Your guide to healthy living ...

Dieting


Weight Loss Supplements & Fad Diets
Many weight loss supplements are dangerous and not recommended. Ephedra is just 1 example of a weight loss supplement that has caused serious health problems for many. Other weight loss pills are loaded with caffeine as the means of burning calories by increasing your heart rate. Use weight loss pills with extreme caution.

Now the problem with many diets is they neglect an aspect of your nutrition for short-term weight loss. There aren’t a lot of shortcuts that can be taken. To be successful, weight loss must be maintainable and done in a healthy manner. Exercise combined with healthy eating habits is the best way to lose weight, and is also beneficial to your overall health.

Weight loss will result naturally from eating right. Successful and lasting weight loss is more easily achieved through gradual changes to your eating habits. 1 reason fad diets fail is they don't give your body a chance to adjust. Your body undergoes stress during withdrawal from the foods you're usually accustomed to. You'll find there are some things that can easily be replaced. Other foods will take longer, and you'll want to gradually introduce higher quality foods to replace them - with organic foods if possible. After a period of time, you'll grow used to your new diet and will be ready to incorporate more healthy eating habits. Your desire for unhealthy foods will diminish as well.

Some of the most prominent AND healthy diets which are favored by Beyond Organic are listed below. Our website helps you make the best food selections, and these diets are complementary by adding the framework for your eating regimen. Find the 1 that works best for you. If you have a special medical condition, please consult your doctor.

The Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet, also endorsed by Dr. Mercola, resembles more of a healthy eating regimen rather than a weight loss plan. It's based on the notion that our human bodies are still used to eating the foods of our stone age ancestors. They were hunter/ gatherers who ate unprocessed foods ... primarily lean meats, vegetables, nuts, and fruits. What this implies is that our bodies haven't fully evolved to digest grains, which are a product of our more recent ability to grow and harvest crops. Same holds true for dairy products. It's no wonder that many people today have wheat or dairy allergies. Diabetes, a disease that has reached epidemic proportions, is another ailment that would not affect those following the Paleo Diet. By nature, this diet is low in carbs except for the fruits. In that respect, it isn't dissimilar from other low carb diets. However, the difference is that fruits are natural sugars. The other major difference is that some low carb diets suggest that eating meats high in saturated fat like bacon is ok. Saturated fat from meats should be limited.

Mediterranean Diet
This diet has garnered a lot of publicity lately, but it is no fad diet. Based on the eating habits of the peoples in the Mediterranean region, this diet is known for its heart-healthy benefits. It can be difficult to pin down what constitutes this diet. However, it's characterized by the following attributes:

  • High monounsaturated fat - particularly with olive oil
  • Large amounts of vegetables and fruit
  • Large amount of grains
  • Red wine consumption
  • Legumes
  • Seafood, especially fish
  • Low to moderate amount of dairy - especially cheese and yogurt
  • Minimal intake of red meat

This diet is proof positive that dietary fats can be not just ok, but actually beneficial to our health and longevity. Monounsaturated fats range from 25% - 35%, and saturated fats about 8%.

Genotype Diet
 The GenoType Diet is yet another compelling diet that challenges the status quo. Endorsed by Dr. Oz, this diet is a refinement to the much popularized Blood Type Diet with the added consideration of 6 standard genotypes that all of us fit into (essentially translates into 6 distinct diets). Much like the Paleo Diet, it recognizes that our genetic code determine what eating regimen is best. However, it advances the timetable several thousand years closer to a time when some early humans began cultivation of the land, while others were nomadic herders, and still others persisted with their hunter and gatherer diets. The 1 drawback of this diet is that it requires a bigger time investment to understand the diet and in classifying your genetics. The Genotype Diet addresses lifestyle and supplement needs which need to be followed for maximum success.

Regardless of the path you choose for weight loss - keep in mind there are synergies that are gained when eating a wide variety of foods and nutrients. In our Nutrient Balance Chart, you can see all the various types of nutrients and 2 measurement tools ("glycemic load" and "acid/ alkaline balance") that your body requires to run smoothly.

NUTRIENT BALANCE CHART
(click spheres to view description below)



Click on a nutrient type in the Nutrient Balance Chart to learn more.

 

 

Source: Rees K, Hartley L, Flowers N, Clarke A, Hooper L, Thorogood M, Stranges S. 'Mediterranean' dietary pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 8. Art. No.: CD009825. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009825.pub2
Source: Am J Clin Nutr June 1995 vol. 61 no. 6 1402S-1406S