Be fit, healthy, and happy forever…
PART ONE
GETTING READY
Never underestimate your power to change and improve!
You can do it!
The Daily Dozen Eating Plan
If you want to lose weight, drop a size, and get healthy while eating delicious, filling foods, then the Daily Dozen Eating Plan is your recipe for success. I love food and love to eat, but I also want to stay in the best shape possible. As a result, I’ve worked hard over the years to come up with a way to enjoy flavorful, satisfying meals and snacks that fuel my busy life yet keep me trim at the same time. The result is the Daily Dozen Twelve Foods to Eat Every Day. This is not a diet but a simple, lifelong way of eating that provides you with all the nutrients you need to stay healthy, slim down, and maintain your weight.
The word diet can have negative associations. It might make you think of that friend of yours who was desperately trying to lose weight for an upcoming class reunion. When the pounds didn’t melt off quickly enough, she resorted to skipping meals (a definite no-no!) and working out until she reached the point of complete exhaustion. Not so appealing—or healthy, for that matter! But you can relax, because that’s not what my program is all about. Changing the way you eat and incorporating healthy foods into your life doesn’t have to be overwhelming. And that’s exactly why my Daily Dozen Eating Plan comes down to a few simple principles that are easy to get the hang of. Trust me, you can do it!
It’s called “chasing” a dream for a reason. Nobody gets anything by sitting still!
People often comment on my eating habits. They say that they can’t figure out how I stay so fit when they see me eating all the time. Well, all that eating is my first secret. When you eat, your metabolism revs up and burns calories simply to digest your food. Munching at regular intervals throughout the day—rather than starving yourself or skipping meals—capitalizes on this metabolism boost by keeping that calorie burn running. My second secret for staying slim is the foods that I eat. Yes, what you choose to eat does make a difference not only in terms of keeping you full but also in providing the right nutrients to lose weight and stay healthy. And yet what’s surprising to so many people is that there are tasty, filling foods you can enjoy while trying to shed pounds. You’ll see that when you follow the Daily Dozen Eating Plan. (Think Yogurt Parfaits, Grilled Shrimp with Honey-Kissed Grilled Pineapple, Fish Tacos, and Chicken with Cilantro & Lime.)
The Power of Twelve
The basis of my eating plan is the Daily Dozen—twelve foods to eat every day. I don’t mean twelve specific foods—like blueberries or chicken—but rather food categories. By having a varied, balanced diet of these twelve nutritious, wholesome, energizing foods, you can eat well and shed pounds and fat. I believe in whole foods with minimal processing. These twelve foods are:
1. Veggie
2. Veggie
3. Veggie
4. Fruit
5. Fruit
6. Fruit
7. Protein
8. Protein
9. Protein
10. Healthy grain
11. Healthy grain
12. Healthy fat
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZES
Fruit: 1 medium-size whole fruit; 1 cup cut-up fruit or berries
Vegetables: 1–2 cups
Protein: 3–4 ounces meat, fish, or chicken; 1 cup dairy; ½ cup beans
Grains: 1 slice bread; ½–1 cup grains, cereal, or beans
Healthy fats: 1 teaspoon olive oil; a quarter of an avocado; 1–2 tablespoons natural peanut or almond butter; 2 tablespoons vinaigrette salad dressing; 1–2 tablespoons nuts
Yes, it’s that simple. But eating three servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, three servings of protein, two servings of healthy grains, and one serving of healthy fat for a total of twelve works. To create the menus in the Daily Dozen, I worked with registered dietitian and sports nutritionist Chris Mohr, PhD, a weight loss expert who has helped thousands of people lose weight permanently. Every single meal and snack is carefully created to help you finish your Daily Dozen and consists of the most wholesome, fresh foods you can find. You’ll also find a checklist for each day of the Daily Dozen so you can monitor whether you’re getting these twelve important foods. In order to make eating the Daily Dozen way a cinch, we have done all the homework and calculations for you! (To keep it simple and help you save time, I’ve also included a shopping list for each week at the end of the book.)
