The word ‘Bahamians’ might conjure up images of beautiful people inhabiting the serene and picturesque islands of Bahamas. However, in this article we are not going to discuss the citizens of Bahamas, but about the diet plan called the Bahamian diet.
The Bahamian diet plan was invented by political activist and 1960’s comedian Dick Gregory. The comedian Dick Gregory was extremely popular in the 1960’s. He suffered from a health problem, obesity. In fact, he suffered from extreme obesity. Dick Gregory tipped the scales at nearly 350 pounds.
Dick Gregory revealed that the main cause behind his burgeoning weight was his unhealthy lifestyle which included smoking up to four packets of cigarettes and drinking nearly a fifth of a bottle of scotch every single day. His unhealthy lifestyle coupled with absolutely no exercise resulted in him packing on the pounds.
About The Bahamian Diet Plan
After leading an unhealthy lifestyle and battling obesity for nearly two decades, US comedian Dick Gregory finally managed to lose 215 pounds and became a slim 135 pound individual. He attributed the secret behind this massive weight loss to eating a vegetarian diet that contained plenty of raw and wholesome foods and drinking plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
Later in the 1980’s, Dick Gregory, formulated a diet plan on his personal tenets and experience which he called the Slim Safe Bahamian Diet. According to Dick Gregory, the main aim of this diet plan was to encourage people to eat a healthy diet which contained minimal amounts of fat and cholesterol.
The Slim Safe Bahamian Diet is a meal replacement product, sold in powder form. This powder is formulated from soy protein and soy protein concentrate. However having the Slim Safe Bahamian Diet powder alone will not help individuals lose excess weight. For maximum benefit, this diet powder has to be coupled with a balanced meal plan and plenty of exercises.
According to Dick Gregory the inventor of the Bahamian diet plan, for maximum weight loss individuals had to couple his Slim Safe Bahamian Diet powder with at least three balanced meals comprising of plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and juices. He also urged people to replace all high starch and fatty foods with natural high fiber food items.
To prevent toxic matter buildup inside the body, Dick Gregory advised people to give up all foods prepared from refined flour, along with fats, oils and sweets. Instead he directed the followers of his diet plan to eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables and drink fresh fruits and vegetable juices.
Bahamian Diet Powder Ingredients
As mentioned earlier, the main ingredients of the Bahamian diet is soy protein and soy protein concentrate. This high protein concentrate helps to improve energy levels, besides promoting the development of lean muscles. According to the American Heart Association, only thirty five percent of total calorie intake or energy requirements for any single day should come from proteins. If daily calorie intake from proteins exceeds this amount, it can result in health complications like heart ailments, diabetes and weight gain.
Keeping this important advice in mind, an individual on the Bahamian Diet Plan should not take more than three servings of the Bahamian Diet powder in one single day. Besides soy protein, this diet powder also contains potassium chloride, tricalcium phosphate and lecithin. An individual’s daily vitamin and mineral requirements are met completely, by simply taking three scoops of this diet powder.
Initially an individual on the Bahamian diet plan can start off with one level teaspoon of Bahamian diet powder which has been dissolved in eight ounces of unsweetened fresh fruit juice.
Weight Loss On The Bahamian Diet Plan
People who follow this diet plan assiduously can lose anywhere between five to ten pounds of body weight every single week. To ensure maximum weight loss, try and cut back on high starch and calorie rich foods along with refined foods as much as possible.
Types Of Bahamian Diet Plan
There are actually two versions to this diet plan. One is the less restrictive vegan diet plan and the other is the more restrictive raw food diet plan. People who follow the vegan version of the Slim Safe Bahamian Diet plan can eat a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unrefined grains as well as legumes and soy products.
If you have decided to follow the stricter version of this diet plan, all the essential nutrients are derived from eating raw food items alone. Not many people are able to follow this version of the Bahamian diet plan.
Sample Bahamian Diet Menu
People on this diet plan can start the day with a teaspoon of Bahamian diet powder dissolved in one glass of unsweetened orange juice. For breakfast an individual on this diet plan can eat a variety of fresh fruits or drink freshly squeezed fruit juices. For lunch the dieter can have another glass of unsweetened fruit juice to which the Bahamian diet powder has been added. The dieter can also eat a variety of raw vegetables for lunch. Dinner will be similar to lunch.
Importance Of Supplements
People who follow this diet plan are urged to take calcium supplements as they may not be able to meet the daily calcium requirement through the food that that they eat. Besides calcium, individuals who are following the Bahamian Diet plan to lose excess weight, are also encouraged to take supplements of vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron supplements. It is extremely important to take these supplements, particularly calcium and iron supplements, to prevent osteoporosis and anemia.
The Importance Of Exercise
Like other similar diet plans, the Bahamian Diet plan also extols the virtues of exercise for proper weight loss. The creator of this diet plan, Dick Gregory has always maintained that following his diet plan alone cannot help individuals lose weight. Along with the Slim Safe Bahamian Diet Powder, people on this diet plan should also follow a proper exercise routine. Ideally individuals should set aside about half an hour every day for light strength exercises and cardio vascular exercises to witness maximum weight loss.
Always consult a doctor before embarking on any diet plan. If you have any serious health condition, it advisable not to follow the Bahamian diet plan.