluten-free menu options. For example, Triumph Dining (a publisher of gluten-free restaurant and grocery guides) offers gluten-free restaurant and grocery store guides, and websites such as glutenfreeregistry .com are devoted to helping gluten-sensitive individuals find appropriate restaurants in their area. Major websites like yelp .com also offer gluten-free and lactose-free search categories for restaurants.

Life Without a Beloved Food

If you’re newly allergic or intolerant to something you’ve always enjoyed eating, you may be wondering if you’ll ever taste your “trigger” food again. The short answer: If you’re allergic, it’s highly unlikely. Although it’s possible you could be allergic to a food in its raw state and not when it’s heated since proteins are altered by heat, avoidance is still recommended. You’ll also need to be diligent about what and where you eat outside your home. Steer clear of restaurants with set menus or prix fixe situations, and call ahead to make sure they can accommodate your dietary needs. “Don’t be shy about calling to ask the kitchen about preparation methods and cross-contamination possibilities,” says Jarosh. “You have to do it, and we’ve seen most places be very accommodating about giving the necessary information.” Another thing to keep in mind is that it’s easier for preparation mistakes to be made during peak dining hours. (It’s smart to go slightly earlier or later if you have a serious allergy, says Indorato.) Also, be vocal about your allergy and ask for everything on the side, with the simplest preparation available—i.e., no butter, sauce, garnish, or toppings of any kind. In the plus column for the lactose intolerant: “You can take a supplemental lactase enzyme, like Lactaid, and most likely be able to enjoy lactose-containing foods,” says Jarosh.

When staying in for an at-home meal, double-check that the items on your grocery list are still okay for you to eat; manufacturers can change ingredients rapidly. “Under the FDA’s Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, FALCPA, manufacturers are required to list major food allergens—milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans—on food packages,” she says.

There is some promising news: Many studies, some of them funded by the Food Allergy Initiative, are ongoing to get foods back in your life and off your worry list. It just may not be any time soon. “There’s a lot of research going on, from oral immunotherapy, which builds up tolerance orally—by incrementally increasing the food dosage—to reengineering the peanut,” Rathkopf says. There are also some promising herbal formulas developed by Chinese doctors.

Supplementing Your Diet

Obviously there will be some gaps in your nutrition if you have to 86 an entire food group. “For example, if you avoid milk, where will you get your recommended calcium and vitamin D?” Indorato says. Dieticians recommend supplementing with actual foods—i.e., alternative sources of protein and other nutrients—or by popping a pill version.

“Although you’re removing a food from your diet, you can find healthful alternatives that provide similar nutrients and feel confident in your food choices,” Jarosh says. For example, if you’re allergic to peanuts, which provide healthful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, Jarosh recommends getting these good-for-you fats from olive oil, avocado, olives, and salmon instead. “Keeping a food journal is a wise idea because if you do notice a symptom but don’t remember eating anything that might have contained your allergen, it makes it more likely you’ll be able to pick out where the allergen slipped into your diet,” she says.

“I always refer my patients, regardless of age, to a nutritionist to help suggest alternatives to any item recommended to be removed from their diet,” Greenhawt says. A registered dietitian or nutritionist well-versed in food allergies can help you craft an eating plan so you can avoid future allergic reactions while maintaining a healthy, balanced diet that’s also satisfying.

source: elle . com

Apple Cheese Bites recipe – 162 calories

Ingredients:
4 apples, cored and cut into wedges
3 tablespoons raisins
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
cinnamon
nutmeg (optional)
toasted coconut (optional)
Preparation:
1. In a bowl, stir together the raisins and cream cheese.
2. Spread the mixture on one side of the apple wedges.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and/or coconut (if using) and enjoy!

Servings: 4

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 162
Calories from fat: 62
Total fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Total carbs: 24.4g
Fiber: 3.6g
Protein: 3.2g
WW points: 3

Chocolate Rice Noodle Haystacks recipe – 149 calories

Ingredients:
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 ounces rice noodles
3 ounces butterscotch chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Preparation:
1. Melt the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter on a reduced power in the microwave (be careful not to scorch!).
2. Stir in the mini marshmallows and rice noodles.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow the cookies to harden, chilling in the fridge.

Servings: 14 cookies

Nutritional information for one cookie:
Calories: 149
Calories from fat: 74
Total fat: 8.3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Total carbs: 17.7g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 3g
WW points: 3

Light Tiramisu recipe – 151 calories

Ingredients:
8 inches angel food cake
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup strong black coffee
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Preparation:
1. To prepare the filling: in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons coffee liqueur and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the whipped dessert topping and set aside.
2. To prepare the frosting: in a medium bowl combine the remaining whipped dessert topping, 2 tablespoons liqueur and sour cream. Set aside.
3. Cut the angel food cake horizontally into 3 layers, using a serrated knife. Place 1 layer on a serving platter and the remaining 2 layers on large dinner plates. With a skewer, poke holes in the tops of all 3 layers.
4. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur and strong coffee; drizzle over all the 3 cake layers.
5. Spread the bottom cake layer with half of the filling. Add the middle layer, spread with the remaining filling and finally add the top layer. Frost the cake with the frosting.
6. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before serving.

