South Beach Diet FREE Trial Offer August 2, 2007

• Get your own customized Meal Plan
• Tools to track your weight, phase, and diet goals
• 24 hour online support and community
• A fully interactive dieting experience!

You get a week free and then it’s just $5.00 a week after that. Now this is very affordable. Click here for the South Beach Diet FREE Trial Offer.

Like many diets, the South Beach is divided into three phases. In Phase One, most carbohydrates are banned to give your body a complete rest from fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels. The theory is this will help to resolve insulin resistance.

During Phase One, the banned foods list includes bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, milk, sweets, cake, biscuits, ice cream, sugar and alcohol. A few low GI veg such as broccoli and cabbage are allowed, but the focus is on eating lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, some nuts and olive oil. You follow this phase for 14 days.

In Phase Two, low GI carbs including most fruits, Granary bread, wholegrain cereals and pasta and low-fat milk are reintroduced. The idea is to stay with this phase until you’ve reached your target weight.

Finally, in Phase Three you introduce an even wider variety of foods. This phase is aimed at keeping your weight steady and the diet recommends you stay on this for life.

For each phase, there are no limits on portion sizes – you simply eat enough to satisfy your appetite – and you’re encouraged to eat three meals and snacks each day.

In today’s dieting world where low-carb, high-fat diets are in vogue, it’s good to see a diet that recommends eating fewer foods packed with saturates and replacing some of these foods with heart-healthy monounsaturates. Diets based on eating low GI foods are also becoming increasingly popular and in general, encourage you to ‘de-junk’ your diet and cut down on carb-rich foods that are packed with few other nutrients such as white bread, sugary cereals and sweets.

Nutrition experts and dietitians are generally in favour of diets based on the Glycaemic Index, but while most believe in eating more foods with a low GI value, they don’t necessarily think all high GI foods should be banned. This is because the GI value of a meal changes considerably when foods are eaten together. That said, few experts would argue with a diet that recommends cutting down on processed carbs and swapping foods rich in saturates for those containing monounsaturates.

Most nutrition experts are less happy with the recommended weight loss. General guidelines recommend losing no more than 2lb a week for good health and so experts are concerned that this diet promotes such a large weight loss in the first two weeks. They say this is unhealthy and is simply the result of a severe calorie restriction caused by cutting out all carbs.

As for losing weight specifically from your midriff, most nutrition and fitness experts believe it’s impossible to lose fat from just one part of your body. Nevertheless, losing weight will almost certainly result in a reduction in waist size – and this is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The Sonoma Diet…Flavorful Weightloss…Free Analysis! August 2, 2007

The Sonoma Diet is the most flavorful weight loss plan under the sun and is now online and customized! There are more than 500 mouthwatering recipes, 14 tools, and a community of online support. This diet really works. Get a FREE analysis when you join the Sonoma Diet today!

The diet section at your local bookstore is a busy place. Hardly a fortnight goes by without another new diet book hitting the shelves. The latest new release is the Sonoma Diet by Registered Dietitian Connie Guttersen. The book takes its name from the Sonoma region in California. The Sonoma Valley region is renowned for its wine industry – and the diet has a distinctly Mediterranean theme.

The Joy of Eating

The Sonoma Diet is dubbed “the most flavorful weight loss plan under the sun” – and emphasizes the joy of eating. The diet singles out 10 foods – the “Sonoma Diet Power Foods”.

• Almonds
• Bell peppers
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Grapes
• Olive oil
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Whole grains

And yes, those grapes can be fermented – like most other Mediterranean diets – wine is on the menu with Sonoma.

Chopped Salmon Salad (Wave 1)
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
3⁄4 cup flaked smoked salmon
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped yellow bell pepper
1 1⁄3 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1⁄4 cup chopped onion

1 medium cucumber, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
2 teaspoons small capers, drained
Lemon Vinaigrette1. Coat four 6-ounce coffee cups with nonstick cooking spray. Equally divide and layer ingredients in each cup in the following order: salmon, green onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. Cover tops with plastic wrap and firmly press mixture into cups with a soup can or similar object slightly smaller than diameter of cup.

2. To serve, invert salads onto 4 salad plates; carefully lift off cups. Sprinkle salads with olives and capers; drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Lemon Vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar combine 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, sugar substitute to equal 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar, 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, and several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce. Shake well before serving.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 135 cal., 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 7 mg chol.,
429 mg sodium, 9 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 7 g pro.

The 3 Waves

The diet is structured into 3 waves (phases). The first wave lasts for just 10 days and is more restrictive. The second wave is the main weight loss phase, and number 3 is the lifelong maintenance phase. It’s all about appropriate portioning rather than measuring amounts or calories. The ‘plate-and-bowl’ concept means using a 7-inch plate for breakfast, and a 9-inch plate for lunch and dinner. Each wave of the diet instructs you how to fill the plates!

