The world is in the grip of an epidemic of obesity and age related degenerative diseases caused by recent distortions in our diet, reducing calories but not changing the type of food results in semi-starvation and hunger and therefore unsustainable. These guidelines are much more focused and will guarantee weight loss but are especially important for those who suffer from illnesses such as, heart attacks, strokes, dementia, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostatic hypertrophy, peptic ulcer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, the list goes on but the cause is a universal cellular dysfunction associated with aging and this can be improved with diet and exercise.

Gradual changes in food habits over the years have reached a situation where 60-70% of calories consumed are quickly digested carbohydrates resulting in large increases in blood glucose that prompts insulin secretion causing fat deposition and quick return of hunger.  Long term effects of frequent spikes of high blood sugar are cell damage and inflammation, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, leading to heart attacks, strokes, cancer and dementia.

Avoid

• Sugar, High Fructose Corn syrup, all caloric sweeteners including honey and agave syrup, sweets & candies.  Use low calorie sugar substitutes if necessary
• All Juices, even orange juice, eat the fruit instead, sodas, energy drinks, gatorade, powerade, grape juice, cranberry juice, etc. Also avoid cocktail drink mixes like margarita and sweet and sour mix.
• White flour, bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, biscuits, etc.
• Potatoes, white rice, corn flour products, chips, etc.

Eat a High Fiber “Ketogenic” Diet

Carbohydrates can be roughly categorized by the speed of their digestion into simple sugars; the faster the worse for health and slower the better, with fiber on the most beneficial end of the spectrum.  “Ketogenic” is simply using fat for energy and results from minimizing the amount of simple sugars obtained from your diet. Choose superfoods which are defined by their health benefits; eat them whenever hungry and stop when you are satisfied.  The choices, vast, varied and enjoyable include many foods that were previously stigmatized like eggs, dairy and meat.  Calorie counting is unnecessary if high fiber plant foods are the bulk of your diet as they are satiating and suppress hunger due to slow digestion and low insulin response, in addition they contain thousands of phytonutrients which protect against oxidative stress, inflammation and cell damage. 

•  Unlimited consumption of salads, leafy green vegetables, whole fruits, and nuts.
• Moderation but not overindulgence in all sorts of interesting foods, including meat, fish, cheese, butter, eggs, olive oil, rape seed/canola oil, herbs and spices. These are what make foods enjoyable and they are mostly nonfattening and nutritionally beneficial
• Peas, lentils, legumes and beans are high in protein and fiber good in moderation as they still contain digestible carbohydrates.
• Whole grains, while much better than refined flour are still high glycemic carbohydrates and counteract ketogenesis if you are trying to lose weight or reverse hypertension and metabolic syndrome.  Oat bran and oat germ are an inexpensive alternative, as are wheat bran and wheat germ.
• Drink: water or tea (green tea), coffee, diet drinks if necessary. Again avoid drinks with any sugar, HFCS, or any other calorie containing syrup.
• Alcohol: Fine in moderation: red wine may have particular benefits.
• Supplements should be unnecessary other than a source of omega3 and vitamin D such as cod liver oil