The O2 Diet: What It Is
Throw away the scale, forget about what you can’t eat, and load your plate with a bounty of antioxidant-rich foods. The antioxidant-based O2 Diet, by Keri Glassman, RD, promises to make you thin and more beautiful while teaching you to love healthy foods.
On The O2 Diet plan, instead of counting calories, you count ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) points. This number reflects the antioxidant activity of foods as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Antioxidants are nutritional substances that protect the body from damage by disease-causing molecules called free radicals. Studies show they can play a role in preventing certain cancers and heart disease.
Glassman says they can do much more: "If you eat a diet with a large amount of antioxidants high in ORAC points, you will feel great, look fabulous, be energized, and lose weight."
She also says that when you start eating healthier foods -- like fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, lean protein, and green tea – you'll feel so great you won’t miss unhealthy processed foods.
Included in The O2 Diet are recipes, tips, sample meal plans, and food journal forms. But the O2 formula for success goes beyond diet. Dieters are encouraged to keep a food journal, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and even engage in regular sexual activity.
The O2 Diet: What You Can Eat
On The O2 Diet plan, you'll eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, fish, beans, healthy fats, herbs, and spices. Healthy indulgences like wine and chocolate are allowed in the final phase.
Although the emphasis is on achieving 30,000 ORAC points daily, calories still count. "You can eat all the veggies you want, but you need to pay attention to the portion of fruits, lean proteins, starches, fats, and the indulgences in order to lose weight," Glassman says.
Dieters are encouraged to eliminate baked goods, fat-free and sugar-free foods, fried foods, high-fat and processed meats, soft drinks, sweets, added sugars, trans fats, and processed foods.
The O2 Diet: How It Works
The O2 Diet is a 32-day plan that starts with a 1,200 calorie, four-day "cleanse" that provides 50,000 ORAC points per day. (That may sound astronomical, but keep in mind that one cup of blueberries has 9,700 ORAC points.)
"This phase is an important jump-start to get the dieter motivated and feeling better almost immediately," Glassman says. "There is no variety; dieters eat the same super-antioxidant-rich foods for four days, and the lack of sodium and sugar help promote weight and water loss."
A two-week Phase Two follows, with at least 30,000 daily ORAC points and 1,400-1,500 calories. Dieters can remain in this phase longer if they want to lose more weight.
No comments:
Post a Comment