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Vegan Ketogenic Diet Guide

Have you heard about a vegan ketogenic diet? Is it possible for a vegan to follow a keto diet?

As we know, a vegan only consumes plant-based diet such as kale, potatoes, beans and plant products including tofu, margarine or sunflower oil. Most likely a vegan diet has higher sugar and starch content found in plants.

Vegan Ketogenic Diet Guide

On the other hand, a keto diet has very low carb content but very high in fat. This is the reason why when you follow this diet your body will utilize the fat stored to keep you going all day.

You can achieve a good ratio of macronutrients if you will consume fibrous low-starch vegetables and fatty animal foods.

What is Vegan Ketogenic Diet?

The information cited above will make you confuse what a vegan ketogenic diet really is. This diet plan does not recommend sugary or starchy plant food, yet encourages you to consume fatty plant foods.

It can be challenging to find plants that are good sources of protein, not to mention the restricted availability of fatty plants.

With this, you need to determine the fatty plants that you should include in your keto diet as well as those plants that are high in protein.

7-Day Vegetarian Keto Diet Meal Plan

The vegetarian ketogenic diet meal plan will guide you how you will integrate the recommended foods in your daily meal.

# Monday

  • Breakfast – Fruit along with a high-fiber cereal
  • Lunch – Green salad and spicy black bean soup
  • Snack – Vegetable spring rolls wrapped using romaine lettuce and dip it into a spicy peanut sauce
  • Dinner -Spinach pie with Walnut crust and vegetable salad
  • Dessert – Red grape truffles with almond crust

# Tuesday

  • Breakfast – Oatmeal with fruit
  • Lunch – Vegetable salad and Indonesian-spiced tempeh
  • Snack – Sun-dried tomatoes and celery stuffed with hummus
  • Dinner -Sesame-stuffed Portobello mushrooms with black beans and vegetable salad
  • Dessert – Apple and zucchini cake

# Wednesday

  • Breakfast – Mushroom and spinach frittata
  • Lunch – Vegetable chef salad with tofu
  • Snack – Whole grain crackers and roasted eggplant dip
  • Dinner – Roasted eggplant lasagna with spinach pesto
  • Dessert – Poached pears with chocolate sauce

# Thursday

  • Breakfast – Tofu Benedict
  • Lunch – Crunchy vegetable slaw and Moroccan spiced lentil soup
  • Snack – Jicama sticks with Jalapeno hummus
  • Dinner – Portobello patties with cilantro and parsley sauce and vegetable salad
  • Dessert – No-crust apple crumb pie

# Friday

  • Breakfast – Scrambled tofu
  • Lunch – Cajun tempeh chicken salad and spicy creole gumbo with collard greens
  • Snack – Artichoke and spinach dip along with assorted raw vegetable
  • Dinner – Vegetarian sloppy joes and green vegetable salad
  • Dessert – Blueberry soy cheesecake with granola crust

# Saturday

  • Breakfast – Chocolate and coffee smoothie
  • Lunch – Four hearts salad with soy bacon bits and split pea soup with cabbage
  • Snack – Mushrooms stuffed with pine nuts and spinach
  • Dinner – Stuffed eggplant and vegetable salad
  • Dessert – Walnut and fudge truffles

# Sunday

  • Breakfast – Strawberry smoothie and tofu
  • Lunch – Summer vegetable bisque and soy egg salad
  • Snack – cucumber slices with olive and mushroom
  • Dinner – Vegetable burgers with black bean sauce and green vegetables salad
  • Dessert – Chocolate silk pie with almond crust

Vegan Ketogenic Diet Food List

Anyone who wants to pursue a vegan ketogenic diet should consider integrating the recommended foods.

Vegan Ketogenic Diet food list

  • Tofu

This food is versatile as it comes in different forms and can be cooked in different ways. The nutrition facts of ½ cup tofu include 10g protein, 2.3g carbs, 6g fats and 94 calories.

  • Nuts

Nuts are essential on a keto diet, but you need to check the carb and fat content of a particular variety of nuts. You can also consider nuts such as macadamia nuts that has 88% fat, 4% protein and 8% carbs.

Recommended varieties include almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans and walnuts. Peanuts should be avoided because it contains high amount of carbs. Likewise, peanuts are classified as legumes similar to the family of beans.

  • Greens

A vegan ketogenic diet will require you to consume enough greens to obtain the nutrients on an ordinary vegan diet. Leafy greens that you should include to your ketogenic diet are collard greens, kale, swiss chard, spinach and other from the same family.

Mixing these vegetables with avocados will help you obtain the right vitamin intake that is essential to a low-carb lifestyle.

  • Avocado

If there’s one fruit that can provide healthy fats that would be avocado. Just like tofu, avocado is also versatile as it can be eaten anytime of the day. Likewise, it can be paired with salads, bacon and eggs or even steak.

