ITG Diet Blog

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of the summer season! It's been a long, cold winter and we all deserve a lot of warmth and sunshine this year. Throwing a backyard barbecue or cookout yourself means you're in control of the food situation and can have everything you need to stay successful all around you. 

But what if you're going to be visiting someone else's party this weekend?

Recent research suggests that adopting a low-carbohydrate diet could significantly enhance beta-cell function in adults with mild type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for diabetes medications. Beta cells, located in the pancreas, play a crucial role in insulin production, which is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. This study highlights the importance of dietary choices in managing type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects approximately 10% of Americans, with the vast majority being type 2 cases.

Bring a taste of the fall season to your day by adding Pumpkin Spice! Get creative with your coffees and protein drinks by adding a dash of flavor. You can also use cinnamon, nutmeg, and other seasonings for delicious beverages without all the sugar.

We checked out the menus of some of the most popular coffee chains in the US. If you want one of their pumpkin flavored specialty drinks, be prepared to get a massive dose of sugar in your system!

It's that time of year: Summer is coming to an end, last minute vacations will be wrapping up, and the kids will be going back to school over the next few weeks. What better time than now to begin focusing on yourself, your health, and your weight loss goals? Start your preparations and planning and be ready for the upcoming holidays!

Nearly everyone experiences constipation at some point in life. Constipation is a symptom that can be caused by many factors and is defined as having a bowel movement 3 or less times in a week. Poor diet, dehydration, or a lack of exercise are very common culprits. Women typically experience constipation more often than men, especially on a ketogenic diet. This is due to hormones and how the digestive system slightly differs between the sexes. What can you do if you are experiencing constipation?

GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications are commonly prescribed to help manage blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. These medications work by stimulating insulin production and reducing appetite, leading to better blood sugar control and potential weight loss. However, one crucial aspect that often gets overlooked is the importance of maintaining adequate protein intake while on GLP-1 medications. Protein plays a vital role in maintaining muscle mass, supporting metabolic health, and ensuring long-term weight management success. ITG Foods can help you get the protein you need during and after the use of weight loss medications, but why is that protein so important?

Losing weight and reducing waist circumference are the common goals of a weight loss plan, but many people wonder just how many pounds it takes to lose an inch off their waist.

Summer is a time for celebration, family gatherings, and very often, indulgent eating! While it's important to enjoy these moments, many of us find ourselves veering off track with our healthy eating plans. If you're feeling the post-holiday or post-celebration blues and want to regain control, you're not alone! Here's a guide to help you get back on track, and focus on your ITG Diet Plan.

In the past few years, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as a promising class of medications for managing type 2 diabetes. These drugs  work by mimicking the action of the hormone GLP-1, which stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion, and slows gastric (stomach and intestine) emptying. While GLP-1 medications offer several benefits, they also come with limitations and downsides that patients and healthcare providers need to consider.

{{ A Cautionary Tale against Neglecting Proper Nutrition }}

In today's society, the pursuit of weight loss often leads people down various paths, including the temptation of quick fixes offered by weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and several other GLP-1 antagonist medications. While these meds may promise rapid results, they come with a host of downsides that underscore the importance of prioritizing proper nutrition and lifestyle changes for long-term health and well-being.

When it comes to getting healthy and losing weight, it’s safe to say that many of us are looking for the quickest route to get there. These days, it’s all about fast results. However, that weight wasn’t put on in a day. Using a quick fix such as medication sounds appealing, but is it healthy? It took time for us to gain weight, so losing it in a healthy way should probably take some time as well. New drugs, designed for diabetes, are being used off-label for weight loss to get that quick fix that so many people are looking for. Will we ever learn? Is there really a quick fix for weight loss?

You’ve been doing great on the program, sticking to the guidelines, watching what you eat, not cheating, and losing pounds every week. Then, that day inevitably arrives: you’re invited to dinner at a friend’s house; a surprise guests brings over wine and snacks; you decide that you can take a day or two off to enjoy some fun foods and beverages. Then… the next day, you feel puffy, bloated, tired, and fatigued. You check your weight on the scale. It has spiked dramatically!

