CHAPTER 5
Abs for Every Eater
WHETHER YOU’RE LACTOSE INTOLERANT, A VEGETARIAN, OR DON’T EAT GLUTEN— THIS IS THE SOLUTION FOR YOUR SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS.
Dieting can make the weight loss process feel like high hurdles. Rather than simply running toward your goal, you’re constantly forced to jump over obstacles that you can’t avoid. Don’t eat this, limit that. The rules don’t seem like they were made for a human. We understand that the worst part of your diet isn’t necessarily what you can eat—it’s what you can’t. And we’re not talking about cookies, cakes, and Cokes. Those are tasty indulgences that have their place but can lead you astray. This is more about the hurdles you face as a result of personal health practices or health limitations.
In today’s society, more and more people have dietary restrictions. Whether you’re a vegetarian, lactose intolerant, or practicing gluten-free eating, most diet plans don’t account for the restrictive nature of your eating approach. And it doesn’t matter if your habits are by choice or necessity. When you aren’t given options that work within your food confines, it’s hard to create an effective weight loss plan.
For example, we’ve shown you that eating a high-protein diet is a great way to burn body fat and maintain muscle. But what happens if you’re a vegetarian? Most high-protein food suggestions include some sort of animal protein. Does that mean you can’t follow a high-protein approach? Of course not.
Vegetarians aren’t the only ones frustrated by limited suggestions. Milk and cheese are commonly included as meals and snacks because calcium has been scientifically shown to shrink your gut and help fight against the aging process. However, if you’re lactose intolerant, those foods could destroy your insides before making your outsides look better. The same can be said for those who have to follow a gluten-free diet.
There’s no reason your dietary preferences should stand in the way of your goals. We turned to Mike Roussell, PhD, founder of Naked Nutrition, to ensure that your unique relationship with food isn’t a hindrance to uncovering your abs. After all, the reason this diet works is because it complements your lifestyle. Dr. Roussell created this guide to help you navigate some of the most common and complicated diet scenarios that can make it seem impossible to follow a healthy plan. These tips and tricks offer a solution that will make your eating headaches a thing of the past.
Mike Roussell holds a doctorate in nutrition from Penn State University. He is a sought-after nutrition consultant known for his evidence-based approach that transforms complex nutrition concepts into practical nutrition habits and strategies for his clients. "Dr. Mike" works with a range of clientele that includes professional athletes, executives, food companies, and top-rated fitness facilities. He is a widely published author, and his work can be seen regularly on newsstands, on leading fitness Web sites, and at your local bookstore. To learn more, check out Facebook.com/nutritionphd.
You’re Lactose Intolerant
If no one suffered from lactose intolerance, odds are we’d all be a little healthier and trimmer. That’s because research suggests that the calcium you consume from dairy is a stealthy way to eat more food and still lose weight—because the calories you eat from dairy are more likely to provide energy than be stored as body fat. More surprisingly, avoiding dairy makes you more likely to pack on the pounds. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reducing the amount of dairy you eat sends a signal in your body to make more fat cells.
The process might seem a bit magical, but it’s nothing more than your body reacting to a primary need. When you don’t have enough calcium in your body, you try to hold on to what you have. This triggers a reaction where your body releases a compound called calcitriol, which increases the production of fat cells. If you want fewer fat cells, eating extra calcium suppresses calcitriol, which breaks down fat and makes your fat cells leaner and your tummy flatter.
Fortunately, being lactose intolerant and avoiding dairy doesn’t need to get in the way of you finding your abs. It is important to remember that if you’re lactose intolerant, there are different levels of severity. Being lactose intolerant simply means that your body does not produce sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase. Lactase is responsible for chopping the dairy sugar, lactose, in half so that your body can use it for energy. If lactose goes undigested, you’re left feeling bloated and uncomfortable.
Some people can tolerate small amounts of lactose, while others cannot tolerate any. Figure out which one you are and then apply these tips accordingly, to help ignite more weight loss.
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BENEFIT
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Increase in the percentage of body fat lost by dieters over 12 weeks when they ate three servings of yogurt a day compared with those who had no yogurt
Sometimes the best approach is the simplest: Eat dairy. For those who don’t have severe intolerance, taking a lactase supplement with a dairy-filled meal can help you experience all the benefits of milk and cheese. By supplementing with the enzyme, you’re giving your body what it is missing. A diet high in dairy has been estimated to boost weight loss by as much as 70 percent, so using the supplement might be the extra kick you need, says Dr. Roussell.
Choose a “Better” Protein Powder
Whey is the most common protein used in protein powder, but there are different ways that whey is purified and processed in order to extract it from milk. Some of these processes leave small amounts of lactose that can cause you to bloat and cramp. If your protein powder is causing these symptoms, switch to a powder that only contains whey protein isolate, suggests Dr. Roussell. This is the purest form of whey, in which all the lactose is removed.
Dairy products such as kefir and certain brands of cottage cheese and yogurt contain good bacteria called probiotics. These cultured dairy products contain lower levels of lactose because the probiotics break down the lactose sugar for you, making it easier on your stomach, says Dr. Roussell. Oftentimes people who can tolerate low levels of lactose can eat these products without any problems. Cottage cheese and plain yogurt are both high in protein and serve as good snacks on a weight loss diet. Kefir is a great milk substitute for smoothies, and its high concentration of probiotics can help ease your intestinal discomfort.
If your lactose intolerance is severe or you have trouble achieving a sleek midsection with sexy lines, your best option might be to remove dairy entirely. While restrictive, this will eliminate the cause of your intestinal problems completely, while also reducing the total amount of sugar that you consume in your diet. While the sugar from dairy is not a bad thing, it does serve as a hidden source that could put you over the edge and further away from your hard body.
Just because you're not eating dairy doesn't mean you can't have calcium in your diet. Remember, not enough calcium triggers the release of fat-friendly calcitriol. Because calcium-rich diets are essential in treating and managing many conditions, it's imperative that you maximize your opportunities to supplement calcium with other options. These include dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), almonds, sesame seeds, salmon, and fortified foods (orange juice).
You’re a Vegetarian
Being a vegetarian poses dietary challenges that can hinder your weight loss. It’s not that a plant-based diet is bad for you. That’s why one of our Lessons of the Lean focuses on greens. Eating meals rich in vegetables provides nutrients that can help you fight off every disease from cancer to cardiovascular breakdown, as well as slow the aging process and help you supercharge your body with energy. But vegetarians have a tendency to eat less protein. And as you know, eating protein not only burns more calories during the digestion process, it also helps you build more muscle and improve your metabolism.
Another issue: Vegetarians eat a diet that tends to be excessively high in carbohydrates. While eating carbohydrates is part of a balanced eating plan, they are not as filling as protein. This means that in order to feel satisfied, vegetarians eat more and more carbs in order to satisfy their hunger.
Unintentionally, this leads vegetarians to underestimate how much they eat, consume more calories than they should, and put on weight. With a few small adjustments, any vegetarian can maintain a green-based approach while accelerating fat loss.
If you want to make sure that you lose fat and not muscle, you need to include more protein in your diet. For vegetarians, hitting daily protein goals without overeating carbohydrates can be difficult. That’s because many of the best vegetarian protein sources such as beans, legumes, and higher protein grains contain more carbohydrates than protein (per serving). Your solution: protein powder. These powders are a convenient way to boost your protein intake without adding excess carbohydrates to your meals or snacks. Add a scoop to the foods you bake or to carb-based meals such as oatmeal, or blend as a smoothie.
One of the best foods for vegetarians is also one of the most effective snacks for any diet. Nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts, are loaded with fat-fighting benefits. Adding 1 to 1½ ounces (about a handful) of nuts each day is a great carbohydrate-controlled way to fuel your body while continuing to shed fat and eliminate hunger. Nuts contain fiber, protein, and fat, all of which will keep you fuller longer while also slowing digestion. What’s more, nuts can help control rises in your blood sugar. This is essential for optimizing your fat loss hormones and age-proofing your body against weight gain.
While eating whole foods is always the foundation of any good eating plan, vegetarians should add a few supplements to fill gaps created on a plant-based diet. Creatine and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two supplements that most women don’t take, but are essential for vegetarians concerned about weight loss and their general health, says Dr. Roussell. Creatine is typically viewed as a muscle-building formula for men, but it has many additional benefits for vegetarians. Supplementing with 5 grams of creatine following each of your workouts will help you maintain your lean muscle and improve brain function.
DHA is an omega-3 fat found in fish oil supplements that will potentially boost weight loss by stopping the growth of fat cells. If you don’t eat fish, you can still add the vegetarian (or vegan) version of the supplement to your diet. DHA is produced by algae, and when fish consume the algae, they become a concentrated and potent source of the powerful, healthy fat. Vegetarians should take at least 1 gram of DHA per day from an algae-based supplement.
You Follow a Gluten-Free Diet
A funny thing happened to the wheat industry thanks to the low-carb movement: People stopped eating breads and grains. And that wasn’t all that happened. Lots of dieters who made the change lost weight and felt better than ever. But the reason wasn’t what everyone assumed. While a lower carb diet can help you lose weight, it’s not that carbs are the enemy. In fact, they are a vital nutrient that will help you get lean fast and keep you energized for your workouts. The reason the diet changes made such a difference was because many people were overeating carbs, and the change in diet meant they were eating more protein and vegetables. The shift also shed light on a growing medical problem: gluten intolerance. Turns out, thousands of people are sensitive to gluten, a compound that is found in most grains, breads, and wheat products. So when the foods were removed, people improved their digestive health, which aided in weight loss.
