The HCG Diet is an amazing weight loss program that allows substantial, rapid weight loss results when followed explicitly. However, the pitfalls lie in the hands of every dieter who lack information and who were not aware of the intricacies of this potentially complex diet program. If you are not careful enough you can fall into some traps. Keep in mind that it’s not only with what you eat that matters. The way you prepare your foods, how you cook them, and how you select your menu item also counts.

Below are some cooking mistakes nearly every HCG dieter makes on the HCG Diet:

Cooking mistake# 1: Not weighing the meat before cooking. This is a very common mistake most newbies make on the HCG Diet. All protein serving must be 100 grams and you should weigh it raw and not cooked. The 100-gram portion size is based on raw meat. Do not weigh the meat after it was cooked already. Trim all the visible fats before cooking them so you can get all lean proteins which are good for weight loss.

Cooking mistake# 2: The use of oil. It’s a BIG NO on the HCG Diet. It’s actually forbidden to use one when you cook. Cooking without oil might sound kind of hard but you need to follow the rules.  Instead, you can use a non-stick pan or grill to cook your meat without using any cooking spray. And if you feel you must use cooking spray to avoid ruining the pan, spray the smallest amount possible and do it very quickly. You might as well spray on a paper towel and just grease the pan with the paper towel. Be careful with the zero calories on the cooking spray because the main ingredient is still oil. If you want, you can also use broth as a substitute for oil.

Cooking mistakes#3: Using of aspartame, sucralose, and other sweeteners. Low-calorie sweeteners are a good way to get rid of all the sweet taste without any guilt.However, when consumed in larger dosage, artificial sweeteners can make you fat. The more you consume them the more fats your body stores.

Cooking mistakes#4: You’re over-salting: Too much salt on your food is not only bad for your health but as well as to your waistline.

• Salt increases your thirst. That would be fine if you will quench it with water but the thing is, you oftentimes turn to high-calorie drinks like diet soda and fruit juices which can contribute to weight gain.
• Too much salt intake can cause your body to retain more water than usual and this can show up as extra pound on the scale. You can temporarily gain about two to three pounds within the day or two of consumption.
• Salt may make your fat cell larger- in particular, the fat that accumulates around your waistline. No one needs that.

Cooking mistakes#5: Not checking the ingredients on the seasonings and spices when cooking. Spices and seasonings are the best way to add flavor to your foods without the extra calories. However, you have to check the labels first before cooking for ingredients not allowed on the HCG Diet like sugar, starch, and oil. Start with the most prevalent ingredients such as sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, and honey. Hidden starches like maltodextrin and hydrolyzed starch.

Cooking mistakes#6: Nibbling and tasting while you cook. Taking even a small bite of what you are cooking with can really add up if you’re not careful enough. When you mindlessly nibble just two small cubes of cheese while you prepare your meal can add 200 calories. It can be quite difficult but avoiding temptations in the kitchen will prevent additional pound built-up on your waist. So better keep some crunchy veggies with low-fat dip to nibble in case you can’t resist.

Cooking mistakes#7: Not being careful when choosing seafood for protein options. Not all types of fish and seafood are allowed on the HCG Diet so better be careful. For instance, salmon, tuna packed in oil, or imitation crabs are not HCG diet-friendly seafood. Pickled fish, dried fish, herring and eel are also not allowed on the HCG Diet.

Cooking mistakes#8: Mixing of veggies. Per Dr. Simeons’ protocol, only one veggie from the list of allowable vegetables is allowed per meal. He restricted the mixing of veggies while on phase 2 of the HCG diet although he didn’t specifically explain why. It is believed that this was to avoid consuming too many calories mindlessly but modern-day variations of the said protocol do mix their veggie options and still manage to lose weight.

Cooking mistakes#9: You’re using the wrong cut of meat. You are allowed to eat 100 grams of meat for lunch and dinner. Beef is just one type of protein you can have on the HCG Diet but not every type of cut is HCG approved. When choosing the right cut, choose the extra-lean such as sirloin, filet mignon, bottom round, and sirloin tip roast. T-bone steak, on the other hand, has a higher fat percentage. You need to remove the bones too to get a proper weight.

Cooking mistakes#10: You’re using canned veggies when cooking. Canned veggies and fruits are not allowed on any phases of the HCG Diet.

• They have lower nutrients.
• Added sodium as preservative and sugar to enhance the flavor and in some cases to maintain texture. Too much sodium can cause weight gain while sugar is forbidden in the HCG Diet.
• Exposure to BPA, a chemical compound in the aluminum and tin cans. Even at a low dose, BPA is toxic and is linked with health problems including obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.

