Celebs are ditching Hollywood starvation diets and turning to a more satisfying way to lose weight — the Greek Doctor’s Diet.
Diet expert Dr Fedon Alexander Lindberg set up his first clinic to treat obesity, diabetes and heart disease six years ago in Norway. These days the Athens-born doctor has more than 12,000 clients throughout Europe on the Greek Doctor’ s Diet.
Celebs such as super-slim Gwyneth Paltrow are fans of the diet. “The food is so clean and good for you,” the actress says. Victoria Beckham also loves the seafood-rich, olive oil and lentil menu. “It was the secret behind her post-baby weight loss,” reports a friend of the singer.
Now you can learn the key to their slimming success, as Dr Lindberg has recently released his Mediterranean-style eating plan in The Greek Doctor’ s Diet (Pan Macmillan, RRP $25). The doctor’s best-selling book preaches the new diet buzzword, slow carbs — foods that release energy slowly. It also heralds the return of good fats, such as olive oil and nuts.
“The traditional Greek diet is very varied, with emphasis on good fats, good carbohydrate sources and taste,” Lindberg tells Woman’s Day. “It’s also greatly beneficial to health. It’s a diet that keeps blood sugar levels balanced and supplies a high level of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to the body.”
Dr Lindberg says his diet concept in the book is low GL — Glycaemic Load, which is a version of low GI (Glycaemic Index) and advocates slow-releasing energy foods, such as oats, almonds, plain yoghurt and beans.
“Of course, high GI foods increase blood sugar and that’s not a good thing,” says Lindberg. “But you can still combine high GI foods with low GI foods and get good results. An example would be porridge. Oats are a pretty high GI food, but they’re still healthy and if you combine them with nuts and a boiled egg with tomato and cucumber on the side, then you create a more balanced meal.”
A balanced diet and lifestyle have helped thousands of Dr Lindberg’s clients maintain their weight and control diabetes. “We’ve had some amazing results. People are managing to control their weight; we’ve managed to get clients off insulin in about 90 percent of cases.”
Dr Lindberg has noticed other unexpected benefits to his diet. “We have noticed a connection between food and inflammation. People come to us for obesity and blood sugar problems, but suddenly their asthma and migraines go away.”
It takes time to develop a healthy diet, according to Lindberg, and just being aware of what you eat is a good start. He’s keen to point out that the Greek Doctor’s Diet is not meant for short-term results. “It’s not a quick-fix thing. ‘Diet’ is a Greek word — it means way of life. That’s the original meaning and I’m trying to promote that.”
Eat Greek
Eat often: small, healthy snacks throughout the day can stop you reaching for the wrong foods.
Go for low GL: low GL foods can reduce rises and falls in blood-sugar levels that can make you feel run down and hungry.
Don’ t skimp on “good” fats: olive oil, nuts and fish can control overeating.
Never miss meals, especially breakfast, as this may lead to morning sweets cravings.
Eat a few tablespoons of unsweetened yoghurt before going out to dinner. The protein in it will reduce hunger and help prevent overeating.
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