Chris and I designed unique menus that are a balance between the Daily Dozen Foods and a specific calorie count for each week. The latter is important because weight control comes down to one simple equation: calories eaten compared with calories burned. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you regularly burn more calories than you eat through work, play, and exercise, you’ll lose weight. If you equalize the calories you burn and consume, you’ll maintain your weight.
The goal of the first two weeks of the Daily Dozen Plan is to lose weight, so the meal plans for those days will be lower in calories. The first week, you’ll eat around twelve hundred calories a day for women and fifteen hundred for men. The second week you’ll eat around thirteen hundred calories a day for women and sixteen hundred for men, and add regular morning snacks. (Because men are typically larger than women, they need more calories.) Given the kinds of foods I’ve included, you’ll actually feel totally satisfied regardless of the calorie count. No bird-size portions here! The goal of the third week is to help ease you into your new, healthy lifestyle while still shedding pounds. In that week, the Daily Dozen Meal Plans include fourteen hundred calories a day for women and seventeen hundred for men. For the first three weeks, I’d like you to stay as close to the Daily Dozen menus as you can: They’re carefully formulated for you to lose weight, and I want you to see results. I know these daily menus work (in conjunction with exercise, of course) because these are the same foods that I eat and have been eating for years. They’ll also get you on the right track to eating healthfully and teach you how to make choices that are good for you.
READ LABELS
After checking food labels for portion size and calories, I look at the rest of the label for things like grams of fat, carbs, and protein, sodium levels, and so forth. I compare labels, choosing brands lower in total fat, saturated fat, and sodium. I also check the ingredient list and try to buy foods without partially hydrogenated oil. This indicates trans fat, which contributes to heart disease.
The great thing about eating with the Daily Dozen Foods in mind is that you’re focusing on the delicious, wholesome foods that you should eat, not lamenting a long list of foods that shouldn’t pass your lips. As a result, you don’t feel deprived, but rather that you’ve got a lot of edible options. This positive way of thinking is another reason I love this plan. When it comes to all areas of life, I believe that looking at the bright side and having a glass-half-full attitude can make all the difference in terms of how successful and happy you are. And that goes for your diet, too.
In the next sections, we’ll cover each of the wholesome, fresh Daily Dozen Foods including their serving sizes and why they’re so important for a healthy mind and body—as well as looking great in your jeans. You’ll find lists to give you an idea of where different types of food fit into the Daily Dozen. Some foods even do double duty—like nuts, which are listed as both protein and healthy fat. I’ve focused on foods that are most commonly available, but feel free to expand beyond these lists and add things like star fruit or hearts of palm, which can give an attractive and exotic flair to your usual salad. There’s a whole world of healthy food out there to explore!
Fruits and Vegetables
Produce is one of the most important things that you can eat when you’re trying to lose weight. Because fruits and vegetables contain a lot of fiber and water, they fill you up for very few calories. The result? You can eat more of them while still losing weight. Proof comes from a Consumer Reports survey of 32,213 people who were trying to shed pounds. About 70 percent said that eating vegetables and fruits helped them lose weight and keep it off. The other good thing about fruits and vegetables is that there are so many to choose from and so many healthy ways to prepare them.
All the exercise tips in the world won’t work unless you work. Get moving!
Though the Daily Dozen Plan calls for eating three servings of vegetables a day, eating more than this is okay since vegetables are so low in calories and so high in fiber and water. Most veggies have ten to fifteen calories per serving. Even the few exceptions—such as avocado, lima beans, and potatoes—are just around a hundred calories per serving. Best of all, they keep you feeling full, and they’re vitamin-packed.
When it comes to fruits, you can eat more than three servings, but not as much as you want. Unlike vegetables, fruits typically contain more natural sugar—and as a result more calories. One easy way to get your fill of fruits and vegetables is at breakfast. Simply mix berries or sliced fruit into your cereal or yogurt or add at least three different types of vegetables to an omelet. (One of my favorite combinations is onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms.)
