Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma Diet claims to be one of the easiest and most sustainable diet plans online.

Dieters tend to like the fact that on the Sonoma Diet there is no counting or measuring involved and one is allowed to eat a variety of foods (Mediterranean style). This diet plan works around so called “power foods”, which induce weight loss. As long as dieters include some of these “power” foods in each meal, they are good to go. Eventually one can pick-and-mix their own meals and improvise with recipes. Various combinations are allowed.

Overview:

The Sonoma diet is essentially a 3-phase (3-Wave) low-carbohydrate diet that is set to burn body fat by eating so called "power" foods and lean meats. The concept is favorable to long-term change, because it is not based on severe restrictions, but on varied nutrition. (Followers get to eat Mediterranean style foods that have fat-burning qualities and rich flavor).

This diet is considered simple to follow, since there is close to no counting or measuring involved. (Portions can be controlled by using specific plate sizes recommended for the different meals). Some of the power-foods include: Almond, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Blueberries, Grapes, Olive oil, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Whole grains, etc.

The official Sonoma Diet website ( www.sonomadiet.com ) offers some diet tips and explains how each of their online weight-loss tools can be used. The creator of this diet Dr. Connie Guttersen is a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition.

Food and Recipes

There are no "extravagant" or unusual products in the menus.

Followers get two lists to stick to. One list includes foods that need to be avoided and one containing "power" foods that should be included in each meal to induce weight loss. Within those lists dieters are allowed to pick-and-mix as they like. There is also a "back-up" list of "semi-allowed" foods that can be included for greater variety.

Typical for the mediterranean, the Sonoma Diet includes olive oil, almonds, fruits (such as grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc.), vegetables (such as tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, etc) and lean meats.

Sample menu:

Breakfast: Buckwheat and Pear Pancakes. Lunch: Greek Pizza or Chile-Mint Burger... Dinner: Marinated Flank Steak or Grilled Bass with Strawberry Salsa... Dessert: Peachy Berry Cobber or Apple-Blueberry Tart or Tropical Fruit Pops...

Waves:

• Wave 1 lasts 10 days and excludes most fruits, some vegetables, refined flour products, large amounts of sugars and resources of saturated fat.
• Wave 2 is considered the main segment of the diet, where additional foods are being re-introduced for greater variety and the emphasis is shifted towards pleasure from eating healthy food. While weight loss is reported to be slower in this Wave (compared to Wave 1), it is reported to be consistent.
• Wave 3 is maintenance.

Exercise:

Exercise is not discussed much on the Sonoma Diet, but it is recommended in moderation for better health (such as walks or light exercise).

Pros:

• Database of 500 recipes (includes a wine guide)
• Weight loss tools, such as meal planner, weight tracker, food diary, shopping lists, etc.
• Online support community and forums

Cons:

• Not enough attention to exercise. It's therefore recommended to follow a regular (moderate) fitness routine.

$4.99 per week.