The New Scandi Diet - The Scandinavian Belly Fat Program
The New Scandi Diet — how to get a flat stomach in 12 weeks
If you are like most people, you will have tried to diet on numerous occasions, but lost hope.
Don’t lose faith. Now is the time to replace that struggle with enjoyment. Here you will be given a simple initiation on how to live with your body — and how to combine a reduction in your weight and a slimmer waist with more enjoyment over the course of your hectic daily life. By living more in tune with your body’s needs and by selecting ingredients that keep the fat burning, gradually you will achieve a flatter stomach and win the battle against excess weight for good.
Belly fat is the scariest fat you have on your body. It causes problems in multiple organ systems and is a contributing cause of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, migraines, rheumatism and cancer. It reduces sensitivity to serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine — neurotransmitters in the brain that control pleasure and motivation — and can make you feel depressed.
It was thought that extra fat on the body was just an unnecessary load. Now we know that while fat around the hips and buttocks remains steady (similar to the fat along the edge of a pork chop), there is a lot of activity in the abdominal fat cells. Excess abdominal fat cells are like small chemical factories that produce harmful inflammatory substances. When you have a lot of belly fat, insulin, which is the blood sugar or glucose regulator, no longer acts effectively. The body’s ability to control blood sugar is extremely important, so the body will quickly try to compensate. It does this by increasing insulin production. With a few additional kilos of belly fat and a waist measurement of more than 80cm (31½in) for women and 94cm (37in) for men, the chemistry in the fat cells drowns the insulin hormone’s messages to them.
Over 12 weeks this diet will give you simple tips and tricks to help you to speed up the burning of fat, increase muscle mass, reposition the fat around your body and reach your ideal waist size. Moving a little more and increasing your energy consumption will contribute to weight loss too. Add in reduced daily “chair time”, more walking and some simple strengthening exercises. You’ll start to see a difference, fast.
Five good eating habits to help you
1 Eat slowly. This gives the fullness hormones time to make you feel satisfied before you eat too much.
2 Your body craves a snack when your blood sugar is low — but it’s protein and not sugar that you really need.
3 Teach yourself to notice how hungry you are before you eat. Consider if you really are still hungry before you fill your plate again.
4 Always drink a glass of water or a cup of tea before meals. This will significantly increase weight loss.
5 Chew a little longer and savour the tastes of the ingredients.
GOAL FOR WEEK 1
Swap white sugar for the sweet taste of nature
Swap white sugar for the sweet taste of nature
White sugar is easily stored as fat around the stomach. By cutting out your consumption of white sugar, both your sweet cravings and your waist size will quickly retreat. Let me explain why. Carbohydrates are absorbed in the intestine and are transformed into glucose, which the brain, muscles and liver can burn as energy. When we eat refined white sugar, this absorption and burning happens very quickly. Blood sugar increases dramatically. Berries, other fruit and wholewheat also contain carbohydrates, but the carbohydrates are packed inside fibre, proteins and other beneficial nutrients, so it takes longer for the body to absorb the sugar and convert it to glucose. So, while white sugar is passed at lightning speed from the intestine to the body’s cells, natural carbohydrates must be divided and separated before they gradually pass into the blood, and this process takes time.
How to do it
Instead of white sugar, swap in sweetness from natural sources and slow carbohydrates. These are absorbed slowly in the intestines and provide a steadily rising, long-lasting and stable level of blood sugar. Such foods do not overload your body with blood sugar alarms. We call these foods with low glycaemic index (GI). Apples, pears, plums, nectarines and berries have low glycaemic indexes. All types of vegetables are also included — when you roast them, you’ll discover that they have a wonderful sweetness.
Instead of white sugar, swap in sweetness from natural sources and slow carbohydrates. These are absorbed slowly in the intestines and provide a steadily rising, long-lasting and stable level of blood sugar. Such foods do not overload your body with blood sugar alarms. We call these foods with low glycaemic index (GI). Apples, pears, plums, nectarines and berries have low glycaemic indexes. All types of vegetables are also included — when you roast them, you’ll discover that they have a wonderful sweetness.
Eight ways to kick your sugar habit
1 Remove refined sugars from your cupboards and drawers and buy different types of honey, the least refined you can find. From now on, use a little honey on food you would usually sprinkle with sugar, such as porridge and cereal, or in tea.
2 Cut out sugar in coffee. Try sprinkling in half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead.
3 Note situations where you crave sweetness and plan a treat such as nuts, pure dark chocolate, green tea, coffee or vegetables and dips.
