was created by dietitian and CBS’s The Early Show nutrition contributor Keri Glassman.
Her O2 Diet is based on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, developed by the USDA to indicate how well a food protects against free radicals. According to research, eating a high-ORAC diet increases the antioxidant levels in our blood by 10 to 25 percent, which can help to protect us against cancer and heart disease, cognitive decline and other effects of aging.
Glassman claims that by following her high-antioxidant diet, not only will you lose weight but you will also have more energy, greater mental clarity, better sleep, less stress, increased libido and enhanced beauty.
o2-dietDieters are introduced to an eating plan that is based on consuming antioxidant-rich foods — not counting calories or restricting your intake of food. Each day the goal is to consume foods that supply 30,000 ORAC points.
The O2 Diet provides clear and detailed lists of the foods with the highest ORAC count to make it easy for dieters to calculate their daily intake. As an example one cup of blueberries contains 9,700 ORAC points and an ounce of dark chocolate contains 5,900 ORAC points.
The program starts with a four-day cleanse where you will consume 50,000 ORAC points a day. This will quickly boost the antioxidant power of your blood. After this you follow the four-week antioxidant program where you take in 30,000 ORAC points a day, which are almost all supplied by an abundant intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dieters are provided with advice on how to choose antioxidant-rich meals while eating out as well as how to satisfy a sweet tooth with healthy foods that won’t disrupt the balance of free radicals in the body.
Berries, pomegranate, mango, papaya, beets, broccoli, kale, lettuce, spinach, red peppers, whole grain bread, steel-cut oats, Ryvita, quinoa, legumes, organic eggs, soy milk, organic Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, seeds, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, chicken breast, turkey, fish, lean meat, tofu, red wine, green tea, dark chocolate.
