YOU NEED TO EAT SIX TIMES A DAY…EVERY 3 HOURS. You should always have your heaviest meals before 6:00 pm and if you feel hungry try adding the Plexus 96 protein shakes twice a day to curb your appetite. It is difficult to eat this way if it is not something you are used to doing but the below will help you slowly introduce changes to your diet.
~ Meal Ideas ~
Breakfast
Low-Carb: When planning breakfasts for two weeks on a low-carb diet, focus on variety. Eggs suit a low-carb diet well, and you can fix them in many different ways. Try fried eggs, cheese omelets with a few peppers sauteed in olive oil, and eggs scrambled with ham. You can enjoy bacon, sausage and ham on the side for your breakfasts over your two-week diet period.
No-Carb: If you’re serious about a no-carb — or at least a very low-carb — diet, here’s a chance to enjoy some good old-fashioned bacon and eggs for breakfast. You won’t get any carbs with bacon and eggs, and you will get plenty of protein: three slices of cured, pork bacon has around 6 g of protein, while a fried egg also has about 6 g of protein, which will help keep you full for a long time.
Lunch
Low-Carb: For lunch, vary your menus over two weeks, but continue eating meals low in carbohydrates. Try making high-protein chef’s salads with ham, cheese and avocado, plus some green leafy lettuce; choose the darkest-colored lettuce possible to get the most vitamins you can. Since it’s possible to find breads on the market intended for a low-carb diet, have a sandwich now and then, but don’t overdo it. And have steak for lunch, if you wish.
No-Carb: Lettuce wraps are nothing but sandwiches with lettuce substituting for the bread. Get a nice, fresh romaine lettuce leaf, and wrap it around some deli turkey or thinly sliced steak and maybe add a slice of low-fat cheese, too. When you’re ready to allow for a few carbs in your diet, use a dab of mustard to add some tangy flavor to your wrap and help keep it all together.
Dinner
Low-Carb: For dinner, try well-seasoned steak cooked in olive oil plus some low-carb vegetables, such as kale or collard greens. Enjoy a pork chop one night with a small salad, and sauteed salmon the next night with fried mushrooms and peppers. For dessert, consider having a handful of nuts or one of the low-carb premade desserts on the market. Just check the label to make sure any dessert you purchase really does contain few carbs, since some allegedly “low-carb” foods really aren’t low-carb.
No-Carb: A no-carb dinner can include a healthy portion of grilled salmon with a small romaine lettuce salad. Just remember than any dressing or marinades you use will have a surprisingly high number of carbs because many of them contain sugar. Vinegar and oil do not contain carbs and therefore can work as a dressing in a pinch. Half a cup of Romaine lettuce has 0.2 net carb grams, according to the Atkins website, so while it’s not technically a no-carb food, the amount is negligible enough that it’s considered a no-carb food.
~ Food FYI ~
Vegetables
Not all vegetables are zero-carbohydrate options so it is imperative to be familiar with which ones contain no carbohydrates if you are following a low-carbohydrate diet plan or counting your carbohydrate intake. Vegetables like pepper, mushrooms, radishes, spinach, lettuce, celery, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, bok choy, green olives, freeze-dried parsley and endive contain zero carbohydrates. Spices and herbs that are also free of carbohydrates include oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, basil, cilantro, sage, fennel, ginger, tarragon, dill, rosemary and parsley.
Beverages
Water is essential for the health of your body and is completely free of carbohydrates. Drinking eight glasses of water a day aids in digestion and keeps your body hydrated, and also helps in carrying out normal metabolic processes. Club soda, coconut water and diet soda also contain zero carbohydrates as long as they are not flavored or sweetened. Most unsweetened teas, including black, green and white, as well as freshly brewed coffee, are carb-free. Some alcoholic beverages like rum, gin, vodka, whiskey and dry white wine do not contain any carbohydrates either.
Seafood
According to the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, seafood is a healthy food choice that is free of carbohydrates. You can boil, bake or steam fish like salmon, halibut and herring to avoid carbohydrates. Other no-carbohydrate diet menu selections include lobster, crab, sardines, tuna and flounder. Along with being devoid of carbohydrates, many seafood options supply your body with good essential fatty acids.
Fish
Fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines are high in proteins and do not contain any carbs, according to Harvard School of Public Health. Fish also supply your body with essential fatty acids including omega 3 fatty acids. Healthy fats are vital for heart health and help your body to not feel deprived. Fish is a filling dinner choice on a no-carbohydrate diet because of the protein and healthy fat content. They are also rich sources of vitamin A, vitamin D, potassium and selenium.
Live Well with Plexus 