4 Keep your hands busy when watching TV with a mug of tea.
5 Read the contents label on all food products. Cereals, bread, juice and yoghurt can contain many spoonfuls of hidden sugar.
6 Eat fruit and berries — don’t drink them in the form of juice with food.
7 Don’t use artificial sweeteners. They can increase your sweet cravings.
8 Be aware that white or refined sugar is not always shown as an ingredient in food products. It can be presented as glucose, glucose syrup, fructose, syrup or fructose syrup.
1 Remove refined sugars from your cupboards and drawers and buy different types of honey, the least refined you can find. From now on, use a little honey on food you would usually sprinkle with sugar, such as porridge and cereal, or in tea.
2 Cut out sugar in coffee. Try sprinkling in half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead.
3 Note situations where you crave sweetness and plan a treat such as nuts, pure dark chocolate, green tea, coffee or vegetables and dips.
4 Keep your hands busy when watching TV with a mug of tea.
5 Read the contents label on all food products. Cereals, bread, juice and yoghurt can contain many spoonfuls of hidden sugar.
6 Eat fruit and berries — don’t drink them in the form of juice with food.
7 Don’t use artificial sweeteners. They can increase your sweet cravings.
8 Be aware that white or refined sugar is not always shown as an ingredient in food products. It can be presented as glucose, glucose syrup, fructose, syrup or fructose syrup.
A great sugar replacement recipe: Jam from the blender
This jam is free from sugar and additives, yet packed with flavour and nutrients. The pectin from the apple stiffens the jam, even without additives.
This jam is free from sugar and additives, yet packed with flavour and nutrients. The pectin from the apple stiffens the jam, even without additives.
Makes 200-300ml
Ingredients
500g berries (a mix of different berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants or blueberries)
½ unpeeled apple, coarsely chopped
Method
Blend the berries and apple together to a smooth purée.
Stir jam just before serving. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Ingredients
500g berries (a mix of different berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants or blueberries)
½ unpeeled apple, coarsely chopped
Method
Blend the berries and apple together to a smooth purée.
Stir jam just before serving. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
GOAL FOR WEEK 2
Replace white flour-based baked goods with whole grain varieties
We eat far too much refined and fine-grained flour, in which heavy processing has removed or destroyed beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and plant nutrients that you normally find in wholegrains. Goods baked from refined flour provide us with more starch, stronger gluten and less nutrition. Starch has more or less the same effect on your body as refined sugar.
Replace white flour-based baked goods with whole grain varieties
We eat far too much refined and fine-grained flour, in which heavy processing has removed or destroyed beneficial nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and plant nutrients that you normally find in wholegrains. Goods baked from refined flour provide us with more starch, stronger gluten and less nutrition. Starch has more or less the same effect on your body as refined sugar.
Slow carbohydrates from nuts, seeds and whole grains, on the other hand, not only provide a more stable blood sugar level, they also have a positive effect on fat burning by increasing the production of a hormone that you have probably never heard about: adiponectin. This is a hormone that refuses to let fat settle around the waist and, according to studies, increases the rate of fat burning.
How to do it
You can significantly cut out fast carbohydrates if you avoid foods that are made of wheat, so steer clear of white bread, refined crackers, most breakfast cereals, pastries and biscuits, pasta and white rice. You should also continue to avoid foods that are labelled “added sugar”.
You can significantly cut out fast carbohydrates if you avoid foods that are made of wheat, so steer clear of white bread, refined crackers, most breakfast cereals, pastries and biscuits, pasta and white rice. You should also continue to avoid foods that are labelled “added sugar”.
Seven great sources of slow carbohydrates
1 Rye bread
2 Whole grain bread
3 Whole grain crackers
4 Rolled (porridge) oats
5 Steel-cut oats
6 Barley oats
7 Whole grain muesli
1 Rye bread
2 Whole grain bread
3 Whole grain crackers
4 Rolled (porridge) oats
5 Steel-cut oats
6 Barley oats
7 Whole grain muesli
GOAL FOR WEEK 3
Load up on vegetables, berries, herbs and spices
Load up on vegetables, berries, herbs and spices
Your cells are already enjoying the effect of many more nutrients. Now it is time to focus on the power of vegetables. Vegetables, berries and other fruit provide antioxidants, fibre, fatty acids, protein, slow carbohydrates and a host of vitamins and minerals. Half your plate ought to be filled with this plant power. Studies have shown that eating fruit and greens promotes weight loss because they are rich in water and fibre and can easily replace more calorie-rich food.
