How to compose a healthy diet plan that will keep you full and energetic


From cabbage soup to the South Beach diet, from the Slim-Fast plan to lemon detox, the only thing these weight loss programs have in common is that they all have restrictions, and in the end, will all leave you feeling unsatisfied.

A diet that creates cravings is doomed to fail. People need variety and are not meant to live on just a few solid foods or liquids, even if it is only for a short period of time. Our bodies are not built that way and need proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and whatever else that keeps us ticking. If even one of the main nutrients is missing, our bodies will start to protest and, as a result, we will lose energy, feel drained, depressed and can even get sick.

Diets– for weight loss or otherwise - have to be well balanced and the only way that can be achieved is by creating a simple, yet well-designed plan that incorporates both exercise and healthy foods.

Easy-to-follow diet plans will often lead to healthy habits that can be maintained for life. They last because they integrate all different food types into tasty guilt-free dishes. Healthy diets are also personalized, taking your lifestyle, your unique diet profile and specific weight loss goals into account.

A diet will only work if it is simple, flexible, realistic, and gives you the freedom to swap some of its suggested meals with some of your own – provided you know how to properly count its calories and that they are equal in amount to the dish you are replacing. If you are unfamiliar with calorie values you can always use a free online calorie counter. Type in the food you are researching and in seconds you will know what its calorie value is.

Planning meals is not always simple, especially when you want to stay away from fats, high GI or meat. In that case you may need professional guidance. Here is an overview of some of the most popular diets today.

Low GI Diet


The Glycemic Index (GI) is a method of classifying foods according to their potential to increase blood sugar. When we eat, our blood sugar levels will rise, increase our energy level and give us a satisfied, full feeling. Foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI) increase blood sugar levels gradually and will keep our energy level steadier. Lowering the GI of your diet is recommended for diabetics, and those who want to improve lipid metabolism and/or prevent heart disease.

Low GI diet plans

- Where possible, eat low GI foods. If you do consume high GI foods, try to include at least some low GI products.
- Switch from white breads to those containing a high amount of whole or cracked grains, whole wheat, oats, bran and/or seeds.
- For breakfast, eat muesli, porridge or unrefined cereals containing rolled oats, wheat bran, oat bran, and cereals made with psyllium.
- When you like rice, stick with brown, wild, basmati, Doongara, or high grade Japanese Koshihikari rice.
- Eat sweet potatoes instead of regular white potatoes.
- ¬Snack on fruits (except watermelon), raw vegetables, unsweetened yogurt or peanuts.
- Eat pasta, quinoa, legumes, vegetables and low-fat dairy products more often.
- Tofu, barley, bulgur or lentils are good for you too.
- Use a vinaigrette dressing on salad vegetables.
- Try to spread the amount of carbohydrate you eat evenly throughout the day when on low GI diet plans.

High Protein Diet


High protein diets are very popular weight loss and muscle building plan for the simple reason that proteins can help you shed extra pounds, but also aid to gain muscle mass. Proteins can be obtained mainly through various dietary sources like meat, poultry, fish and seafood, dairy products, eggs, nuts and seeds, soy products, legumes, olives, avocado and oats.

High protein diet plans

- Scrambled eggs and sausages (or steak) make a tasty high protein breakfast.
- Seafood is one of the best sources of proteins with low amounts of fats.
- The majority of fish fillets or steaks have about 22 grams of protein for 100 grams (3 ½ oz).
- Most beans (soy, black, pinto, lentils, etc.) have about 7-10 grams protein per half cup when cooked.
- Dieters who participate in endurance exercise (e.g. long distance running) or heavy resistive exercise (e.g. body building) should incorporate additional protein into their diet.
- Remember, some of the best high protein foods have high fat counts.
- High protein diet plans are not recommended for vegetarians, vegans, bread lovers and pasta fans would all struggle on a high-protein diet.

Vegetarian Diet


Vegetarian diets are free from all meat products. They are healthy, have great nutritional value, and can provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Depending on personal preference, some vegetarians will also avoid poultry, eggs and milk, seafood and all animal by-products; that lifestyle is called veganism. Vegetarians and vegans will supplement their diet with vegetables, legumes, dried beans, fruit, seeds and nuts. This diet is not recommended for bodybuilders.