This is the reason why it is considered as a superfood that can help reduce cholesterol level and prevents cancer.  The nutritional content of 1 avocado includes 4g protein, 17g carbs, 29g fats and 322 calories.

  • Protein

If you want to follow a vegan keto diet, it is recommended to use vegan protein powders that will fuel your body with healthy fat and enough amount of protein.

Acai berries are also recommended as they contain 71% fat, 6% protein and 23% carbs.

Plant sources that are rich in protein in spite of the fact that potatoes are high in carbs, they also contain complete amino acid or protein.

Another plant-based food that is rich in protein is quinoa, hemp seeds and soy beans. Consuming these plant-based foods in your keto diet can help to obtain complete score of amino acid.

Complete Keto Diet Food List:

Protein rich foods:

FoodsProteinFat FiberNet Carbs
Almond flour (1 oz)6 g14 g3 g3 g
Almonds (1 oz)6 g15 g3 g2 g
Cashews(1 oz)5 g12 g3 g7 g
Chia seeds(1 oz)4 g9 g11 g1 g
Flax seeds(1 oz) 5 g12 g7 g1 g
Hazelnut(1 oz) 4 g17 g3 g2 g
Macadamia nuts(1 oz)2 g21 g2 g2 g
Pecan(1 oz)3 g20 g3 g1 g
Pistachio nuts(1 oz)6 g13 g3 g5 g
Pumpkin seed(1 oz)10 g6 g1 g3 g
Tofu, firm(100 g)16 g9 g2 g2 g
Tofu, silken, soft(100 g)5 g3 g0 g3 g
Unsweetened coconut(1 oz)2 g18 g5 g2 g
Walnuts(1 oz)4 g18 g2 g2 g

Healthy fat and oil sources:

FoodsProteinFatFiberNet Carbs
Avocado oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Avocado(1 oz) 4 g 2 g 1 g 0 g
Cocoa butter(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Coconut oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Flax seed oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Macadamia oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Mct oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Olive oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g
Olives black(1 oz) 3 g 1 g 0 g 1 g
Olives green(1 oz) 4 g 1 g 0 g 0 g
Red palm oil(1 oz) 28 g 0 g 0 g 0 g


Low carb vegetables:

  • Green beans(5.3 oz): net carbs – 6.4
  • Collard greens, sliced(1 cup, 1.25 oz): net carbs – 0.8
  • Asparagus(5.3 oz): net carbs – 2.7
  • Lettuce (sliced)(1 cup, 1.75 oz): net carbs – 0.5
  • Summer squash(5.3 oz): net carbs – 3.2
  • Winter squash (pumpkin)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 9
  • Celery stalk(3 medium, 4.2 oz): net carbs – 1.6
  • Cucumber(5.3 oz): net carbs – 2.2
  • Spinach, cooked(½ cup, 3.2 oz): net carbs – 1.2
  • Kale (italian dark-leaf)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 2.1
  • Kale (curly)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 5.4
  • Cabbage (white)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 5
  • Cabbage (red)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 7.9
  • Onion, white (sliced)(¼ cup, 1.4 oz): net carbs – 2.2
  • Peppers (green)(4.2 oz): net carbs – 3.5
  • Peppers (red)(4.2 oz): net carbs – 4.7
  • Tomatoes, chopped(1 cup, 6.3 oz): net carbs – 4.8
  • Eggplant (aubergine)(5.3 oz): net carbs – 3.5
  • Broccoli, chopped(5.3 oz): net carbs – 6.1
  • Garlic(1 clove): net carbs – 0.9
  • Cauliflower(5.3 oz): net carbs – 4.5
  • Mushrooms, white(5.3 oz): net carbs – 3.4
  • Mushrooms, brown(5.3 oz): net carbs – 5.6
  • Swiss chard, sliced(1 cup, 1.25 oz): net carbs – 0.8

Dairy foods:

  • Cream (heavy whipping)(¼ cup): protein – 1.1 g, net carbs – 3 g
  • Cream (soured)(¼ cup): protein – 1.2 g, net carbs – 2 g
  • Cream cheese(¼ cup): protein – 3.5 g, net carbs – 3 g
  • Hard full-fat cheese (e.g. Cheddar)(2 oz): protein – 14 g, net carbs – 1.6 g
  • Mozzarella(2 oz): protein – 13.8 g, net carbs – 2 g
  • Butter(1 tb. Sp.): protein – 1 g, net carbs – zero
  • Plain greek yogurt(100 g): protein – 11 g, net carbs – 4 g

Low carb fruits:

  • Raspberries(100 g): total carbs – 12 g
  • Blackberries(100 g): total carbs – 10 g
  • Strawberries(100 g): total carbs – 8 g
  • Avocado(100 g): total carbs – 8 g

Final Thoughts

If you want to try vegan ketogenic diet you should follow the rules about the amount of protein, fat and carbs that you need to intake.

