The Flavor Point Diet

Flavor is the most important component of food - wouldn't you agree? The Flavor Point Diet plan supports this contention and theorizes that there is a mind-body connection that controls eating, with flavor being the focal point. This diet's creator Dr. Katz says the flavors present in meals determines how much of the food will be consumed. Too many different flavors at a meal can lead to over-stimulation of the brain and cause overeating.

Dr. Katz has created a six week plan for diet and exercise to help you gain better control over your eating habits and lose weight in the process. By imposing a few restrictions and recommending frequent meals with similar flavor "themes," you can enjoy a balanced diet of numerous fresh and whole foods, while limiting your tendency or desire to overeat.

What makes the Flavor Point Diet a different weight loss plan?

The Flavor Point Diet plan focuses on the mind-body connection that controls how we respond to the flavors in food. The plan provides six weeks of meal plans (recipes included) with limited repetition and lots of flavor!

What is the Flavor Point Diet?

The Flavor Point Diet provides six weeks of specific meal plans that aim to help dieters control cravings and learn to eat less, while still staying satisfied. Scientific research on "sensory specific satiety" shows that there is a tendency for people to stop eating when flavors are limited, and to continue eating when flavors are diverse. If dieters can eat healthy foods while limiting diverse flavors, they can lose weight.

Since the food industry has loaded foods with too many flavor combinations, especially in regards to salts and sugars, people who eat these foods are often constantly overeating. By staying away from processed foods, cravings can be kept under control. On the Flavor Point Diet plan, a variety of wholesome foods are introduced carefully over six weeks to substitute for processed ones.

The diet is balanced and offers a variety of fiber-rich carbohydrates, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats each day. Meals are spread out over breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and an optional dessert.

The Flavor Point Diet  plan is organized into three phases:

Phase One (weeks 1-4): This phase is designed to sooth cravings from appetite centers in the brain, by using a delicate flavor theme each day. Flavor themes include pineapple, lemon, peach, thyme and mint. A typical "lemon day" during this phase could include lemon-poppy seed muffins, lemon taboule salad, a lemon-orange smoothie, and pan-seared tilapia with lemon, chives and capers.

Phase Two (weeks 5-6): This phase has fewer "rules" and greater variety in regards to flavors. Here, there is a flavor theme to each meal, as opposed to each day. However, dieters are still reminded not to combine sweet and savory flavors at meals. A typical day during this phase could include whole grain cereal and orange juice, strawberries and cinnamon-yogurt dip, a dill chicken salad sandwich, cucumber slices, portabella mushrooms with walnut stuffing and backed cinnamon apples.

Phase Three (weeks 7 and on): This is the maintenance phase. Using permanent flavor management, dieters will experience continued weight loss and learn how to refashion their own family recipes, so that they adhere to the Flavor Point principles.

The Flavor Point Diet plan lists alternative foods for each of the phases, and includes two "indulgent flavor days," when coconut and chocolate are available.

Other diet tips include:

• Refrain from eating fast food.
• Avoid trans fats, like those found in margarine and some prepackaged snack foods.
• Drink six glasses of water (8 ounces) per day.
• Finish lunch and dinner with a hot beverage.
• Always start dinner with a mixed green salad.
• Only consume alcoholic beverages near the end of meals, in order to prevent over-stimulation of your appetite.

The Flavor Point Diet also has numerous pages of delicious recipes with nutritional information and portion recommendations. All recipes include healthy ingredients and most require minimal preparation time. Dieters can enjoy such recipes as Pineapple Shrimp, Pecan-Crusted Chicken, Pasta Fagioli with Spinach Marinara Sauce and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What are the weight loss expectations?

The Flavor Point Diet promises that you can lose anywhere from nine to sixteen pounds during the six week plan. For dieters that may have a lot of weight to lose, meal plans have a "Weight Loss Express" option that entails eating less at each meal, skipping dessert and consuming less overall calories per day.

Is exercise promoted?

Physical activity is an important part of the Flavor Point Diet. It recommends thirty minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, combining some aerobic and resistance training. This exercise can include anything that you enjoy, like weight lifting, team sports, walking, running, dancing or stair-climbing.

Are supplements recommended?

There is little mention of supplements in this plan. Dieters are educated on reading food labels, in order to determine if vitamins come from the food itself or are added. The Flavor Point Diet plan prefers that dieters consume less processed foods and take a multivitamin if needed.