After looking at Dr Perricones weight loss diet, I noticed it was very different than my detox diet. Granted the diets are for a different purpose, but I am not just looking for a program. I am looking for a lifestyle change that will allow me to be healthy. That includes being at an optimum weight, no blood pressure or cholesterol issues, and basically - HEALTHY!
The February 2011 issue of Reader's Digest had a picture on the cover of two eggs sunny side up and a piece of bacon. The food was arranged to look like a smile. At the time, I barely gave the article a glance because they were touting the very foods I was trying to avoid for the detox.
The detox diet was not meant to be permanent and a lot of good came of it. However, the addition of animal protein back into our meals stopped our weight loss cold. It let me know in just two short weeks that we would eventually gain back our loss. I noticed that my measurements just barely changed so what left my body that weighed 19 pounds? Muscle, probably!
Dr Perricone's diet is high fat and low carb. The secret is that his recommended fats are the Omega-3, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and such. Inadvertently he recommends palm oil too as one of his recommended supplements is made from palm oil. For weight loss, he actually recommends taking in a whooping 9000 mg a day of Omega 3. THis is temporary, but it is a lot!
The Reader's Digest article was by Gary Taubes. Gary talked of the fundamental belief that people gain weight because they take in more calories than the energy they expend. He challenges that notion with his observation, people overeat because they developed a disorder in the way the fat tissue is regulated. This goes hand in had with Dr Perricone's thinking. Remember, Perricone stated that fat becomes it's own Endocrine system that sends hormones out to the body to be hungry, make and store more fat. Because the body becomes insensitive to insulin, the fat stores are safely locked away, getting fatter, while lean muscle is used for fuel if the person exercises. Gary goes on to say that if calories had anything to do with it, we would only need to eat an exta 20 calories a day to gain 20 pounds a decade. Who can count 20 calories? Basically eating less and exercising more is exactly what you would do to make yourself hungry. The metabolism actually slows down when the fat stores are "in danger".
Both Gary and Dr Perricone talk about eating foods that keep the insulin low. Hi protein, low sugar, low carb. Both talk about omitting processed foods, sugar, artificial anything mentality. To me Gary's article just supports Dr Perricone's diet plan. The big difference is that Dr Perricone sticks with the healthy fats while Gary's plan adds in the hamburgers, cheese, bacon and the like.
I still have a few more supplements to find before embarking on Dr Perricone's diet, but frankly I can't weight to get started. (Play on word intended).
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Test results
We just got our test results that were taken two weeks after the detox. Compared to the test results we had just prior to the detox, Harry and I both dropped our total Cholesterol 40 and 37 points respectively. My good Cholesterol went up 15 points and the bad went down 53. This is amazing to me because I have tried for years to control my cholesterol with diet and never could.
I am a little torn about what to do next. Harry and I are planning on doing Dr Perricone's weight loss diet in May. Harry wants to lose 25 pounds. I would be happy with a 25 pound weight loss, but at 185, I could stand to lose 40. The Dr's diet is a big shift from our detox diet. His diet is basically seafood, lean animal protein, non starchy vegetables, low sugar fruits, yogurt and kefir. He severely limits beans, nuts, seeds or grains other than the oats, flax seed and black beans. This is not a low cal diet. It is basically a high protein, low glycemic index diet. He even allows turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast. Harry and I won't eat the bacon though. It is impossible to find bacon without nitrates.
The detox plan relied on bean and grain combinations as protein. Dr Pericone's relies on animal protein with a high concentration of omega-3 rich seafood. He also touts an assortment of supplements to be taken 3 times a day. A 30 day supply of those supplements available on his website will cost $200 for each of us. He recommends an incredible 9000 IU a day of Omega-3 but supplies 3000 in his daily supplements so that would be an added cost. Now I would like to point out that we were taking various supplements on the detox diet and we were probably in the ball park of that $400 for the month. I would also like to add that doing this diet without the supplements would limit the effect.
The supplements are needed to burn fat and prevent muscle loss. Without them, this would be similar to the Atkins or South Beach diet and most of the weight loss would be water and muscle.
We expected to add animal fat back to our diet but in limited quantities. This diet will have us eating animal protein 3 to 4 times a day.
The outcome should be interesting.
I am a little torn about what to do next. Harry and I are planning on doing Dr Perricone's weight loss diet in May. Harry wants to lose 25 pounds. I would be happy with a 25 pound weight loss, but at 185, I could stand to lose 40. The Dr's diet is a big shift from our detox diet. His diet is basically seafood, lean animal protein, non starchy vegetables, low sugar fruits, yogurt and kefir. He severely limits beans, nuts, seeds or grains other than the oats, flax seed and black beans. This is not a low cal diet. It is basically a high protein, low glycemic index diet. He even allows turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast. Harry and I won't eat the bacon though. It is impossible to find bacon without nitrates.