Besides keeping you satisfied, fruits and vegetables are bursting with many important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are compounds believed to help reduce your risk of many diseases and age-related illnesses. A produce-packed diet is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. The science that supports this is amazing. For example, cabbage contains vitamins C and B as well as disease-fighting compounds called indoles that are believed to boost your body’s own cancer-fighting enzymes and possibly halt the cancer process once it’s begun. Research suggests that broccoli may be the richest source of sulforaphane, another compound that stimulates the body to make more cancer-zapping enzymes. Plus, just one cup has six grams of fiber (which is crucial for weight loss), the entire daily recommended level of vitamin C, and 25 percent of the recommended levels of vitamin A and folate. Two other favorite veggies of mine are kale and spinach, which studies show are brimming with powerful antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin. These compounds help protect your eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness. Spinach and kale are also rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects during pregnancy, lowers blood levels of homocysteine, and may protect against colon cancer and heart disease. As you’ll see, many of my Daily Dozen recipes and meal plans contain these super foods.
When it comes to fruits, tomatoes are a real powerhouse. (Yes, they’re fruits not veggies, but I grouped them under veggies as well since that’s how most of us think of them.) Studies show that lycopene, the nutrient that gives tomatoes their beautiful red color, may cut cancer risks in half for people who regularly consume tomatoes and tomato products. Eating raw tomatoes is tasty and good for you, but there are even more nutrients in tomatoes when you roast or cook them because the heating process helps release them. Other amazing fruits are berries, which are chock-full of healthful compounds and fiber, too! Blueberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants compared with other fruits and, along with cranberries, help stave off urinary tract infections. Strawberries pack a big nutritional punch since just a cup provides nearly double your daily vitamin C requirement and also contains a potent anticancer agent called ellagic acid. And fruit in general may ward off the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, according to a British study, which found that women who ate the most fruit as children had denser, stronger bones.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
If you’re eating too much candy at work and overeating in the evening, pick only one of these problems to tackle at a time. Then give yourself weeks to move on to the next issue. You’ll feel overwhelmed if you try to tackle too much at once. Also, since problems are often related, you’ll be surprised that solving one may get rid of the other.
On a more beautiful note, eating vegetables and fruit will help you look your best, giving your skin and hair a healthy glow. For example, blueberries are full of antioxidants that reduce wrinkle-causing inflammation, while sweet potatoes contain vitamin C, a nutrient that boosts collagen production.
When it comes to produce, your goal each day should be to have a rainbow of colors. That’s because the foods in each group offer you different essential nutrients that you need to feel and look your healthiest. The reason I designed the Daily Dozen Plan as I have is so that you hit these different groups with every meal. For example, on one Daily Dozen Meal Plan you may have red bell peppers in your scrambled eggs for breakfast, a spinach salad for lunch, and some glazed carrots with dinner. Obviously this balance of color can’t happen all the time since some days you may not have a certain food in the house, but it should be your goal.
Your Daily Dozen Vegetables
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZE: 1–2 cups of vegetables
GREEN VEGETABLES
artichokes
arugula
asparagus
avocado
basil
bok choy
broccoli
broccoli rabe
brussels sprouts
celery
chives
cilantro
collard greens
cucumbers
dandelion greens
dill
green bell peppers
kale
leeks
lettuce (romaine, red leaf, Boston, and Bibb are the best)
lima beans
okra
parsley
snap green beans
snow peas
spinach
string beans
Swiss chard
tomatoes
turnip greens
watercress
zucchini
RED/PURPLE VEGETABLES
beets
eggplant
radicchio
radishes
red bell peppers
red cabbage
red chard
rhubarb
YELLOW/ORANGE/BEIGE VEGETABLES
butternut squash
carrots
corn
mushrooms
onions
orange bell peppers
potatoes
pumpkin
sweet potatoes/yams
yellow bell peppers
yellow squash
I know that there are certain fruits we tend to eat over and over again because they’re top of mind. But it’s important to mix things up and aim to get your Daily Dozen requirement of fruit from different types of these naturally sweet treats. I tend to think of fruits in three categories, and if you get one from each you’ll do a good job getting the mix of nutrients you need to slim down and stave off an array of diseases. First there are the easy-to-grab fruits that fit into the palm of your hand, require no more preparation than a quick rinse, and can be found almost anywhere. They’re a quick way to get antioxidants on the run. The second group is the tropical and citrus fruits, which offer you different nutrients than the easy-to-grab variety and that you need to peel and cut up. And then there are the tiny fruits like berries that are a huge help when you’re trying to lose weight and improve your health. Again, you’ll see that the Daily Dozen Meal Plans are carefully thought out to include fruits from each of these groups so you reap an array of benefits. Even the squeeze of lemon in the recipes is going to help you!
