The Menu

The Body for Life diet is rich in protein and may or may not include nutritional supplements. It recommends six small meals every day beginning with complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, brown rice and fruit in the morning. If possible the meals should be taken every three hours. During daytime, low fat protein foods like chicken, fish and lean red meat should be eaten. Remember to grill, bake or broil your meat, fish or poultry instead of frying them. Vegetables may also be eaten because of their nutrients (dietary fiber, vitamins) and low calories.

Each day, the diet should be taken with a tablespoon of safflower, flaxseed, sunflower, sesame or canola oil to obtain the needed Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids. If you don’t have these, you can take some walnuts or almonds as a substitute. Avoid butter or trans fat margarine. Instead of whole fat dairy foods like milk, cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese, use the fat-free or low-fat dairy. Then drink at least 10 glasses of water daily.

Instead of following a strict menu, Phillips provides easy meal guidelines. For instance, the protein to be taken with each meal should be just the size and thickness of the palm of your hand (40-50%) while carbohydrates and vegetables should be just fist-sized (40-50%). Fat intake should likewise be minimal.