Thursday, July 15, 2010

Dr. Oz's Ultimate Diet Plan

I am in no way a huge Dr. Oz fan, so don't take this post to mean I have a secret crush or that I watch his show religiously. He's no Adam Lambert! And actually, a lot of things about Dr. Oz and his show irk me, such as the way he talks and his stupid demonstrations, etc. A life-size model of a nose just to demonstrate why your nose drips? Ewww, no thanks. So its kind of annoying that his shows are usually about topics that I actually find interesting and want the answers to (such as Top 5 Cancer Symptoms, Best Skin Secrets, etc), because that means I have to sit and watch!

So last night's episode was all about, you guessed it, his diet plan for America. I sat there through the entire episode just so I could write all the info down and share it with y'all. I suffered, all for you! You're welcome.

1) Its not about your weight, its about your waist size. A person's waist size should be, at most, half the size of their height. So a person who is 5'3 (me) should have a maximum waist size of 37". Phew! (A couple months ago I wouldn't have been able to say that.)

2) There are 5 foods that make you fat:
  • Simple Sugars and Syrups (#1 & #2), such as soda and jam. Anything that says 'syrup' (such as high-fructose corn syrup, which is in A LOT of food items) is out. Replace jam with sliced fresh fruit on toast; replace soda with water.
  • White Flour, replace with 100% whole grain.
  • Saturated Fats (animal fats), any fat that is solid at room temp, found in many meats. Replace with chicken, salmon and fish.
  • Trans-Fats, found in anything labeled 'partially hydrogenated vegetable oil'.

3) Get some new shoes and a pedometer, and get walking!

4) Lose 100 calories from your daily food intake.

5) Automate your meals. This just means its much easier to stick to a healthy diet plan if your daily menu is the same. Breakfast every morning could be a shake made with plain fat-free yogurt, blueberries and flaxseed oil; dinner is a healthy protein, whole grain and lots of vegetables.

6) Cheat your tastebuds. People who eat spices or spicy foods in the morning for breakfast are found to be much less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner. So add hot sauce or peppers to your eggs, have cinnamon and nutmeg on your whole wheat toast, etc. Dr Oz also had the audience do an exercise to demonstrate cheating your tastebuds without using food: lick your lips, then purse your lips and take a deep inhale. Feel the coolness on your lips? Repeat this a few times. Dr Oz says its a simple exercise you can use to reduce food cravings and curb your appetite.

7) Stay accountable and measure up. Take body measurements every week to see what is working and what needs improving.

8) Stress makes you gain weight. People with large bellies, beware! The real danger is when your tummy fat is hard as this means the fat is underneath the muscle, rather than a jiggly tummy where the fat is on the surface. When a person is stressed out, the brain sends chemicals throughout the body that result in the stomach fat hardening. What a person needs to do is break the stress cycle. There is an extract you can get from the Passion Flower that works similar to anti-anxiety medications. Just add a few drops to your water. Also, deep breathing exercises and calming visualizations work (find your happy place, haha).

9) There are 4 fat-burning, muscle-building exercises you can do. Its hard to explain them rather than watch them, so bear with me here (although a few of them have actual names so that helps).

  • Stand up, on tiptoes, with your arms held straight out in front of you; cross your arms back and forth, up and down, for up to 2 minutes.
  • The Invisible Chair: lean against wall, hands in a prayer position in front of you with fingers splayed, slowly walk your heels out until they are directly under your knees; hold this pose for up to 2 minutes.
  • The Rickety Table: On your hands and knees, reach your left arm out straight in front of you as far as you can, stretch right leg out straight behind you. Then bring left elbow and right knee down and together, try to tap them together. Repeat with opposite arm and leg. Do this for up to 2 minutes.
  • Laying on your back, knees bent, arms behind head, in the basic sit-up position. Keep ankles and knees together, and lift your legs up off the floor, then bring them down and tap on floor. Do this for, yes, you guessed it, up to 2 minutes.

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