A TERRIFIC TIME SAVER
Pre-planning meals will help free up time to exercise during your week. To avoid dinnertime chaos, I use Sunday as my meal-planning day. I prepare what I can for the week ahead, pick out recipes, tally up ingredients, grocery shop, and pre-chop what’s necessary. Sometimes I broil or grill chicken so I can use it later in the week in salad or fajitas. This way I don’t have to take time out each day (and away from exercise) for last-minute preparations.
Your Daily Dozen Fruits
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZE: 1 medium-size piece of fruit or 1 cup cut-up fruit
EASY-TO-GRAB FRUITS
apples
apricots
bananas
grapes
nectarines
peaches
pears
plums
TROPICAL AND CITRUS FRUITS
grapefruit
kiwi
kumquats
lemons
melons
oranges
papayas
passion fruit
pineapples
tangerines
tomatoes
watermelon
TINY FRUITS/BERRIES
acai berries
blackberries
blueberries
cherries
cranberries
pomegranates
raspberries
strawberries
Protein
Protein—the word comes from a Greek word meaning “of prime importance,” and it is critical for weight loss, since it helps you build and repair muscle and keeps you feeling full longer. There are three important categories of protein, and if you can get all three into your day—or aim for it—you’re doing great!
Plant sources of protein are a menu must if you’re a vegetarian. However, what most people don’t realize is that they’re important for those of us who eat meat, too, and their benefits go beyond the waistline. According to a huge government survey of more than ninety-six hundred Americans, people who eat beans four times a week are 22 percent less likely to get heart disease than people who eat beans less than once a week. Beans also lower blood cholesterol level and blood sugar and are full of iron and B vitamins. Another non-animal protein source is soy foods. They can be prepared in many delicious ways and have been linked to the prevention of osteoporosis, lower cholesterol levels, a reduced cancer risk, and even a reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. Soy sausage, patties, hot dogs, and ground veggie round are great substitutes for beef or pork. Miso, a grainy paste made from soybeans, is an excellent ingredient for marinades, sauces, and soup bases. For a quick nutritious pick-me-up, try soy nuts, roasted soybeans, or a bowl of steamed edamame.
EATING ON THE GO
Stash good-for-you emergency snacks like raw almonds, dried fruit, and whole-grain breakfast cereal in your purse. Or do what I do and hard-boil a dozen eggs on Sunday. I slip two at a time in little plastic bags and store them in the fridge to eat on the run. Cutting up fruits and veggies works the same way. All these things protect you from the temptation of the vending machine or convenience store snacks.
I limit my red meat intake to about once or twice a month and instead try to eat fish more often. But if you choose red meat, look for the leanest cuts and grass-fed meat; otherwise they can contain too much artery-clogging saturated fat. Beef eye round and top round, flank steak, pork tenderloin, lamb foreshank, and veal leg are excellent choices with no more than 25 to 30 percent of calories from fat. For any other cuts of meat, simply trim off any visible fat and pay attention to your portion size. Use skinless chicken and turkey to cut down on fat without cutting meat out. I often use ground turkey breast instead of ground beef to make spaghetti sauce, tacos, and sloppy joes, and swap savory chicken sausages for those made with pork.
Calcium-rich dairy foods like skim or low-fat yogurt, milk, and cheese are another good source of protein. Of course, you probably know that calcium-rich foods keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis, but they may also help you slim down—that is, if you choose the lowest-fat versions. Research reveals that people who get the recommended daily allowance (one thousand milligrams for those under the age of fifty and twelve hundred milligrams for those over fifty) lose more weight than people who get less calcium. Unfortunately, about 75 percent of American women don’t meet this requirement, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Though there are calcium-rich options for every meal of the day, breakfast is a great time to fill your diet with calcium: In addition to dairy foods, you can enjoy fortified breakfast cereals and juices.