You should be aware about the risk of developing vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Before starting this diet plan make sure to consult first your doctor.

Mounota

Dietitian with around 3 years of experience in assessing the nutritional needs of patients, counselling individuals, communicating the appropriate nutritional information to other members of the health care team and implementing nutritional care plans by following all the standards.

Ultimate Guide of The Rice Diet

The Rice DietThe rice diet is one of the many diet plans created to help people fight obesity and start a healthy living.

Studies revealed that a large percentage of the adult population throughout the world are obese (1). Lack of physical activity and improper diet is the culprit of this health condition.

This diet plan claims to improve poor lifestyle and control unhealthy weight gain. If you’re struggling looking for the best way to lose weight, then you must study and try the Rice diet plan.

What is Rice Diet Plan?

The main concept of the Rice diet plan is to reduce intake of calories, fat, sugar and salt. It is based from clinical experimentation in which diabetes and hypertension patients were given rice diet.

The Rice Diet was first developed by Walter Kempner, a medical researcher. It has been used to treat not only obesity but also diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

This diet plan aims for taking the maximum of 1200 calories each day. But, this is a low level of calorie that’s why you must consult first your doctor prior of starting it.

Rice Diet Menus

The Rice Diet is an aggressive and restrictive weight loss plan and also aims for healthy living. Processed foods and those that have higher content of fat, salt and sugar are strictly prohibited.

Aside from calorie, it also limits protein intake. Hence, you should know the foods that you should consume including the following:

  • Low sodium beans
  • Fat-free dairy products
  • Brown rice or quinoa rice
  • Selected fruits and greens
  • Lean proteins

The diet menu is categorized into three phases, each with individual goal to prepare your body for the next phase. Every phase has a particular purpose.

Rice Diet Menus

Phase 1

The first stage is also called as pseudo detox phase that helps an individual in transition from normal diet to a restricted diet. It typically lasts for 2 weeks and allows 800-1,000 calorie intake for a day.

  • On the first day, you are required to integrate two approved fruits and starches for all three meals.
  • For the remaining days, you’ll follow the Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet. This involves one serving of fruit, starch and non-fat dairy every breakfast. On the other hand, three servings of vegetables and starches and one serving of fruit every meal during lunch and dinner.

Phase 2

This phase is focused to weight loss. The duration of the second stage depends on the weight goals of the dieter. If you want to lose more weight, then you need to extend the second phase.

  • During day one, you’ll follow the Basic Rice diet. The following five days, you need to follow the Lacto Vegetarian Diet.
  • The diet has individual menu for every meal. For breakfast, you can eat one fruit and two servings of starch. During lunch, you can take three servings each of vegetables and starches and one fruit. For dinner, three servings of vegetables and starches and one fruit. You can also choose either two servings of non-fat dairy or three servings of lean protein.

Phase 3

This is the final stage of the Rice Diet plan in which it requires the dieter to add about 200 calories every week. The weekly diet plan would be:

  • On the first day, you need to follow the Basic Rice Diet.
  • For the next four days of the third phase, the dieter should follow the Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet.
  • The remaining two days will be completed by following the Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet.

The Rice Diet lacks vitamins, minerals, calories and protein, making it more effective for weight loss. The creators of this diet have updated the plan by integrating calcium supplements and multi-vitamins. But, this is a low-calorie diet that’s why it is important to seek for medical advice prior of starting the diet.

Rice Diet Recipes

Aside from knowing the menu plan for three phases of the Rice Diet, it’s also important for a dieter to know the Rice diet recipes that you can do on your own.

Obviously, the main ingredient is the brown rice or quinoa rice along with the other food items recommended by the creators of the Rice Diet. To help you cook your own rice recipe, try to consider these:

Savory Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice, cooked
  • 4 tbsp. onions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. savory, dried
  • 1 chicken boullion cube

Preparation:

Heat garlic, onion and rice for a few minutes under low heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and steam for several minutes.

Chicken Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rice, cooked
  • ½ cup fresh tomatoes
  • ½ cup chicken, cooked and diced
  • Chicken stock
  • Cayenne

Preparations

Combine the rice, chicken and tomatoes and add stock enough to moisten the ingredients. Cook them for five minutes and use cayenne for seasoning.

Fried Rice

Ingredients

  • 4 cups brown rice, cooked
  • ¼ cup onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup ham, diced
  • ¼ cup mushroom, cooked and chopped
  • 1 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:

Saute’ the brown rice in vegetable oil for few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking until the fried rice is well done.

