The 'Michael Jackson' Diet

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Okay, there is not in fact an official 'Michael Jackson' diet but his lifestyle is worth knowing about if you are interested in losing weight. There are two basic principles to follow if you want to attain the physique of that lean, mean, dancing machine who was (and still is) the king of pop.

1. Eat healthy - in Michael Jackson's case, this meant vegetarian. That doesn't mean you have to cut out all animal products altogether (which is vegan). But Michael Jackson diet rules included vegetarianism. What does that mean for weight loss?

Well, a vegetarian diet is typically higher in fibre and water, because more of your protein comes from nuts, beans and grains in combinations to provide excellent low-fat nutrition. That helps with weight loss by
* making you feel fuller for longer so you can eat less,
* keeping your blood-sugar levels steady for more sustained energy,
* removing toxins from the body that can inhibit weight-loss,
* and even carrying a certain amount of fat undigested through the system so it never enters the 'weight-gain equation' at all.

2. Exercise as much as you possibly can every day. That's right! Michael Jackson rehearsed for concerts and performances for five hours or so each day, according to his personal trainer recently. He was in excellent physical shape. So a 'Michael Jackson diet' is not just about eating healthily but also about burning off large quantities of energy.

For you, it might not be possible to fit in a 5-hour dance rehearsal each day of the working week. But think about this: if you really took every possible opportunity you could to use your body energetically, how much exercise could you fit in?
* Don't just take the stairs - run up as many of them as you can. (Maybe even do one flight at the top twice, just for fun.)
* Bicycle to work even when it's raining. (More exercise available by carrying a change of clothes.)
* Dance to your ipod for five minutes during your coffee break.

You get the idea. As much exercise as possible.

The two basic principles of eat healthy, exercise often are the fundamental principles of an energetic, slim physique. That is certainly something we remember about Michael Jackson. So even if the only way you commemorate him is by adopting a 'Michael Jackson diet' to lose a few pounds and look good on the dance-floor, perhaps that is what would make him happiest.