My Best Weightloss Programs

If you have been looking for a diet plan for some time now, then more or less you have already heard of the Pritikin Principle diet. Well, it’s a not so popular diet plan, but it has a lot of pretty good, sound approaches and disciplines.

Basically, the Pritikin Principle diet is a low-fat diet, largely based on vegetables, grains and fruits but in general it’s not a vegetarian diet.

Largely, its goal is to promote well-being by means of lowering cholesterol levels and managing blood sugar levels without any aid of insulin. Positive effects on weight is just an added goal for the Pritikin Principle.

Brief History

The Pritikin Principle diet was first heard in 1976. There were some books released associated to it, promoting good approaches toward food selections and eating habits. So far, it has already helped more than 70,000 people through its Pritikin Longevity Centers.

As of the moment, Robert, the son of the original author Nathan Pritikin, is the one who handles the Pritikin Principle diet. He has taken over for some reasons and has modified some concepts.

Well, the original plant-based foods promoted are still present, same as with the fat content of the regimen which still depends on how low you can go. However, with Robert’s recent book, there’s a new approach called the Calorie Density Solution.

In this approach, calories are not the direct focus of concern but rather the density of foods. According to Robert, have low-calorie foods based on pound and you will eventually lose those excess body fats you hate.

Recommendations, Limitations and Restrictions

The Pritikin Principle is one of the few not so restrictive diet plans. However, though it’s not that restrictive, you of course have to adhere to some of the recommended things to do and not allowed foods to eat.

With the Pritikin Principle diet, you will strongly be advised to eat foods with fewer calories per pound to eventually meet your requirements for losing weight. Similarly, you’ll have to consider as well the density of all kinds of foods, from meals to mere snacks.

Even the foods high in fiber, you also have to consider. According to Robert, high fiber foods can “create tremendous feelings of fullness, or satiety, in your stomach”.

In terms of the foods not allowed or even those need to be taken into moderation, well, you basically have to avoid processed foods. Remember that the more processed the food is, the more likely it is packed with more calories.

For an instance the corn with 490 calories per pound after being processed to become a tortilla chip has actually earned 2,450 calories per pound.

After adhering to things to do and foods to eat and not to eat, it is vital that dieters perform exercise like a 30-minute walk per day or a clip hike of an average 12 to 15 miles a week.

Specific Foods

One of the nicest things about the Pritikin Principle diet is that it keeps a strong stand against some specific foods. These foods are typically whole, unprocessed, and natural carbohydrate-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and grains.

Specifically, the foods we are talking about are the millet, barley, oats or oatmeals, brown rice, dark green lettuces, onions, squash, beans, apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, potatoes and pasta but with veggies.

Eating Guidelines

The Pritikin Principle diet has a long list of eating guidelines. Typically, you are encouraged to eat a small portion of lean beef, chicken, and low-fat dairy products. Well, fish is acceptable but only at least three servings per week.

In the guideline, fried and salty foods, dressing with fat, and fatty sauces are not allowed. Meals should be at least five per day– three meals plus two snacks in between.

The Pritikin Principle Diet Works

According to some experts, the Pritikin Principle diet may have actually worked for some dieters primarily because of some of its sound approaches and disciplines relating to low-calorie foods and density foods.

Based on the approach to calories, to lose weight, almost many of us need to maintain below 400 calories per pound for every meal. This actually entails a lot of work as most vegetables fall below 200 calories per pound, foods like pasta and hot cereals are between 230 to 630 calories per pound, and animal protein, particularly some fish goes from 400 calories per pound to 1,400 (if porterhouse steak) to 2,170 ( if bacon).

Fortunately, by adhering to the practice of the Pritikin Principle diet of combining the leanest portions of animal protein with plenty of vegetables, you can eventually achieve a manageable caloric density by which you can lose some excess pounds.

Insights of Some Experts

There are some experts who feel negative about the Pritikin Principle diet. One of which is James Hill, PhD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. For Hill, the diet plan is not viable for many. According to him, “how realistic is the diet once they get away from the centers and into the real world?”.

Hill also believes that the Pritikin diet, which is akin to the Ornish diet which is also very low in fat, is not that easy to follow. In addition from Hill, “it’s difficult to maintain such a low-fat content of our diets if you eat out often, and it takes time to prepare good,-tasting low-fat food. Most people do not have the time to spend hours each day preparing food”.

On the other hand, for Teryl L. Tanaka, RD, another health expert, “Pritikin also inhibits the intake and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, and can even limit the amount of essential fatty acids provided by the diet needed for normal cell function, healthy skin and tissue, growth and development”.

For Tanaka, a diet like Pritikin diet which seriously promotes low-fat foods may have some harmful and even life threatening effects to human health and being.

Why Pritikin Principle Diet

If you are looking for a comprehensive diet plan, then the Pritikin Principle diet may work for you. From suggestive meals and tips on how to improve food preference and substitutions to restaurant guide, you’ll be well-informed.

However, its extremely low-fat regimen is still questionable for according to the experts, the diet with such regimen may be too tough to adhere with. Therefore, before starting out the Pritikin Principle diet, remember to always think twice. Always assess your body potential or capacity.

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