The GOLO Diet is a structured nutritional approach designed around the concept of metabolic balance. It is built on the principle that insulin, a key hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels, plays a major role in body weight regulation and fat storage. This regimen is not simply a set of food restrictions but rather a system that integrates meal planning with an understanding of how the body’s metabolism responds to different types of nutrients. As part of the GOLO diet, many people wonder what they can drink. This article provides a detailed guide to drinks approved for the GOLO diet, helping you stay on track while enjoying a variety of refreshing options.
Understanding the GOLO Diet
The GOLO Diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods to help stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing insulin spikes and crashes. By incorporating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, the diet is designed to enhance the body's natural metabolic processes. Rather than offering a short-term fix, the GOLO Diet promotes long-term lifestyle changes. The program involves building meals around servings of food groups rather than counting calories or macronutrients, such as carbs, protein, and fat. GOLO food groups include lean protein, seafood, healthy fats, vegetables, and healthy carbs, such as fruits and whole grains. The diet limits processed foods and foods with added sugars.
The GOLO for Life Plan is a flexible and easy to follow meal plan where you get to choose the foods you like to eat. The focus is on whole, affordable foods like butter, eggs, whole milk and cheese, meats, fruits, vegetables and grains, including bread and pasta.
Types of GOLO Diet
The GOLO diet has several versions to meet different needs:
- GOLO Metabolic Reset: This version focuses on resetting and enhancing the body's metabolic rate through structured meal timing, balanced macronutrient distribution, and exercises designed to boost metabolism naturally.
- GOLO Lifestyle Enhancement: Centered on long-term lifestyle changes, this approach integrates the principles of the GOLO Diet into daily routines.
- GOLO Balanced Approach: This model offers a structured and balanced plan that harmonizes portions of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
- GOLO High-Energy Accelerator: Ideal for individuals who lead an active or demanding lifestyle, this variant focuses on providing higher energy intake through nutrient-dense foods.
The Importance of Hydration on the GOLO Diet
Drinking water can benefit your weight loss journey and your overall health. However, drinking the recommended amount of water each day can be difficult, especially if you’re used to drinking soda, sports drinks, and flavored coffee drinks. Starting your meal with a glass of infused water can help with portion control. Drinking infused water can help you stay hydrated. By adding sweet or aromatic flavors to your water that enhance its taste, you may increase your water consumption. And the more water you drink, the better your body functions.
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Approved Drinks on the GOLO Diet
Water
Most of us are perfectly happy drinking water, seltzer, and tea throughout the week to make sure we stay hydrated without adding calories, sugar, additives, colorings, and other ingredients we don’t want in our body.
Infusing water is a simple process. Choose which fruit, vegetable, or herb to include. Fill your carafe or pitcher with water. Use a muddler to mash the ingredients and release their flavors.
Alcohol-Free Cocktails
But there are times, specifically that Friday night cocktail hour or drinks with friends on the weekend, birthday parties, barbeques etc. If you want to enjoy a 'fun' drink that is alcohol-free, you can request many of your favorite cocktails without alcohol. The benefit of alcohol-free drinks is that you can enjoy your favorite adult beverage without sabotaging your weight loss efforts. One that GOLO recommends is Curious Elixirs. The elixirs are handcrafted in the Hudson River Valley, using only the best ingredients and nothing artificial. One of the ingredients in Curious Elixir #1 includes a unique superfood and adaptogen blend that's not only delicious but also supplies antioxidants, increases circulation, and fights fatigue.
Tea
Black and green tea have moderate amounts of caffeine compared to coffee, but still offer similar benefits.
Drinks to Limit or Avoid on the GOLO Diet
Alcohol
If you are looking to follow your GOLO plan as close as possible, try to limit or avoid alcohol - at least temporarily. When you have alcohol in your system your body’s priority is to break it down before anything else. These reasons will hopefully influence your decision to stay on the path of abstaining from alcohol, at least while trying to reach your goals. Although GOLO recommends limiting alcohol for the best results during your weight loss journey, an occasional glass of red wine won’t derail your progress.
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Sugary Drinks
- Sodas: High in sugar and empty calories, sodas can spike blood sugar levels and hinder weight loss efforts.
- Sports Drinks: Often contain added sugars and electrolytes that are unnecessary unless you are engaging in intense physical activity.
- Flavored Coffee Drinks: Many flavored coffee drinks are loaded with sugar and calories, making them a poor choice for the GOLO Diet.
Additional Tips for Staying Hydrated on the GOLO Diet
- Carry a Water Bottle: Keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day to make it easy to stay hydrated.
- Set Reminders: Use your phone or a water tracking app to remind you to drink water regularly.
- Drink Before, During, and After Meals: This can help with portion control and ensure you are adequately hydrated.
- Experiment with Flavors: Try adding different fruits, vegetables, and herbs to your water to find combinations you enjoy.
The GOLO Release Supplement
This diet program relies heavily on a GOLO-specific supplement called Release, which contains minerals and herbal extracts. The supplement is supposed to stimulate your metabolism, according to GOLO. The blend of ingredients in the supplement is generally considered safe. According to GOLO, each bottle can help you lose as much as 20 pounds. When on the GOLO diet, you are encouraged to take the Release supplements until you reach your weight loss goal. You may continue to take the supplement after you’ve reached your goal, however, this is not required.
Benefits of the GOLO Diet
Yes, you can likely lose weight on the GOLO diet. One of the key factors that sets GOLO apart from other commercial diet plans is its premise that individuals who struggle with weight loss do so because of hormone imbalances. GOLO's Release supplement specifically targets the hormone insulin, with an eye to correcting insulin resistance. By incorporating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, the diet is designed to enhance the body's natural metabolic processes. The Golo Diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods to help stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing insulin spikes and crashes.
Considerations and Precautions
Although no independent, published research has found any risks related to the Release supplement specifically, some of the supplement’s ingredients could pose health risks. The Golo Diet is often criticized for its lack of robust scientific backing and clinical trials. Due to its restrictive nature, the diet might limit the intake of essential nutrients. The strict guidelines of the Golo Diet might result in short-term success, but they can be difficult to maintain over time.
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