THE SONOMA DIET

Based on the health-promoting Mediterranean diet, it is a flavorful option developed by a Medical Doctor.

"Flavor is an important part of health, diet and weight loss," says Dr. Connie Guttersen, author of The Sonoma Diet book. She says many diets don't work because they don't pay attention to taste, an important part of eating and sticking to a diet plan.

"With most diets, you're counting the days until it's over. They don't stick with you as a lifestyle," according to Guttersen. The Sonoma diet is shrewd. The diet's emphasis on food enjoyment, portion control, food label reading, and eliminating trans fats are very positive features to successful .

Mediterranean Diet Online: How do the Europeans do it? Great food and lifestyle tips here.

Guttersen recognizes the weight loss program as neither a low-fat nor a low-carbohydrate diet. She calls it a "next-step" diet and weight loss plan that has the right balance of nutrients to ensure health, weight loss, and satisfaction. These so called power foods are considered the fundamental of the Sonoma diet. They are integratedin many meals and recipes in the book. These power foods are considerednot only as delicious but also principal to good health and weight loss, in the right proportions. According to Dr. Guttersen, they "offer the most nutritional bang for the calorie buck."

As an example, whole grain breads and cereals -- which are in parts of other weight loss -- are allowed on the Sonoma diet from day one. However, certain foods containing saturated fat, added sugar, and refined white flour are eliminated throughout the program. Guttersen is a registered dietitian who has supported develop standards of care for a medical obesity treatment center in Bellevue, Wash. She is a culinary expert, and she is a nutrition consultant to the renowned Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

Pleasurable enjoyment of nutrient-rich foods is central of the Sonoma diet. While at the same time, the diet steers clear of depriving dieters of essential carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The Sonoma Diet reinforces healthy lifestyles. 

The plan's top 10 power foods: almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and whole grains.

"When you're making a lifestyle change, you need that community support," says  Guttersen, the nutritionist, culinary expert and author of "The Sonoma Diet" and "The Sonoma Diet Cookbook." This diet program has three phases, called "waves." In Wave One, dieters experience speedy weight loss as they're introduced to the plan's nutrient-rich recipes and exact plate-size portions.

More often than not dieters are finding all the direction and support they need to set and achieve healthy weight-loss goals online. The Internet is fundamentally exploding with affordable, convenient alternatives to the brick-and-mortar centers and best-selling books. "In the past when we had weight loss centers, you had to come to group meetings," Guttersen says. "Think how difficult that is versus sitting down to to a Web site and taking part in live chats. This is the next thing on the near future."

Last year, Dr. Guttersen began the online Sonoma Diet weight-loss program based on her best-selling diet book, which encourages the enjoyment of healthy foods, often with a glass of wine. The latest figures from the American Obesity Association that about 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese. And the figures are growing. At the Sonoma Diet website you'll find all the assistance you need to successfully lose weight, learn a better more healthful way of eating, and how to enjoy food without having it consume you. After the beginning 10 days they go into Wave Two, where they remain until their weight-loss goal is met. Wave Three is the maintenance mode.

European Diets: Enjoy delicious meals while dieting. Get your free analysis. Start today.