Fatigue at the beginning of #TheStubbornFatFix plan.

You may experience some fatigue during the first few days of the diet, as your body switches from a carbohydrate metabolism to a fat metabolism. Most of the people we work with report amazing levels of energy after a week or two of following the food plan. In fact, one man told us he felt so energetic within a week of starting the diet that he was running full speed uphill- for the fun of it.

#Fiber: The Whole Truth

In 1900, the average American consumed more than 30 percent of daily calories from fiber-rich whole grain foods. Today, that number has dropped to less than 1 percent. Yet, Americans are eating more grains. How can we be consuming less fiber if we’re eating more grains? Nearly all of the grain we consume comes from refined wheat flour, which contains little to no fiber.

What to Expect on #TheStubbornFatFix

By eating differently, building in indulgences, changing your lifestyle, and taking up the right supplements, you’ll remove your barriers to weight loss. You’ll lose an accelerated amount of weight in the first week or two on this plan. You may lose up to ten pounds in just one week. Expect this rapid weight loss to taper off; some of it is water and stored carbohydrates. Once your body adjusts to the plan, you can expect to lose up to ten pounds a month, or roughly two pounds every week. You may find that the number of inches you shave from your measurements makes it seem like five pounds a week.

Choose Goat Dairy instead of Cow Dairy #DrKeithBerkowitz

Cow’s milk is more difficult to digest because it’s made of long-chain fatty acids. This takes more work for the digestive system to break down and can cause bloating and inflammation and raise cholesterol in many individuals. Goat or sheep milks are absorbed easier because they have more short-chain fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids (The smaller the fatty acids, the easier it is for your body to break it down). Goat milk also has slightly less lactose than cow’s milk. It’s thicker and more satisfying than almond or other nut milks- especially when it comes to cheeses. There are more fatty acids in it, which means it has more satiations.

Choose Walnuts over Peanuts #DrKeithBerkowitz

Peanuts are actually a problematic legume (they are not even a nut). While they are easily available, they are high in omega-6, which can be pro-inflammatory. Chronic low-level inflammation contributes to seven out of ten leading causes of mortality in the United States (examples are diabetes, heart disease and cancer). Also, peanuts are often contaminated with aflatoxin (toxic chemical produced by molds), which can increase the risk of cancer and digestive issues.

Beware of Veggie Burgers

Soy-based burgers aren’t necessarily better for your health than animal protein. Unfortunately, most soy grown is genetically modified. Soy also contains goitrogens, substances that interfere with iodine metabolism and the synthesis of thyroid hormones. This can disrupt your ‘mother’ hormone and cause weight gain, temperature intolerance, and lower sex drive and lead to insomnia. Soy also contains isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen, which can mimic and sometimes block estrogen. This can cause a hormone imbalance and disrupt a female menstruation cycle and negatively impact fertility.

What happens when you eat a meal high in refined carbohydrates?

Eating a meal that’s high in refined carbohydrates and low in fat and protein affects insulin and blood sugar the same way eating a candy bar does. It causes blood sugar to rise quickly, triggering your pancreas to pump out too much insulin. As insulin levels rise, and as your body ignores its signal, it directs more fat into fat cells and makes you feel hungry again, even if you have just eaten. 

Dealing with #Ketones #TheStubbornFatFix

As your body burns fat, it creates by-products called ketones. Your body can burn these for energy, but it can also release them through your urine, sweat, and breath. Unfortunately, they can sometimes be a little stinky.

Critics of low-carb diets claim that only this type of diet results in ketone-induced bad breath. This simply isn't true. If you are losing weight, then you are burning fat, and if you are burning fat, your body is making ketones. On a low-carb diet, you are likely burning more fat, so the ketone side effects are more noticeable. Try these remedies:

Drink a lot of water. It will dilute the ketones, reducing their smelly punch.

Chew on parsley, basil, or cilantro. Season your foods with these spices as well. They are all rich sources of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants that enables photosynthesis. 

The Importance of Fat #TheStubbornFatFix

Fat is quite healthy for you, as long as you eat the right types of fat in the right balance. Some fatty acids are essential to life; your body cannot make them. They improve digestion and help us digest vitamins A, D, E, and K, and many fat-soluble minerals and antioxidants.

Not Soy Good #TheStubbornFatFix

We’re eating more soy than ever. This is not so good. In young girls, too much soy can trigger early puberty, causing fertility and hormonal problems later in life. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), early puberty can be seen in girls as young as 6. In grown women, too much estrogen causes breast tenderness, decreased sex drive, increased fat storage, fatigue, foggy thinking, and PMS. It may also raise the risk for estrogen-dependent cancers, such as breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. In men, it can cause breast tissue growth, prostate enlargement, weight gain, bloating, mood swings, irritability, headaches, fatigue, depression, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It can also lead to prostate, great, endometrial, and testicular cancers.