As you notice, the rice recipes are very easy to prepare not to mention the availability of the ingredients. Those recipes have the right proportion of fats, carbohydrates and protein.

Likewise, the potassium and sodium content are well-balanced. Most of the ingredients are fiber and vitamin-rich that’s why you can ensure that your body can benefit the nutrients needed.

Rice Diet Results

Just like any other diet plans, the Rice Diet claims to be effective in losing weight. Rice is high in fiber that offers many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and blood cholesterol. It can also improve regular bowel function and other intestinal issues.

Following the Rice diet can help you lose weight as it curbs food cravings. It’s because rice will make you feel satiated for longer time.

This diet plan can provide good short-term effects for some people. But, since it limits calorie and protein intake, most people may not able to sustain it for long time.

The Rice Diet results vary from one person to another. Men can lose more pounds than women during the first month of following the plan.

Another possible result is that it can detoxify your body making it free from toxins. Likewise, it also makes your skin glowing and healthy.

If you want to achieve the best possible results, it is recommended to integrate exercise while taking the Rice Diet plan. You must also abide with the rules and food choices.

Mounota

Dietitian with around 3 years of experience in assessing the nutritional needs of patients, counselling individuals, communicating the appropriate nutritional information to other members of the health care team and implementing nutritional care plans by following all the standards.

Ultimate Guide of Cabbage Soup Diet

Cabbage soup diet is very appealing to dieters as it claims to lose about 10 pounds within seven days. If you want to try this diet plan, it makes sense to know whether it is a fad or a fix diet.

Cabbage Soup Diet

The proponents of this diet claim that consuming large amount of cabbage soup is a good way to lose weight quickly. It’s because the cabbage soup diet limits the calorie intake.

However, you need to be extra careful in following this diet because you may not only lose fat and water, but also muscle.

What is Cabbage Soup Diet?

What is Cabbage Soup DietMany people don’t know exactly what a cabbage diet soup is. This diet plan is low in protein, vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates. It does not guarantee giving you the complete nutrition that your body needs.

Within the seven days’ diet plan, you will only eat homemade cabbage soup. The good thing is that you can also eat at least one other food like fruit or vegetables or skim milk. Cabbage contains less calorie that enables your body to burn more calories.

This means that the more soup or the frequent you eat this diet; you can expect losing more weight. Nevertheless, it is not recommended to follow this fad diet more than a week. It serves as a slimming down process prior of starting a long-term diet plan.

The cabbage diet plan is commonly offered to patients before undergoing a heart surgery.

Does Cabbage Soup Diet Really Work?

Since the cabbage soup diet is a low-calorie diet, in a way it can lose weight. But, there’s no strong evidence supported by a study confirming its effectiveness.

Although this diet plan allows eating specific foods along with the soup, the choices are limited. That’s why it’s difficult to keep your body weight. In fact, there is a possibility to regain the weight lost once you stop the diet.

Cabbage soup diet restricts calorie intake enabling your body to lose more weight. However, it compromises your metabolic rate in such a way that you may burn fewer calories. During the first three days of your diet program, your metabolism will start to slow down (1, 2, 3).

This diet plan may work with obese people, but it should be supervised by a doctor. Usually, a low-calorie diet typically last from 4 to 12 weeks to achieve the best results in terms of metabolic health and weight loss (4, 5).

Is There Any Limitations of the Cabbage Soup Diet?

Cabbage Diet plan

Just like any other weight loss plan, the cabbage soup diet has its own limitations. Generally, you should follow and practice this diet plan for just a week because it can cause calorie and carbohydrate deficiency.

As mentioned above, a cabbage soup diet is a low-calorie diet. This means that your calorie intake is restricted and carbohydrate as well.

This will lower your energy levels, thus giving you insufficient energy to do your everyday activities. Your system may collapse if you become weak that may lead to illness or complications.

Since cabbage soup contains more water, this may make you feel bloated and not full. Thus, you’ll feel hungry soon and the fact that your food intake is limited there’s great possibility that you may become irritable and lack of focus.

Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large head cabbage
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 14 oz can basil, oregano,
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • few shakes of black pepper
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bulb of garlic, sliced
  • 1 lbs tomatoes, crushed

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute all veggie except for cabbage and tomatoes in it. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Add fresh or dried herbs simmer 5 minutes and season to taste. Serve and enjoy!

cabbage soup diet weight loss results before after photos
cabbage soup diet weight loss results before after photos

7 Day Cabbage Diet plan

If you’re desperate enough to lose weight quickly, you can the cabbage diet plan. But, before starting you should know the rules that you need to follow from day 1 to day 7.

Day 1:

On the first day of the program, aside from the cabbage soup you are allowed to eat any fruit except bananas. You can drink either water or cranberry juice or unsweetened teas.

