The Aztec Diet by Dr. Bob Arnot promotes the use of chia seeds to encourage weight loss, which are rumored to lose weight while promoting better health. This article will introduce this popular diet and talk about its advantages and disadvantages.

What Is the Aztec Diet?

Ingredients in Aztec Diet

The Aztec is based on the benefits of the superfood, chia seeds and all the benefits that this food brings. According to Dr. Arnot, the ancient Aztecs fueled their diet with these seeds along with bulgar, fruit, quinoa, turkey, fish, amaranth, bulgar, beans, corn and plenty of vegetables. This gave them the energy and nutrition they needed to encourage their overall health.

Three Phases to Aztec Diet

1. The Aztec diet starts out with the chia challenge. You will be encouraged to have smoothies rich in chia seeds instead of consuming high calorie meals.

2. You will then move on to an accelerated lunch phase where you will have a smoothie mid-day along with a balanced meal.

3. The final phase of the diet encourages you to adapt the Aztec lifestyle by incorporating plenty of foods that help you lose weight while continuing to consume plenty of chia seeds.

Recipes for Aztec Diet

There are many delicious recipes for Aztec Diet; here are three examples of them.

Blueberry Smoothie

Combine four tablespoons chia seeds, a cup of filtered water, ½ cup blueberries, ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and three cups chopped, steamed kale and blend until smooth. This recipe is more effective if the blueberries are frozen first.

Gazpacho Gratitude

Combine 2.5 cups cherry tomatoes, a medium carrot, two tablespoons chia, ¾ cup roughly chopped and peeled cantaloupe, three tablespoons chopped red onion, ¾ cup roughly chopped English cucumber, two teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, a tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 5 fresh medium sized basil leaves. Pulse these ingredients in a blender until the mixture is smooth, but still a bit chunky. Add ½ a teaspoon or more sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Avo-colada

Combine 1 ¼ cups of coconut water with 1 ¾ cups of chopped frozen pineapple, ½ cup of chopped ripe avocado, a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, two tablespoons chia seeds an d a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth and consume.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aztec Diet

Advantages

• The meal plan is easy to follow
• You can follow up to 100 Aztec-friendly recipes
• It helps to promote healthier eating habits
• The ingredients are simple and easy to find
• Chia seeds contain plenty of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and calcium that encourage your overall health. Adding this ingredient to your diet can help you get the nutrients you need while keeping you feeling full so you are less likely to over eat and cause your blood sugar to spike.

Disadvantages

• Chia seeds can be expensive
• Some of the food choices are limited
• The claims from the Aztec diet are not backed by science
• You will only gain benefits of chia seeds if you use them as a staple in your diet instead of the occasional supplement. In some cases people who use chia seeds as a staple have seen known to experience side effects. These seeds are very hydrophilic they can absorb a great deal of fluid in your stomach which can lead to pain or cramping.

The basics of The Aztec Diet book by Dr. Bob Arnot and more information about how to successfully follow this diet plan are outlined in the following video: