A long-term diet is a "permanent" eating plan for weight loss and/or health improvement. Long-term diets are by far the healthiest diets and were created in response to health problems - primarily heart disease , diabetes and toxaemia.

Choosing a long-term diet

You must choose a plan which includes a food you like , prepared and "assessed" in a manner you enjoy. If you hate to count , follow an ' eat all you want ' plan. If you find it difficult to remember the difference between carbohydrate and protein , then ' food plan combining ' is ideal for you. It has many benefits :

1. They provide an opportunity to adapt a lifestyle to change your body shape permanently.

2. They suggest ways of eating that preclude the need to 'diet' again.

3. They stress the importance of exercise in achieving and maintaining slenderness and health.

a. Food Combining Chart

Food combining is a dietary principle which holds that by restricting the type of foods we combine at meals , we can aid our digestion and loose weight.

Some Examples to Show How Food Combining Works :

Fruit : always eaten alone ( no fruit for dessert , no fruit pies , etc. ). Vegetables ( high water content ) can be eaten alone , with fat , with carbohydrate or with protein.

Concentrated Carbohydrates : breads , grains , pastas , beans and potatoes can be eaten with fats and with vegetables. It is best to limit yourslef to one concentrated carbohydrate per meal.

Protein - meat , fish , poultry , dairy , eggs and tofu all can be eaten with vegetables. It is advised that you limit yourself to one protein food per meal.

Sample Menu

Breakfast : fresh fruits or freshly squeezed fruit juices , fruit salads or bananas ( if you're very hungry )

Lunch : fresh carrot juice , tomato and lettuce sandwich with barbecued onions on whole grain bread     ( with low fat mayonnaise if desired )

Dinner : fresh vegetable juice , creamy cauliflower soup , stuffed jacket potatoes ( or roast chicken , but not broth ) string beans tossed with garlic , green salad.

Effectiveness

Food combining diets have proved to be effective for weight loss allowing life-long enjoyment of almost all foods. Very few food items are restricted , as long as they are eaten at the appropriate time of the day , and in appropriate combinations. Fats , meats , breads , desserts can all be enjoyed. Food combining diets are similar to high protein diets in that you cannot eat protein and carbohydrate together ( i.e. , you can't have your burger with a bun ). Weight loss of upto 7 kgs in the first month of food combining diets is feasible , while enjoying full meals and moderate fat intake.

b. Protein / Carbohydrate Balance Diet

This diet allows inclusion of a wide variety of carbohydrates into a high protein diet under certain restrictions.

c. The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet

This diet follows the basic precepts of a high protein diet while allowing the addiction of favourite carbohydrates at 1 meal per day.

While you won't have quite as rapid weight loss on thid diet , you will have much more flexibility in terms of foods you can include in your lifestyle.

Basic Principles

Certain foods such as bread , pasta , chips trigger more hunger in some people. These people may find that they are hungrier if they have a full breakfast than if they just have a cup of coffee , this is because carbohydrates trigger the body to release Insulin , the " hunger hormone ".

A diet of high proteins and high water content vegetables reduces cravings and weight. If the majority of the day was spent eating high-protein / low carbohydrate meals ( Craving reducing meals ) , then carbohydrates could be eaten at 1 meal per day ( a reward meal ) without creating insulin imbalance.

The ' Reward Meal ' permits unlimited carbohydrates , as long as a specific balance is maintained ; 4 equal portions - one of carbohydrate , one of protein , and two of green vegetables. If you want a second helping , this should be an equal portion of protein , vegetables , carbohydrate and not carbohydrate alone.

This diet provides the benefits of high protein diets without having to give up carbohydrates completely. It is easy to ' eyeball ' protions to make sure they are balanced - no need to weigh , count or measure.

Sample Menu

Breakfast : ( Craving Reducing ) : Mushrooms , omelette , lean meat , coffee or tea.

Lunch : ( Craving Reducing ) : Baked chicken , broccoli , soup , mineral water , diet soda , coffee or tea.

Dinner : ( Reward Meal ) : Green beans , baked fish , one alice of bread and 150 ml of carrot / tomato juice.

Effectiveness

The Carbohydrate Addicts diet provides a healthy weight loss programme for all. It offers the chance to include any favourite food while losing weight. Expect to lose 1 kg per week on this diet.