The Pritikin Diet is another diet that can
help us achieve weight loss that can lead us on the road to heart
health.
Remember that the purpose of a diet is to give
us the proper boost, giving us the tools we need to begin
living a healthy active lifestyle.
Each person is different, we all know our own
needs, wants, and cravings and deep down we all know our own strengths
and weaknesses.
We should choose the diet or technique that helps
us in our unique way to achieve the goal we want to obtain.
This is to live a happy active lifestyle and
avoiding heart disease and other life threatening diseases.
The Pritikin Diet
The Pritikin Diet was created by Nathan Pritikin
and enhanced by his son Robert Pritikin.
It is a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet.
The theory is that we have an instinct to eat
fat that was developed in the early days of man. The instinct was
useful then because opportunities to eat fat were rare, and the
fat helped to store calories to make it through the lean times.
Now that fat is readily available, though, the
instinct causes us to eat too much of it, adding unneeded weight
and causing other bad side effects.
The goal is that by learning to live on carbohydrates
with a small amount of fat and exercising regularly a person can
achieve the lean and healthy body of our remote ancestors rather
than the overweight and unhealthy body of today.
The Pritikin Eating Program
Excess intakes of fat, salt and sugar are the
dietary culprits for obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Choose at least five servings of unrefined
complex carbohydrates: Five or more servings daily of whole
grains (wheat, oats, rye, brown rice, barley, millet), starchy
vegetables (like potatoes, yams and winter squashes), chestnuts,
beans and peas. A serving is 80 calories or approximately 1/2
cup. Limit refined grains (such as white bread, white rice, white
pasta) to no more than one or two servings per day, with none
being optimal.
Choose at least four vegetables: Four
or more servings of raw or cooked vegetables daily. A serving
is about 25 calories or about 1 cup of raw or 1/2 cup of cooked
vegetables. Include dark green, yellow, or orange vegetables daily.
You may choose "no salt added" vegetable juice in place of one
of your vegetable servings per day.
Choose at least three fruits: Three or
more servings of whole fruit daily. For most fruits, a serving
fits in your hand and is about 60 calories. Fruit juice (1/2 cup)
may be used in place of one of your fruit servings per day.
Choose two calcium-rich foods:
Two servings daily. Choose from:
nonfat milk (1 cup),
nonfat yogurt (3/4 cup), or
nonfat ricotta (1/2 cup); or
fortified, enriched nonfat or
low-fat soy milk (1 cup).
Choose no more than one serving of animal
protein per day:
Fish or shellfish are preferable over lean poultry, and choose
lean poultry over lean red meat.
A serving is about 3-1/2 oz cooked or the
size of the palm of your hand and the thickness of a deck of
cards.
Optimally, limit poultry to no more than one
serving per week and red meat to no more than one serving per
month.
If you prefer red meat weekly, substitute
delicious free-range, grass-fed bison in place of poultry.
Vegetarian options: Instead of
animal protein, choose from:
Beans, peas, or lentils (2/3 cup);
Tofu and other soy products (4 to 6 oz).
Beverages: Water (plain, bottled,
low-sodium, mineral), hot grain beverages (coffee substitutes),
low-sodium vegetable juices, and non-medicinal herbal teas (such
as peppermint, rose hips or chamomile), and cocoa. Limit caffeinated
beverages to one a day, making any additional choices decaffeinated,
and choose tea (black or green) over coffee.
Alcoholic beverages: Use in moderation
or not at all.
For women, up to 4 drinks per week, with no
more than 1/2 to 1 drink per day.
For men, up to 7 drinks per week, with no
more than 1 to 2 drinks per day.
A drink is approximately 5 oz of wine, 12
oz of beer, or 1 to 1-1/2 oz of 80 proof liquor. Choose red
wine over white wine, wine over beer and either over liquor.
Garnish/herbs: Culinary herbs
are rich sources of many beneficial phytochemicals. Include at
least 1 to 2 tsp. of dried herbs or 1 to 2 Tbsp. of fresh herbs
each day.
Egg whites: Up to 7 per week.
Avocados, raw or dry roasted unsalted
nuts and seeds:
e.g. walnuts, flaxseeds, almonds, pumpkin
seeds, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, filberts (hazelnuts),
peanuts, cashews and macadamia nuts. Limit to 2 oz (1/4 cup)
daily.
If you want to lose weight: Go
wild on vegetables. Limit calorie dense foods such as breads,
crackers, cold cereals, fruit juices, dried fruits and nuts and
seeds. Avoid refined sweeteners. If your weight is fine: Celebrate!
Eat as many whole grains, vegetables and fruits as you want.
What if you feel stuck and need to adjust
your choices?
Enter category 2: Caution - The Less, the Better.
While "Caution" foods are not recommended, this list provides direction
when food choices are limited.
Oils high in monounsaturated fat:
e.g. canola, olive, avocado and peanut.
Oils high in polyunsaturates: e.g.
walnut, soybean, flaxseed.
Limit the consumption of ALL oils to no more than
1 teaspoon per 1000 calories consumed as all refined oils have the
highest calorie density and are nearly 100% fat, thwarting your
efforts to lose weight.
Refined sweeteners:
For healthy individuals who choose to use sweeteners,
a suggested rule of thumb is a maximum of 2 Tbsp. of fruit juice
concentrate or 1 Tbsp. of other refined sweeteners (such as barley
malt, corn syrup, rice syrup) per 1000 calories consumed. None is
optimal. Avoid fructose and high fructose corn syrup.
Artificial sweeteners:
While artificial sweeteners have not been proven
to aid weight loss, they may be of benefit to people with diabetes,
elevated triglycerides, and those following the Pritikin Eating
Plan who are trying to lose weight. Limit intake to 3-6 packets
per day. Sucralose (Splenda) appears to be the safest choice.
Salt and high-sodium foods, condiments:
Avoid added salt, and highly salted, pickled and
smoked foods. Limit foods that have more than 1 mg of sodium per
calorie so as not to exceed 1500 mg of sodium per day.
Foods not to eat:
Animal fats, tropical oils and processed refined
oils:
e.g. butter, coconut oil, palm kernel oil,
lard, chicken fat, palm oil, cocoa butter, chocolate, margarine,
hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and shortenings.
Meats:
e.g. fatty meats, organ meats and processed meats (hot dogs, bacon
and bologna).
Whole and lowfat dairy:
( 1% fat by weight or greater) e.g. cheese,
cream, cream cheese, half-and-half, ice cream, milk, sour cream
and yogurt.
Nuts:
Coconuts.
Salt substitutes:
Potassium chloride.
Miscellaneous:
Egg yolks, deep fried foods, non-dairy whipped toppings, rich
desserts and pastries, and salty snack foods.
The critics
These are the criticism of the Pritikin diet that
I found
The Northwestern university Feinberg
school nutrition
fact sheets about the pritikin claims
Nutrition Shortcomings:
Emphasis on eating nonfat foods may result in
inadequate intake of essential fatty acids.
Eating plan is deficient in vitamin D, vitamin
E and vitamin B12. Also, low in calcium, iron and zinc due to its
de-emphasis on meat, dairy foods.
High volume of fiber-rich foods may cause gastrointestinal
distress and decreased nutrient absorption in the gut.
Avoidance of sugar, salt and fat, the primary
flavoring agents in the American diet, may be unpalatable for some
dieters.
Daily consumption of fresh, unprocessed foods
promoted by the Pritikin program may be difficult for some dieters
who have little time to cook, travel often for business or dine
out socially.
Heart