The detox plan relied on bean and grain combinations as protein. Dr Pericone's relies on animal protein with a high concentration of omega-3 rich seafood. He also touts an assortment of supplements to be taken 3 times a day. A 30 day supply of those supplements available on his website will cost $200 for each of us. He recommends an incredible 9000 IU a day of Omega-3 but supplies 3000 in his daily supplements so that would be an added cost. Now I would like to point out that we were taking various supplements on the detox diet and we were probably in the ball park of that $400 for the month. I would also like to add that doing this diet without the supplements would limit the effect.
The supplements are needed to burn fat and prevent muscle loss. Without them, this would be similar to the Atkins or South Beach diet and most of the weight loss would be water and muscle.
We expected to add animal fat back to our diet but in limited quantities. This diet will have us eating animal protein 3 to 4 times a day.
The outcome should be interesting.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Next step, enter Dr. Perricone
Dr Perricone - Forever Young
Well it didn't take long to figure out the next leg of our quest to get healthier. I happened on a Dr Oz show that I had recorded back in February. It had Dr. Perricone on the show and I felt he was speaking directly to me. He believes that diet has everything to do with health and beauty. It is a no-brainer when you think about it, but I do not think the average American has any idea how the odds of attaining a healthful diet is against them. People have an idea that they can consume burgers, pizza, hot dogs, sodas, etc., and then eat it with a little lettuce and tomato to balance the diet.
I saw a couple in the doctor’s office recently. They were probably in their 80's. The woman looked extremely frail but has a huge belly, severe osteoporosis, and I suspected she might be fighting cancer or something. Her husband asked her what she wanted for lunch and she started rattling off fried chicken, spaghetti and sausage, chicken fried steak, then for the vegetables, mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese. Amazing. Then I overheard her tell the doctor she was trying to eat better and was adding greens to her diet every day. If this woman thought she was eating healthy and he diet had nothing to do with her condition, she was sadly mistaken.
Back to Perricone. I bought several of his books and started learning things right away. Perricone believes that inflammation is the key to bad health. This is extremely simplified, but basically many foods in the American diet cause inflammation in the tissues that cause the mitochondria (base cell structure) to die off or distort. A host of diseases including obesity, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, Chrohn's disease, myocardial infarction, allergies, psoriasis, septic shock, and arthritis - to name a few. In addition to the diet, stress and toxins can also contribute to the inflammation. When the basic cell structure becomes compromised, the body ages faster and cannot fight off disease. Most of these conditions can be reversed with proper nutrition.
One eye opener was that fat, once it becomes 20% of the body or higher, becomes an endocrine system on its own and secretes 200 hormones that basically send out signals for the body to store fat. Fat causes fat. I always felt that was going on. My fat cells just grab on to incoming fat and get stuffed directly to my stomach and thighs. I bet I have fat cells the size of oranges.
Although his research is not about dieting and weight loss, he believes that obesity must be tackled first so the body has a fighting chance to deal with the other issues at hand. After all, how can the body process correctly when all of these hormones are calling all fat to the table?
He dedicated one chapter to weight loss and has reported that persons have lost as much as 25 pounds in one month without loss of muscle. The diet mainly consists of having two "Metabolic Meal Replacements" drinks daily and a meal consisting of salmon, lentils, salad with watercress, vinegar and olive oil, and a serving of cruciferous vegetables.
His drink is made from 1/3 cup of mixed berries - OR - 1 tsp. on non-dutch-processed cocoa mixed with stevia and a little hot water blended smooth. Add to that 1 tsp. virgin coconut oil, 6 ounces of protein powder and blend in a blender. He does not mention a particular brand of protein powder or whether it should be mixed with water, juice or milk. He does mention a packet of Metabolic Formula Supplement which is available on his website.
The formula is made up of CoQ10, L-Carnitine, Omega-3, Glutamine, Niacin bound Chromium (NBC) to stabilize blood sugar, Conjugated Linoleic acid (CLA) and Curcumin gel capsule (turmeric).
It sounds like something we can easily do. Elsewhere in his book, he talks highly of watercress, stating a bowl of it should be eaten daily. He speaks highly of Turmeric. I can understand not wanting to eat it daily so the Curcumin supplement makes sense. There has been a lot of conflict around coconut oil but recent discovery shows it actually helps to reduce cholesterol in the blood.
The book I am reading is called, Forever Young by Nicholas Perricone, MD. and his web site is called http://www.perriconemd.com.
Harry and I plan to start on this diet May 1st so stay tuned.
