The Hormone Reset Diet (29 page)
Read The Hormone Reset Diet Online
Authors: Sara Gottfried
• Measure your IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), which is an approximation of your growth hormone level.
There are limitations to these tests, and they are best interpreted in the context of the rest of your health with a knowledgeable practitioner.
“I think the most surprising thing for me was how much I’ve enjoyed the experience. I just didn’t have cravings. Having that ‘craving stress’ removed made eating healthy things more of a pleasure and also made implementing other things like exercise, sleep, and daily habits easier. Even though I considered myself a healthy eater before, I have a different relationship with food now.”
—Kirsten
“I entered the program because I was fatigued, depressed, and obese. I kept remembering Dr. Gottfried’s quote, paraphrasing
someone else, that imperfect action trumps perfect inaction. So I began the journey. While I experience more peace, more energy, have lost 14 pounds with no difficulty and with no cravings, the greatest gift has been that of an increased feeling of well-being. I’d say to anyone who learns about this program that the time spent in preparation and the time spent detoxing will change your life significantly. And I believe that the gains made with this journey are ones that are sustainable. The materials are so incredible. Just reading them and absorbing them are like taking a postgraduate course in how to care for soul, mind, and body.”
—Anna
“I was stunned with my weight loss, and that really wasn’t why I was interested in the journey. I lost 12 pounds and 3 inches off my waist and 3 inches off my hips. My sleep improved, which was my overall goal. And I have felt so much calmer and at peace with myself. I feel like I have found my premenopausal self again.”
—Deborah
Dairy can feel healing. Think of a glass of milk before bed, perhaps with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Some people are fine when they consume dairy from high-quality sources, but the important takeaway of this reset is that dairy cravings and addiction are real, allergies and intolerances are on the rise, and both aspects may be contributing to your weight gain.
Dairy contains biochemical and emotional triggers of craving and addiction. Milk features L-tryptophan, which converts in the body to serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical, and melatonin, the sleep hormone. Milk also has choline, which has a soothing effect. Nature designed milk to contain casomorphins to help young mammals engage in nursing and adapt, yet modern milk production has
increased your exposure to the opiate-like qualities far in excess of what was intended for the human species. Cow milk contains about seven times as much casein as human breast milk. Cheese requires approximately ten pounds of milk to produce one pound of cheese. That’s a lot of casein and casomorphin exposure. No wonder dairy can feel addictive.
If that’s not enough to encourage you to dump dairy for three days and the rest of the Hormone Reset Diet, consider this: because cows tend to be milked most of the year, they are often pregnant. In the final stage of gestation, cow milk (even organic) contains 33 times as much estrogen as milk from nonpregnant cows. You know from the first reset that estrogen pollution is on the rise; now it’s time to remove dairy in order to continue the aggregate hormone reset.
However, to get to the point of using dairy wisely, many of us need to take a step back before we take a step forward. This means a reset. Just like you reboot your computer every once in a while to make it work more efficiently, you can benefit from doing the same for your body. So, if you love your afternoon tea with a dash of milk or your morning Greek yogurt, this is not good-bye forever. It’s more like “See you later.” Commit to going dairy free, and then congratulate yourself. When you put your energy into this reset, you are giving yourself a chance for a new chapter in your book of dairy.
Toxin Free
TESTOSTERONE RESET:
Days 19 to 21
I
magine a world in which you follow every rule for good health. You’ve cut out meat and alcohol, sugar, high-fructose fruit, caffeine, grain, and dairy. You diligently exercise for thirty minutes four days per week. You manage your stress through yoga and meditation, have a close network of friends, and express your feelings. No need for a detox, right?
Wrong.
Even with our best efforts, we become toxic simply because of the world in which we live. Our blood is full of toxins; scientists call it “body burden.”
The unsettling truth is that environmental exposure is on the rise. Most food you eat is probably genetically modified (GM) and sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers. Even if you’re careful to avoid genetically modified food at home, when you go out to a restaurant, you might order steak from a cow raised on GM feed and injected with synthetic hormones. Not only is your food toxic, there are harmful chemicals in cosmetics as well. The average woman applies 515 synthetic chemicals in a
single day.
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Even the water you drink and your household cleaning products could be toxic. Our toxic surroundings not only usher in the risk of certain diseases, but also
make you resistant to losing weight. If you’re overweight, you’re toxic by definition because endocrine disruptors are stored in your fat cells. In short, this is again biochemistry gone wrong.
But all hope is not lost. I believe that when we create the optimal conditions, the body will naturally heal. That’s why detoxification is so powerful: it can flip the switch toward healing, repair, and fat loss. Along the way, you can uncover the innate intelligence of your body and soul. Detoxification is no longer a luxury. It’s essential to living in the body you deserve.
Do you have or have you experienced in the past six months …
Fatigue, even when you get the coveted eight hours of sleep?
Fatigue after exercising?
Withdrawal symptoms when you stop eating foods like refined carbs, sugar, or caffeine, such as feeling jittery, shaky, irritable, and just not right? Or a heartbroken feeling like you are pining after a long-lost love?
Achy joints?
Frequent colds, particularly bronchitis and chest congestion in the winter?
Ears that itch or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)?
Hives, rashes, or dry skin?
Dark circles or bags under your eyes? Itchy eyes or increased mucus in your eyes when you wake up in the morning?
Brain fog and/or poor memory?
Weight loss, but then you hit a plateau or regain it?
A puffy-looking face, like you’re retaining fluid?
Difficulty recovering from a major stress, such as a surgery?