Online Program

The book contains 500 recipes, whilst the fee-based online version has over 900. The online version includes many tools such as meal planners, shopping lists, diaries, and trackers, and community forums (and many more). Subscription costs are $5 per week with a minimum 5 week charge (at least there are no cancellation fees here). See the Sonoma Diet Online here.

A Wine Guide?

There aren’t many diets that teach you how to select the right wines. Whether it’s red, white, or sparkling – wine is on the menu from Wave 2 onwards.

Why Another Diet?

The Sonoma diet does not appear to be unique by any means – and at least the author hasn’t claimed to be ‘revolutionary’. There are many resources around on Mediterranean diets and healthy portion control, but author Guttersen certainly has the right credentials (among many things she provides nutritional consultation to the Olive industry).The Mediterranean theme has recently become popular with Stanley Ozner writing the Miami Mediterranean Diet. Although the Sonoma diet seems very similar in structure to the South Beach Diet, the Sonoma diet does not appear to restrict carbohydrates in any way. However, like the South Beach, there is only a brief nod given to the value of exercise – and the recipes are not for those who hate the kitchen!

It seems to me that among today’s abundance of healthy diet advice – whomever has the best publisher/marketing agency wins. That said – the Sonoma Diet seems to have a very balanced and moderate approach to weight loss and eating.

The Sonoma Diet is one of the better diets around today, and you wouldn’t be wasting your money by taking it’s advice to heart.

The Sonoma Diet Cookbook

Be part of the NBC phenomenon! August 2, 2007

The Biggest Loser Club grants access to the diet and fitness program used by the Biggest Loser TV shows contestants – personalized to fit their goals and lifestyle. This program provides users with daily meal plans, recipes, customized fitness program, personal journal, message boards with Bob Harper and Cast members.

The Biggest Loser Diet is based on food groups.

Example:

1. Breakfast: 1 fruit, 3 grains, 1 dairy
2. Morning Snack: 1 protein, 1 fruit
3. Lunch: 2 proteins, 1 vegetable, 1 grain

A specific food may be selected from the group. Take for example:

• 1 Grain serving – 1 slice of whole wheat bread.
• 1 Fruit serving – a banana.
• 1 Protein serving – 4oz of lean chicken.
• 1 Vegetable serving – 1 cup of cauliflower.
• 1 Sauce or Snack – 1 Tbsp of cream cheese.

Pros and Cons

1. Daily Calorie recommendations have been criticized because its just too low for some – especially when a hard workout routine is involved.
2. From a motivational point, the Biggest Loser scores extremely high. This is a program that encourages you to go the distance and achieve your goals.
3. Costs – about $5 per week.

Be a part of the diet Oprah trusts! August 2, 2007

Bob Greene is Oprah’s personal trainer and a diet and fitness expert who makes frequent appearances on her show.  The Best Life Diet is a subscription diet based on his new book. Subscribers have access to meal plans, workouts, videos, articles, a message board, and more!

The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene (2006) is the first “diet” book Bob Greene has ever written and I find totally on target, and very inspiring. His past books, which focus on fitness, take the same “phased” look at everything, and I personally think it is much easier to make life changes in phases, vs. the way other diet books want you to change everything at once. I was initially concerned about all the product mentions in the book, but I have looked at all the nutritional content online regarding these products and find some VERY encouraging information: no trans fats, low sugar content, whole grains, lots of vegetables, well known and well respected brands, organic foods. And more importantly, these are products I can find in almost any grocery store in America, which takes the guess work out of deciding what to eat. This is going to help millions of people and it will encourage consumers to read labels.

Bob appears to want to change the way some companies formulate their foods based on his Oprah appearance. I applaud his efforts to help people and know that everyone will benefit by following the simple effective plan he has laid out.

Lose 10 Lbs. In 5 Weeks…Start Free! August 2, 2007

Jillian Michaels has had tremendous success helping people lose weight on TV. Her devotion to helping others has inspired her to create a new online program – customized and accessible to the rest of us! Members reap the rewards of her endless knowledge of fitness and her secrets for weight loss. Jillian’s program features online support, recipes, exercises, tools, and motivation! And each person will get a customized weight-loss plan based on his or her activity level, body type, and goals. Her unique triple threat approach to weight loss – self, science, and sweat – is complete with Jillian’s tough-love and step-by-step advice. We’re confident that Jillian’s program online will be just as popular as her program on TV. Go get your free diet analysis and get ready to shed 10Lbs.

Here is another discount you may be able to take advantage of after starting for free, get an additional 20% OFF Jillian Michaels’ Online Weight-Loss Plan when you become a paying member.