By far, this is my favorite diet ever. The main reason for this is that I don’t feel hungry between meals, and the food choices are to my liking. As the author of the diet says:

“The Sonoma Diet is a way of eating where meals are a celebration, not a deprivation.”

There are no calories to track, no “points” to follow, no “diet food”, no shakes, just healthy wholesome food.

The diet is centered around the ten power foods, chosen for their nutritional power as well as flavor.

They are:

• Whole grains
• Almonds
• Bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Olive oil

Around these power foods are low fat proteins, and other fruits and vegetables.

Similar to the South Beach diet, the Sonoma Diet has three distinct stages or phases known as waves. The first waive which lasts 10 days is the most restrictive phase with the smallest number of foods allowed with the smallest portion sizes. During this stage sugar intake is greatly reduced. During the next wave a wider variety of foods are allowed and weight loss slows to a more gradual pace. Wave two continues until the target weight is reached. Wave three is known as the maintenance stage with a wider range of foods being allowed including the occasional dessert.

You are allowed to eat whole grains, breads and cereals during all three stages of the diet. The plan does recommend avoiding white flour, saturated fats, and recipes with additional sugar.

The portions are easy to figure out because you manage your portions by your plate size, by dividing your plate into four sections, and serving one of the food groups allowed on each of the sections.

Things I liked:

• I was satisfied and not hungry in between meals
• I like all of the power foods, so no problem there
• Easy to follow
• A glass of wine with you meal is encouraged, though not a requirement

Things I didn’t like:

• A little difficult at first to come up with easy recipes.
• Some of the recipes of the diet were too elaborate