Well it didn't take long to figure out the next leg of our quest to get healthier. I happened on a Dr Oz show that I had recorded back in February. It had Dr. Perricone on the show and I felt he was speaking directly to me. He believes that diet has everything to do with health and beauty. It is a no-brainer when you think about it, but I do not think the average American has any idea how the odds of attaining a healthful diet is against them. People have an idea that they can consume burgers, pizza, hot dogs, sodas, etc., and then eat it with a little lettuce and tomato to balance the diet.
I saw a couple in the doctor’s office recently. They were probably in their 80's. The woman looked extremely frail but has a huge belly, severe osteoporosis, and I suspected she might be fighting cancer or something. Her husband asked her what she wanted for lunch and she started rattling off fried chicken, spaghetti and sausage, chicken fried steak, then for the vegetables, mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese. Amazing. Then I overheard her tell the doctor she was trying to eat better and was adding greens to her diet every day. If this woman thought she was eating healthy and he diet had nothing to do with her condition, she was sadly mistaken.
Back to Perricone. I bought several of his books and started learning things right away. Perricone believes that inflammation is the key to bad health. This is extremely simplified, but basically many foods in the American diet cause inflammation in the tissues that cause the mitochondria (base cell structure) to die off or distort. A host of diseases including obesity, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, Chrohn's disease, myocardial infarction, allergies, psoriasis, septic shock, and arthritis - to name a few. In addition to the diet, stress and toxins can also contribute to the inflammation. When the basic cell structure becomes compromised, the body ages faster and cannot fight off disease. Most of these conditions can be reversed with proper nutrition.
One eye opener was that fat, once it becomes 20% of the body or higher, becomes an endocrine system on its own and secretes 200 hormones that basically send out signals for the body to store fat. Fat causes fat. I always felt that was going on. My fat cells just grab on to incoming fat and get stuffed directly to my stomach and thighs. I bet I have fat cells the size of oranges.
Although his research is not about dieting and weight loss, he believes that obesity must be tackled first so the body has a fighting chance to deal with the other issues at hand. After all, how can the body process correctly when all of these hormones are calling all fat to the table?
He dedicated one chapter to weight loss and has reported that persons have lost as much as 25 pounds in one month without loss of muscle. The diet mainly consists of having two "Metabolic Meal Replacements" drinks daily and a meal consisting of salmon, lentils, salad with watercress, vinegar and olive oil, and a serving of cruciferous vegetables.
His drink is made from 1/3 cup of mixed berries - OR - 1 tsp. on non-dutch-processed cocoa mixed with stevia and a little hot water blended smooth. Add to that 1 tsp. virgin coconut oil, 6 ounces of protein powder and blend in a blender. He does not mention a particular brand of protein powder or whether it should be mixed with water, juice or milk. He does mention a packet of Metabolic Formula Supplement which is available on his website.
The formula is made up of CoQ10, L-Carnitine, Omega-3, Glutamine, Niacin bound Chromium (NBC) to stabilize blood sugar, Conjugated Linoleic acid (CLA) and Curcumin gel capsule (turmeric).
It sounds like something we can easily do. Elsewhere in his book, he talks highly of watercress, stating a bowl of it should be eaten daily. He speaks highly of Turmeric. I can understand not wanting to eat it daily so the Curcumin supplement makes sense. There has been a lot of conflict around coconut oil but recent discovery shows it actually helps to reduce cholesterol in the blood.
The book I am reading is called, Forever Young by Nicholas Perricone, MD. and his web site is called http://www.perriconemd.com.
Harry and I plan to start on this diet May 1st so stay tuned.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Fast is over, what now?
We did the juice fast for 5 days. It should have been 7 according to the book but we had to be off the fast by the weekend. The diet for the first three days after the fast is just as important as the fast itself. Going from a juice fast to a regular diet can cause gallstones and every a need for surgery.
We both feel better than we have in a long time. Since February 28th when we started the detox plan, I lost 9 pounds and Harry lost 14. Since January 3, Harry and I have lost 21 pounds each. Our blood pressure readings are remarkable. Mine was 117/69 last night. My skin looks better than it has in years! We found the pollen counts for the area were off the charts yesterday and we did not enough have a sniffle. Normally I would be suffering from flu like symptoms from the allergies.
We also had a couple of negative reactions. Toward the end of the detox, I was pulling my hair out by the handfuls. Harry did not notice if he was having the problem but he has very short hair. I noticed my memory was extremely faulty. I simply could not remember the names or words of things. I was taking Huperzine which is supposed to aid memory. I stopped during the juice fast part of the detox. We were also suffering from low back pain.
