What is the asterisks diet? And what is its origin?

The asterisks diet is a simple, practical and easy-to-understand method that will allow you to improve not only better control of your eating habits, but also improve your physical appearance and obtain well-being. Do you want to know more? Then continue reading.

The Asterisks Diet

Asterisk diet , have you ever heard of it? Today, we are going to explain to you in this article what it consists of? What foods should you eat and which ones to avoid? And much more, so that you can achieve that figure that we know you have wanted for a long time, yes, in a healthy way.

Before getting into the matter, the first thing we must understand is what is a diet? And basic concepts such as nutrition and food, so that we can then better understand what all this is about.

Simply put, a diet is nothing more than an eating regimen.

Now, what is food and nutrition? What is the difference between them? I make it easy! Food is the biological act, the need to consume food to calm “hunger”.

Nutrition: It is the conscious process, in which we choose a series of foods for the benefits that they offer to our body; Having clear these concepts, now yes, let’s get down to business.

The asterisk diet is considered a revolutionary eating plan or regimen, as it offers us the best of both worlds: it controls our weight, but in a progressive way, that is, healthy. In addition, it contains a balance between carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Most people when looking to start a diet regimen or include new eating habits make the mistake of radically eliminating carbohydrates or fats, and some become obsessed with counting calories. Yes, a caloric reduction is necessary, but not in its entirety.

And of course, all extremes are bad. It is not positive to take something as delicate as our nutrition lightly or to do it in an unconscious way, but it is not positive either to live counting calories. So, what to do? This is one of the main advantages of the asterisks diet .

Have you ever taken a moment to think or heard something about what are the hormones that are produced when we eat? There are two hormones that produce fat storage, one of them is cortisol, commonly known as “stress hormone”.

Believe it or not, stress, pace of life and anxiety can prevent us from controlling our weight. One of the keys to being able to control our weight is learning to eat, that is, doing it in a more conscious and intelligent way. Do not eat in a hurry, enjoy each food and each bite.

Another key is: Do not go on extreme diets! This will only create additional stress, terrible anxiety, and further weight gain. For this reason, the asterisks diet is an ideal option to avoid hunger and also control our weight.

There is an example that we love: When they tell us that they are going to take away the water, what do we do? Running to fill whatever pot or container we find, is logical! Something similar happens in our body, if we are eliminating carbohydrates or fats, how do you think your body will react? Exactly, it will generate reservations, and from what? Of fat!

Fats (healthy) and carbohydrates are the fuel of our body, if you eliminate them, how can it function properly? Or have you ever seen a car run without gasoline? We have to see our body as a temple, a perfect and divine creation that God gave us, and that we must take care of, and with the asterisks diet , we can do it perfectly.

Sometimes we make the mistake of going on a diet based on only protein and fat, but we eliminate carbohydrates, and completely in addition, our brain immediately sets off the alarms.

The worst of the case is that we have no idea that the brain needs certain nutrients and carbohydrates are one of them, when it does not receive it, the muscle sacrifices itself to feed our brain, do you realize the damage that eliminating this macronutrient radically?

In turn, the muscles are what help us burn fat, but if by eliminating carbohydrates we are consuming our own muscle, what do you think happens? Yes! The famous “rebound effect”, comes the frustration, the abandonment of the restrictive diet and the search for a new advice or a new miraculous diet that helps us lose 5kg in a week by magic.

First, losing that amount of kilos, although it is what many people are looking for, is not healthy. Second, magical diets do not exist, and third, there is nothing better than having professionals in the area to guide us in the best way, this includes both a nutritionist and a personal trainer.

A very important aspect that many people are unaware of and neglect is the psychological factor. It is incredible how much our perception and internal self-esteem can influence our external appearance; The asterisk diet is subtle, which is why it is so effective.

It is said that fat represents protection, but what or who are we trying to protect ourselves from? who is attacking me or who am I attacking? Am I the one who is self-sabotaging myself? Do I accept myself as I am or am I pursuing an ideal of beauty that does not exist? how is my self esteem? These are some of the questions we should ask ourselves before reproaching ourselves for “not losing weight”.

So, the first thing, make peace with ourselves. Second. Love and accept ourselves as we are. Third, enjoy the process, as the saying goes: “slowly, but without pauses”. Fourth, understand that each body is different, so it will respond differently. What works for our friend, neighbor, even coach, does not necessarily have to work for us. Fifth, let’s seek guidance from a professional. And finally, get to work!

How and what to eat?

The million dollar question that many ask. The asterisks diet is based on the  glycemic index of foods , and it is so simple, because it assigns a color to each food group, then classifying them as follows:

Yellow (carbohydrates)

Their yellow color indicates that they are rich in water, fiber and carbohydrates. Nutrients that cannot be missing in a balanced diet.

Fruits:

• Plums (4 medium).
• Dried apricot (10 halves).
• Peach (2 pieces).
• Strawberry (1 cup and a half).
• Guava (4 small pieces).
• Apple juice (orange or grapefruit (1 cup).
• Tangerine (2 small pieces).
• Handle (1 piece).
• Apple (2 small pieces).
• Melon (2 cups).
• Papaya (1 cup).
• Pear (1 piece).
• Pineapple (1 cup).
• Blackberry (1 cup).

