No White Diet

Today, everyone is looking for a simple diet to shed those unwanted extra pounds. The simplicity of this specially designed diet lies in the basic idea of avoiding all white, plant-based foods which are usually very high in starch. Although the mere sight of food can affect your appetite, here's a diet that lets you enjoy more colorful and nutritious food.

There is no fixed plan as such.

• You are supposed to follow a low carb plan that works.
• Include only healthy and low calorie foods to make it a 'balanced diet'.
• Reduce unhealthy carbs from your diet.
• Include lots of leafy vegetables, colorful vegetables, and fruits in your snacks and meals.

• Cut out sugars, salt, and starches.
• Stop incorporating white flour products (pasta, bread, cake, donuts, etc), white rice, and potatoes, etc. You may exclude milk too.
• White foods like tofu, cauliflower, and onions are low in carbs and good for you, so it is up to you whether to include them in your diet or not.

• Include cuts of meat, low in saturated fat and avoid consumption of processed meat like hot dogs, bacon etc.
• Substitute unsweetened soy milk for low fat milk.
• Plan your diet for the whole week, so that you can buy all the food items, ingredients in advance.
• Design your menu for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner, according to the available ingredients.

The carb content in food items may vary according to the serving size.

• Sea vegetables like nori, mushrooms
• Jalapeno peppers, artichokes, fennel, bamboo shoots, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, okra, turnips, pumpkins, carrots, etc.
• Cabbages, bok choy, jicama, radishes, celery, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, cucumbers, green beans, wax beans, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, leeks, etc.

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Preheat oven to 350. Pour low fat salsa on chicken breasts and cook for about an hour. Add broccoli and asparagus for last 30 minutes of cooking. The vegetables should stay moist. If you wish, you may add tofu. Stir it up and serve.

Take ripe cantaloupe, seeds removed. In a medium bowl, scoop out 1-inch balls with the help of melon baller. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and gently toss with 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Cover a serving plate with endive leaves. Put cantaloupe balls on the leaves. Take 2 tsp snipped fresh chives and scatter over melon. The dish is ready to serve!

There are no hard and fast rules for this diet. You just have to avoid unhealthy white food, which is high in carbohydrates. Since, carbohydrates provide the necessary energy, you cannot eliminate them completely from your meals. Including appropriate quantities of healthy carbs in daily menu will help you pass with flying colors.

This diet works for many people, as it is easy to adhere to even when eating out. Keep it in mind that cutting down high glycemic index foods in the diet is not going to help lose weight unless you cut down the portion. And rather than just focusing on the food alone, you must exercise regularly. Then only you'll be able to achieve the desired weight loss.