The Sonoma Diet

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The Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma diet is based on the principle that dieting should focus on eating good flavorful food instead of suppressing one 's appetite by avoiding intake . According to Connie Guttersen , author of the diet , the problem with many diets is that the foods recommended do not taste good and this makes it harder to stick to the weight loss plan . She believes that Flavor is an important part of health and weight loss (Zamora

br 2007 ,

. 1

The Sonoma Diet is influenced by a Mediterranean plant-based diet which features a variety of flavorful , nutrient-dense power foods including almonds , bell peppers , blueberries , broccoli , grapes , olive oil , spinach , strawberries , tomatoes and whole grains (Terwilliger 2007 ,

. 5 . It promotes two healthy habits : eating slowly and learning how to estimate food portions . The Sonoma Diet proposes that one chews and savors the flavors of the meals leisurely instead of simply gulping it . Unlike other weight loss plans , the Sonoma Diet does not promote counting calories . Instead , Guttersen recommends using a 7-inch plate or a 2-cup bowl for your breakfast and a 9-inch plate for your lunch and dinner to easily estimate food portions for intake (Sonoma Diet , n .d par . 9

The diet plan involves three phases called waves ' Wave 1 extends to ten days of rigid food choice because its goal is to make one get rid of the addiction to sugar , refined flour and other foods that might be the source of the weight problem . This wave ensures that your body will not crave the wrong food anymore so that it would be easier to follow the next two steps of the plan . This first part of the diet is when one loses weight fast and the quick results would encourage dieters to continue on to the second part . Wave 2 is the longer part of the weight loss plan because the dieter will have to follow the set food choices until his or her target pounds are reached . It includes more vegetables and fruits compared to Wave 1 . The final Wave is supposedly the lifetime part of maintaining the chosen amount of weight by sticking to the Sonoma way of choosing the food you eat

According to Laura Dolson , a critic of weight loss plans , the Sonoma Diet claims to have power food but limits a lot of low-starch /high fiber vegetables ' and the Wave One menus were 900-1100 calories for women and 1100-1300 for men , with 200-300 calories more in Wave Two (2007 , par . 7-8 . These may entail drastic limitations on food intake which can lead to hunger that was not addressed in the book

Dolson also analyzed the carbohydrate content of the plan and reported that the menu for Wave 1 includes around 40 grams daily and Wave 2 has approximately 70 to 100 grams so even if Gutterson claims that her diet plan is not low-carb .it actually is (par . 12 . It just differentiates itself from the other low carb weight plans by using more variety in its choice of food

Health experts do recognize that the proposed diet plan is rich with balanced meals but some are skeptical about its claim for long-term maintenance . The Sonoma Diet encourages healthy food intake but it has its own disadvantages . First of all , it did not give enough suggestions on how to handle a carb crash if ever it does happen . With the limited calorie intake , like most diets , carb crash is something that should be anticipated . Another thing that the author forgot to include in her plan is how to control the hunger that any weight loss plan entails . No guidelines were given with regard to snacking . One is simply expected to munch what is needed during meal time even if it means a drastic change in lifestyle . Like any other diet plan , only people who are truly determined to stick to the plan will be able to maintain their weight loss

The Sonoma Diet is advertised as the most flavorful weight loss plan under the sun ' It also claims to be easy to stick to when one needs to maintain the weight already achieved . Even if it assures dieters that the weight can be maintained for life it does not promote a balanced practical lifestyle . First of all , good flavor is subject to personal taste . It may not be wise to use taste preference as a basis for a good diet . Secondly it may not be as easy to stick to for the rest of your life considering that the society we live in is sugar and refined flour products . According to Elisa Zied , MSRD , a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association , there 's a high expectation that people are going to be cooking a lot but the truth is that a lot of people don 't have a lot of time (Zamora ,

. 3 . Lastly any diet should be coupled with exercise to become truly healthy Simply cutting out nutrients to shed pounds will not make a physically fit body and is not a good practice

The Sonoma Diet has enough of the recipe for a good food intake plan to lose weight . However , like most plans , it requires a state of mind that insists on change in for permanent weight control to be achieved

Works Cited

Dolson , Laura . Positives and Negatives of the Sonoma Diet ' 25 March 2007 . About .com : Low

Carb Diets . 01 September 2007 br

Sonoma Diet ' no date . The Diet Channel . 01 September 2007 br

Terwilliger , Rachel . Be Fad Free This March ' March 2007 . IC Wellness Newsletter . 02

September 2007 br

Zamora , Dulce . The Sonoma Diet Promoting a Lifestyle ' WebMD . 02 September 2007

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