Cereals:

• Cooked rice (½ cup).
• Whole grain oats (½ cup).
• Bolillo (half piece (without crumb).
• Box cereal with sugar (½ cup).
• Corn kernels (½ cup).
• Salty cracker (3 pieces).
• Animal crackers (6 pieces).
• Hot cake (1 medium piece).
• Salty sticks (2 pieces).
• White bread (1 slice).
• Rye bread (1 slice).
• Wholemeal bread (1 slice).
• Commercial French fries (9 large pieces).
• Potato (1 medium piece).
• Cooked pasta (½ cup).
• Apple pie (½ slice (25 grams).

Red (proteins)

Red foods have antioxidant effects, that is, they slow down aging. Also, they help us with everything related to circulation and the heart, stimulating them and invigorating our mood; They help us maintain an active memory, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and even helping us fight cancer. In fact, people with cancer are advised to consume plenty of red foods.

• Tuna (½ can).
• Beef (30 grams).
• Egg white (2 pieces).
• Egg (1 piece).
• Turkey or pork ham (1 slice (50 grams)
• Seafood (30 grams).
• Turkey breast (2 slices).
• Fish (30 grams).
• Skinless chicken or turkey (30 grams).
• Cottage cheese (¼ small container).
• Oaxaca or Manchego cheese (30 grams).
• White cheese or panela (50 grams).
• Sausage (1 piece).

Blue (fats)

Phytonutrients are present in the shell of fruits as in blue-purple foods, they help us maintain optimal health of our brain and our heart functioning properly.

• Safflower oil (sunflower or corn: 1 teaspoon).
• Olives (6 pieces).
• dressing (2 teaspoons).
• Avocado (2 tablespoons).
• Almonds (6 pieces).
• Cream (1 tablespoon).
• Margarine (1 teaspoon).
• Mayonnaise (1 tablespoon).
• Walnuts (6 pieces).

Orange (legumes, some dairy and others):

In addition to being a very delicious moisturizing source, they provide vitamin A in our organisms, which can be translated as the maintenance of a strong immune system.

• Beetroot (½ cup).
• Zucchini (½ cup).
• Onion (½ cup).
• Poblano pepper (½ cup).
• Brussels sprouts (½ cup).
• Asparagus (½ cup).
• Bean (½ cup).
• Soybean sprouts (1 cup).
• Mushroom (½ cup).
• Skim milk with chocolate (½ cup).
• Skim milk (1 cup).
• Cooked lentil (½ cup).
• Turnip (½ cup).
• Bell pepper (½ cup).
• Leek (½ cup).
• Quelite (½ cup).
• Low-fat yogurt (1 cup).
• Carrot (½ cup).

Green (optional foods, 3 cups per day recommended):

As its name indicates, green = vegetables. One of its greatest advantages is that they have very few calories and are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and K.

• Chard.
• artichokes.
• Celery.
• Eggplant.
• Watercress.
• Broccoli.
• Cilantro.
• Cabbage.
• Cauliflower.
• Squash.
• Chilacayote.
• tender green bean
• Spinach.
• Pumpkin flower.
• Tomato.
• Lettuce.
• Nopales.
• Cucumbers.
• Parsley.
• radishes
• Romeritos.
• Green tomato.
• Purslane.

Basically, an asterisk is made up of a package of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, that is, we must choose a food corresponding to each color.

How many asterisks correspond to each day?

If we want to achieve our aesthetic and health goals with the asterisks diet , we must comply with two important steps: calculate our “ideal” weight and the number of daily asterisks.

Calculate your ideal weight

Simply multiply your height by your height, that is, square your height and multiply the result obtained by a constant: 20.9 if you are a woman and 22.4 if you are a man.

Example: Height = 1.60 so I multiply 1.60 x 1.60 = 2.56 now, I multiply the 2.56 x 2.09 = 53.504 (female) / 2.56 x 2.44 = 62.464 (male) and I will then obtain my “ideal weight”.

At this point it is important to understand that the “ideal weight” is a guide, but it should not be an immovable reality. As we mentioned before, each body is different, so your ideal weight could be 53 kg, but your body is telling you that at 54kg or 55kg you are perfectly fine, or on the contrary, that your ideal is 52kg.

In any of the cases that could arise, we should not be alarmed, since it is important to learn to listen to it and not become obsessed with a table or an approximate calculation. Your body is smart, and it will know what your true “ideal weight” is.

asterisks per day

Once we calculate our ideal weight, we take that value and multiply it by 30, and then divide by 300. The result, of course, will be the number of daily asterisks that our body requires from day to day.

menu model

There is diversity of menus as people in the world, because as we expressed on various occasions, each body is different. An example of a menu would be to build a menu based on the number of daily asterisks.

In our example, it would be 53.504 x 30 / 300 = 5.35 (female), so let’s take it to 5 for simplicity. We then take our food list and that’s it. It is important that we remember two things:

The asterisk diet is based on the glycemic or glycemic index (you can easily get it online).

Each point (asterisk) is represented by a group of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. In this article you will find many of those foods. Breakfast, snack and dinner must contain 1 point, and lunch, as a general rule (and logic) is the dish that contains the highest number of calories and could contain 2 points.

Obviously, you can play around with the number of asterisks on your other meals, based on points earned. Important, if there are more than 5, the number of points increases at breakfast and not at dinner, since this should be the lightest meal of the day, since we do not burn calories during the night.