Day 2:

On day two, you’re required to eat more cabbage soup and variants of vegetables like kale or spinach. You can eat the veggies cooked, raw or combined. The vegetables will keep your hunger at bay.

During lunch or dinner, you can eat baked potato to keep you full. But, you should not eat fruit, corn, peas and dry beans.

Day 3:

During the third day you can eat unlimited cabbage soup. You can also consume fruits and vegetables but no potato on this day.

Day 4:

Day four seems to be a cheat day as you can satisfy your cravings for sugary foods. This means that you can eat maximum of eight bananas along with skimmed milk. But, you need also to eat more cabbage soup.

Day 5:

As you reach the fifth day of the diet plan, you’re now allowed to eat real food along with the cabbage soup. You can consume 10 to 20 ounces of fresh tomatoes and beef. You should expect that the uric acid in your body will escalate that’s why you should drink plenty of water.

Day 6:

You can eat some chicken or beef and veggies, but don’t forget the cabbage soup. You must not eat potato on the sixth day.

Day 7:

On the last day of the program, you can eat a bowl of cabbage soup. The good news is that you can pair the soup with brown rice, some veggies and unsweetened fruit juices. Make sure to drink plenty of water.

Fad diets like this one may be tempting, but keep in mind that long-term weight loss depends on making lasting healthy changes (6).


The DO’s and DON’Ts of the Cabbage Soup Diet

DO’s

  • Stick to water or you can find alternative beverages but make sure it does not contain high calorie.
  • Consume as many bowls of soup as you want to satisfy your hunger.
  • You can take multi-vitamin while following the cabbage soup diet.

DON’Ts

  • The cabbage soup diet isn’t recommended for people who have special dietary needs and health complications.
  • Don’t add salt substitute to your soup, but you can add a little spice.

Final Words

A cabbage soup diet is a fad diet is a short-term weight loss program that does not guarantee long-term and guaranteed results.

Accourding to Dr. Melinda Ratini:

You’ll likely get less than 1,000 calories a day on the limited menu. That’s far fewer than the 2,000 daily calories recommended for most adults (7).

There’s nothing wrong getting into diet, but make sure that it won’t compromise your health. Likewise, to ensure the best results of your weight loss efforts, the best thing to do is to make a lasting healthy changes to your eating habits and be physically active.

Janice Thompson

Janice Thompson is a nutritionist. She loves to share her healthy lifestyle and diet tips.

Alkaline Diet – How it Works, Foods, Benefits & Tips

Can eating specific foods just like those included in alkaline diet affect the pH levels or acid-base homeostasis of the body?

An alkaline diet does not necessarily concentrate on shedding extra pounds, but also in reducing the risks of developing diseases. The concept of this diet is to promote the pH level in your body by consuming foods that will spare you from the health woes from obesity to cancer (1).

It is said that maintaining a healthy and balanced level of pH within your body highly advantageous to your health. If your body’s fluids and tissues contain the normal pH level, then it is expected that it will function properly.

Alkaline Diet

What is Alkaline Diet?

The main concept of an alkaline diet is to consume plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. Unlike other diet plans, an alkaline diet is healthy because it prevents consumption of processed foods, high-sodium foods, added sugars, too much animal protein and meat as well as processed grains.

This diet plan supports stronger bones, reverse nutrient deficiencies, decreased pain and better heart health. Following an alkaline diet can be challenging especially if you have busy schedule or if you travel a lot. You may find difficulty in selecting the food to eat and what to avoid.

To know whether an alkaline diet is beneficial or not to your body, the first thing to do is to understand the importance of pH level to your health.

The normal range of pH level of a human body is 7.35 to 7.45. The proper range will give the ideal environment for the tissues and fluids within your body (2).

Likewise, the proper pH level in your stomach is also essential so that it can easily break down the food. The blood also needs to maintain the right pH level so that it can smoothly transport the various substances throughout your body.

If the pH level in your body is not normal, it can affect your health. This means that extreme imbalance of your pH can be fatal. If the alkaline level in your blood and other body fluids become too imbalance, alkalosis occurs. This condition can be triggered by lung or liver disease, sudden loss of electrolytes and low oxygen level.

On the contrary, if the body fluids become highly acidic, acidosis occurs. There are different forms of acidosis such as renal, lactic, respiratory and metabolic. The metabolic acidosis is the most common and this is one of the focuses of alkaline diet.

How the Alkaline Diet Works?

Alkaline diet can be a good choice in terms of nutritional viewpoint. It’s because the diet contains more vegetables and fruits, instead of grains and meats. Since an alkaline diet is full of healthy foods, it follows that it works well in promoting better health.

This type of diet also supports cardiovascular health. You can also obtain a lot of magnesium and potassium as well as trace of essential minerals and vitamins. Likewise, the alkaline diet is low in sugar, fat and sodium.