Vegetarian Diet Plans

- Starting out by gradually adding vegetarian meals may make the transition easier.
- Any non-meat products are acceptable.
- Tofu can be used to substitute certain diet-banned foods, such as meat and cheese. Tofu is known for its ability to absorb new flavors through spices and marinades.
- Parsley and chives add a fresh flavor to spring dishes.
- Eating seasonable vegetables saves you money.
- Produce bought at farmers markets are typically fresher than those from the supermarket.
- Organically grown or produced foods are healthier for you.
- Vegetarian diet meal plans have to be properly balanced and include a sufficient amount of fats, oils, carbohydrates and proteins.
Dieting requires planning, determination and hard work. There are three things that are important if your diet will be successful:
- You need to understand your diet or you won’t stick to it;
- The diet must be flexible and fit your lifestyle;
- It should be tailored to your personal weight-loss needs.

Once all these elements are in place, nothing should stop you from reaching your weight loss goals!

8 Enormous Food Diary Mistakes


Don't fudge your food diary!

When it comes to weight loss, there are some activities you can do with almost no effort or pain at all. Obviously, running marathons and giving up chocolate and beer don't fall within this category … but keeping a food diary does! Small and ephemeral as keeping a food diary seems with regard to weight loss, it is a critical first step. However, it is just as important to get your food diary right as it is to get your meal timing and exercise plan right. Today we're looking at how to do that through the lens of some of the biggest mistakes people make with food diaries.

To give you a few clues about the mistakes, here are some guidelines for what should be recorded in a food diary:
• What you eat
• What you drink
• The times you do so
• Any drugs you have (including prescription, over the counter, and drugs like caffeine and nicotine)
• Optionally, how you felt at the time you ate

What could possibly go wrong, right? Actually, there are a few major mistakes made with food diaries - some that stem from not understanding the point of the diary, some that stem from ignorance. In the fitness industry, some of the biggest shape-killing food diary mistakes we see are:

1. Not recording everything you eat
Sometimes people think that a couple of beer nuts here, or a 'taste test' of dessert there doesn't make a difference, and don't record it in the diary. You need to check in with yourself if you find that you’re doing this with your food diary; are you not recording things because you don't really want to give them up? Or is it just a misunderstanding about the level of detail you need to put in? Just like on your tax return, you need to put EVERYTHING that is 'incoming' into that diary.

2. Not recording everything you drink
The most common culprit is water - although it has no calories, if you go to see a dietician they will need this information to help build a picture of your current eating/drinking habits. Other liquids that people often don't put in their food diaries include tea and coffee, both of which have calories (as they are usually prepared) and both of which still form part of your eating habits!

3. Not recording the times you eat and drink
This is actually a vital part of keeping a food diary! Although there is no magic formula for what time you should eat in order to lose weight, knowing your eating patterns can help pinpoint other issues. For example, a consistent 3pm chocolate fix could be replaced by a nap, with the same energy effect … but very different impact on your diet. Keep putting those times in, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes or half an hour.

4. Being 'liberal' with you servings
Most calorie counting applications depend on you accurately recording your portion size. If you are the type of person that has a little toast with their butter instead of vice versa, you need to make an accurate estimate of how many 'servings' you've had in your food diary. We consistently see people that have no idea what 5g of butter, 30ml of milk, or 100g of vegetables looks like. Use scales to familiarise yourself for a week or so.

5. Leaving it until night time to fill out the diary
One of the great benefits of a food diary is that it helps force you to realise exactly how much you are eating. You lose the immediacy of that effect if you fill out your diary at night time … no matter how accurately you remember what you ate.

6. Failing to record how you felt when you ate something
Of course, not everyone benefits from an emotional eating diary. Still, it can be really useful to note your physical feelings in your food diary … but not many people do it. Simply note whether you felt 'tired', 'couldn’t concentrate', were 'energetic', etc. Also note if you were actually hungry when you ate, and give that hunger a star rating with a personal system. It will be of enormous value to see patterns with this over the long run.

7. Stopping after a couple of days
If you only record what you eat for a couple of days, there can certainly be benefits in helping curb mindless eating, noticing how much you actually do eat, etc. For full benefit, and especially if you want to see a dietician, you should keep your food diary for at least a fortnight.

8. Not keeping a concurrent exercise diary
No, this tip isn’t directly related to your food diary … but if you want to build a total store of weight loss information, it is critical! Your body will lose weight only very slowly through diet alone, and if you cut your calories too much you can easily reset your metabolism so that you burn less energy. Exercise is essential … and an exercise diary is an invaluable addition to your food diary!