The Pritikin principle or the Pritikin diet as it is known to all who tried to lose weight is a way of healthy living.
The basic theory behind this system is that we are eating too many processed foods that are heavy in calories and easy and quick to digest, therefore leaving us hungry quickly and more prone to eat bigger quantities.
This diet advocates going back to basics, to the way people used to eat in the past. It tries to combat the modern illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes by changing the way we eat and exercise.
In order to combat heart disease we need to cut down on cholesterol, therefore this diet limits the intake of fat to about 10% of what we eat. In order to combat diabetes and the spike in insulin caused by sugar laden foods we should avoid that as well. Going to the basics means we have to spend more calories than we take in, and it can be achieved by eating a lot of fiber, vegetables, fruit, lean meat and plenty of water.
The diet recommends eating three meals a day plus a few (at least two) snacks in between meals to avoid hunger and the binging that goes with it. Since fat is the substance that makes us feel full and it is to be avoided, you will have to know the caloric content of foods and combine high calorie with low calorie food to produce a meal that is overall light in calories. It also recommends avoiding salt which is known for raising blood pressure.
Together with this strict diet a daily exercise is recommended – at least 30 minutes a day, and reduction of stress by way of meditation.
Since such a regiment is not easy to follow, Pritikin has centers in different cities that are called Longevity Centers. There, for about two weeks, you will be given the correct foods, you will exercise and you will hear lectures and see movies about the terrible affects fat and sugars have on our bodies.
Research has shown that people coming out of those centers have lowered their cholesterol dramatically and people with type 2 diabetes have reversed the effects of the condition and even those who were using insulin injections did not need them anymore.
The problem with this diet is that it is not easy to maintain. Knowing the calorie levels of different foods, avoiding “comfort foods” heavy in fat, exercising every day are not easily maintainable. That is why the company has come out with a line of foods, dry and canned, to help you keep with the program past the Longevity Center stage.
