Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

overweight, but they have a new shape and more

muscular body.

Origins

Bill Phillips, the originator of the Body for Life

program, is a former bodybuilder and was the founder

of EAS, a dietary supplement manufacturer. In Body

for Life, he has taken some of the principles of body-

building and incorporated them into a motivational

program that is easily understandable to the general

public. In 1996, when Phillips still owned EAS (he has

since sold the company), he began the ‘‘EAS Grand

Spokesperson Challenge.’’ The following year he

changed its name to the Body for Life Challenge.

This is a self-improvement competition based on the

Body for Life program.

The Body for Life program became widely known

with the publication ofBody for Life: 12 Weeks to

Mental and Physical Strength.in 1999. Other books,

videos, and a Web site have followed. Phillips claims

that in a decade more than 2 million people have

successfully changed their bodies and their lives

through the Body for Life program.

Description

Body for Life is both a diet and a rigorous exercise

program served up with a big helping of motivational

psychology. The diet part of the plan is relatively

simple and offers some benefits over other plans in

that it does not require calorie counting or careful

measuring of food.

Diet

The Body for Life diet works this way. For 12

weeks, people eat five or six small meals a day. The

meals consist of a portion of lean, protein-rich food,

and a portion of unrefined or whole-graincarbohy-

drates. In addition, at least two meals daily must

include a vegetable portion, and the diet should be

supplemented by one tablespoon daily of oil high in

monounsaturated fats. A portion is defined as the

being equal to the size and thickness of the dieter’s

hand (protein) or fist (carbohydrates and vegetables).

Dieters estimate portion size rather than measuring.

Approved proteins include lean poultry, most fish

and seafood, egg whites, low-fat cottage cheese, and,

unlike many diets, lean beef and ham. For vegetarians,

approved proteins include tempeh,soy, textured veg-

etable protein, and seitan. Vegetarians will have a hard

time meeting the protein requirements of this diet.

Vegans will most likely not be able to.

Approved carbohydrates include baked potato,

sweet potato, both brown and white rice, pasta,

whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, dried

beans, oatmeal, and whole grains such as quinoa.

Also included in the approved carbohydrates list are

apples, melon, strawberries, oranges, and corn. This is

a much less restrictive list of carbohydrates than

appears in many diets.

Approved vegetables include lettuce, tomato, car-

rots, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, mush-

rooms, zucchini, peas, bell peppers, celery, and onions.

All are to be served as plain vegetables without sauce.

The daily oil allotment can come from salad dressing.

The fats requirement of this diet can be met with

unsaturated oils such as canola, olive, safflower, or

flaxseed, but also through eating salmon three times a

week or with avocados, natural peanut butter, or a

handful of nuts or seeds daily.

In addition to allowed foods, the dieter is required

to drink 10 or more glasses ofwaterdaily. The diet is

to be followed rigorously for six days. On the seventh

day, the dieter can eat anything he or she wants. Over-

all, this diet allows more different foods than many

diets, but it is a high protein,low fat dietwith about

half the calories consumed coming from protein and

very few from fats. Generally dietitians recommend a

diet that is about 55% carbohydrates, with emphasis

on whole-grain carbohydrates, 15–20% protein, and

Body for Life diet

5–6 meals a day Foods approved

Lean protein-rich food Lean poultry, most fish and seafood, egg whites,

Portion equal low-fat cottage cheese, and lean beef and ham

to dieter’s hand For vegetarians, approved proteins include

tempeh, soy, textured vegetable protein, and

seitan

Unrefined or whole- Baked potato, sweet potato, brown and white

grain carbohydrates rice, pasta, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat

Portion equal to tortillas, dried beans, oatmeal, and whole

dieter’s fist grains such as quinoa. Approved carbohydrates

include apples, melon, strawberries, oranges,

and corn

Vegetable portion Lettuce, tomato, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,

(eaten a least two asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini,

meals) peas, bell peppers, celery, and onions. Served

Portion equal to plain, without sauce

dieter’s fist

Water 10 or more glasses daily

Supplement diet with 1 tbsp. daily of oil high in monounsaturated fats

(can include unsaturated oils such as canola, olive, safflower, or flaxseed);

salmon three times a week; or avocados, natural peanut butter, or a handful

of nuts or seeds daily

(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)

Body for Life diet