Consuming the foods that an alkaline diet includes promotes good health. But, make sure not to skimp the nutrients essential for your health. This diet is packed with plant-based protein and calories that are helpful to weight loss, but maintain muscle mass.

In addition, the foods in alkaline diet are low-calorie and nutrient-dense. The fruits and vegetables are rich in zinc, iron and selenium that boost the immune system and support gut health. Vegetables that are rich in vitamin A promote healthy skin.

Studies revealed that if the alkaline level in your body is optimal, it can help for the effectiveness of specific chemotherapy drugs. It also aids in preventing osteoarthritis and diabetes. But, there’s no solid proof that the alkaline diet can prevent cancer.

Benefits of Alkaline Diet

  1. Protects muscle mass and bone density

Fruits and vegetables that are rich in alkaline makes your bone strong. The minerals present in the foods included in alkaline diet prevent muscle wasting as a person age (3). Magnesium, calcium and phosphate are some of the minerals that build bones and maintain lean muscle mass.

Intake of alkaline diet boosts the production of growth hormones and aids the body to better absorb vitamin D. It also lessens the risks of developing chronic diseases.

  1. Reduces the threat for hypertension and stroke

Aside from increasing the production of growth hormones, alkaline diet also supports cardiovascular health. This means that taking the diet will prevent hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, memory loss and kidney stones.

  1. Lowers inflammation and chronic pain

Studies show that alkaline diet reduces the pain caused by chronic acidosis. Experiencing this condition can cause headaches, chronic back pain, joint pain and inflammation as well as muscle spasms.

  1. Boosts immune function

The body suffers when there’s no sufficient mineral in the cells responsible for disposing the waste products or oxygenate the body.

In the same manner, loss of minerals can make your body unable to absorb vitamin. Thus, pathogens and toxins may accumulate in your body and make the immune system weak.

  1. Prevents magnesium deficiency and improves vitamin absorption

Magnesium plays a big role to improve the functions of the enzyme systems and the various processes of the body.

Magnesium deficiency may result to experience headaches, muscle pains, anxiety, sleep problems and heart complications.

Likewise, magnesium is also essential for the body to improve the endocrine and immune function. It also prevents vitamin D deficiency (4).

  1. Helps to maintain healthy weight

Consuming foods that are rich in alkaline decreases inflammation and leptin levels. With this obesity can be prevented. Alkaline diet makes you feel satiated and reduce the amount of calories that your body need.

Alkaline Food Chart

alkaline diet foods

Highly AlkalinepH 9.5 alkaline water
Himalayan salt
Grasses
Cucumber
Kale
Kelp
Spinach (baby and grown)
Parsley
Broccoli
Sea Vegetables (Kelp)
Green drinks
All Sprouted Beans
Sprouts
Moderately AlkalineAvocado
Beetroot
Basil
Capsicum/Pepper
Cabbage
Celery
Chives
Collard/Spring Greens
Coriander
Endive
Garlic
Ginger
Green Beans
Lettuce
Mustard Greens
Okra
Onion
Radish
Red Onion
Rocket/Arugula
Tomato
Lemon
Lime
Butter Beans
Soy Beans
White Haricot Beans
Chia/Salba
Quinoa
Mildly AlkalineArtichokes
Asparagus
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Carrot
Courgette/Zucchini
Leeks
New Baby Potatoes
Peas
Pumpkin
Lentils
Swede
Squash (Butternut,
Summer etc)
Watercress
Grapefruit
Coconut
Pomegranate
Rhubarb
Buckwheat
Udo’s Oil
Tofu
Goat & Almond Milk
Herbs & Spices (Thyme,
Mint, Ginger, Cumin etc.)
Avocado Oil
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Flax Oil
Neutral/Mildly AcidicBlack Beans
Chickpeas/Garbanzos
Kidney Beans & Other
Beans
Seitan
Cantaloupe
Fresh Dates
Nectarine
Plum
Sweet Cherry
Watermelon
Millet
Oats/Oatmeal
Spelt
Soybeans
Buckwheat Pasta
Cous Cous
Brown Rice
Rice/Soy/Hemp Protein
Freshwater Wild Fish
Rice & Soy Milk
Brazil Nuts
Pecan Nuts
Hazel Nuts
Sunflower Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Moderately AcidicFresh, Natural Juice
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Butter
Apple
Apricot
Banana
Blackberry
Blueberry
Cranberry
Grapes
Guava
Mango
Mangosteen
Orange
Peach
Papaya
Pineapple
Wild Rice
Strawberry
Goat’s Cheese
Vegan Cheese
Rye Bread
Wheat
Wholemeal Bread
Wholemeal Pasta
Ocean Fish
Highly AcidicAlcohol
Coffee & Black Tea
Fruit Juice (Sweetened)
Cocoa
Honey
Jam
Jelly
Mustard
Miso
Rice Syrup
Soy Sauce
Vinegar
Yeast
Dried Fruit
Beef
Chicken
Eggs
Farmed Fish
Pork
Shellfish
Cheese
Dairy
Artificial Sweeteners
Syrup
Mushroom

Chart Source: energiseforlife.com

Final Thoughts on an Alkaline Diet

The creators of alkaline diet claim that there are certain foods that can promote either the acidity or alkalinity within your body. To improve the alkaline environment inside your body, you should consume cruciferous vegetables.

