The Aztec Diet: Chia Power: The Superfood That Gets You Skinny and Keeps You Healthy

by Bob Arnot

Overview

Lose weight fast, boost energy levels, and improve overall well-being by eating the healthy, delicious foods that once nourished the ancient Aztecs with this high protein, low-fat diet that features the miraculous chia seed as its cornerstone

While poor nutrition and disease abounded in medieval Europe, a civilization across the Atlantic built a vast empire throughout Central America, sustaining themselves on ancient grains during long journeys and frequent battles. Crucial to their high-protein, low-fat diet was a superfood called chia. These remarkable little seeds are packed with a 8 times the omega-3’s of salmon, 6 times more calcium than milk, 3 times more iron than spinach, 15 times more magnesium than broccoli, 4 times more selenium than flax, and 5 grams of fiber in just 70 calories, making them nutritive dynamite.

In this highly readable, easy-to-follow diet book, Dr. Bob Arnot shows readers how to lose weight, boost their energy levels, and improve their sense of well-being by eating the healthy, delicious foods that nourished the ancient Aztecs. With chia at its center, this diet features foods with few fats and oils, no refined sugars, no wheat, and foods that are high in protein. Readers will not only reset their metabolism and drop pounds, but they will also feel more energized and clear-headed. The three phase plan allows readers to jump-start their weight loss with a two-week chia smoothie quick-start. The second phase, with a mix of chia smoothies and solid meals, will leave readers feeling revitalized and still shedding pounds. The final phase shows readers how to flexibly sustain a new, healthy lifestyle.

We’ve all heard the dangers of the modern Western diet-obesity, heart disease, diabetes. But Dr. Bob Arnot points out that it leads to so much more, such as raging internal inflammation and wild fluctuations in our blood sugar that affect our mood, energy levels, and sense of wellbeing on a daily basis. Arnot presents an easy, delicious, and flexible set of healthy swaps, meal plans, and superfood additions to combat this dangerous cycle of poor diet, health problems, and low energy that will make you look and feel like an entirely new person.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062124074
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/31/2013
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,003,650
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Bob Arnot, M.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen books on nutrition and health. He has been a medical correspondent for NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, the Today show, CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes, and CBS This Morning, and is a health columnist for Men's Journal. He lives in Palm Beach, Florida, and Vermont.

Table of Contents

Glossary xiii

Scoring Foods xv

Chapter 1 The Aztec Diet and the Miracle Seed 1

The Miracle Seed 4

Chapter 2 Why the Aztec Diet Works 10

1 Fill 'Er Up! 11

2 Dump the Carb Bombs! 14

3 Douse the Fire Inside 19

4 Pour On the Supernutrients 20

5 Make Your Brain Feel Great 22

Phase I

Chapter 3 Phase I: The Chia Challenge 25

The Plan: Three Chia Smoothies a Day 25

Before You Begin 28

Road Map: Sample Days 32

Making Smoothies 33

Snacks 47

When to Move On 50

Chapter 4 Life on Phase I 51

AD Alumni 51

Frequently Asked Questions 55

Benefits of the Aztec Diet 56

Moving On 63

Phase II

Chapter 5 Phase II: Accelerate with Lunch 67

The Plan: A Chia Smoothie for Breakfast; Solid Lunch; Chia Smoothie for Dinner 67

Road Map 70

When to Move On 74

Chapter 6 Life on Phase II 75

AD Alumni 75

Exercise: The Ultimate Tool in Weight Loss 80

Frequently Asked Questions 85

Moving On 85

Phase III

Chapter 7 Phase III: Real Life Aztec Style 89

The Plan: Three Meals a Day of Aztec Foods 90

The Inspiration: Aztec Eden 91

Eat Like an Aztec 93

Chapter 8 Premium Foods 97

Scoring Foods-A Review 97

Prioritize Protein 98

Grains: The Ultimate Comfort Foods 105

Dairy 111

Beans and Legumes 113

Vegetables 116

Fruits 117

Fats 119

Nuts and Seeds 124

Beverages 125

Treats 127

Summary: Best Foods 128

Chapter 9 Meals and Recipes 132

Meal Comparisons 133

Road Map: Two Weeks of Aztec Meals 138

Recipes 144

Chapter 10 Life on Phase III 209

AD Alumni 209

Frequently Asked Questions 212

Chapter 11 The Big Picture 214

Sleep Matters 215

Exercise: The Ultimate Tool in Weight Control 218

Chapter 12 The Urge to Splurge 226

Troubleshooting 227

Managing Your Day 227

Eating Out and Special Occasions 231

Appendix 235

Symptoms Questionnaire 236

Blood Work 238

Buyers' Guide for Aztec Grains 240

Supplements 241

Acknowledgments 243

Notes 247

Index 253