Create serving-size cues #TheStubbornFatFix #DrKeithBerkowitz

Research shows that we tend to eat food more quickly when we see more. In a study at the University of Rhode Island, women who were given a plate of pasta and a big spoon slurped down 646 calories of pasta in 9 minutes. When they were given a small serving of pasta and a small spoon, they took up to 30 minutes to eat and consumed fewer calories. You can use this research to provide yourself with extra control when it comes to the carbohydrate foods you love.

Follow the one indulgence rule #TheStubbornFatFix

Stick with your eating plan most of the time, indulging every once in a while in a balanced and controlled way. For instance, if you go out to eat, the core of your meal will always be the same. Start with a salad and as your main course have meat or fish with two cups of vegetables. Then have one indulgence. It might be an appetizer, a glass of wine, or sharing a small dessert with a dining companion. It’s not all three. For instance, if you are at a wedding, you can have one or two pastry puffs, one or two pigs in a blanket, one alcoholic beverage, or the whole piece of wedding cake. Don’t have all of them.

The Best Treatment for #Hypoglycemia #CBHealthNY

At the Center for Balanced Health, we help patients manage their hypoglycemia by telling them to: 1. Eat five to six small meals a day about every three hours. Think of yourself as a fuel-efficient automobile. You want constant flow of energy (glucose) throughout the day. 2. Avoid meals that are too small or too large especially at night. Meals that are too small will not provide enough energy to get you through the day. Meals that are too large place a larger burden on your metabolic system to process these nutrients and thus can trigger a hypoglycemic reaction. 3. DON'T skip meals especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it sets the tone. 4. Balanced eating. Always have some protein and fat at each meal or snack. Avoid and limit foods high in sugar or other refined carbohydrates especially on a empty stomach. Still utilize a controlled carbohydrate approach and get your carbohydrates from foods high in fiber (dark green leafy vegetables, non starchy vegetables, avocado, high fiber low carbohydrate crackers as examples). 5. Get a good night’s sleep. Good sleep helps replenish your system so that your body works more efficiently. 6. Use of a fiber supplement (make sure you take with enough water) or eating a high fiber food (without refined carbohydrates or sugar) before meals or snacks can help slow the absorption of carbohydrates and thus prevent rapid declines in blood sugar. 7. Exercise regularly. Strength training can improve glucose metabolism. 8. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco use. 9. Avoid the use of stimulants.

Struggling with temptation? A Progress Report can make a huge difference. #TheStubbornFatFix #DrKeithBerkowitz

Create a weight loss Progress Report and carry it with you. It does’t have to be fancy. Some notes jotted down on a piece of paper will do. Write down how much you’ve lost and any side benefits you’ve noticed. Feeling more energetic? Write it down. Has your mood improved? Write it down. Have you been able to reduce your dosages of specific medications or stop taking them altogether? Definitely write it down! Are you physically able to accomplish tasks you were not able to accomplish before you lost weight? Write it down. Think of as much as you can, and jot it down on your Progress Report. Add to it over time. Whenever you are tempted to eat emotionally, pull it out and read it out loud.

Eat Fat, Live Longer #TheStubbornFatFix #DrKeithBerkowitz

You’ve probably heard that the typical American diet- with its high emphasis on fatty cuts of meat- is what causes heart disease. We’re wondering, however, if anyone ever told you about the high-fat diets of the Masai? No, you say? That’s the answer we expected you to give, because many industry groups would probably rather you didn’t know about the Masai and others who seem to thrive on a high-fat diet. It seems to confuse the low-fat message, doesn’t it? The Masai are a tribe in Africa that consumes a diet that is almost 100 percent saturated fat. Whole milk and beef are dietary stables. Do the Masai drop dead from heart attacks at age 40? No, they do not. The members of this tribe do not suffer from heart disease. They just don’t get it. The Masai are just one of many societies around the globe that thrives on a diet rich in fat. How can this be? It’s because animal fat alone is not what causes heart disease, cancer and other health problems. It’s not until members of these healthy-fat-eating societies start eating typical American convenience foods such as fast food and processed foods that their rates of heart disease start to climb. It appears that natural sources of fat are not what make Americans more likely to suffer a heart attack than folks living in other countries around the world. It’s the sugar, processed flour and starch, and synthetic fats.