Alkaline-forming foods include garlic, avocado, mustard greens, ginseng, figs, almonds, apple cider vinegar, green tea, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds.

A study showed that consuming alkaline diet helps to balance your body’s pH. It reduces the risks of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, low bone density and vitamin D deficiency.

Alkaline diet also prevents plaque buildup in the blood vessels and inhibits kidney stones. The mineral density from the foods you eat that are included in the diet stops the accumulation of calcium in the urine.

To ensure success, you must combine exercise with your diet plan to obtain positive results. Otherwise, you may achieve minimal weight loss results.

Mounota

Dietitian with around 3 years of experience in assessing the nutritional needs of patients, counselling individuals, communicating the appropriate nutritional information to other members of the health care team and implementing nutritional care plans by following all the standards.

Slow Carb Diet Why We Love And You Should, Too!

Many people who are overweight and obese are sharing the common sentiment on how to reduce some extra pounds. The good thing is that there are ways that can help to ease the struggle of losing weight. Diet, exercises and keeping a healthy lifestyle play significant role to succeed in this quest.

To address the concern of losing weight, many diet plans are available to choose from. Each of them claims to provide the best results. But, before making your choice, you should take time doing your research. This will help you find the one that will best suit to your needs.

What is The Slow Carb Diet?

What is The Slow Carb Diet?

The Slow Carb Diet is one of the diet programs introduced. The man behind this diet program is Tim Ferris. He had introduced and used Slow Carb Diet in his bestseller 4HB or The Four Hour Body. The main goal of this diet program is to encourage individuals to eat foods that are low in GI to promote weight loss.

It emphasizes staying away from harmful carbs such as grains and sugars. Instead, you should consume vegetables, legumes and meats. Following this diet program helps in maintaining low insulin levels.

The Slow Carb Diet implements 5 rules that every dieter must follow. This will guarantee success including the following:

  1. Refrain from “white” carbohydrates – If you want to succeed in losing weight, you must avoid eating foods that contain “white” carbohydrates. You should avoid those that contain grains.
  2. Consume the same few meals repeatedly – The Slow Carb Diet program isn’t that strict than other programs. It’s because the plan is easier to follow. It allows the dieter to choose the foods he or she likes most (provided that the foods are in the list).
  3. Avoid drinking calories – Most beverages contain higher calories and provide lesser nutritional value.
  4. Reduce fruit consumption – Fruit is healthy and it’s ideal for healthy person. But, if you’re overweight, you must reduce or don’t eat fruit as it will hamper your goal of losing weight. Likewise, you should also reduce consumption of sweet potatoes. They have high content of carb. It prevents your body to burn fat.
  5. Take one cheat day – The good thing about the Slow Carb Diet is that it allows one cheat day. You can eat anything that you want without worrying about gaining weight back.

Who is the Slow Carb Diet Best For?

The Slow Carb Diet is for those who want to lose weight by eating cleaner to feel better. This diet program is also ideal for those looking for a simple eating plan. Dieters need to follow some rules persistently without doing major changes in lifestyle.

If you want to lose lots of pounds, but you don’t have time to cook healthy food, then this diet program seems to be the best for you. All you have to do is to follow the rules and the food list, there’s nothing to worry about and expect for better results.

When starting this diet plan, you should change gradually. Start with your breakfast by eating at least 30g of protein alone 30 minutes after waking up. The best way to ensure success in this program is to ensure cutting on grains. These include pasta, bread, cereal and the likes as well as sugar.

This is also perfect for busy people as there are lots of foods listed in the 4HB that you can made easily. This makes sense of stocking up in your kitchen eggs, canned tuna, canned beans, frozen veggies and spinach leaves.

Who is the Slow Carb Diet not as good for?

The Slow Carb Diet entails less calorie intake. It’s not recommended for higher level athletes. People having specific health issues or nutritional issues should not take the slow carb diet.

It’s because this diet program is based on generalized diet. The main goal is to lose weight easily and quickly for long term.

Slow Carb Diet Meal Plan

Meal planning is very easy when following the Slow Carb Diet. All you have to do is to pick the foods listed in 4HB and create your own meal. You can make a simple or extravagant meal as you like if it follows the rules.

