Time to Shop by Travis

The final weekend is upon us and it's time to gear up for the next six weeks. I haven't put together a complete shopping list yet, but I will be picking up the diet staples at some point in the next two days. Here's what the book recommends:

The Power Foods (what to really stock up on)
Almonds
Beans
Spinach
Dairy (fat-free/low fat milk and vanilla yogurt)
Instant oatmeal (unsweetened, unflavored)
Eggs
Turkey, sliced
Peanut butter, all natural (no added sugar)
Olive oil
Whole grain breads and cereals
Protein powder (whey)
Raspberries

ground flax seed (1 pint)
Multi vitamin

Other (I will probably pick these up throughout the week, as needed):
Canned tuna
chicken breasts
grapefruit or other fruit
green vegetables
lean fish
lean ground beef
long grain rice
whole wheat pasta

Ingredients for recipies in book:
Baby carrots, balsamic vinegar, bananas, black beans, brown rice, canadian bacon, canned chicken stock, canned peeled tomatoes, Carnation instant breakfast packets, cayanne peppers, celery, chili powder, curry powder, dried chili mix, fat-free mayo, flour, fresh ginger, garbanzo beans, garlic, green and red bell peppers, guacamole, honey, honeydew melon, honey-wheat English muffins, Italian seasoning, jalapeno peppers, ketchup, lean sirloin steak, lean sliced roast beef, lemon, lime, lemon juice concentrate (frozen), low-fat Italian salad dressing, Mexican style tomatoes, mushrooms, navy beans, onions, onion soup mix, orange juice, paprika, parmesan cheese, reduced-fat cheese (cottage, cream, mozzarella, Swiss, American, cheddar), raisin bread, raisins, romaine lettuce, salsa, saltine crackers or bread crumbs, spaghetti sauce, stir-fry sauce, sweet corn, Tabasco sauce, tortillas, trans-fat free margarine, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, whole-wheat pitas, Worcestershire sauce

Obviously, there's no need to pick up everything on the list, but as you can see, just looking over those items, it doesn't appear that we'll be starving ourselves or eating bland, boring food.

Good luck this weekend, everyone! Try not to eat/drink too much...

Green Tea Recommendations by Michael Ma

The book recommends a lot of green tea, and I thought I'd offer some suggestions. I've tried probably 20+ brands of green teas. As healthy as green tea is (and you can enjoy it knowing its good for you), the taste of green tea was never something I used to look forward to every morning. Some taste like straight up sea weed (salt is used to expediate the dehydrating process). Luckily, I managed to find one that i can actually enjoy and found myself looking forward to. It was the Yogi Tea Organic Green Tea. I'm not sure if I bought a flavored one. I might have gotten the Simply Green one, but found that there was a hint of ginger in there which added very subtle sweetness which curbed the bitterness of green teas. There is a new Lemon Ginger one which sounds pretty good. I believe you can find it at Whole Foods, but I'm sure a lot of grocery stores also carries them.

http://www.yogitea.com/Green-Tea/Green.asp

The Last Supper by Travis

We're under a week and it's nearly crunch time (no pun intended). While eating is not totally restricted on this plan, there will obviously be some things that we'll all have to give up. During these last few days are there any final indulgences that you guys are squeezing in?

For me, I treated myself to some bulgogi at lunch today and I have the last of the Girl Scout cookies to polish off. Bye-bye yummy trans-fats.

More Info on the Diet by Travis

I've been getting a lot of questions about the jist of the Abs Diet. Here's an excerpt from Amazon's book review:

"Eat everything. Concentrate on whole grains. Drink milk. Balance protein with carbohydrates. Avoid processed sugars. Do some exercise. The idea that a diet book making such proposals comes as a pleasant surprise shows just how far afield we've gone in the search for new ways to be fit. The only thing new about this diet by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health is its name, and this, one can presume, is because nowadays, a book simply called "Sensible Eating" wouldn't sell. The book's title is indeed misleading; only the final chapter deals solely with abs. The rest is full of rational recommendations for a realistic diet plan: eat more and smaller meals; have oatmeal in the morning for a nourishing breakfast; don't starve yourself; drink plenty of water; and stay away from sodas and foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Whether readers will, in the end, walk away with abs of steel is not really the point. They'll control their weight in a healthy way, without counting calories, cutting out whole food groups or supporting the beef futures market. Best of all, this book tells readers why it works: increase your body's metabolism, gain some muscle and fat burns away. The authors make this seem like a fresh and very attainable ideal."

Nutrition Facts by Michael Ma

Nutritional facts for fast food and sit down places:
http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp

The next item on the menu could be just as filling and just as tasty, but with only half the calories. Do a quick check before you head out to lunch/dinner.