WEIGH YOUR DIET CAREFULLY

Most of us want to lose weight. There is no shortage of diet plans created to make waistlines smaller. These diets differ vastly in their approach but all promise the same results: The plan will work if you work the plan.

In an era filled with numerous fad diets, some simply are not very nourishing to our bodies. Even worse, followers often go back to the same old habits once goals are met. Ultimately, they gain the unwanted pounds back.

In this issue, we’re giving special attention to two popular diets that received quite a bit of praise in a reader survey we conducted. Not only have users of these diets achieved incredible weightloss results; they religiously stick to the eating plan and continue enjoying better health. That’s extremely important because only a lifestyle change can bring about long-term health benefits.

Both locals and people throughout the country alike have enjoyed tremendous success with the Paleo Diet and the Whole 30 program. They look better, feel better, and live life with unbridled passion.

Here’s your chance to learn about these two diets, what they entail, and how they’ve impacted the lives of several people.

Popular Fad Diets

Imagine having a strong digestive system and immune system. On top of that, your metabolism is greatly boosted. These are the benefits of Whole30, a diet plan formulated in 2007 by Melissa Hartwig, a certified sports nutritionist, and her husband, Dallas Hartwig, a functional medicine practitioner. Together, they’ve authored two books titled “The Whole 30” and “It Starts With Food.”

“Our program is about pushing the reset button with relationships with food,” Melissa said. “We eliminate problematic food groups that trigger bad health.”

The program begins with a 30-day elimination of added sugar, alcohol, grain (whole and refined), legume, and dairy. When the 30 days are complete, people begin reintroducing these foods back into their diet one at a time. That paints a clear picture of how some foods negatively affects health.

“From there, it’s up to each individual to make an informed decision whether or not he or she wants these foods to be part of their diet going forward,” Melissa said. “Then they can figure out what diet is best for them.”

The diet stresses the importance of meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and fats from fruits, oils, nuts, and seeds.

SAUSAGE, KALE, AND SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOATS

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash or 2 small spaghetti squash

1 1/2 lbs. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. Using a sharp knife cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.

Place the halves, with the cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until you can poke the squash easily with a fork. Let cool until you can handle it safely.

Prepare the kale by removing the center stems and either tearing or cutting up the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken sausage and break apart with a spatula to crumble. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Add the kale and stir. Cook for a few minutes more to wilt the kale. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once cooled, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash with a fork to shred the squash into strands.

Transfer the strands into the skillet with the sausage and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the mixture among the squash shells, and then top with pine nuts and parsley to serve.

Source: paleogrubs.com

Baba Ganoush

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

2 heaping tablespoons tahini (make sure it’s gluten free and with no additives!) juice of half a lemon

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh parsley Salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the eggplant with a fork, then char the skin of the eggplant on all sides by placing it on the direct flame of a gas burner. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can place it under the broiler.) Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, until it’s completely soft and you can pierce the eggplant with a paring knife and meet no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, slice the eggplant in half the long way and scrape all the insides into a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Purée until smooth. Serve with vegetables, grilled meat, or as a salad dressing.

Source: Whole30.com@ rochelleswholeplate

It’s so easy a caveman could do it. Well, it might not necessarily be easy, but it sure seems to be healthy.

Dr. Loren Cordain is one of the world’s leading experts on the Paleo Diet, which emulates what our Stone Age ancestors consumed. He has been prominently featured in newspapers, magazines, and talk shows.

“The essential tenant of contemporary “Paleo” diets is not to precisely consume the wild foods our ancestors ate, but rather to emulate the food groups they ate with modern foods commonly available at supermarkets,” he said. “The majority of our calories should come from fresh fruits, vegetables, unprocessed, grass-fed fresh meats, fish, seafood, freeranging eggs, nuts, and seeds.”

Dr. Cordain authored “The Paleo Diet,” which first hit bookshelves in 2002. “People worldwide send me emails, letters, and telephone calls about how this lifelong dietary concept has changed their lives for the better and resulted in improvements in health and well being,” he said. Current meta analyses of all randomized controlled trials of Paleo Diets indicate this lifelong way of eating promotes health and freedom from chronic disease better than do current institutional and governmental recommendations.”

Wine And Dine

Lakeridge Winery in Clermont officially opened its doors in February 1989 and has become the largest winery in Florida. Boasting 44 fermentation tanks that can hold 413,000 gallons of wine, the company is capable of producing 2 million bottles of wine each year.

Lakeridge’s wines are made of native muscadine grapes, which contain high amounts of resveratrol. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer and heart disease.

“Research has indicated that muscadine grapes contain 10 times as much resveratrol than other varieties of grapes,” said Charles Cox, owner of Lakeridge Winery.

You’ll definitely derive health benefits from drinking Lakeridge’s award-winning wines such as the smooth and rich Southern White; the classic semi-sweet and fruity Sunblush; and the spicy Blanc Du Bois.

Chances are you’ll want to pair your wine with some type of food. There’s no exact science to this, but there are some general pairing rules, according to Jennifer Denlinger, a chef and teacher with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando.