The No Flour, No Sugar Diet continues to be of interest to members of the PEERtrainer community. We found this interesting, because the book was first published in 2006, roughly 5 years ago.
We see a lot of diet approaches come and go, and when one "sticks around" it is worth looking into and seeing what benefit people are experiencing from it. In the PEERtrainer community forum, there is a discussion thread (called the No Flour, No Sugar Diet ) that spans 4 years, and contains a number of comments from people claiming to have lost weight following the advice that the book outlines.
We took a look at the advice the book gives (it is very simple and is summarized in this article) and found some very clear benefits. We also have some observations on the potential drawbacks, as well as some recommendations to mitigate those.
The very simple advice that the book gives is to "eliminate" all foods that contain flour and added sugar from your diet. And to "still enjoy lean meats, brown rice, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and other goodies."
Some of this is pretty standard advice, but we do like that Dr. Gott brings focus to the idea that flour in particular is a substance that needs to be targeted. We observe that there is close to an epidemic of gluten intolerance and sensitivity in this country. For whatever reason, people have begun reacting badly to a substance that really seemed to not wreak the havoc in the past that it does appear to now.
The idea of focusing on alternatives to any form of wheat or gluten is a key part of the PEERtrainer Cheat System. (link takes you to free download page.) Through personal experience, experience with PEERtrainer members and discussions with numerous MD's, we have come to believe that this focus is very well placed.
That said, we have also become advocates of a diet that focuses on foods with extremely high nutritional content (or density.) The reality is that when you begin down the road towards flour, wheat and gluten elimination you are better off replacing the minimal nutrient density of flour with foods extremely high in nutrients, rather than foods with moderately higher nutrient density levels.
While Dr. Gott does focus on vegetables as part of a "balanced diet" we would observe that many people are "very unbalanced" in terms of their nutritional intake when they come to the table. These people will needs years of "nutritional therapy" to get their bodies back into a state of balance. Simply following a "balanced diet" will often not bring people back into balance quickly.
Simply switching to whole grains and brown rice will not pack as much of a punch as switching to a diet that includes very high levels of greens. For example, on the nutritional ranking system that Dr. Fuhrman outlines in his book 'Eat For Health" brown rice contains roughly 4% of the health promoting "phytonutrients" that are contained in greens like Kale and Collared Greens.
These distinctions in nutrient density values were not in print when the "No Flour, No Sugar Diet" was published, and are a relatively recent addition to the nutritional discussion.
It is important to note that while the PEERtrainer Cheat System does incorporate these nutritional distinctions, we do realize that people live in the "real world" and need to find a balance between getting high doses of nutrient dense foods and enjoying themselves.
When you make some choices in your diet, we have found that this gives people some wiggle room to stay on track. When you combine a no or low flour diet, with very nutrient dense foods, good portion control and a heavy dose of giving yourself a break, good things tend to happen.
The most important thing is that people stay on track, and do a diet that will bring them back into balance without going nuts in the process.
This is a tough "prescription" for people who are faced with giving up their beloved Croissant. One thing we observe from experience is that when the nutrient density of your diet begins to dramatically increase, your food cravings begin to decrease. This is a process, and it is very important not to beat yourself up in the process. You didn't get out of balance overnight, and there is no reason to expect that you can reverse this overnight.
Click here to read PEERtrainer User Comments On The No Flour No Sugar Diet
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is The No Flour No Sugar Diet Good For Diabetes and Diabetics?
The answer to this question is that it is definitely a good start. Obviously reduction in sugar will help anyone, including diabetics. Reducing refined and processed foods that contain a lot of flour will also help anyone. The key for diabetics is to not only decrease these foods but also increase the greens and other vegetables. A diet very high in greens and vegetables will help your body regain balance.
Can I Do The No Flour No Sugar Diet With Weight Watchers?
This is actually an excellent idea. If you combine the portion control that Weight Watchers teaches you, along with a heavy reduction in flour and sugar, great things are likely to happen. If you also dramatically improve the nutrient density of your diet on top of this, you will be unstoppable. The PEERtrainer Cheat System is proving to be an excellent tool to help people on the path to nutritional excellence.
Next:
A Look At The Science Behind How Gluten Impacts Your Health, Weight, Mood And More
