I have been following the Banting Diet (a form of low carb high fat eating lifestyle...click here for more info on the basics of Banting) for the past 3 months now, and have lost a total of 5kg's. I wasn't planning on losing any weight when I started, but I had been hearing so many great things about the Banting lifestyle that I thought I'd try it for myself. And I must say I was incredibly intrigued by the claims that I could eat cream cheese and still lose weight!

My body has adjusted and gotten used to this way of eating (this doesn't mean I don't fall off the bandwagon every now and again) but as there are still loads of delicious things you can can eat and make it's pretty easy to stay on the right track (click the following for two yummy recipes; Broccoli & Cheese burgers and Cream Cheese Pancakes). Following the Banting lifestyle does require more thought and effort than eating regular meals, but is is possible to do, even right here in South Korea. Farmboy and I have actually found that we spend less money now on groceries, even though we are buying things like bacon and cream cheese on a regular basis.

Please do bear in mind that everyone's body is different. Banting doesn't work for some people who are very sensitive to dairy, which then can lead to weight (this is where you can try the Paleo diet which follows similar principles to Banting but without the dairy). But for me the results have been incredible. For the past year I have been exercising consistently 5 times a week and eating healthy meals and had yet to loose any weight. With Banting I am trimmer than I have ever been and I am doing less exercise than before. Granted I am not as toned or strong as I was before and some of the weight will be muscle, but my body looks and feels so different.

Here are the food lists of what you can and can't eat as set out by Tim Noakes, the author of the book The Real Meal Revolution. You can find out more about the book and get yourself a copy by clicking here. If you want to see results you have to start off being very strict with yourself. Not cheating. Trust me, once you start seeing results that bagel is going to look less and less appealing. And the great thing is, you can still bake! I bake all the time and am still able to satisfy my sweet tooth without sacrificing my hips. Some people will say that the gluten free, sugar free baked goods aren't as good as the real thing. Well, of course they're not, but they come pretty close and eating them isn't harmful to your body like the original recipes.

Also, my favourite Banters, The Banting Blondes have just launched a brand new Ebook full of all of their delicious recipes. Click here to get yourself a copy. By buying their book you are supporting the 'Breadline Africa' Charity Fund which does work to help impoverished communities become self-sustainable .

Green List

Green is an all-you-can-eat list. You choose anything you like without worrying about the carbohydrate content as all the foods will be between 0 to 5g/100g.

ANIMAL PROTEIN (unless these have a rating, they are all 0g/100g)

All eggs
All meats, poultry and game
All natural and cured meats (pancetta, parma ham, coppa etc)
All natural and cured sausages (salami, chorizo etc)
All offal
All seafood (except swordfish and tilefish - high mercury content)
Broths

DAIRY (Please refer to "What is the deal with dairy?" on FAQ page)

Cottage cheese
Cream
Cream cheese
Full-cream Greek yoghurt
Full-cream milk
Hard cheeses
Soft cheeses

FATS

Any rendered animal fat
Avocado oil
Butter
Cheese - firm, natural, full-fat, aged cheeses (not processed)
Coconut oil
Duck fat
Ghee
Lard
Macadamia oil
Mayonnaise, full fat only (not from seeds oils)
Olive oil

FLAVOURINGS AND CONDIMENTS

All flavourings and condiments are okay, provided they do not contain sugars and preservatives or vegetable (seed) oils.

NUTS AND SEEDS

Almonds
Flaxseeds (watch out for pre-ground flaxseeds, they go rancid quickly and become toxic)
Macadamia nuts
Pecan nuts
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

SWEETENERS

Erythritol granules
Stevia powder
Xylitol granules

VEGETABLES

All green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuces etc)
Any other vegetables grown above the ground (not butternut though)
Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Aubergines
Avocados
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Courgettes
Leeks
Mushrooms
Olives
Onions
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Sauerkraut
Spring onions
Tomatoes

Orange List

Orange is made up of ingredients containing between 6g and 25g of carbs per 100g (6% - 25%).

Chart your carbohydrates without getting obsessive and still obtain an excellent outcome. If you are endeavoring to go into ketosis, this list will assist you to stay under a total of 50g carbs for the day. These are all net carbs and they are all 23 to 25g per indicated amount. Ingredients are all fresh unless otherwise indicated.

KEY

C = cups per day
T = tablespoons per day
t = teaspoons per day
g = grams per day
For example: 1.5 apples are all the carbs you can have off the orange list for the day (if you want to go into ketosis and make sure you are under 50g total carbs for the day).

FRUITS

Apples 1.5
Bananas 1 small
Blackberries 3.5 C
Blueberries 1.5 C
Cherries (sweet) 1 C
Clementines 3
Figs 3 small
Gooseberries 1.5 C
Grapes (green) under 1 C
Guavas 2
Kiwi fruits 3
Litchis 18
Mangos, sliced, under 1 C
Nectarines 2
Oranges 2
Pawpaw 1
Peaches 2
Pears (Bartlett)
Pineapple, sliced, 1 C
Plums 4
Pomegranate ½
Prickly pears 4
Quinces 2
Raspberries 2 C
Strawberries 25
Watermelon 2 C

NUTS

Cashews, raw, 6 T
Chestnuts, raw, 1 C

SWEETENERS

Honey 1 t

VEGETABLES

Butternut 1.5 C
Carrots 5

Red List

Red will contain all the foods to avoid as they will be either toxic (e.g. seed oils, soya) or high-carbohydrate foods (e.g. potatoes, rice). We strongly suggest you avoid all the items on this list, or, at best, eat them very occasionally and restrict the amount when you do. They will do nothing to help you in your attempt to reach your goal.

BAKED GOODS

All flours from grains - wheat flour, cornflour, rye flour, barley flour, pea flour, rice flour etc
All forms of bread
All grains - wheat, oats, barley, rye, amaranth, quinoa, teff etc
Beans (dried)
"Breaded" or battered foods
Brans
Breakfast cereals, muesli, granola of any kind
Buckwheat
Cakes, biscuits, confectionary
Corn products - popcorn, polenta, corn thins, maize
Couscous
Crackers, cracker breads
Millet
Pastas, noodles
Rice
Rice cakes
Sorghum
Spelt
Thickening agents such as gravy powder, maize starch or stock cubes

BEVERAGES

Beer, cider
Fizzy drinks (sodas) of any description other than carbonated water
Lite, zero, diet drinks of any description

DAIRY / DAIRY-RELATED

Cheese spreads, commercial spreads
Coffee creamers
Commercial almond milk
Condensed milk
Fat-free anything
Ice cream
Puddings
Reduced-fat cow's milk
Rice milk
Soy milk

FATS

All seed oils (safflower, sunflower, canola, grapeseed, cottonseed, corn)
Chocolate
Commercial sauces, marinades and salad dressings
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils including margarine, vegetable oils, vegetable fats

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES