The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (5 page)

and lows. And you will have calmed your body’s response to your previous intake of

excess calories, especially the sugars and starches. Your body won’t be overproducing triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, or the fat storage hormone, insulin. As a result, you will lose weight and feel great! What a great start to a weight loss plan that will improve your health, and be easy to follow. It is a new way of eating, one that will become your way of eating for a lifetime.

My Actions to Get Started with the DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution

I will go to the grocery store to buy the right foods.

Key new foods for me will be: _____ _____ _____ ____ ___

Key favorites for me will be: ____ _____ _____ ____ ____

Challenges that might interfere for me: _____ _____ _____ ____ ___

____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ____ ___ ___

How I will deal with these challenges: ______ _____ ______ _____

_____ ______ _____ ______ ______ _____ ______ _____

CHAPTER 4

14 Days of Metabolism-Boosting Menus

Our ultrasimple diet instructions in
Chapter 3
provide virtually everything you need to know to follow Phase One. Even better, you will enjoy seeing a variety of ways to put together the meals and snacks. It can be much easier to get on track with a new eating plan if you can visualize how everything fits together. In this chapter you will be

provided with a sample 14-day menu plan. These meals are just suggestions. You can

substitute similar types of foods for any of the meals or snacks, or you can repeat any days that are particularly easy to follow or suit your taste preferences. You may also want to repeat dinners if you are cooking for one or two. It is absolutely fine to choose meals or snacks from any of the days and match up with meals from other days.

Remember, you do not want to skip any meals or snacks, and you want to have a

balance of the bulky, filling foods along with the protein-rich foods. If you start to feel a little light-headed or dizzy, have another snack (or make sure you had the snack in the first place).

You are probably wondering about portion sizes. Filling your plate with lots of

vegetables helps to provide satisfying meals. It is hard to go overboard on the nonstarchy vegetables. When you think about portion size for meats, fish, and poultry, at dinner try to choose a portion that is about the size of your palm. Larger men need more protein than smaller women, and will have larger palms. It is relatively proportional to your appropriate amount of protein. As you go through the initial phase, you will find that your appetite decreases. Stop eating when you have had enough and are comfortably

satisfied. However, if you find that you are getting hungry shortly after meals, then your serving sizes are too small, especially the protein part. There is also a certain amount of boredom that will set in toward the end of the first 14 days. That is normal, and actually helps to keep your appetite under control.

It may seem repetitive to have sugar-free Jell-O cups with almost every lunch and

dinner, but they really are refreshing and do a great job of being your fruit substitute.

They are a wonderful, super-low-calorie treat, and are very satisfying. You will learn to look at them as a diet staple. Keep them stocked in your kitchen or at work. And if you need to have two or three at a meal, it has very little impact on your calorie intake. (Go ahead, go wild!)

Where possible, we have tried to suggest foods that require minimal preparation time

by you. For example, for your side salads, you can use bagged mixes, such as a romaine mix, a spring mix, an iceberg mix, grated carrots, coleslaw blend, or broccoli slaw. Or you could combine some of these mixes and top romaine with one of the slaws. Hitting a salad bar at the grocery store would be another quick, low-prep way to add variety to your salads, and a great place to pick up hard-boiled eggs.

Speaking of eggs, there are a lot of eggs and egg substitutes in the plan. When

choosing eggs, the ones that are high in omega-3s are good, since they are also reduced in cholesterol. And even the American Heart Association says that one regular, large egg per day fits into a heart-healthy diet.

We also have used some brand names in the menu plans, as they are easily

recognizable. Do not feel that this is an endorsement of any of the brands. You may use any substitutes that you like, as long as they have similar nutritional properties.

Other than juices, we have not specified beverages in this part of the plan. Your

choices include water, black coffee, unsweetened or artificially sweetened tea, and diet sodas. Do not have any alcoholic beverages. They may contain sugars, they definitely

contain calories, and they do a very good job of reducing willpower and leading you

down the path to diet ruination. So no alcohol in this phase!

Meal items that are marked with an asterisk (*) have associated recipes in
Chapter 16.

Since many people get bored with eggs for breakfast so often, try the Egg Beaters

website (
http://www.eggbeaters.com/recipes/healthier-breakfast-recipes
) for additional fun, healthy breakfast ideas. (Stick with the egg recipes and skip the waffles, French toast, and pancake recipes.)

Day 1

Breakfast

Hard-boiled egg. Hint: Make several hard-boiled eggs, and peel. Store in a zipper

bag in the refrigerator. Then you will have them when you need them, for super-

quick breakfasts. You can also find prepackaged, peeled hard-boiled eggs in some

stores. I like the Eggland’s Best version, since they are lower in cholesterol and I

think they have better taste.

1 or 2 slices Canadian bacon

6 ounces tomato juice, low-sodium

Midmorning Snack

1 stick light cheese

Baby carrots

Lunch

Acapulco Tuna Salad*

Cherry tomatoes

Small side salad: dressed with Italian or oil and vinegar dressing

Strawberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

4 ounces lemon light yogurt, fat-free, artificially sweetened

18 cashews (1 ounce by weight, ¼ cup by volume, or small handful)

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

Pepper strips. Hint: To make the strips quickly, cut off the tops and bottoms of some red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. Remove seeds and cut in half. Flatten each half

and take a very sharp knife and cut along the surface, removing the membranes.

Then cut into 1-inch strips. These are great to dip into guacamole, as a chip

substitute.

