Frequently Asked Questions
The Science
The Food
Delivery
General
The Science
What makes Go Lower so successful?
At Go Lower we believe that if you are overweight you do not have an addiction, and we believe you shouldn’t have to starve yourself thin. We believe in three proper meals a day and that you have a healthy approach to eating and dieting.
The Go Lower nutritionally balanced meals work because they are:
- Real food that tastes great.
- Calorie controlled - you are limiting your daily intake of calories to about 1500 a day, which is enough to help you lose weight but not enough to slow your metabolism down.
- Protein rich - protein makes you feel full and is crammed with essential nutrients to help build strong healthy bodies. It stimulates your body to create and expel energy; in turn helping you burn more calories even when you seem to be doing nothing!
- Low in sugar and starch - this means your body needs to use its fat as energy - a state called Ketosis.
- Low GI and low GL - your blood sugar levels remain constant, avoiding the fat gain caused by insulin release.
- Rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Clinical studies show that after several weeks on the Go Lower diet you will improve your cholesterol profile, improving overall health and wellbeing. Go Lower has its most immediate and visible impact on people with a lot of weight to lose (more than 2 stone).
What is Ketosis?
When you eat less processed carbohydrate (like sugar and starch) your body turns to fat for energy, so more ketones are generated. Some of those ketones (acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate) are used for energy; the heart muscle and kidneys, for example, prefer ketones to glucose.
Most cells, including the brain cells, are able to use ketones for at least part of their energy. But there is one type of ketone molecule (called acetone) that cannot be used by the body and is excreted as waste, mostly in the urine.
If enough acetone is in our urine, it can be detected using our Ketone Test Strip. Even though everyone is generating ketones continually, this detection in the urine is what is what is commonly called “ketosis”.
The higher the concentration of ketones in the urine, the more purple the sticks will turn.
What are GI and GL?
Certain foods (in particular carbohydrates) turn into a form of sugar called glucose when digested. The glucose then enters your blood stream to provide energy.
If you have too much glucose in your blood stream your body will release a hormone called insulin from the pancreas to remove the excess glucose. This process turns excess glucose into fat to store energy for later.
If you do lots of exercise, or you have a naturally high metabolic rate, or you are young with an active human growth hormone, you can eat lots of foods that turn into glucose, without any problems.
If not, an over-production of insulin trying to control the glucose in your blood will lead diabetes or simply excess fat.
Over the past few years many tests have been carried out on different foods to see how quickly the human body can convert food into glucose. This has resulted in a list of foods known as the glycaemic index.
Foods that covert to glucose slowly are known as Low GI (i.e. they have low Glycaemic Index) and those foods that convert fast are known as High GI.
This has become the basis of many diets in the UK, however there are some drawbacks with this simplistic approach to food and digestion.
Firstly the tests themselves are fairly random, as they are done on 12 people over a 2-hour period over 2 days. The problem with this is the variation in the people doing the test: their metabolic rates, state of health, wellbeing, age and lifestyle.
Did they exercise before the test? Or starve the night before? These are just two factors could affect the outcome of the test. With such small numbers doing the test and without the rigour of a truly controlled environment, the tests are unreliable.
Secondly some foods do not give rise to a high GI index but do cause a massive release of insulin for various complex biological reasons. Fructose is one such example.
Ultimately the only reason we are interested in the glycaemic index of foods is because it is likely that food with a high or medium GI will cause a massive release of insulin and that is the problem that we need to deal with.
Finally something may be low GI but still not good for you. For example a Topic chocolate bar is low GI but it’s certainly not good for you!
All Go Lower foods have a low GI but we go many steps beyond this to give you a complete diet.
What is Glycaemic Load or GL?
Eating a lot of low GI foods may seem ok but - combined with a lack of exercise - you are still going to get a too much glucose in the blood, albeit slowly.
Glycaemic Load measures the GI and the amount of carbohydrate in the food. Low GL foods ensure not only a slow release of glucose into the blood stream but also a control over the amount.
Low GL foods tend to be low carb but high in fibre and essential vitamins and minerals.
As an example if you eat a Mars bar it is technically a medium GI food (which is considered to be good) but the danger sign is that it’s High GL.
In contrast, watermelon is High GI but it has very little sugar in it, so it is low GL.
All Go Lower foods are Low GL and Low GI and we go one step further.
We then think about the real intensity of the food from a nutrient position. So if it doesn’t give you anything other than sugar slow or fast, it won’t be in the Go Lower diet.