Your Daily Dozen Proteins
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZE: 3–4 ounces of meat, fish, or chicken; 1 cup of dairy; ½ cup of beans/barley/lentils, etc.
PLANT SOURCES OF PROTEIN
almond butter
barley
beans
chickpeas
hummus
lentils
natural peanut butter
nuts
peas
quinoa
soybeans
tofu
FISH AND LEAN MEAT
chicken
duck
eggs
halibut
lamb
lean ground beef, turkey, or pork
mahi mahi (dorado)
pork
salmon
shellfish
steak
tilapia
tuna (fresh or canned in water)
turkey
veal
LOW-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS
cheese
cottage cheese
cream cheese
skim milk
sour cream
yogurt
Healthy Grains
Whole grains are a diet essential because they help fill you up thanks to all the fiber they contain. Fiber works by turning on the “burn fat” signal in your body and acting as a multitasking marvel that fills you up, so you don’t fill out! Very simply, fiber takes up a lot of room in your stomach—think of it like a dry sponge that has been soaked in water—meaning fewer hunger pangs! It also lowers insulin levels. The hormone insulin is the blood glucose cleanup crew. When blood glucose rises after eating a high-carbohydrate meal, insulin rushes in, scooping up this glucose and depositing it in cells for use as energy. But if you can’t use it for immediate energy, it gets stored as fat. Thus you want to keep those glucose levels as stable as possible; fiber helps you do just that. In two different studies, fiber-champion cereals—oatmeal and bran—squared off against cornflakes, which are virtually fiber-free. After eating the high-fiber cereals, people were able to make it to lunch without feeling hungry. Those who started with cornflakes listened to their stomachs growl. Go fiber! This is why you’ll love the healthy grains I combined in the 4 Minute Grains cereal that you’ll have for breakfast a few days.
It’s important to know that there are actually two types of fiber. Soluble fiber is found in oats, barley, apples, pears, edamame and other soy products, dried beans and peas, and fruits. This type of fiber may reduce your risk of heart disease by mopping up artery-clogging cholesterol, and help prevent diabetes by regulating your glucose levels. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran, whole wheat products, and most vegetables. This type of fiber may alleviate constipation by helping wastes move through your system faster.
Your Daily Dozen Healthy Grains
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZE: 1 slice of bread, pita, tortilla, English muffin; ½–1 cup of cooked grains or pasta, cereal, or beans
GRAINS
barley
brown rice
buckwheat
bulgur
cereals made from healthy whole grain (such as Wheatina)
couscous
millet
oatmeal
popcorn
quinoa
wild rice
HEALTHY BREADS, ETC.
crackers
pasta
pita
rye and pumpernickel bread
spelt bread
sprout bread
tortillas
whole-grain English muffins
whole-grain waffles
whole wheat bread
A Dozen Tips from Denise: Simple Tips for Filling Your Life with Fiber
Fiber is super important for slimming down and sticking with your healthy eating goals. It’s also pretty easy to add more fiber to your life. You’ll be amazed how a few simple substitutions can help increase how much fiber you get in your diet and how full you feel. Try these tips and you’ll feel healthier and fabulous in no time!
1. Swap cornflakes (zero grams of fiber in one ounce) for a bran-based cereal (five to fifteen grams).
2. Instead of white bread, which has just one gram of fiber per slice, switch to whole wheat bread, which has two to three grams.
3. Leave white rice and pasta behind and go for brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Some people think whole wheat pasta isn’t as tasty as white; experiment with different brands to find one you like.
4. Fill a whole wheat tortilla (which has five grams of fiber compared with one or two in the white flour variety) with steamed veggies for a yummy, low-cal wrap.
5. Eat fruit with breakfast every morning. Try berries with your cereal, slice a banana into yogurt, or add diced apples to oatmeal while it cooks.
6. At lunchtime, bulk up your sandwiches by adding lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and have a small salad or cut vegetables on the side.
