by Joshua Anderson
According to Texas firefighter Rip Esselstyn, the author of Engine 2 Diet, you can lose weight, reduce cholesterol, and look fabulous by being on the Engine 2 diet for 28 days. What Engine 2 Diet does is that it plans your meals and shopping lists so that you can dish up easy-to-make meals. You will have to shop for the food items at a store that retails only natural foods. Your food intake is then logged and along with the planned exercise regime, you find yourself on the way to a new you. Importantly, you connect with all the others who are on this diet so that you get the support you need.
Your diet will mainly contain vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. These are all sources of low-fat protein. Esselstyn recognizes the fact that it is not easy to switch to this kind of diet immediately. He has, therefore, included fish and chicken in the diet for the transition period. Tofu, seitan, soy yogurt and veggie burgers are allowed, as well as whole grain crackers and whole grain pastas. The fat content in the food is less than 2.5 gms for every 100 calories. Make sure no oil is added to the food. Likewise, the sugar used has to be a natural sweetener.
The quantity of salt consumed in the Engine 2 diet foods is very less. Much of the proteins required are taken from the plants in the Engine 2 diet. Actually most people are of the understanding that proteins are obtained only in foods such as eggs, meat and various other dairy products. But the Engine 2 diet plan proves that the proteins obtained from the plants are equally beneficial to the body and are easy to digest. Proteins contain around twenty amino acids out of which only eight of these amino acids can be absorbed by our body system. So not only the non vegetarian foods but even plants can give us the required amino acids. The Engine 2 diet has proved it effectively in its diet plan. Our body can absorb on a daily basis at least 70 percent calories from the carbohydrates, which provide enough fuel to our bodies.
There are plant varieties that may have a higher content of one or the other amino acid, but a well planned diet will include vegetables that complement each other, thus giving the body all the amino acids it needs. This protein is safer than the protein obtained by eating flesh foods. The rate of your heart beat, your digestion, exercising, breathing, etc are all given the energy they need from the carbohydrate in your diet. There are two kinds of carbohydrates - complex and simple. Both are sugars and when digested are changed into glucose.
The muscles and the liver can store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, but carbohydrates are stored in the blood in the form of glucose. The body system functions in such a manner that even if the body consumes excess carbohydrates, they are stored as fats in the body. Vegetables like beans, sweet potatoes, different whole grain breads and fruits contain health friendly complex carbohydrates which release sugar in the system in a controlled manner. These carbohydrates allow the body to use carbohydrates as fuel thus leaving you energetic throughout the whole day. And it has been proved beyond doubt by various researchers that even plants can give you all the required fat.
Our body can obtain high and instant energy from simple carbohydrates. But these simple carbohydrates get converted into fat and get stored in our body and make us look fat. Such fats are very dangerous to our health and well being. A number of fruits and vegetables do contain good fats like poly saturated or mono saturated fats. Soybeans contain a great 41% fat content, whereas, vegetables such as spinach contains 11%, bell peppers contain 6%, broccoli 8%, and fruits such as strawberries contain 5% fat content. Good fats are available in fruits and vegetables and these are very good sources of fat for the body.
In a case study given by Esselstyn the author of the book Engine 2 diet, he states that a gentleman, Tony Gonzalez beat breast cancer so that he could win more than a thousand triathlons. Martina Navratilova, a hugely competitive tennis champion was on a plant based diet. Even Salim Stoudamire, NBA player, Dave Scott went on to win the famous Iron man triathlon in Hawaii. They too were on a plant based diet. From this study we can realize that the best nutrients can be obtained from plants. Essential calories can be obtained from different plants. Good nutrients obtained from the plants are always slowly released into our body system. Very essential supplements like Vitamin B 12 can be richly obtained from fortified soy milk.
Flaxseeds, walnuts and soybeans are a very good substitute for fish oil. So if you wish to enjoy good health, consume a lot of vegetables or plant foods which are not only rich in fiber, but also give you the required energy throughout the day. Rich omega 3 supplements can be obtained from flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans and other leafy vegetables. So you can replace fish oil with these given substitutes, for enjoying better health. Fatty foods like butter, sour creams and margarine may make your food very tasty but in the bargain you have a lot of good health to loose.
Taste is cultivated, so when you try out the natural plant foods, in the beginning it will seem a little different. Once you get used to it, you see that you feel fitter than ever before, and actually discover the true taste of these foods, and then you will realize the wisdom and happiness in eating a plant-based diet.
About the Author:
The
Engine 2 Diet is a brand new and exciting dieting program. The author, Joshua Anderson, has been experimenting with many diets. After getting very excited about the
Engine 2 Diet, he felt it was necessary to tell everyone. Click a link above to find information on the offical book, and how to get started.