Servings: 16

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 151
Calories from fat: 23
Total fat: 2.7g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Total carbs: 25.3g
Fiber: 0.1g
Protein: 3.5g
WW points: 3

Quick 5-Minute Fudge recipe – 147 calories

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
16 large marshmallows
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, butter and salt.
2. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add in the chocolate chips and cook until melted.
4. Remove from the heat. Stir in the marshmallows, nuts and vanilla extract, mixing well.
5. Pour into a 8-inch pan. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Servings: 20

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 147
Calories from fat: 46
Total fat: 5.2g
Cholesterol: 4mg
Total carbs: 24.7g
Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 2g
WW points: 3

White Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe – 126 calories

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
125 g butter, melted
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Grease or line a cookie tray.
2. Mix together the butter and sugar.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla essence, mixing well.
4. Stir in the white chocolate chips and flour.
5. Place teaspoonfuls onto the cookie tray and bake for about 12 minutes.

Servings: 20

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 126
Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 6.7g
Cholesterol: 23mg
Total carbs: 15.5g
Fiber: 0.3g
Protein: 1.4g
WW points: 3

Cinnamon Rice Pudding recipe – 155 calories

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces pudding rice
1 cinnamon stick
1 ounce caster sugar
2 teaspoons butter
2 3/4 cups low-fat milk
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C).
2. Place the rice, milk and sugar in an oven-proof dish.
3. Top with knobs of butter and add the cinnamon stick.
4. Place the dish in the oven (uncovered), stir once after about 30 minutes and leave for another 1 1/2 hours.
5. Serve hot or cold, according to your preference.

Servings: 4

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 155
Calories from fat: 32
Total fat: 3.6g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Total carbs: 24.5g
Fiber: 0.3g
Protein: 6.4g
WW points: 3

Cinnamon-Scented Devil’s Food Cupcakes recipe – 183 calories

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups cups unsweetened cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
2 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line some muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. In a very large bowl, combine the sugar, buttermilk, coffee, egg yolks, eggs, oil and vanilla; beat well with an electric mixer for about 2-3 minutes (until thoroughly combined).
5. Add in the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes (until blended), occasionally scraping the bowl.
6. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
7. Spoon the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tins.
8. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes (or until puffed).
9. Transfer the cupcakes to wire racks and cool completely before frosting.

Servings: 40 cupcakes

Nutritional information for one cupcake:
Calories: 183
Calories from fat: 63
Total fat: 7.1g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Total carbs: 30.4g
Fiber: 1.8g
Protein: 2.5g
WW points: 4

Easy Gingersnaps recipe – 150 calories

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter
2 small eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation:
1. Cream the butter until soft.
2. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and eggs and beat until fluffy.
4. Add the molasses and beat until well incorporated.
5. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the mixture, mixing on low speed until it all just comes together.
6. Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap (so that some hangs over the outsides) and press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Pack it tightly, and try to make the top as level as possible. Cover the dough with the plastic overhangs, take another loaf pan of the same size, and use it to press the dough flat.
7. Freeze overnight (or until very firm). Unwrap and remove the dough from the pan, slicing the brick into thin slices (no more than 1/8″).
8. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes (until the edges turn dark brown).

Servings: 30

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 150
Calories from fat: 58
Total fat: 6.5g
Cholesterol: 26mg
Total carbs: 21.8g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 1.7g
WW points: 3

Gingerbread Biscotti recipe – 141 calories

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups flour (10 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
3. In a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; mix thoroughly on medium-low speed.
4. Briefly mix in the apricots and pecans.
5. In a measuring cup, mix the eggs, molasses and orange zest.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add the egg mixture to the other mixture. Mix for about 1-2 minutes (until the dough starts to come together in clumps).
7. Divide the dough in two parts (about 1 lb each), and form logs about 10 inches by 1 1/2 inch each.
8. Bake on the pan for about 30-35 minutes (until the tops are cracked and spring back when lightly pressed).
9. Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
10. Peel the logs from the parchment and move to a cutting board. Slice diagonally into pieces about 3/4 inch wide.
11. Place the biscotti back on the pan, cut sides down (it’s ok to reuse the parchment) and bake for about 10-20 minutes (depending on how you want them – chewy or crunchy).
12. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Servings: 24

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 141
Calories from fat: 34
Total fat: 3.8g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Total carbs: 25.4g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2.3g
WW points: 3

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies recipe – 176 calories

Ingredients:
4 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
Preparation:
1. Melt the chocolate by heating it in a microwavable bowl on high for about 2 minutes (or until it’s almost melted), stirring after 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
3. Mix the peanut butter, egg and sugar until well blended. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
4. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 18 balls.
5. Place the balls about 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball, making a criss-cross pattern with a fork.
6. Bake for about 18-20 minutes (or until lightly browned), then cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to a wire rack and cool completely.
7. Dip the end of each cookie into melted chocolate, shaking off the excess. Then dip into the chopped peanuts.
8. Place the cookies on parchment or wax paper which has been placed on the cookie sheet.
9. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, then serve.

