healthy nerd

The Fat Resistance Diet by Leo Galland, M.D. promises to no longer having to monitor calories, count carbs or fat (the bad fat) intake. This diet plan affects the hormones to stop unnecessary craving, increase your energy and say goodbye to the excess pounds you’ve been longing to shed off.

This diet is entirely based on the hormone leptin. Scientific research shows that losing weight is not about carbs or calories. It’s about the hormone leptin (plus other key hormones such as obestatin and ghrelin) and how it works in your body. Leptin is the hormone that sends messages to the brain that we may supress craving and curb our appetites. It was the head of Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the Rockefeller University, Jeffrey Friedman, who paved the way for this breakthrough with the discovery of leptin in 1994. These hormones keep your body fat resistant, once they start working properly.

Leo Who?

I am one of the many who attests to Dr. Galland’s credibility in nutritional medicine. I didn’t know him as one of “America’s Top Doctors“. He published an extensive study on intestinal permeability which I was investigating when I got interested in probiotics. His findings were impeccably well-referenced citing that this condition is not a mere quackery of leaky gut, as it is known in alternative medicine, but a legitimate medical condition that can be treated with nutritional approach.

There is the Rosedale Diet published in 2004 that also talks about leptin and how to use this knowledge to create an effective 21-day diet plan. Galland’s book, however, involves a nutritious hormone-balancing and anti-inflammatory diet to activate the hormones’ regular functions. The book features a three-stage regimen:

1. A fourteen-day starter program that delivers a loss of ten to fourteen pounds in the first two weeks. Inflammation-fighting superfoods work to trigger rapid weight loss and set your hormones straight.
2. A ninety-day plan that builds on the benefits of Stage 1 and delivers a loss of at least five pounds a month. You can enjoy a greater variety of foods while still keeping your hormones working overtime.
3. Sustainable for life, the meal plans in this phase keep your hormones doing their job, even after you reach your target weight, and offer an expanded, flavorful menu.

But I Juggle 3 Jobs a Day!

Well screw you. If you so seriously desire something, you find many ways to grasp it. Otherwise, you find excuses. Just kidding! I know how hard it is to find time for your kids, or your family, what more for yourself.
A few Amazon reviews of the book complain of its impractical nature that brings forth stress and time-consuming food preparations inevitably acquired by working individuals. So may I propose the following adjuvant but equally effective treatments:

1. Cook food enough for the whole week. This way, you could save time by refrigerating your cooked meals or incorporating a vacuum sealer for longer shelf-life. I personally do not suggest using microwave oven for reheating as they strip 97% of the food’s enzymes and micronutrients, thereby only satisfying your palate. You might as well eat junk food all your life if you do so.
2. If you haven’t yet, purchase a mini-grinder, like the Magic Bullet. Easy clean-up, portable, and you will frequently use this thing on your counter top as you will know later.
3. Omega-3! Omega-3! What’s it got to do with obesity? Let me explain. Our bodies do not inherently produce omega-3 so we have to nourish ourselves with sufficient amount of this essential fatty acid. Ever notice anything in all these books? Perricone’s, Rosedale’s, etc.? Omega-3 will address the issue of inflammation, and water retention. It will stimulate the brain to supress food craving. Last April, researchers at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found that an omega-3 intake higher than omega-6 yields to lower and less active prostaglandin levels, which are responsible for the inflammatory state of the body, one of which is obesity. For your convenience, together with cooking for the week, you may get omega-3 from:
   • EPA/DHA - EPA and DHA are forms of omega-3 from fish oil. Never ever take “fish oil” supplements! Always look for how much EPA and DHA you are getting since most brands labeled “fish oil” don’t have enough amounts of EPA and DHA - which are readily converted by enzymes to a less active prostaglandin to keep you lose weight. Don’t ever get ripped off again. Jarrow is the economical brand in the market with a balanced ratio that is tested for purity, free of PCBs and toxic metals. Take around 2-4 softgels a day, good for roughly two months. (I also buy mine at iHerb. Best online supp shop ever!)
   • Flax seeds - another plant that is rich in omega-3, flax seeds will also move your bowels for its fiber content. If I’m on the go, I simply use my mini-grinder, grind 5 tablespoons a day of flax seeds, and mix a portion of it with water. I first pour some ground flax into my glass with water and swirl the glass because the flax settles fast at the bottom and immediately drink it, pour the remaining flax until I finish all 5 tablespoons of it. It has a nutty taste to it so it won’t be so hard for you, hopefully. You may also mix it with orange juice. I sometimes combine flax seeds with Tropicana orange juice and it really masks the nutty taste. I buy them in bulk at ShopNatural to save in the long run.
   • Purslane or non-grain-fed organic eggs - very rich in omega-3, what a heavenly breakfast this would be.
   • Walnuts! - these are rich in omega-3 too. Instead of munching on crappy food for your snack time, bring these treats at the office and impress your boss with your new found knowledge ;). You might also want the cheaper route and get the oil instead. Important: Refrigerate flax seeds and walnuts as they easily rancid.
   • Salmon - easiest way to apply #1 is to cook Salmon for the whole week. Make sure it’s the wild non-farmed kind that you’re getting since it’s the one with high omega-3 content. Grill it, sear it, bake it, change it so kids can’t say anything. It’s a little on the expensive side so maybe organic eggs, flax and epa/dha will do most of the trick for you.
   • Udo’s Choice - a pricey but brilliant oil blend.
4. Eat smaller meals evenly spread throughout the day no later than about 4 hours before bed.
5. Reduce grains! Grains = Omega 6! That’s right. Omega-6 and Omega-3 compete with the same enzymes to convert into prostaglandins. You have to maintain a very close and low ratio of these two. Your ancestors were hunters, whether you like it or you like it. If you can’t say bye bye to breads, potatoes, corns, cereals, if you choose to maintain the same omega-6 levels, you have to up the ante for your omega-3 buddies. Take half, if not, as much omega-3 as the amount of omega-6 you’re taking, so if you regularly indulge in breads, pastas, equate this by consuming enough EPA/DHA and ground flaxseeds.
6. Sleep - Get enough sleep.
7. Cheat! - oh yes I do encourage cheating. What’s the beauty of life without chocolates, reeses peanut butter cups, honey, pringles, snickers, jelly beans? A little won’t hurt but don’t abuse it, baby. Store it somewhere high so you don’t see it every time you pass by your kitchen.
8. Lose the coffee. Gradually change your caffeine source to green tea. It might also even lose you a couple more pounds. Remember Matcha?
9. Do it slowly. Don’t shock your body. It’s never healthy. Do it and you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms afterwards.

References
Anti-inflammatory effects of omega 3 fatty acid in fish oil linked to lowering of prostaglandin. 4 April 2006. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

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