7. Throw a bag of mixed frozen veggies in the microwave for a veggie side dish that’s ready in minutes! Add vegetables to casseroles, soups, rice dishes, and baked goods—almost anything is better with more vegetables!
8. Eat your beans. Throw half a cup (eight grams) of drained red kidney beans in your salads or in your chili to perk it up.
9. Drink plenty of water as you work on increasing your fiber intake. At first you may feel bloated, and water helps move things along.
10. Eat cut-up vegetables with hummus as a snack. Just one tablespoon has a gram and a half of fiber and 12 percent of your daily calcium needs. Plus it has compounds that fight heart disease and cancer.
11. Remember that high-fiber carbs, like apples and oatmeal, are “good carbs” that’ll help you lose weight. Enjoy these fiber-full foods whenever possible!
12. When reading food labels, look for those that have at least three grams of fiber per serving.
Healthy Fat
Though the word fat makes most people cringe, it’s actually an important part of your diet and a source of fat-soluble vitamins—A, D, E, and K. It will help you lose weight. The key is to make sure you’re eating the right kind. Good fat helps slow your stomach from emptying so you feel full longer. Healthy fats are those that are unsaturated such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are believed to reduce your cholesterol and have other health benefits. These good fats can be found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, flaxseed, other plant foods, and fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are also a good fat and are believed to reduce inflammation throughout the body. Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s and prevent arthritis pain. These healthy fats are also credited with helping to alleviate depression, allergies, and asthma—even with keeping hair looking and feeling soft and silky. Though you can find this nutrient in avocados and olive oil, it’s plentiful in fattier fish like salmon, herring, lake trout, sturgeon, bluefish, anchovies, and sardines. There’s also a plant form of omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid, which you can find in flaxseed and flax oil, canola oil, and soybean oil. Like fish oils, this fat has also proven to be heart-healthy.
The “bad fats” that you should avoid include saturated fats, the artery-clogging fat found in fatty meats, chicken skin, whole milk, cream, regular cheese, and butter. While it’s okay to have a little of this fat, too much raises blood cholesterol and promotes heart disease. Another bad fat is trans fat, which is found in the partially hydrogenated oils used in regular margarine and many processed foods. Trans fats may be even worse than saturated fats. While both raise blood levels of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, only trans fat lowers levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. I know it’s hard if you’re used to eating fatty foods, but once you replace them with the healthy stuff, you’ll hardly miss them!
Your Daily Dozen Healthy Fats
DAILY DOZEN SERVING SIZE: 1 teaspoon of olive oil or flaxseed oil, 2 tablespoons of avocado, 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons of nuts, 1–2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
SOURCES OF UNSATURATED FATS AND OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
almond butter
avocado
canola oil
flaxseed
flaxseed oil
grapeseed oil
herring
mackerel
natural peanut butter
nuts
olive oil
salmon
seeds
sunflower oil
vinaigrette salad dressing (healthy oil and vinegar)
Water
Drinking water is a critical part of losing weight. Water doesn’t contain any calories, but it helps make you feel full. (Try sipping a glass right before meals to help you eat less.) Aim for at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day, because your cells cannot metabolize excess fat without water, and your organs cannot eliminate toxins without this miracle drink. Your body also needs water for digestion, temperature regulation, and much more. I always drink two glasses of room-temperature water when I get up in the morning. After sleeping for seven to eight hours, your body is dehydrated and craves water. I also suggest you drink a glass with each meal and snack and every fifteen to twenty minutes during a workout so that you’ll have more energy to finish your session (or even exercise longer than you planned!). Make it easy to access water by installing a filter in your water tank or on your kitchen faucet. I just did and it’s great. I fill up my reusable food-grade stainless-steel bottle so I always have a refreshing drink at hand. I mention stainless steel because though more research needs to be done, some experts believe plastic water bottles contain chemicals that may be harmful to our health. To play it safe, I’ve opted for stainless steel over plastic. It’s good for my family and the environment.
