I haven't followed the diet specifically, but I do have the Four Corners book
. Yes .. it is the updated version of the old GO diet.
In a nutshell, the 4 corners are:
- low-carb eating - up to 50g net carbs per day, up to 15g net carbs per meal (it's fine to have less, if preferred)
- high monounsaturated fat, reduced saturated fat - at least 50% of total fat intake must be monounsaturated, while saturated fat is limited to no more than 40g per day.
- high fiber - 25 to 30g fiber per day
- pharmafoods - colorful non-starchy vegetables and berries rich in phytonutrients; plus yogurt, kefir, buttermilk and other fermented foods such as raw sauerkraut, which have live probiotic cultures
There's no set portion size .. basically it's "eat until satisfied, but not stuffed", as long as you stay within the guidelines for carbs and fats. Obviously, if you're not losing weight then you might want to consider reducing portion size to see if that gets things moving along.
Fruits are limited to no more than one portion a day, with berries the preferred choice. No juice.
Fiber should come from non-starchy vegetables, low-glycemic fruit, nuts, flax seed, bran (corn, wheat, rice or oat bran), very-high-fiber/low sugar cereals (eg Fiber One) and bran crispbreads. Psyllium is another option, but it doesn't provide any nutrients as the other foods do. Breads, cereals, pastas etc are not allowed even if they're "whole grain", nor are lentils, beans or other legumes ... they're too high in carbs.
It can be a bit tricky to ensure at least 50% of your fats are monos. It's suggested to eat avocados often, have nuts for snacks, cook with olive or canola oil, and limit cheese and other high-fat dairy foods. Meats are fine .. the natural fat in meat and poultry is approx. 40% monos, 45% sats. Add a salad or steamed green vegetable with olive oil dressing, and it's perfect
On the subject of yogurt, the book presents the idea that the live cultures "eat up" all the lactose so that it's greatly reduced in carbs. There are no references or documentation of any kind to support this assertion .. but one of the book's co-authors has stated that the greatly reduced carb count applies specifically to homemade yogurt made from full-fat milk, with no "milk solids" or other additives, and it must be fermented until very sour. Commercial yogurts, including organic type from a health food store, will not have this advantage of being completely fermented, so the carb count is closer to the full amount stated on the label. My 2¢ is that everyone should make their own yogurt
.. it really is quite easy, less expensive and tastes so much better. Even when fermented till sour, it still tastes fresher than the stuff that's been sitting for who knows how many weeks on the grocer's shelf. There's an easy recipe in the book for making your own yogurt, no fancy equipment required
.
The book is very user friendly, with lots of practical suggestions, shopping lists, quick menus, ideas for a tight budget etc. Most chapters also have a special section with tips for diabetics
hth
Doreen
GO or Four Corners followers???
I'm on Go/Four Corners too
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