Once in a while, a diet comes along that is so clear and
straight forward that it begs investigation. That is the case for Dr. Gott's
new No Flour, No Sugar Diet. His diet is based on, get this, eating no sugar
and no flour. Yes, that's it. By avoiding these two basic ingredients Dr. Gott
believes that weight loss will be a natural outcome.
The No Sugar Diet (I guess that flour didn’t have a very
good publicist) involves reading a lot of ingredient labels. Dr. Gott considers
flour and sugar to be "empty calories." That means that they deliver
calories devoid of other nutritional benefit.
Dr. Peter Gott |
The doctor is especially concerned about eating processed
sugar. He points to the rapid digestion of sugar and the spike in insulin
production that it causes. He believes that this strains the pancreas (where
insulin is secreted) and can damage your immune system. He also references
medical studies that tie processed sugar to cancer and diminished learning in
your children.
Of interest to our post-elementary school readers, Dr.
Gott also points out that processed sugar also affects our ageing. The theory
is that the sugar molecule connects with the collagen our our skin, leading to
wrinkles and sagging.
Following the No Sugar Diet isn't difficult, especially
if you can read the tiny print used in ingredient labels. Meat, dairy, fruits,
vegetables, nuts and brown rice are all fair game. The naughty list includes
sugar, flour, most sodas, honey, alcohol, fruit juices, molasses, raisins,
pineapples, beets (the source of much of our processed sugar) and cereals.
The diet is much easier for those of us who prepare most
of our own meals from scratch. A plate of meat, potatoes and veggie can easily
be prepared without sugar or flour. The diet gets a lot harder when you eat out
or use prepared foods. High fructose corn syrup (on the naughty list) is in an
amazing variety of products. Flour is found in nearly all prepared soups. So,
set aside some extra time for grocery shopping for the first few weeks of the
diet.
Once your new eating plan is in place, Dr. Gott predicts
a slow but steady weight loss. Without the empty calories from sugar and flour,
it is easy to see two pounds a week melt away. This is a safe and sane approach
to weight loss in the eyes of the government, too. This is also a diet that you
can follow for a lifetime. That avoids the rebound effect that plagues many
diets, where the dieter regains all the lost weight once their draconian diet
over.
Can you live without sugar or flour? Dr. Gott tells us
that this is exactly the path to better health!
I find this no-sugar diet pretty interesting but I don't think it's gonna work for me. I opt for coolsculpting to remove my love handles and muffin top.
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