* Flexitarian Diet * Isabel Delgado Nutrition and Health “It’s about adding five food groups to your diet—not taking any away!!”

Flexitarian Diet History Creator: Dawn Jackson, – RD and LDN – Debut in 2003, in the U.S Flexitarian Name came about Combining two words: – Flexible and vegetarian. Many other Doctor's are now researching this diet.

How Does the Diet Work? Type of diet: Balanced The aim: Weight loss, optimal Health “Becoming a flexitarian is about adding five food groups to your diet—not taking any away!! “ – These are: the “new meat” (tofu, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds, and eggs); fruits and veggies; whole grains; dairy; and sugar and spice (everything from dried herbs to salad dressing to natural sweeteners)” (Dawn Jackson Blatner) – “Flex Sawp” Concept: Learn to use a healthier meat or other food item in one of your favorite meal – Ex: Meat sauce pasta Replace the ground beef with ground turkey Then eventually you will be comfortable with replacing white pasta with wheat pasta.

The levels of the Diet On the Flexitarian Diet, you can choose to follow one of three flexitarian levels: Beginner: two meatless days – limit of 26 ounces of meat or poultry per week. Advanced: three or four meatless days – limit meat or poultry to 18 ounces per week. Expert: eats meatless five days of the week – 9 ounces of meat or poultry weekly

Example of Dawn Jackson Blatner’s Meals

Pros Studies show vegetarians live 3.6 years longer and, on average, weigh 15% less than non-vegetarians. Blatner estimates the average person can loose up to 30 pounds by following this diet for 6-12 months. There are no known risks of being on this diet Convenient-you can buy foot items at normal grocery stores. Eating less meat = saving money, better health

Cons Diet doesn't’t require drastic changes to ones lifestyle…But some people experience meat craves! Need to know how to cook/ prepare foods Have to adjust to veggies and fruits if you are not a fan. Side note: After doing research on this diet I made a correlation: We crave meat as we become older because it becomes the central point of a meal. As children meat was introduced slowly into our diets. It being able to get back to that eating pattern. -This diet allows you to eat a variety of different foods with the animal protein as the side.

Diet Facts Generally done by 5 week meal plan. -you can eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and a various choices of small snacks. The ratio used in the diet: calorie breakfast, 400 calorie lunches, 500 calorie dinners, snacks up to 150 calories 1,500 Calories a day- so that means you can have two snacks! you can add or reduce intake. Consider your: Age, gender,physical activity levels

Diet Facts Idea is to eating less animal protein, more plant protein. -50 grams of protein a day! You can still drink alcohol with this diet -1 drink/ day females, less than 150 calories -2 drinks /day males EXERCISE is always important! “anything is better than nothing,” ( Jackson Blatner)

References "Best Diets." US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 18 Nov Jackson Blatner, D. The Flexitarian Diet, McGraw Hill, Zelman, Kathleen M.. "The Flexitarian Diet Review." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 19 Nov