Steer clear of canned veggies when cooking so you do not experience weight gain. Choose fresh or frozen veggies in preparing your meal.

Detoxing your body from toxins while on the HCG Diet is essential if you want to further improve your weight loss result. When you detox, it is vital to first clean the colon for smooth digestion and absorption of nutrients before you do any liver or kidney cleansing. Below are ways to detox your body while on the HCG Diet:

1. Try to avoid canned goods as they may harm your digestive system. Whether it’s a can of corn or asparagus or maybe chicken, they may contain zinc oxide. Zinc oxide may help prevent staining of sulfur-producing foods but it can negatively affect the digestive tract. So, you better think twice before consuming them.
2. Choose organic meat, poultry, and dairy products. Organic meats are animals fed of grass and are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic meats are GMO-free, richer in certain nutrients, and often fresher. Eating organic meat reduces your risk from exposure to an obesity-causing chemical.
3. Choose organic veggies and fruits. Organic veggies and fruits are those produced without the use of conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic materials.
4. Before the HCG diet, replace your usual bottled water with filtered water. Filters like the reverse osmosis remove all bad and good content of the water after the process. This type of water has been shown to be beneficial on the mucosal lining of the intestine as well as keeping the balance of good bacteria in the gut.
5. Detox your colon by eating probiotic foods. These foods contain good bacteria to help restore your healthy intestinal flora. Some of the super healthy probiotic foods include the famous yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, kefir, kimchi, pickles, traditional buttermilk, and tempeh.
6. Drink plenty of water. The required number of glasses is 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Water is essential for good health and one of the easiest ways to maintain a healthy system. You may also drink a glass of water with lemon throughout the weight loss phase to flush out those toxins. Water with lemon is highly alkalizing. It helps cleanse and flush the liver.
7. One way to detox your colon is to eat green leafy veggies like spinach, kale, asparagus, and leeks. These HCG diet-friendly veggies are excellent in cleaning your intestinal tract. Fiber-rich foods like brussels sprout, quinoa, oatmeal, and fruits like raspberries, figs, and mango are excellent for keeping your bowel healthy and cleansing the colon.
8. Take a sauna periodically to sweat toxins out through your skin. Limit your time to a sauna to approximately 20 minutes or less. Make sure also to drink plenty of water to keep the balance of electrolyte in your body.
9. Have a lovely hot bath with Epsom salt. Epsom salt bath is a warm bath that stimulates and improves your body’s detoxification process. It is healthy, stress-relieving, and cleansing. You can add therapeutic oils like lavender or rose to your bath to make it more relaxing.
10.  Exercise to help you sweat regularly. Exercise can kick start the natural detox process. When you sweat your body does appear to sweat out toxins.

HCG Diet detox recipes

1. Cucumber Lemon Detox Water

This recipe is very easy to do. Just add sliced cucumber and lemon to your water and some mint. Then let it set to maximize the nutrient into the water. Cucumber can reduce swelling and aid in the digestion of foods and flushing out of toxins in the body. Lemon is a good source of vitamins and is essential during the HCG Diet.

• Detoxing Water Infused with Fruits

This is a refreshing combination of sweet fruits soaks in sparkling water. Adding fresh fruits to water adds vitamins and minerals and increases its nutritional benefits. It also makes it sweet, refreshing, and delicious. You can use berries, cantaloupes, peaches, pineapple, or oranges in ice-cold or sparkling water. Chill and infuse for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

• Lemon-Apple Cider Vinegar Juice

Get rid of the unhealthy bacteria in your gut with this zesty lemon-apple cider vinegar juice. All you need to have to make this drink is lemon, apple cider vinegar, and stevia. You can also make other variations like switching the lemon with a splash of pomegranate, grated fresh ginger, squeeze of orange juice or sparkling water.

• Detox Green Juice

This is a perfect addition to your detox diet to help cleanse your body and boost your immune system. All you need is a large green apple, fresh kale, cucumber, spinach, and lemon juice. Then blend them.

• Lemonade Cleanse

All you need to make this refreshing cleanse lemonade are sparkling water, maple syrup, lemons, cayenne pepper, unrefined sea salt, and natural herbal tea. Take this lemonade drink while on the weight loss phase of the HCG. This drink comes with a wide range of benefits. It detoxes your body, improves digestions, suppresses appetite, and enhances your metabolism. Apple day diet detox An apple day is actually a century-old detox plan used in many cultures to remove toxins out from the body. This detox is not only great for phase 1 but as well as during the maintenance phase.  Apples are naturally detoxifying. It’s packed with essential nutrients needed by your body to help release toxins. The same as during an apple day, you eat 8-10 apples and drink plenty of water. You may also drink lemon juice for more detoxification support.

