|
|
THE
OMEGA DIET
Theory:
The Omega Diet is based on the
traditional diet of the
Greek
Island
of
Crete
, a diet that was virtually unchanged from 4,000 B.C. until modern times.
The Omega Diet replaces harmful fats with beneficial ones, allowing
you to eat from 30 to 35 percent of your calories as fat. Essential Fatty
Acids (or EFAs) are fatty acids that are necessary for normal growth and
development and cannot be manufactured by your body; you must get them
from your diet. There are two
families of EFAs omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty
acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are
most abundant in common vegetable oils such as corn, safflower,
cottonseed, and sunflower oils. Omega-3
fatty acid are found primarily in seafood, green leafy vegetables, fish,
canola oil and walnuts The
typical Western diet contained approximately fourteen to twenty times more
omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s. The
Omega diet fuels your body with an ideal balance of EFAs and other key
nutrients.
Seven
Dietary Guidelines of the Omega Diet
- Eat
foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna,
trout, herring, mackerel), walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds, and green
leafy vegetables. Or, if you prefer, take omega-3 supplements
- Use
monounsaturated oils such as olive oil and canola oil as your primary
fat
- Eat
seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Eat
more vegetable protein, including peas, beans, and nuts
- Avoid
saturated fat by choosing lean meat over fatty meat and low-fat over
full-fat meat products
- Avoid
oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids, including corn, safflower,
sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed oils
- Reduce
your intake of trans-fatty acids by cutting back on margarine,
vegetable shortening, commercial pastries, deepfat fried food, and
most prepared snacks, mixes, and convenience food.
The 3-omega diet gives you an ideal balance of essential fatty acids plus
all the vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, phytochemicals, and other
nutrients proven to be essential for optimal health. The menus are based
on three main meals a day, plus two healthy snacks
The book features two weight-loss versions of The Omega Diet a 1,500
calorie diet for gradual weight loss and a 1,200 calorie diet for more
rapid weight loss. Exercise is
also a vital part of the Omega Diet.
Sample
Menu 1,500 Calories
- Breakfast
1 plain bagel, tomato slices, 1 oz. melted mozzarella cheese, 1
slice honeydew or other melon
- Lunch
Beet and blue cheese salad, hard boiled egg, 1 tablespoon walnut
oil dressing, whole-grain roll or bread slice
- Dinner
Trout simmer in white wine, ½ baked acorn squash or other yellow
vegetable, 1 cup canned or fresh sauerkraut
- Snacks
1 medium peach, 2/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Artemis P. Simopoulus, M.D., and Jo Robinson.1999.
New York
: HarperCollins
|
|
