The Fast Metabolism Diet (25 page)

You need your liver to function at its prime, after all. So when you do drink alcohol, here are some things to consider:

I have to take a hard stance and act as a guardrail for my clients and my readers. If you start taking the turns too fast and begin to veer off the road I want to be here with my stern rules to keep you from going over the proverbial cliff and falling off this diet. If you break my hard-and-fast rules and the guardrail fails you, we must have a way to call 911 and get you the help you need and the healing your wounded metabolism requires. But remember, 911 is for
emergencies only, not a way to cheat yourself through a traffic jam!

Try to get your hands on some protein. It is the least likely to be stored as fat and the most likely to preserve the muscle from being cannibalized. Plus it’s easy to find; even gas stations carry hard boiled eggs or cans of tuna. Then get right back into your phase-specific rhythm.

Don’t
stress! That will only make things worse from a hormonal perspective. We do not want to signal the adrenals to ramp up cortisol production. Take deep breaths to lower cortisol output, then get food ASAP. Stick to your phase-specific snack or meal, but to make up for the lost time, make sure it includes a
vegetable. This will help keep the body alkalinized and
out of stress-based
acidosis. For the remainder of the day, stick to your regular schedule and that night, prepare and set out your breakfast for the next morning to prevent it from happening again.

You can start a fire without kindling and you can have success on this diet without working out. In Phase 1, doing anything that elevates your heart rate for just a 10- to 20-minute period will make a huge difference. In Phase 2 you get the hormonal benefit of weight lifting even if you only work one muscle. So if you broke your left arm, use your right arm. Doing bicep curls
with one arm counts. In Phase 3,
deep breathe while you lay in bed at night as you are tying to go to sleep. It will help you sleep better
and
balance out hormones.

Repent by drinking an additional 8 ounces of
water for each
alcoholic indiscretion and the next day focus on
potassium-rich foods such as cucumbers, basil, parsley, and cilantro. These are natural diuretics and can help rebalance the liver quickly.

Oh, you ate. You just ate your own muscle rather than your snack. Remember when you have been in a weight-gaining trend or weight loss has been difficult your hunger signals are likely to be off. Do not wait to get hungry. Eat every 3 to 4 hours. If you have gone longer than that and you suddenly find yourself “starving” be very careful about portions. Do not overeat. Instead, finish your snack or meal and add another snack one hour later. This will stretch out the food delivery to the bloodstream and reduce your risk for fat storage.

Yes. This diet will always be here for you, and healthy, metabolism-enhancing eating at any time can promote healing and health in your body. Believe me, I understand that life happens. I had a client that was with me for three years and didn’t lose a single pound. The mochas, sudden business trips, divorce, deaths in her family, caring for an elderly parent and just life were enough to pull her off the program again and again. I was impressed we were able to keep her from gaining and keep her diabetes in line. Then one day the stars aligned and she did four straight months of the Fast Metabolism Diet. She lost 65 pounds. I am patient and ready when you are! I’ve got a full 28 days to give you.

These are my survival strategies when real life happens and gets in the way of our “perfect” health plan. I know I said that you were mine for only 28 days, but I want you to know the door is always open and the same principles of healing and repair of the metabolism can be applied to the healing and repair of arthritis, high cholesterol, diabetes, and fatigue.

In my practice I still have clients that I saw the first week I opened my doors. I have watched my clients’ families grow and expand. I’ve celebrated their successes with them and shared in their heartaches and hardships.

Some, I haven’t seen in a long time. I got a referral recently from a past client whom I hadn’t seen in three years—not since he had come in and successfully lost 40 pounds with me. The friend he referred to me went on and on about his friend, my original client, and how great he looked, and what a killer body he had. It was so great to hear how he was still thriving.

I wasn’t surprised. That’s how the Fast Metabolism Diet works. You learn it, you live it, you love it, and you never go back. He had learned how to live and eat to maintain and nurture his metabolism for life. Food is the most worthy of medicines, so keep the momentum of the last few weeks and go out and live!

But remember that I’m here for you. I am your nutritionist for life, and through the website, my clinics, and any forthcoming books, I will continue to provide you with new, innovative, and easy ways to get healthy,
stay healthy, and embrace life. I want you to be singing the praises of the Fast Metabolism Diet for years to come because it finally got you out of the vicious cycle of dieting. Now you will be living the Fast Metabolism lifestyle, enjoying delicious recipes from the cookbook, interacting with a community dedicated to health and wellness, and having the resources that you need to maintain your killer new body!

And if you have reached your goal weight and you’re totally comfortable and happy at the weight you’ve achieved, please, right now, go out and have your clothes tailored or buy a new pair of jeans. Because we are never going back there again!

Finally, before we meet again, this is what I have in mind for your future:

Above all, I want you to go out and flaunt your fast metabolism for the world to see and fully indulge in the pleasure of the Fast Metabolism lifestyle.

I
hope I’ve seduced you into a new love for cooking, if you didn’t already love it, because home-cooked real food is by far the best way to eat to maintain a fast metabolism. But you need recipes, and I’ve got great ones! Each recipe in this chapter is marked according to the phase for which it is appropriate, and they are all delicious. Many of them have become favorites for my family and also for many of my clients. I know you’ll enjoy them, too.

PHASE 1 BREAKFASTS

Frozen Mango Fat-Burning Smoothie

Oatmeal Fruit Smoothie

Oatmeal

Strawberry French Toast

PHASE 1 SALADS, SANDWICHES, SOUPS, AND CHILIS

Tuna, Green Apple, and Spinach Salad

Open-Faced Chicken/Turkey Sandwich

Sprouted-Grain Turkey Wrap

Chicken and Barley Soup

Turkey or Buffalo Chili

Turkey, White Bean, and Kale Soup

Phase 1 Salad Dressing and Veggie Dip

PHASE 1
MAIN COURSES

Chicken and Broccoli Bowl

Chicken Sausage with Brown Rice Fusilli

Italian Chicken and Wild Rice

Filet Mignon with Brown Rice

Pork Tenderloin with Broccoli and Pineapple

PHASE 1 SNACKS

Baked Cinnamon Grapefruit

Cacao Asian Pear

Fat-Burning Watermelon Slices

Watermelon Smoothie

PHASE 1

Serves 1

Add the mango and ice to a blender along with ¾ cup water. Juice the lemon and add along with the Stevia or Xylitol. Sprinkle the mint into the mix and puree until smooth. Enjoy with 8 to 10 rice crackers.

PHASE 1

Serves 1

Put the oats in a blender and pulse until they reach a powdery consistency. Turn off the blender and add 1 cup water. Incorporate the remaining ingredients into the mix and blend until smooth. Serve.

PHASE 1

Serves 4

I like to make the whole box of oats at one setting and then freeze it with berries, cinnamon, and Stevia in 1½-cup serving portions. This way, I can easily remove them from the freezer and reheat in minutes when doing Phase 1 again. You can also cook steel-cut oats overnight in a slow cooker.

Add the oats to 4 cups water in a large bowl. Cover and put in fridge to soak overnight. The next morning, place the mixture in a saucepan and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. When the oats finish cooking, top with the berries, then sprinkle with Stevia and cinnamon.

PHASE 1

Serves 1

Whisk together the egg white, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Soak the bread well in the mix, coating both sides.

Heat a nonstick skillet and place the bread onto the hot surface, turning occasionally to toast both sides.