I believe these problems were related to the lack of B vitamins. B vitamins are natural in liver, wheat, brewer’s yeast, eggs, and meats. Some B can be found in milk. All of these items were off the menu during the detox. We added some brewer’s yeast to our morning banana juice for four days of the juice fast. Brewer’s yeast and liver are the ONLY two foods in America that provide all of the essential B vitamins! Even supplements can't do that. My hair loss has already slowed and my memory has already improved. Our back pains are gone.
What's next?
Now that we experienced the detox, we have no interest in a lot of the foods we used to eat. Pictures of fast food actually disgust me now. I used to be a Paula Deen wannabe and had to have butter on everything. I have not used butter for over a month and I don't really miss it. I used to put a splash of cream in my cream soups. I found that I can use cauliflower or potatoes in the soup to make it creamy. I made asparagus soup from a 1/2 pounds of asparagus. one potato, 1/4 onion and a handful of parsley. I added smoked paprika and liquefied it in the blender to make a very satisfying soup. It was about 120 calories and tasted like 500.
I missed my cheese, but we were eating cheese 2 and 3 times a day. I missed my eggs, but that was another habit of mine because they were so easy to fix. These items are no longer off our menu but we will eat cheese sparingly and limit our eggs to maybe 6 a week.
We are going to continue eating as though we were on the first three weeks of the fast, but with a little modification. We will allow ourselves to have animal protein two or three times a week. We can have cheese and eggs, but sparingly. We both agreed that we really liked that morning banana smoothie with the brewers yeast, protein and lecithin. Harry said it satisfied him through lunch. Our fruits and veggies are mostly raw, but for the evening meals I like to steam them in my tagine. Since I over bought the seeds for sprouts, I will continue to grow sprouts and wheatgrass and add them to our salads every day.
Now, I am going to concentrate on adding fermented foods to our diet. For the most part, America is the only country that does not have naturally fermented foods. We have a few available now in health food stores, like my Nama Shoyu, but for the mainstay diet everything is pasteurized. That is another word for dead!
We both feel better than we have in a long time. Since February 28th when we started the detox plan, I lost 9 pounds and Harry lost 14. Since January 3, Harry and I have lost 21 pounds each. Our blood pressure readings are remarkable. Mine was 117/69 last night. My skin looks better than it has in years! We found the pollen counts for the area were off the charts yesterday and we did not enough have a sniffle. Normally I would be suffering from flu like symptoms from the allergies.
We also had a couple of negative reactions. Toward the end of the detox, I was pulling my hair out by the handfuls. Harry did not notice if he was having the problem but he has very short hair. I noticed my memory was extremely faulty. I simply could not remember the names or words of things. I was taking Huperzine which is supposed to aid memory. I stopped during the juice fast part of the detox. We were also suffering from low back pain.
I believe these problems were related to the lack of B vitamins. B vitamins are natural in liver, wheat, brewer’s yeast, eggs, and meats. Some B can be found in milk. All of these items were off the menu during the detox. We added some brewer’s yeast to our morning banana juice for four days of the juice fast. Brewer’s yeast and liver are the ONLY two foods in America that provide all of the essential B vitamins! Even supplements can't do that. My hair loss has already slowed and my memory has already improved. Our back pains are gone.
What's next?
Now that we experienced the detox, we have no interest in a lot of the foods we used to eat. Pictures of fast food actually disgust me now. I used to be a Paula Deen wannabe and had to have butter on everything. I have not used butter for over a month and I don't really miss it. I used to put a splash of cream in my cream soups. I found that I can use cauliflower or potatoes in the soup to make it creamy. I made asparagus soup from a 1/2 pounds of asparagus. one potato, 1/4 onion and a handful of parsley. I added smoked paprika and liquefied it in the blender to make a very satisfying soup. It was about 120 calories and tasted like 500.
I missed my cheese, but we were eating cheese 2 and 3 times a day. I missed my eggs, but that was another habit of mine because they were so easy to fix. These items are no longer off our menu but we will eat cheese sparingly and limit our eggs to maybe 6 a week.
We are going to continue eating as though we were on the first three weeks of the fast, but with a little modification. We will allow ourselves to have animal protein two or three times a week. We can have cheese and eggs, but sparingly. We both agreed that we really liked that morning banana smoothie with the brewers yeast, protein and lecithin. Harry said it satisfied him through lunch. Our fruits and veggies are mostly raw, but for the evening meals I like to steam them in my tagine. Since I over bought the seeds for sprouts, I will continue to grow sprouts and wheatgrass and add them to our salads every day.
Now, I am going to concentrate on adding fermented foods to our diet. For the most part, America is the only country that does not have naturally fermented foods. We have a few available now in health food stores, like my Nama Shoyu, but for the mainstay diet everything is pasteurized. That is another word for dead!
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