Make sure that each meal includes vegetable, legume and protein and good fats as well. Here’s a sample of meal plan that you can follow:

Slow Carb Diet Meal Plan

Breakfast

Breakfast meal must always have 30g of protein. Some meal ideas for breakfast include:

  1. Microwaved mixed vegetables, ½ cup black beans, one whole egg and scrambled egg whites
  2. 3 servings of broccoli or spinach frittata (30g)
  3. 3 slices of bacon (13g) and 3 eggs (16g)
  4. Whey protein smoothie or shake with 30g of protein powder

Caffeine is good but it should be unsweetened without cream or milk. You can drink caffeinated soda, but limited to one can a day.

Lunch and dinner

Again, your lunch and dinner must be a combination of vegetables and protein. If you’re a busy person, you can cook in bulk and refrigerate individual serving sizes that you can consume for at least two days. Here are some meal ideas:

  1. Roasted chicken and mixed vegetables
  2. Mustard-crusted pork loin with mushrooms and spinach
  3. Steak with asparagus and ghee or green beans
  4. Homemade burrito bowl that include leftover chicken breast, guacamole, salsa and black beans
  5. Tunafish with salsa or mustard along with fresh spinach salad
  6. Bean and beef chili
  7. Vegetable and meat curry
  8. Lentil stew

Beverage

It is suggested to drink plenty of water. If you’ll drink other beverages make sure that they have zero calories. The following beverages are good alternatives:

  1. Unsweetened tea
  2. Coffee with cinnamon
  3. Lemonade or flavored water with vegetables
  4. Red wine (1 to 2 glasses a day)
  5. Diet soda (1 can per day)

Slow Carb Diet Food List

As stated above, the slow Carb Diet isn’t strict as compared to other diet programs. You can eat as much as you want all the foods listed or mix and match to make your meal. Read Calories in Fruits and Vegetables

Proteins

  • 1 or 2 eggs/ egg whites
  • Chicken breast or thigh
  • Beef
  • Fish ( salmon, halibut, tilapia)
  • Pork
  • Oyster, crab, shellfish

Legumes

  • Lentils
  • Pinto beans, black beans, soy beans and red beans

Vegetables

  • Mixed vegetables
  • Spinach, kale, chard, collards
  • Cabbages
  • Broccoli, cauliflower
  • Asparagus
  • Peas
  • Green beans

Checkout: Top 10 Slow Carb Diet Recipes

Considering the food listed for Slow Carb Diet, you can ensure that you’re getting the right food and nutrition needed by your body. Make sure to stick to the recommended food list during the entire course of the diet program.

Slow Carb Diet Results

People who have been following the Slow Carb Diet are giving positive reviews about the diet program. They are satisfied about the results. They achieve the body weight and size that they want to have.

Slow Carb Diet Results

Following this diet program improves both physically and mentally. Some of the clear results are as follows:

  • Better physique – Combining Slow Carb Diet with exercise can improve your physique. It makes your muscle more toned and significantly healthier.
  • Improved skin – Cutting out sweets and carbs can help in improving your skin. If you have some skin problems, taking slow carb can pave away skin issues. It will make you more confident to show some skin.
  • Feel energized and satiated – Starting your day with slow carb meal will make you more energetic. It won’t make you feel hungry as you’ll eat protein-packed and nutritious food every 4 hours.
  • Improved mood – Consuming healthy foods such as those recommended by slow carb diet can make a big difference in your mood. It will make you more at ease, relaxed and approachable. It will also enhance your focus and concentration. Thus, makes you as responsible and productive as you would be.
  • Sound sleep – The Slow Carb Diet can make your general well being better as you can have sound sleep.

Just like any other diet programs, the Slow Carb Diet won’t give the best results unless you’ll do it with self-discipline and strong determination. Keep in mind that it might be difficult during the first week of the program.

Slow Carb Diet Chart
Image Source: ongoingvegan.com

The first thing that a dieter must do is to change habits and lifestyle particularly the eating habits. You should not be hard on yourself when following this diet program. It does not require you to be perfect. As long as you’re good on following the meal plan you can expect that it will work for you.

While taking the Slow Carb Diet there’s no need to work out too much. In fact, 80% of your body weight is determined by the food you eat and 20% by exercise. As your body is getting the right amount of nutrition it needs every day, you can expect achieving the best results.

If this diet program works best to other people, it may also work to you. To ensure your safety, you must consult first your health care provider before starting the Slow Carb Diet.

Mounota

Dietitian with around 3 years of experience in assessing the nutritional needs of patients, counselling individuals, communicating the appropriate nutritional information to other members of the health care team and implementing nutritional care plans by following all the standards.

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