Servings: 18 cookies

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 176
Calories from fat: 112
Total fat: 12.5g
Cholesterol: 11mg
Total carbs: 13.7g
Fiber: 1.7g
Protein: 5.7g
WW points: 4

Pumpkin Pie Bars recipe – 193 calories

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/3 cups flour
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup old fashioned oats or quick-cooking oat, uncooked
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil (overlapping the sides of the pan with foil so you can easily remove the bars later). Grease the foil lining.
3. Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar, the brown sugar and flour.
4. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Stir in the pecans and oats, reserving 1 cup of the oat mixture.
6. Press the remaining mixture onto the bottom of the pan and bake for about 15 minute.
7. Beat the eggs, cream cheese, pumpkin, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
8. Pour over the crust and sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.
9. Bake for about 25 minute
10. Lift from the pan using foil handles; allow to cool completely.

Servings: 24

Nutritional information for one serving:
Calories: 193
Calories from fat: 104
Total fat: 11.6g
Cholesterol: 52mg
Total carbs: 20.2g
Dietary fiber: 0.9g
Protein: 3.2g
WW points: 5

Chunky Chocolate Jam Bars recipe – 185 calories

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 (12 ounce) jar raspberry jam
5 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped, toasted
1/2 cup coconut
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup butter, softened

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 13×9 inch pan with aluminum foil; spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and brown sugar.
4. Using 2 knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add the pecans, coconut and oats, mixing well.
6. Firmly press half of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
7. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate.
8. Spoon the jam over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes (or until lightly browned).
10. Lift from the pan using the foil; let cool completely on wire racks.
11. Cut into bars and serve.

Servings: 32 bars

Nutritional information for one bar:
Calories: 185
Calories from fat: 85
Total fat: 9.5g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Total carbs: 24.8g
Dietary fiber: 1.3g
Protein: 1.8g
WW points: 4

You should choose a low fat diet that has the energy value that corresponds to the needs of the body, and special attention should be paid to the selection of foods and their way of preparing.

This low calorie diets aims to help the body to get rid of poisonous (toxic) substance. So, it does not require the removal of calories, but food that can be pleasant and easy to digest.
Food that gives preference:

Vegetables (best raw or boiled)
Fruits (raw or in the form of fruit juice)
Salads (spacy pure natural plant oil and wine vinegar or lemon juice)
Vegetable juice (fresh)
Eggs (boiled or plant oils)
Yogurt (without boiling water or with fresh fruit or cereal)
Milk (skim)
Meat, fish, poultry meat (without fat, smallpox, boiled or baked)
6-8 glass of water a day
Barm dried yeast (two spoons mixed with fruit juice drink 15 minutes after meals)

Day 1 :

Breakfast: Yogurt or sour milk, young cheese, black bread

Bait: Fruits or fruit juice

Lunch: Asparagus and potato salad with baked fish, bread

Bait: Fruits or fruit juice

Dinner: Boiled vegetables, meat, salad, bread

Day 2 :

Breakfast: Milk, cereals

Bait: Ice cream

Lunch: Cabbage with meat, bread, salad (beet)

Bait: White coffee

Dinner: Boiled vegetables, meat, salad, bread

Day 3 :

Breakfast: Carrot juice, black roll

Bait: Sunflower seeds

Lunch: Cauliflower, chicken meat, salad, bread

Bait: Fruits or fruit juice

Dinner: Yogurt, cheese, bread, salad

Day 4 :

Breakfast: Milk, cereals (Musli)

Bait: Donut

Lunch: Soup of beef meat, carrot, potato (boiled), salad, bread

Bait: Vegetable juice

Dinner: Bread, margarine, jam, tea

Day 5:

Breakfast: Milk, margarine, jam, bread

Bait: Fruit

Lunch: Peas, bread, salad

Bait: Fruit juice or Vegetable Juice

Dinner: Boiled vegetables, fish, salad, bread

Day 6 :

Breakfast: Juice of fruit or vegetables, toast, cheese, margarine

Bait: Fruit salad

Lunch: Chops from soybean, spinach with potatoes, salad, bread

Bait: Fruit

Dinner: Pizza with vegetables

Day 7 :

Breakfast: Milk with Cocoa and roll black, young cheese

Bait: Salad of tomatoes or tomato juice

Lunch: Liver, mashed potatoes, salad

Bait: Pancake

Dinner: Boiled vegetables, meat, salad, bread