Even if you’re not allergic to gluten, removing the by-product from your diet is one of the best ways to lose weight. That’s because gluten-containing foods are packed with faster-acting carbohydrates, which can hinder your weight loss, says Dr. Roussell. Whether you’re gluten free by choice or necessity, use these suggestions to make that approach work for you.
Don’t Overdo Gluten-Free Foods
Gluten-free eating is very popular right now, but as a result there are myriad gluten-free food substitutes available in your local supermarket, such as gluten-free pretzels, bagels, and breads. Much like the low-fat craze of the 1980s and ’90s, and the low-carb movement in the early 2000s, just because a food is low in gluten (or fat or carbs) doesn’t mean it’s a health food. You should approach these foods as you would any other meal. Make sure that they fit into your dietary needs, and buy accordingly. These foods—gluten free or not—will hinder your weight loss by adding unnecessary sugars and calories to your diet. Starchy (rice, potatoes) and grain-based (breads, pasta, bagels) foods should be limited if you’re trying to get your abs to shine through. Eat them in smaller quantities first thing in the morning or directly after you exercise for the best return on your weight loss efforts.
Watch Out for High-Protein Foods
We’ve made it more than clear that you need to eat more protein to see your abs and maximize weight loss. But when you go gluten-free, you must be wary of high-protein foods that aren’t naturally loaded with protein. This includes foods like granola, cereal, and high-protein grains that have been engineered to boost your protein intake. While great in theory, the protein in these foods are usually fortified with pure gluten and can be a stealthy nightmare on your cleaner-eating approach.
You Always Eat Out
Making a home-cooked meal is the easiest way to ensure better nutrition. You buy the ingredients and know exactly what went into your meals. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the time or confidence to cook on a daily basis. In fact, the number of calories that Americans consume outside of their homes has doubled since the late 1970s—and that number is directly linked to our increase in weight gain. A study in Spain found that people who ate at restaurants two or more times per week were 33 percent more likely to become overweight or obese. What’s more, those same people were also 40 percent more likely to be at least 4 pounds heavier at the end of the year than those who rarely dine out, says Dr. Roussell.
The easy solution would be to cook more meals at home. That’s why we created a cookbook full of recipes, which will provide easy-to-make, nutritious meals that fit our instant abs eating plan. But we know you’ll still want to eat out. And since the best diet plan is all about flexibility, we’ve provided a crash course in navigating a restaurant menu, so that you can lose weight without losing your favorite place to eat.
Control Your Environment
When you eat out, no one is going to control calories for you, and you shouldn’t be expected to count calories for yourself. But these are the facts: You are likely to eat 36 percent more calories when you eat out than when you’re at home. So you need to take steps that help limit your overindulgence.
Calorie Saver #1: Ask your server to remove the bread basket from the table.
Calorie Saver #2: Tell your server what you would like on your plate. If your meal comes with french fries or chips, ask for those to be left off your plate.
Calorie Saver #3: Ask for sauces or salad dressing to be brought on the side. This way you can add them in the amounts you need (not in the excess amounts that most restaurants provide).
Calorie Saver #4: It’s very hard to overeat vegetables, but rice, potatoes, pastas, and breads are carbohydrate- and calorie-dense foods that can sabotage your weight loss.
Many unexpected foods could be secretly sabotaging your efforts.
If you have a gluten allergy (i.e., celiac disease), then staying away from gluten is very important. Celiac disease in an inflammatory condition, and high levels of inflammation run counter to your weight loss efforts. If you are having trouble breaking through a weight loss plateau, make sure that you are truly gluten free. Foods like soy sauce, deli meats, marinade and sauces, meal replacement shakes, and oats (which don’t contain gluten but a similar compound that many people with celiac disease don’t respond well to) may be adding gluten to your diet without you knowing, says Dr. Roussell.
TIP 1
Read foods labels carefully to make sure that gluten or wheat isn’t being added as a binding or thickening agent to marinades or sauces that you are using.
TIP 2
Look for oat- and gluten-free hot cereal to replace your morning oatmeal.
TIP 3
Make sure you are buying soy sauce that is specifically labeled gluten free.
TIP 4
Skip the deli meats; instead cook and slice your own. If you like using deli meats for convenience, choose a brand that doesn’t contain additives or preservatives. This will limit your exposure to hidden sources of gluten.
TIP 5
Meal replacement shakes oftentimes contain oat and/or barley fiber to enhance the fiber content of the shakes. These are ingredients you should avoid if you are gluten free. Instead make your own. In a blender, combine 1½ scoops vanilla protein powder, 3 tablespoons walnuts, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, ½ cup blueberries, 1 teaspoon powdered green tea, 1½ cups water, and 3 ice cubes for a gluten-free, carbohydrate-controlled, 400-calorie meal replacement shake.