Schwarzbein Principle

Drawing from her experience as an endocrinologist, Dr. Diana Schwarzbein has created a nutritional approach to control insulin levels by regulating the intake of carbs. Her five-prong plan has several recommendations that adopt different nutritional guidelines to reducing stress.

The byproduct of these efforts is a smaller chance of degenerative diseases. Schwarzbein's approach is more than just an attempt at weight-loss but also has an emphasis on the healing values of following a diet low in carbohydrates. According to Dr. Schwarzbein and all the other advocates of low-carb diets, carbohydrates cause the blood sugar to spike. When insulin levels remain at a high level, the body becomes resistant to insulin, the thing responsible for converting glucose to energy. This then causes the glucose to turn to fat, contributing to obesity.

The diet itself is high in protein and fats while low in carbohydrates, which means dieters will consume plenty of chicken, butter, steak, cream and other goodies. However, dieters must stay away from cereals, breads, pastas, and other processed foods which will cause insulin levels to rise.

In the first step of the Schwarzbein Principle, dieters are encouraged to: never skip a meal again, stay clear of unhealthy carbs, eat balanced meals, center meals around a protein, add some healthy fats, enjoy real carbs, consume vegetables that are nonstarchy, snack, eat solid food and drink plenty of water.

Step 2 centers on managing stress. Step 3 is centered on the elimination of alcohol, nicotine, refined sugars, fake fats, artificial sweeteners, MSG, narcotics, preservatives and additives, caffeine and certain prescription drugs. With Step 4, individuals are put on an exercise program with flexibility, resistance and cardiovascular training. Finally, Step 5 concentrates on hormone replacement therapy.