The HCG Diet is a perfect diet program that naturally helps you shed unwanted fats. To begin with, you can choose to start with your HCG Diet with or without doing any type of detox protocol. The HCG diet was developed around the principle of clean eating thus, the diet itself works for detox. It detoxes your body from unwanted fats without the need for exercise.

Though it was not recommended by Dr. Simeons several HCG dieters opt for detox before jumping straight right into the HCG protocol. Their reason- HCG Diet and detox works better together!

What is body detox?

Detox or detoxification is a popular buzzword. Detox is the process of cleansing, relaxing, and revitalizing your body from the inside and out. It eliminates your body from harmful toxins by simply using detox products or supplements. You can also follow a specific diet to help your body get rid of toxins.

Why should you do a body cleanse?

It is vital to do a little cleansing first before you jump into a completely new way of eating. Toxic chemicals from the foods that you’re eating are absorbed by your body. Not only that, the toxins in the air you breathe are also absorbed by your body. Now here’s the shocking news, some of these toxins are stored in your fat tissue. So, getting rid of these toxins first will help set the phase. Once you’re on the HCG diet, it will be much easier for the hormone to burn the excess fats. You will also expect further improvement to your weight loss result.

How toxins influence your metabolism?

Toxins can affect your metabolism by:

• Altering the hormonal regulation of weight. It alters the thyroid hormone receptor and metabolism function leading to a lower metabolic rate.
• The toxin disrupts blood sugar control which promotes insulin resistance.
• It can alter the energy cells inside your body. It causes damages to the enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation and heat production.
• Toxins can affect your liver and how they control lipid and glucose metabolism.
• Toxins can impair leptin’s signal to your brain making you feel hungry all the time.
• They can mess up with your metabolism. They act like estrogen when absorbed by the body. This raises your insulin sensitivity, causing imbalances to hormones responsible for muscle growth and metabolism. This imbalance then adds those unwanted pounds.

How would detox improve your weight loss?

Detox cleanses your body from harmful toxins that hide in the fat cells. If your body has too many toxins more fat is retained but when you detox, stored fats are burned more easily. There’s actual evidence that persistent organic pollutants accumulate the fat cells. When you flush these organic pollutants out from your body more fat is burned. Plus, detoxing your body will increase your body’s immune system function including alertness and energy boost.

Why is detox essential before the HCG Diet?

Detox can be a great way to jumpstart the HCG Diet.

1. Detoxing your body from toxins before the actual HCG Diet can help with long-term weight loss management.
2. It sets you up to have a healthy habit while on the HCG diet and even in the future. Even when if you’re off the diet, you’re equipped with the habits needed to help keep you on track in maintaining your weight.
3. One great benefit you’ll notice after detox is an energy boost. Detox cleanses your body from sugars and caffeine that causes energy crashes. When you on the very low-calorie phase, you’ll have stable energy and even more to keep you going at work, with your hobbies, family, and social life.
4. When you detox, you eliminate your body from toxins. At the same time, you help your internal organs do their jobs more efficiently. Your small intestine, pancreas, liver, and gall bladder can work at their best in breaking down the stored fats on your belly to be used as a main source of fuel once you are on the 500 calorie phase of the HCG Diet.
5. It’s a great way to take the pressure off your organs so you can keep them strong during the weight loss phase.
6. After detoxing your body’s internal organs, they can now do a better job of protecting your body from illness. Your body is able to absorb nutrients more effectively. If you use herbs during the detoxification process, you’ll experience a boost to your lymphatic system.
7. Doing a detox beforehand can further improve weight loss result. Some dieters claim that when they do detox cleansing before starting the 500 calorie diet, they have much better weight loss results.
8. A detox diet can help you enjoy your food more helping you suppress your need for carb and sugar
9. It increases your awareness of the things you put inside your body. You’ll be eating healthy meals mindfully.
10.  Improve the gut system by aiding the digestive process, reduce constipation and bloating.

How does the HCG Diet detox program work?

The HCG diet was developed by Dr. Simeons around the principle of clean eating. Although detoxification before the HCG diet was never mentioned in the book “Pounds and Inches”, some feel like body cleansing or detox can further improve weight loss result.

Detox must come first before you can finally begin with your HCG Diet. After the detoxification process, you may start with the loading phase followed by the weight loss phase and the maintenance phase. After completing the cycle, a short break between each round must be observed before you can proceed with another round.

What will happen if you begin with the HCG diet without detox?

Detox before doing the HCG Diet is actually not necessary but it’s a double-edge sword if you’ll do one. You’ve got nothing to lose anyway. You’ll be able to shed pounds doing the HCG diet but you’ll shed more if you detox first.