FRUIT SWAPS
You’ll be eating a lot of yummy, healthy fruit on the Daily Dozen Plan. But just in case one meal or snack’s fruit suggestion doesn’t work for you, you can swap it for one of the following. In other words, they’re all interchangeable. This way you still get your Daily Dozen Foods and stay within the right calorie count. You can even mix them up, if you like—for example, by having half a cup of raspberries and half a cup of blueberries, or a plum and a tangerine.
half a grapefruit
1 orange
1 cup pineapple
1 peach
2 plums
1 cup sliced kiwi
1 medium banana
1 cup chopped melon
1 cup strawberries
1 cup grapes
1 apple
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 pear
1 cup cherries
2 nectarines
1 cup sliced mango
2 tangerines
YOUR DAILY DOZEN REQUIREMENT: Eight 8-ounce glasses of water
* * *
Now that you know more about the Daily Dozen Eating Plan, it’s time to get started. Just note that at this point, your eating is going to be quite structured, and as I mentioned earlier, I want you to stick closely to the menus for each day. All Daily Dozen Meal Plan recipes are for one serving. This is not only to help you lose weight, but also to make this whole plan super easy. Just a note if you’re going out to dinner during these three weeks: Try to order something similar to what’s on the plan. For example, if the Daily Dozen dinner is grilled salmon, then order a nice piece of fish and ask them to go easy on the oil and hold the butter.
Once you hit the weight you want to be, you will probably do what I do and keep a mental tab based on making sure you get the twelve important foods for the day. For example, midmorning I usually follow up breakfast with a fruit snack of banana, apple, orange, half a grapefruit, or berries. At lunch I remember to squeeze in more veggies by eating a spinach salad, making an arugula, tomato, and turkey sandwich, or having vegetable soup. (Soup takes time to eat, which helps slow you down and prevents you from overeating!) At dinner, I try to eat two more vegetables such as steamed broccoli and asparagus. I’ve even included recipes for some of my favorite twelve-minute meals at the end of the book—proving that healthy food for the whole family doesn’t need to take a lot of time. But no matter how busy I am, as long as I get those daily dozen, I know I’ve eaten well that day.
Another important point I want to make is that the Daily Dozen Meal Plan really mixes things up so that you never get bored. That’s another one of my secrets. I have a lot of variety in my diet. One day I’ll eat oatmeal with flaxseed for breakfast; the next, I’ll have a Yogurt Parfait. I love to eat fruit for snacks—some days I’ll have half a banana with a handful of blueberries; other days, sliced kiwi. The same goes for lunch or dinner. I love eating salads but I don’t stick to the same old, same old lettuce. One day the basis of my salad is spinach, another it’s some red, leafy greens. As you can see, there’s a lot to choose from.
Now that you know the basics, you’re ready to get started. Remember that you can do whatever you set your mind to. You are worth the time and the effort. I can’t wait for you to be the fit and fabulous person you want to be—and you will be! Be positive about the road ahead of you. The results will be well worth it! You can and will succeed!
GO ORGANIC?
While no research proves yet that organic foods are nutritionally better for you, there are several good reasons to buy organic. For one, such foods are wholesome—and better for the environment! Foods labeled USDA Certified Organic are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms, and organic meats and dairy products are free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Choosing organic foods also supports local farmers who use renewable resources and promote soil and water conservation. The downside to buying organic is that because it costs farmers more to produce these foods, they’re often more expensive than their conventional counterparts. That’s changing as more and more stores offer these products, but you may want to be selective about which organic foods you buy. I know that I am.
When it comes to produce, whether I go organic or not depends on the specific fruit or vegetable. For fruits that aren’t as easy to wash, I buy organic. One example of this is berries, because I simply don’t have the time (or desire) to sit and scrub each little berry. If it’s a bigger fruit or vegetable that’s easier to clean or one with a thick skin like oranges, avocados, or bananas, I’ll go for what’s on sale but don’t feel that buying organic is a must. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit, has put together a list of foods that it calls the Dirty Dozen because they typically have the most pesticides. They are:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (imported)
11. Carrots
12. Pears
When it comes to other foods like meat or dairy, I’ll definitely go organic if I’m buying something that has fat in it, because the fat is where chemicals tend to accumulate. When it comes to fat-free dairy products, I sometimes buy what’s on sale. But whether or not you go organic, the most important thing is that your food choices are healthy ones!