Food Lovers Diet

     The food lovers diet is a celebration of intensely flavorful foods that are fresh, seasonal, real foods that help you stay thin AND build your health!

     We can eat very, very well and feel fantastic with no intense food cravings.    In fact, more than ever we need to learn how to eat for pleasure and the proper support of our bodies.

     Healthy food needs to be not only good for you but to taste scrumptious! We will help you here with menus and printable low glycemic index recipes.   Here are the two secrets of the food lovers diet.

1. Good fats should be eaten every day. They will not make you fat!
2. Trust your own instincts. Eat when you're hungry but only enough food to satisfy your hunger. Leave some on your plate or save it for later.

     Omega 3 foods are rich in satisfying and filling good fats and they help you lose weight. How? They are full of nutrients you need to stabilize and even lower your blood sugar!

     Trust your body and stay tuned in for your natural rhythms. When you eat for your own health and pleasure you can forget about "watching your weight" all the time.

     This food lovers diet is intended for those who desire a lifetime of fat loss; in fact, it is a significant strategy. In order to maintain a lifestyle that supports you being SLENDER you have to eat a diet rich in flavor and satisfaction. Otherwise, why would you eat this way every day? This means the plant fats in omega 3 foods that are highly nutritious. It means following the rhythms of your body. Life is about enjoyment and appreciation...we can start with the delightful rituals of eating good and healthy food in the company of others.

     The reason most diets don't work is because they're temporary. Diets aren't the solution for the long term because you go on a diet and then you go off!

     You feel deprived, hungry and unsatisfied when you're on it because it's not a balanced way of eating and you are not getting enough fat.   We need good fats for flavor and we'll crave them if we don't get enough in plant foods.

      You become obsessed with calories and scales. Good weight loss plans should not be short term. Diets not based on good nutrition often lead to illness and health complications. The food lovers diet is different - it's a way of life.

     One of the keys to the successful food lovers diet is understanding how to eat the proper ratio of good fats, the polyunsaturated fats in plant fats to the saturated fats in animal foods.  We need both but much more of the omega 3 foods. Eat 3/4 plants to 1/4 animal fats. The fats make us feel full and the omega 3 essential fatty acids actually help us to burn fat!

     You will have a lifetime of fat loss when you learn this new, healthy way of eating that satisfies the food lover in you and promotes stable blood sugar and sustained energy.

The food lovers diet means a diet rich in low glycemic foods and high in omega 3 fats. Some omega 3 foods are fish, raw nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazel nuts, nut butters, raw seeds, like sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and seed butters like tahini and hummus. Avocados have omega 3 fatty acids and they may be sliced and used in salads or made into guacamole for a delicious spread on whole grain crackers or low glycemic sprouted grain breads.

     Olive oil is monounsaturated plant fat.   It tastes great and it's good for you! Try using a little as the spread on your whole grain sprouted wheat bread - just dip it and enjoy!   Make an olive tapenade out of olives and spread on sprouted grain bread or whole grain crackers. Indulge in real butter in moderation...no nasty tasting margarines full of hydrogenated fats.

     When you eat small but savory meals and eat low glycemic snacks every 3 hours when you are hungry, you will never become ravenously hungry. You will not crave sugar or other white processed foods. When you eat lots more fresh, raw fruits and vegetables in season your palate will change to loving the foods that are good for you.

     Go to the printable low glycemic index recipes page for some fresh ideas for meals. Then go to the daily healthy eating plan for a week's suggestions of menus. These are low glycemic recipes and menus for a food lovers diet.

     The food lovers diet can include a little cream cheese, roasted pepper hummus or almond butter you can spread on whole grain crackers. How about some dark chocolate with 70% cocoa content and the occasional yummy dessert? A heaping tablespoon of cream cheese or crème fraîche can be added to vegetable soups for more richness and to make it more filling.

     The secret to enjoying desserts is to eat your dessert after your noon day meal.

     You will not be creating fat cells because you will be active the rest of the day and those calories will not take up residence. When you eat your biggest meals in the morning and at lunch, you will be working off the calories the rest of the day. Take your daily walk in the afternoon to be sure of this!

     If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean buy as much fresh fish as you can because it is not only full of essential fatty acids and protein but it also helps you to burn fat.

     If you need to buy it frozen, stick to Alaskan or Canadian frozen fish.

     The easiest, tastiest way to get more vegetables into your food lovers diet (in addition to eating them raw) is roasting them. This is my favorite method because it's not only easy but it retains the most flavor and nutrients as far as a cooking method. Experiment with a variety of cruciferous vegetables.

     The food lovers diet means that you will not deprive yourself of sensory pleasures. On the contrary, you will eat food that is unprocessed, fresh, seasonal, colorful and yummy. When you eat only when you are hungry and just enough to satisfy that hunger you will begin to trust your instincts and enjoy food more.

      Add another dimension to your eating by getting to know some inexpensive, good wines. Having an occasional glass of wine with your meal enlivens your conversation and the occasion and is a great enhancement for the food.

     Eat at home or in a good restaurant because you are splurging not because you are in a hurry. The food lovers diet doesn't always have to mean more time and money but it does require a little more thought and planning. The rewards are good health for a lifetime and indulging yourself with one of life's greatest pleasures while maintaining a lifetime of fat loss!

      Bon appétit!

More ideas for you to get thin and stay thin in articles below!

Traditional Mediterranean Diet

This is the ultimate food lovers diet and it best supports your health including permanent weight loss.

Glycemic Index List of Foods

The glycemic index list of foods includes foods that lower blood sugar and help you to lose fat!

Portion Control Tips

This is the essential guide to figuring out serving sizes and what makes a low glycemic snack.

List of Raw Foods

This list of raw foods contains fruits and vegetables that are a powerhouse of nutrients and accelerate your weight loss.

Omega 3 Sources in Healthy Salads

Healthy salads, especially when you add omega 3 sources or foods with resistant starch, are a great low glycemic meal.

Low Glycemic Foods: Super Healthy Whole Grains

What grains should you be eating to stay thin?

High Fiber Foods: Delicious Grains and Legumes

There are extraordinary health benefits in eating fiber rich foods including a lifetime of fat loss!

Low Carb Pastas and Cereals

Great news for pasta lovers....you don't need low carb pasta because pasta is low glycemic!

Good Fats

You need to look to the good fats (omega-3 sources) in learning how to eat a healthy diet and even to lose body fat!

Calcium Rich Foods

Taking a look at dairy products and just how these calcium rich foods affect the glycemic index chart.

Sugar Free Desserts and the Good Sugars

Sugar free desserts that taste good?

Soups, Oriental Cuisine, Protein Foods

This low glycemic index chart shows the soups, the oriental cuisine and the protein foods that do not raise your blood sugar.

Glycemic Load

It's helpful to understand a more precise way of calculating how many low glycemic carbs to eat.

Acidic Foods: High Glycemic Sugars

Any list of acidic foods will have sodas at the top of the list. These drinks are high glycemic and fat storing drinks!

High Glycemic Foods

These are the foods to avoid.

Controlling Food Cravings

Food cravings disappear when you eat according to the glycemic index.

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