2 ounces guacamole, which is about ¼ cup

Dinner

Crispy Grilled Chicken*

1 cup (or more) mixed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower blend: steamed or

microwaved

Salad: romaine blend with Italian dressing

Raspberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Day 2

Breakfast

Mini–Egg Beaters Southwestern Style omelet. Spray microwave-safe dish or cup

with cooking spray. Add ¼–½ cup Egg Beaters Southwestern Style. Microwave on

high for 1 minute. Stir, and cook an additional 15 seconds.

4–6 ounces tomato juice, low-sodium

Midmorning Snack

1 The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge

6 grape tomatoes

Lunch

2–3 Turkey-Swiss roll-ups. Cheese on the outside, as the wrap. Deli turkey slices for the meat. Add whatever condiments you like, such as mustard. You could also add

lettuce as the outermost layer of the wrap.

½–1 cup coleslaw

Raw snow peas or sugar snap pea pods (as much as you like)

Orange Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

1 stick light cheese

Baby carrots

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

10 peanuts in the shell (20 individual peanuts) Hint: Shelling nuts slows you down,

so you are less likely to overeat them.

Dinner

Roasted sliced turkey

Sautéed carrots and onions. Sauté 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, in 1 tablespoon

olive oil or canola oil. Add about 8 ounces sliced carrots, and continue to sauté until the carrots are soft. Add 1 thin pat of butter at the end. Hints: Top the turkey with the sautéed carrots for extra flavor. If you like very soft carrots, microwave first before sautéing.

Side salad topped with Italian dressing

Lime Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Day 3

Breakfast

Scrambled eggs

1–2 slices Canadian bacon

4–6 ounces diet cranberry juice

Midmorning Snack

4 ounces raspberry light yogurt, nonfat, artificially sweetened

23 almonds (1 ounce by weight, ¼ cup by volume)

Lunch

Cold fried chicken breast (don’t eat the skin or coating) Hint: The chicken doesn’t

have to be cold. This could be a fast-food lunch but only if you can choose whole

chicken parts. (Definitely, do not choose chicken tenders, patties, crispy chicken, or nuggets—too much breading for the amount of meat.) Most fried chicken places

have coleslaw as a side. When you get back to your office, you can have the carrots

and Jell-O.

Coleslaw

Baby carrots

Lemon Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

1–2 The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges

6 grape tomatoes

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

Pepper strips

Guacamole

Dinner

Super-Savory Sliders*

1 cup broccoli

Side salad with balsamic dressing

1–2 strawberry Jell-O cups, sugar-free

Day 4

Breakfast

Turkey-Swiss roll-up. 2% Swiss cheese as the wrap for 1–2 ounces turkey.

4–6 ounces tomato juice, low-sodium

Midmorning Snack

2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

8 baby carrots

Lunch

Salad with grilled chicken

20 walnuts

Orange Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

1 light string cheese stick

Celery sticks

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

Pepper strips

Hummus

Dinner

¼ rotisserie chicken (precooked, from grocery store)

1 cup peas (microwave from frozen)

Side salad (from grocery store salad bar) with Italian dressing

Cherry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Hint
: This is a great dinner when you don’t have a lot of preparation time. And yet it is a complete, hot meal.

Day 5

Breakfast

Quick mini-omelet. Spray microwave-safe cup or dish with cooking spray. Add ½

cup Egg Beaters Florentine. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, and heat for an

additional 15 seconds.

Diet cranberry juice

Midmorning Snack

1 The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge

Baby carrots

Lunch

2–3 Provolone cheese and roast beef roll-ups. Use the cheese as the wrap for the

deli-sliced roast beef, or add a piece of lettuce for the outside wrap. Use mayo or

mustard as the condiment, if desired.

Italian coleslaw. Use bagged coleslaw and add very thin strips of red pepper and

some grated carrots. Dress with Italian or other oil and vinegar dressing.

Sliced tomato

Strawberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

4-ounce strawberry-banana light yogurt, nonfat, artificially sweetened

10 cashews

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

20 pistachios in the shell. Hint: The shells slow you down.

Dinner

Garden Splendor, Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes over Haricots Verts*

Caprese salad. 1 ounce sliced fresh mozzarella ball, alternated with 1 sliced medium

tomato, dressed with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and

topped with 1 basil leaf, cut into very thin strips (
chiffonade
).

Strawberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Day 6

Breakfast

1–2 hard-boiled eggs

1 slice Canadian bacon

4–6 ounces tomato juice, low-sodium

Midmorning Snack

1 The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedge

Grape tomatoes

Lunch

Salmon salad: Mix flaked, canned salmon with mayonnaise, celery, and/or other

crunchy vegetables per your taste preferences.

Sliced tomato

Side salad with Italian dressing

Strawberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Midafternoon Snack

Key lime light yogurt, nonfat, artificially sweetened

Baby carrots

Before-Dinner Snack (Optional)

10 peanuts in the shell (20 individual peanuts)

Dinner

Stand-up Chicken*

Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes*

Spinach

Large tossed salad: Include iceberg and romaine lettuces, tomatoes, red cabbage,

grated carrots, and pepper strips. Toss with an oil and vinegar or Italian or balsamic dressing.

Cherry Jell-O cup, sugar-free

Hint
: The Stand-up Chicken will take about an hour and 15 minutes to cook. So after you pop it in the oven, go for a walk or do some kind of activity.

Day 7

Breakfast

Hard-boiled egg(s)

10 cashews

4–6 ounces tomato juice, low-sodium

Midmorning Snack

1 light string cheese stick

Baby carrots

Lunch

Buffalo chicken salad. Hint: This is a meal you could have in a restaurant. You have

choices. Order yours with the chicken grilled instead of fried. Or you can make it

yourself with grilled chicken, topped with hot sauce, and placed on top of your

salad.

Strawberry Jell-O cup, sugar-free. Hint: Some restaurants offer sugar-free “diet”