Any Oprah Winfrey fan has undoubtedly heard the name Bob Greene. He is Oprah's personal trainer who has been credited with improving her weight and her overall health. Greene wrote a book outlining their program entitled "The Best Life Diet." His plan is by no means a "quick fix," but rather he promotes a lifestyle transformation going beyond food to incorporate physical activity and behavior modification. This isn't one of those diets promising you'll drop "30 pounds in 30 days." but rather healthy, gradual weight loss and lowered risk of chronic disease.
Greene has meal plans for a range of calorie levels based on gender and activity level. Once your calories are calculated, they are further broken down into a number of servings from various categories of foods. There are three phases to the diet--Phase 1 eases you in; Phase 2 steps it up; and then Phase 3 teaches you how to maintain your weight loss for life. Trans and saturated fats from fried foods and dairy products are limited, along with refined carbohydrates and high-calorie beverages including alcohol. Greene advocates a diet based on whole grains, produce and low fat dairy products.
What to Look for
Oprah's website (www.oprah.com) has a "Best Life Grocery List" complete with very specific brand names. Yoplait yogurt and 8th Continent Soy Milk cover the dairy (and non-dairy) category. Recommended cereals include Total, Wheaties, Cheerios, Cascadian Farm and Fiber One--each of these are high in fiber and relatively low in sugar and calories. Keeping in line with the high fiber trend, starch choices include Barilla PLUS pastas, Flatout Wraps and Wasa Crispbreads. Cascadian Farms and Green Giant get the nod for frozen produce (fresh Florida grapefruit and mushrooms are also on the list). Additional options include Progresso soups, Muir Glen tomato products and Slim Fast shakes and powders. Finish off your meals with Bertolli olive oil, lower fat Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise or Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers and finally a cup of Lipton Tea. Greene even recommends a particular brand of multivitamin--Bayer's One a Day.
Common Pitfalls
These foods are all relatively healthy and widely available, but it's not necessary to purchase certain brands to follow "The Best Life Diet" or any nutritious eating plan. Feel free to choose any brand of low fat dairy or soy products and high-fiber breads and cereals, keeping in mind the principles of the diet. All brands of olive oil contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and most "light" or "reduced fat" mayonnaises will be better choices than the original in the same product line. Muir Glen and Progresso products are typically good choices, but if you have high blood pressure, be sure to check labels for sodium content. Fresh or frozen vegetables are always a healthy choice and many prefer to go organic as the brands mentioned above are. The only thing to look out for here is any added sauces or seasonings which might increase the sugar or sodium content.
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