There are plenty of effective diet plans out there, many of them complicated. Many people don't have the time to measure and record every morsel of food, so they get discouraged and give up. The "No White Food" diet plan is designed for convenience and ease, but it may or may not be effective. Done right, it can help stabilize your energy levels and possibly result in weight loss, but it can also backfire if you follow the letter of the plan without following the spirit.
The Premise
The "No White Food" diet plan is as simple as it sounds -- you just avoid white foods like flour, potatoes, rice and sugar. There's no weighing, measuring or counting involved, and you know at a glance whether you are allowed to eat a particular food. There are exceptions to the rule, however -- egg whites and skim milk are allowed, and many people continue to eat tofu and mushrooms with no ill effect. The white foods that are excluded on the diet are basically low-fiber carbohydrates that offer little in the way of nutrition.
The Reason
White foods tend to be carbs that rate high on the glycemic index scale -- if you are diabetic, you are likely already avoiding these foods. High-GI foods affect your blood sugar very quickly, giving you a quick burst of energy that dissipates as quickly as it came. This leaves you sluggish and craving more carbohydrates for another boost, so the cycle continues. Because white carbohydrate foods are generally higher in calories than other foods, the calories add up very quickly and the excess gets stored as fat.
The Reality
While keeping white foods to a minimum is a good idea, the "No White Food" diet excludes some healthy foods like whole grains and certain legumes. This could leave you short on fiber. Because the diet doesn't call for calorie restriction, it may not lead to weight loss if you simply replace the banned foods with other foods of a similar calorie equivalent. The diet also doesn't take fat into account -- with twice the calories per gram of carbohydrates or protein, consuming "allowed" high-fat foods can derail your weight loss. For example, if you replace your morning toast with bacon, weight loss is unlikely.
Do It Right
If you decide to try the "No White Food" diet, plan a menu that incorporates plenty of color to ensure you get as many vitamins and antioxidants as possible. Try an egg white omelet with spinach and tomatoes for breakfast, a handful of strawberries mid-morning, and a mixed greens salad topped with grilled Mahi for lunch. Have a handful of baby carrots with hummus mid-afternoon, and quinoa with grilled chicken, peppers and cucumbers for dinner. Dessert can be a handful of blueberries. Even though you're avoiding white grains, keep eating the "beige" grains -- oatmeal, quinoa and barley, for instance, to get the fiber you need.
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