Fibre plays a key role in reducing belly fat. It is the cell walls and plant starch that isn’t absorbed by the body. This starch is called resistant starch, and can improve your insulin sensitivity. Fibre also holds sugar back in the intestine, so that the rate of absorption is slowed, the glucose stays stable and less insulin is required. Less insulin means less fat storage around the waist.
Chillies and curry powders help you burn more energy and fat, according to some studies. Studies also show that turmeric can slow down the storage of fat and appears to increase insulin sensitivity so that glucose is more easily burned as energy instead of being stored as fat.
How to do it
1 Think: two handfuls of vegetables for every handful of animal protein (meat, fish, eggs).
2 Aim for 2-3 kinds of different-coloured vegetables at every mealtime.
3 Eat raw vegetables as a starter or on the side.
4 Mix chopped vegetables into cooked barley, lentils and quinoa.
5 Add vegetables such as cucumber, celery, spinach leaves and so on to smoothies.
6 Use turmeric in soups, casseroles and stir-fries.
7 Experiment with chilli in tomato sauces and soups.
1 Think: two handfuls of vegetables for every handful of animal protein (meat, fish, eggs).
2 Aim for 2-3 kinds of different-coloured vegetables at every mealtime.
3 Eat raw vegetables as a starter or on the side.
4 Mix chopped vegetables into cooked barley, lentils and quinoa.
5 Add vegetables such as cucumber, celery, spinach leaves and so on to smoothies.
6 Use turmeric in soups, casseroles and stir-fries.
7 Experiment with chilli in tomato sauces and soups.
A great snack: Green wraps
Play around with the ingredients below
Play around with the ingredients below
Wrap: Cos (romaine) lettuce
Protein: Tinned kidney beans (rinsed), cottage cheese, chicken or fish leftovers, egg, salmon, cheese
Vegetables: Grated carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts (trimmed), rocket (arugula), red onion (sliced)
Sauce or relish: Nut butter, cream cheese, yoghurt, hummus, guacamole
Seeds: Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
Spices and sauces: Tabasco, mustard, soy sauce, fish sauce, aioli, herbs, spices
Protein: Tinned kidney beans (rinsed), cottage cheese, chicken or fish leftovers, egg, salmon, cheese
Vegetables: Grated carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts (trimmed), rocket (arugula), red onion (sliced)
Sauce or relish: Nut butter, cream cheese, yoghurt, hummus, guacamole
Seeds: Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds
Spices and sauces: Tabasco, mustard, soy sauce, fish sauce, aioli, herbs, spices
January 3: Goals for weeks 4-12, plus how to handle cravings
© Berit Nordstrand 2017. Extracted from The Scandinavian Belly Fat Program, to be published by Murdoch Books on Jan 7 at £16.99
© Berit Nordstrand 2017. Extracted from The Scandinavian Belly Fat Program, to be published by Murdoch Books on Jan 7 at £16.99
A twelve week plan and 70 recipes to help you reduce unhealthy belly fat and live a healthier life.
It's best-selling author Berit Nordstrand's fall-in-love-with-life approach to food that makes her belly fat program unique. We now know that it's the fact around your belly, rather than anywhere else on your body, that's the most dangerous to health. Belly fat causes problems for the liver, kidneys and heart and contributes to cardiovascular disease, asthma, migraine, rheumatism, cancer, depression and of course diabetes. For men, a healthy waist size measures less than 94 cm and for women, a waist less than 80 cm. In this book, Berit sets clear, short-term goals to help you to reduce your belly fat over 12 weeks. Her program is packed with food and body facts, and simple food tips, tricks and more than 65 recipes that speed up the rate at which your body burns fat, increase your muscle mass and help you reach your ideal, healthy waist size.
Author bio:
Norwegian physician and specialist in clinical pharmacology Berit Nordstrand is devoted to studying the relationship between food and health. Also a certified cognitive therapist, Berit serves as chief consultant in a clinic specializing in addiction medicine. More than twenty years ago, when a young mother and recent medical school graduate, Berit faced numerous health challenges with her young son including epilepsy and ADHD and sought out ways to use food to help her son. Now, her son Petter is doing great, and Berit shares her results with the world on how the right food can bolster health and help us enjoy life to the fullest. Mother to six children between the ages of 6 and 22 years old, Berit is known for her inspiring talks and her passionate belief that everyone can enjoy the food they eat every day while reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases.
Comments