An Introduction to No Flour & No Sugar Diets

An Introduction to No Flour & No Sugar Diets
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The No Flour, No Sugar Diet is a diet developed by medical practitioner and health columnist Dr. Peter Gott. Gott also penned a book by the same name, and bases his diet around the idea that eliminating sugar and flour is one of the easiest and quickest ways to eliminate unhealthy calories from the diet.

How it Works

While the No Flour, No Sugar diet does not completely eliminate any food group or nutrient, it does severely limit your intake of flour-based foods and sugars. Baked goods are still included, but whole grains are encouraged and meals are based predominately on whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. The No Flour, No Sugar diet also reduces the frequency of eating foods such as pizza, doughnuts and cakes, which are flour-based but also contain high amounts of fat. This simple principle allows you to easily move away from consuming empty calories and to fill your diet with fresh, whole foods.

What You Can Eat

A sample breakfast might include an omelet, whole-grain muffin and fresh sliced strawberries. Diced melon or cantaloupe might make a morning snack. For lunch, a Greek or green salad with lean protein like tuna or chicken, with a no sugar-added salad dressing, such as vinaigrette. Dinner samples include chicken breasts over spinach salad, baked polenta with meatballs and corn, or a curry chicken with steamed vegetables and steamed brown rice. Each meal contains whole, fresh foods and the carbohydrates are complex rather than enriched.

What You Can't Eat

The No Sugar, No Flour diet eliminates white, refined flours such as those in white bread, cakes, cookies or sugar-filled candies. Sodas and fruit juices from concentrate are also discouraged, as whole fruits are lower in calories and supply more nutrients. Fast food such as burgers, pizza and fried goods are also discouraged as they are battered with flour and often contain high amounts of saturated fat. By cutting out flour and sugar, many foods that are high in fat and low in vitamins are automatically off the list, making it easy for you to make healthier choices.

Review of the Diet

According to Diets In Review, the No Sugar, No Flour diet is ideal for those with certain food-related allergies or conditions, such as Celiac disease, as many wheat-based foods are eliminated. It also eliminates empty calories, does not require you to count calories, and is based more on portion control and healthy lifestyle changes. The cons include a very restrictive menu, as most enriched flour and sugar is eliminated completely. The diet also requires you to keep a journal that lists the foods you eat, which can be time-consuming. According to Diets in Review, this diet is best for someone with food allergies, but may be extreme or time-consuming if you simply wnt to shed pounds or try to eat fewer carbs.

References

Article reviewed by Elizabeth Ahders Last updated on: Jul 11, 2011

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