As much as most people try to follow a diet to lose weight or get into shape, after a certain period they quickly regain the weight they lost. If you have also tried crash dieting, it should sound quite familiar.
The simple science behind this is insulin resistance. Following random diets and cutting down on calories affects the metabolism rate and disrupts the insulin level in the body. Which is why you regain the weight just as easily as you have lost it.
The Golo diet is a healthy diet plan that doesn’t implement super restrictive calorie intake and relies on the concept of getting one’s insulin level under control to build a properly functioning metabolism.
How Does It Work?
The Golo diet is quite different from the other diet plans available out there. It cuts down the calorie intake to a healthy level and insists on taking a supplement named “Release” available on the official Golo diet site. According to the website, “Release” is a patented supplement that contains 7 plant-based ingredients and 3 minerals. It helps with Insulin resistance, glucose control, immunity health, and hormone balance.
The Golo diet offers free meal plans and a manual on understanding your metabolism. The meal plan consists of 3 well-structured meals throughout the day. Each meal is composed of servings from different food categories, i.e. protein, carbohydrate, fats e.t.c. This essentially means you don’t have to give up entirely on a particular food group, unlike most diet plans. The Golo diet also allows taking snacks in between if you exercise or go longer than 4 to 5 hours without having food.
The daily calorie intake is restricted to somewhere between 1300 to 1800 calories.
It has been proved to be effective for various reasons, such as –
- Fuller meals ensure that you don’t have cravings.
- It prevents any kind of eating disorders afterward since you don’t have to give up foods of your choice.
What Do You Eat On A Golo Diet? (Food List)
When one first purchases the “Release” supplement, they receive a free booklet that contains the list of food available on a Golo diet.
- Animal Protein :- Chicken, beef, pork, egg e.t.c (sources of lean proteins)
- Vegetables :- Sweet potatoes, green potatoes, spinach, winter squash, broccoli e.t.c
- Healthy Fats:- Chia seeds, hemps seeds, almonds, cashews, coconut oil, flax seeds e.t.c
- Fresh fruit
- Whole grains such as, brown rice and quinoa
- Carbohydrates :- Legumes, squash e.t.c
- Fresh seafood
This encouraged list of food, formed of unprocessed food, fairly includes most food groups and are considered healthy for anyone.
GOLO Diet Eating Plan
As mentioned before, the Golo diet plan consists of 3 fulfilling meals a day. Each meal is followed by one “Release” capsule.
An example of a meal plan would be,
- Breakfast – 2 boiled eggs, almonds, a fruit and a piece of whole grain toast (without butter or skip the almonds and make the toast with butter). The structure is – 1 fat, 1 vegetable, 2 carbohydrate and 2 protein.
- Lunch – Lunch is quite similar to breakfast and is a bigger meal compared to dinner. The portion of different food groups is – 1 fat, 2 proteins, 1 carbohydrate, 2 vegetables. Chicken, sweet potatoes, salad green and a whole wheat roll.
- Dinner – Dinner is pretty light, consisting of 1 fat, 1 protein, 1 carbohydrate and 2 vegetables. A good meal would be Shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
It’s perfectly fine to not be able to follow the structure perfectly. But it’s important to not skip a food group entirely, as each of them serves a purpose to the body. Try avoiding any highly processed food or sugary drinks as it disturbs the insulin level.
GOLO Diet Recipe
A great golo diet breakfast would be Egg Bhurji. 1 serving of this dish contains 2 proteins, 2 vegetables, 1 carbohydrate and 1 fat. Exactly what the golo meal plan for breakfast suggests.
Ingredients
To prepare 1 serving of egg bhurji, you would need,
- 1 cup onion
- 1/2-inch cube of grated ginger
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic
- 1-2 green chilies (optional)
- Sea salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 whisked eggs
- 1 slice of bread
Recipe:-
- Separately grate, 1 cup onion, ginger, and Roma tomatoes until they are very small but not pureed.
- In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and onions. Once onions are translucent, add ginger, garlic, and green chilis (optional). Stir for about a minute.
- Add tomatoes. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Separately whisk eggs and set aside.
- Add seasonings to the pan and stir. Add whisked eggs and scramble. Remove from heat.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve with 1 slice GOLO-approved bread, toasted. Garnish with chopped raw onion.
A simple yet fulfilling breakfast which will stop you from craving snacks.
The Ultimate GOLO Diet Cookbook for Beginners and Seniors,” by Makinsy Renne, offers over 180 recipes to transform your life through the renowned GOLO Diet. Tailored for both beginners and seniors, it emphasizes a healthier lifestyle with delicious and exciting recipes. The book includes a 45-day meal plan guide and extra template for effortless meal planning.
GOLO Diet Pros and Cons
Golo Diet Pros
- Avoiding processed and sugary foods reduces cravings, which is the biggest roadblock to your weight-loss journey.
- Golo Diet promotes nutrient dense food along with exercise, which is a good recipe for healthy weight loss.
- It provides benefits like, reduced stress, better quality of sleep and reduced anxiety.
Golo Diet Cons
- The official website of Golo Diet doesn’t provide any information on the supposedly medical professionals who came up with this supplement named “Release” and it also lacks scientific evidence about the ingredients used in it.
- The Golo diet is extremely expensive. While the meal plan and recipes are free, each bottle of supplements cost about $60. Depending upon your weight-loss goal you have to take 1 to 3 bottles of supplements per month.
- Dieticians and nutritionists have pointed out that unless a person is checked by a doctor, it’s not quite possible to know about their hormone level. And based on the fact that the Golo diet heavily depends on “Insulin hormone control”, one should be cautious before proceeding to follow this diet.