Have you noticed that when you eat or drink off-program foods, your weight tends to immediately increase? It may be one or two pounds but could add up to even more! What is going on inside your body, and why does this happen so quickly?

If you have been carrying extra weight for too long, making the decision to get to work on your health and weight loss goal is a big step to take. You must also realize that it is a major commitment, changing how you think about the foods you eat for life.

Getting started on this goal in the midst of holiday season might seem like a recipe for disaster. FOMO kicks in when you think of all the holiday dishes that you WON’T be eating. However, it’s better to get your mindset right and your program started before the holidays arrive rather than waiting until the New Year.

We've had a lot of changes at ITG the past couple months! We've added lots of delicious new bars and foods for you to try. We have been busy working with our new distribution centers to ensure that your packages arrive as quickly as possible.

Your order may arrive in 2 packages on 2 separate days. Check your email for a "Shipment Confirmation" email from ITGdiet.com. Make sure to add info@ITGdiet.com and Joseph@ITGdiet.com as email contacts so that you receive the your messages. They tend to go to junk, spam, or promotions folders in your email.

For assistance with the ITG website, shopping, using the FREE shipping codes, and to check in with Coach Joe for your weekly appointment, get in touch!

Email Joseph@ITGdiet.com and/or Info@ITGdiet.com

Call Coach Joe direct at 727-641-1679

Live Chat on the ITG Diet homepage (look to the lower left of your screen and begin the chat there - monitored Monday through Friday during daytime hours)

Like & Follow Coach Joe on Facebook for FREE motivation, discount codes, and special announcements

French fries are an American staple… they go great with hamburgers, smothered in chili and cheese, or dipped in zesty ketchup. Fried foods in general are delicious, there’s no denying that. However, is there a link between eating these golden fried foods and your mood?

Being overweight or obese in the United States has grown to critical levels over the past few decades. Throughout 1970-1980, foods with added sugars surged in popularity. The obesity rate in the United States in the 1970s was 15%. Today, in 2023, it is more than 42% of the adult population. Sugar intake increased in children back then, and our addiction has continued to spiral out of control. Recently, prescription drugs meant for diabetics have come into focus as celebrities and many doctors have promoted the benefits of using them to reach weight loss goals more quickly. However, off-label use of these drugs could spell a recipe for disaster, especially since their long-term effects are currently unknown.

Are you ready for some football? If so, you need to prepare and be ready for some healthy recipes to help you survive the big game! ITG has many recipes that you can view and print for free to help you stay compliant, whether you are on Step 1, Step 2, or you are looking for healthy recipes to maintain your goal weight in Step 3 of the ITG Diet Plan.

If you're a savory, crunchy, salty snack lover, we've got some great news for you! ITG has just added BBQ Curls. They've got a sweet and tangy barbecue flavor with lots of crunch. Plus, they're just 3 carbs and 110 calories per serving!

Enjoy them on their own as a snack, or chop up your lettuce, slice your vegetables, make some Creamy Dijon Dressing, and pour those BBQ Curls right on top for a delicious topping that gets you the protein you need at meal time! You can also use a variety of Walden Farms Dressings, available direct from ITG.

Try the new BBQ Curls, or enjoy Cheesy Curls and Sour Creamy Oniony Curls for a little more variety!

When you first get ready to start the ITG Diet Plan, you'll fill out a Health Status Intake Form. On the very first page, there are a few extremely important questions you will answer that can help your Coach prepare you for taking those first steps.

Can you feel the chill in the air? As the cold, snowy days approach, wouldn't a delicious cup of something hot and sweet really hit the spot, warm you up, and make you forget about winter for a minute? If you said "Yes," we definitely agree!

When you visit your local coffee shop for their tasty drink selections, remember that the ingredients aren't listed on the side of the coffee cup - so check online and make sure you aren't derailing your healthy eating routines in any Step of the ITG Diet Plan. Every 4 grams of carbohydrates is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar.

We have seen some very innocent-looking concoctions so full of sugar that they give us a sugar rush just looking at the nutrition facts! Some of the most popular drinks ...