What clinical studies are there?
Brehm, BJ Seeley RJ Daniels SR et al
A Randomised Trial Comparing a very low carbohydrate Diet and a calorie restricted low fat diet. The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 88(4) 2003 pages 1617-1623
Foster GD Wyatt HR Hill JO et al
A Randomised Trial of low carbohydrate diet for obesity
The New England Journal of Medicine 348 (21) 2003
Brian KD Brehm BJ Seeley RJ
Greater Reduction in Inflammatory Markets with a low carbohydrate diet
American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions 2002
Samaha FF Iqbal N
A low Carbohydrate as compared with a low fat diet in severe obesity
The New England Journal of Medicine 348(21) 2003
Westman EC Yancy WS Edman JS et al
Effect of 6-month adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program
The American Journal of Medicine 113 (1)
Hussein M Dashti Thazhumpas et al
Beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects
Molecular Cell Biochemistry Dec 2006
Christopher D Gardner PHD Alexandre Kiazand MD Sofiya Alhassan et al
Comparison of the low carb low fat and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors in Premenopausal Woman
Journal of American Medical Association Jan 2007
Thomas L Halton ScD Walter Willet MD et al
Low Carbohydrate Diet Score and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Woman
The New England Journal of Medicine March 2007-10-24
Dariush Mozaffarian et al
Dietary fats carbohydrate and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal woman
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004
What about exercise?
Getting fit makes you both look and feel better. To find out more about recommended exercise please phone one of our counsellors and we will make sure you get in touch with an expert.
The Food
Is this expensive
The Food
Go Lower is not just another low calorie low fat diet - we do more
Our food actually makes your body burn fat. We have worked with the very best nutritionists and biochemists to develop these fat-burning meals so while you eat food you lose inches.
We have used chefs to take these clever recipes and turn them into great tasting meals so dieting does not have to leave a bad taste in your mouth.
We use local produce and farm assured ingredients wherever possible.
We don’t use any artificial ingredients or sweeteners.
We use a lot of protein, which is expensive whereas most diet foods use cheap bulking agents such as pasta and potatoes.
Our meals are virtually free of sugar which is cheap but fattening.
Our meals are high in fibre and protein to keep you full for longer but the best protein and fibre are expensive.
Delivery
Go Lower then delivers the meals to your home or work for free
The Support
Included in the daily cost is the dedicated support team that are there to help you every day with your worries questions issues and concerns. This is not about weekly weigh-ins or lectures but real help when you want it.
The Real Cost of Food
When we think of our weekly cost of food we probably think of our last supermarket shop. The average spend per person per week on groceries is £40. But when you add in all those lunches at the office and all the snacks and coffees along the way, the actual weekly food spend by the average person in the UK is significantly more than this. Then add all the takeaways and you are looking at nearer £80 per week.
On Go Lower you don’t buy your normal weekly shop and you don’t buy all the snacks or lunches. We provide these for you. Your weekly shop for vegetables and fruit will be down below £10 and no more expensive takeouts.
The Value of Health
What is the real value of great health and a slimmer waistline that lasts for life? For the first time you can do this without compromise. What is the value of not being stressed about food and diet or losing a stone in a month? Try it for a week and see the value.
What are the key features of Go Lower meals?
- Quality ingredients specially sourced for great taste
- Prepared by a chef using a pressure cooking method to lock the taste in
- Individual portion sizes, for ease
- Ready for you to heat, garnish and serve with your favourite accompaniment in minutes
- No added colours, flavours, preservatives, or GMOs
- Minimal salt, if present at all
- No artificial sweeteners
What cooking method is used?
One of our chefs prepares the protein element of the meal (the meat, fowl, fish etc). Simultaneously, a second chef prepares the sauce.
All the ingredients, which are uncooked at this point, go into individual portion pouches. The pouch is sealed and put into a steam pressure cooker.
The result is tender food, and because it is sealed in the pouches, the aromas are retained, not lost in the steam.
What is the shelf life?
The pressure-cooking process also ensures that the food is totally cleared of any bacteria, which makes the food safe for long periods.
This has many advantages:
- Convenience - you can keep our products in the store cupboard until needed, with no need to refrigerate.
- No waste - Go Lower helps prevents food wastage, which is costly to the environment as well as to you.
- Lightweight - easy to carry and providing perfect protection for the nutrients, flavour and food quality of Go Lower dishes.
What should I eat with my Go Lower meals?
With each main evening meal we strongly recommend that you eat a portion of green vegetables or salad from the following list in the following amounts. At Go Lower we don’t think in terms of points, calories or grams. We believe that all the measuring and counting hasn’t helped us to understand food the way we should do so at Go Lower we want you to think like a Hunter Gatherer and feel the weight of the food in your hand. However for those of you that find this a step too far we will also give you the metric measurements to help you along.
Salads
Instead of vegetables you can choose to have either half a Cos or Romaine lettuce or a quarter of an iceberg lettuce with a little chopped up cucumber and green pepper. We recommend either mayonnaise with the salad or an oil dressing which is 10 parts oil to 1 part vinegar with a good shake of salt and some garlic (if you like it). Another wonderful salad option is an avocado with dressing.
See below for some delicious easy recipes »
Recipes
All the vegetables can be boiled or stir-fried or steamed. Once cooked just add a knob of butter with or without a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. If you are looking for a bit more excitement here are some recipes, which we hope you will enjoy. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Go Lower team for more ideas and of course when you get to your target weight and join the Club you can get loads of recipes whenever you want.
Green Beans and Garlic
This is a classic French recipe, which is often served in good restaurants. Simple but makes a huge difference to the dinner.
Take the fine or green beans and boil or steam them until they are nearly soft. Drain and set aside. In a large frying pan add a knob of butter and some chopped or crushed garlic. When the garlic is soft but not burnt add green beans and stir until coated with the buttery garlic… add salt and serve.
Fried Cabbage
The worst thing in the world is boiled cabbage but one of the best things is fried cabbage. Take any cabbage although Sweetheart and Savoy are best. Slice finely and set to one side. In a large pan add a large knob of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Melt the butter and mix with the oil. When golden add the cabbage and stir thoroughly. When coated with butter and oil put the lid on and lower the heat to very low. Now cook slowly until soft and buttery. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Oven Roasted Vegetables
- One courgette
- One green pepper
- Handful of mushrooms
- Two leeks
Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the chopped vegetables with salt and pepper. If you have duck fat use that.
Roast for 30 mins at a high temperature until veg are lightly browned and tender.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds for extra taste.
Cheesy Leeks
Boil or steam your leeks until they are soft. Drain and now add to a buttered oven dish and put to one side. Then take 100g of grated cheese and add 50ml of cream and a teaspoon of mustard. Mix and pour over the leeks and bake in the oven until the sauce is soft and smooth and hot. Serve with freshly milled pepper and salt.
Creamed Spinach
If you are using frozen spinach it is even quicker. With fresh spinach you need to wash and cook the spinach by microwaving it or boiling it on the stove. Drain and squeeze all the water out. Chop finely. If you have frozen spinach it is even easier as all you have to do is boil and drain. No chopping required.
Add 100ml of cream and a knob of butter to the chopped spinach with a pinch of nutmeg.
Heat and serve.
Vegetable Stir Fry
Chop up one leek, a quarter of cabbage and one pak choi and add to a heated pan with oil. Stir-fry until soft. Splash on some Soy sauce.
Grilled Mushrooms
Grill mushrooms with butter (with or without crushed garlic) sprinkle salt and serve.
Sautéed Mushrooms
Chop the mushrooms and add chopped parsley and some chopped or crushed garlic. Heat a knob or butter and a splash of oil in a pan and stir fry the mushrooms and garlic until soft. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Fried Aubergines
Peel and cut the aubergine in slices and fry in oil until brown. Eat immediately
What about eating out?
How does Go Lower compare with other meal replacement diets?
The major difference is that Go Lower products are real food, not packet shakes or powders. We believe that the key to a good diet is eating good quality, nutritious food.
Go Lower makes it easy with the total convenience of delivery, portion control and great recipe development to give you a diet you can stick to and tastes great!
You also don’t have to be subjected to diet classes and public weigh-ins.
Can I buy the Go Lower diet in my supermarket?
Once you have achieved your target weight you can still enjoy the Go Lower snack products. These can be bought at most high street retail outlets (in the diet and wellbeing sections) including Tesco, Superdrug, Lloyds Pharmacy and other leading retailers.
Delivery
How quickly can you deliver?
If you order over a weekend, we will despatch on Monday.
If you are unlikely to be in when we deliver, we require written authority of the customer to leave it without a signature.
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