Share your diet with your family #TheStubbornFatFix #DrKeithBerkowitz

If you eat one way while everyone else in the family eats another way, you won’t stay on the diet for long. There’s no reason not to introduce the Stubborn Fat Fix way of eating to your entire family. We’re talking about real food. More than one in five kids is overweight, and type 2 diabetes affects kids as young as age four. Both overweightness and diabetes are related to diets rich in processed foods and fast food. To get your kids on board, introduce pure foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods. The only reason children like Twinkies is because grown-ups let them taste them. We know kids who say, “McDonald’s? That’s yucky!”. That’s because their parents taught them this view, and, more important, never took them to a fast food restaurant during their formative years. Get your kids involved in choosing healthful foods when shopping. Let them put the carrots, apples, another foods in the cart. Save less-healthy snacks for special occasions.

Choose Carbs with Fiber #TheStubbornFatFix

We allow bread, fruit, and other carbohydrate foods on all of our plans, but we recommend choosing higher fiber, naturally lower carb versions of these foods so you can maximize the nutritional value form the carbs you eat. To do so, calculate a food’s fiber score. What’s that? The fiber score is the number you get when you divide the grams of fiber in a food by the grams of carbohydrates and multiply it by 100. Try to choose the foods with the highest scores in each food category, opting for the highest fiber veggies, fruits, grains, and other foods. (Keep in mind that you should combine high-carbohydrate foods with some protein and fat to minimize the blood sugar response.

Fats 101: Polyunsaturated Fats #TheStubboenFatFix

These fats are found in plant oils, and some types decrease both LDL and HDL. There are many types of polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fats, omega-6 fats, and omega-9 fats. Of these, omega-3s are most beneficial to heart health- they’ve been shown to lower triglycerides and blood pressure and prevent blood clots. They are found in salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, scallops, and shrimp. Plant foods such as flaxseeds and walnuts contain a type of fat called alpha-linolenic acid that is converted into the usable form of omega-3 by the body. Other sources of omega-3s are dark green vegetables such as seaweed, broccoli, spinach, and kale. It’s thought that consuming a diet high in omega-6 fats (found in vegetable oils, such as corn and soy) and low in omega-3 fats increases the risk of heart disease.

Decrease your #insulin levels, increase your life span. #CBHealthNY

Researchers have long known that people who reduce their insulin levels either through exercise or calorie restriction ten to live longer than people with higher insulin levels. For example, studies show that centenarians tend to have lower insulin levels than people who die earlier, and their cells tend to be more sensitive to the hormone’s effects. High insulin levels have been shown to speed the aging rate of cells and tissues throughout the body. When insulin levels remain low, cells more easily fight off age-related diseases such as cancer, dementia and stroke.

The importance of the right amount of movement at the right time #CBHealthNY

On our #StubbornFatFix plan, you exercise only once you feel ready. For many people, that’s only after losing a considerable amount of weight. Trying to force your body through intense cardio or weight lifting routines from the very beginning of a diet usually backfires. Why? In the beginning, with your metabolism out of balance, exercise just causes even more imbalance by keeping you in a burned-out state. It taxes your body at a time when you need rest. Plus, you feel tired. Who wants to exercise when they’re tired? It’s much better to change your eating first and then slowly add in exercise once you feel more energetic.

Watch your cheese portions #TheStubbornFatFix

We recommend you eat only 3 to 4 ounces daily, for many reasons. Cheese is easy to overeat. Many people head to the fridge thinking that they will have just one slice, then find they can’t stop until they’ve polished off a half pound. Dairy products contain carbohydrate in the form of lactose. Although cheese is lower in lactose than milk is, it’s still not a food you can eat without limits. Cheese also contains high amounts of salt, which can raise blood pressure and cause bloating in susceptible people. When you bloat from excess salt, you retain water. Your weight does not go down on the scale and you feel pudgy around the middle. If you have done a low-carb diet in the past and your LDL levels have not fallen, cheese may have been one of the culprits.

Know Yourself & Your Food Risk Situations #TheStubbornFatFix

We all have trigger foods that are addictive. Not only can you not hold yourself to a reasonable portion of these foods, but they actually induce physical sensations, such as sweating and a racing heartbeat. If you want to indulge in chocolate but you know you cannot stop at two squares, then do not indulge in chocolate. If you have an insulin disadvantage, this is extremely important because any dessert has the potential to swing your blood sugar up and down, triggering intense cravings for more sweets. Make the best choice you can in any given situation, get back on the plan as soon as possible, and look at ways to solve the problem that caused you to go off the plan in the first place.

To reduce stress, get out of the house #TheStubbornFatFix

Have you ever noticed that you sleep better and feel happier when you have a busy social calendar? That’s because engaging socially helps your body relax. The vagus nerve- which connects the brain stem to the heart, lungs, and intestines- slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and calms the body. Part of this nerve, called the myelinated vagus, links the brain nerves to the face, allowing facial expressions to influence stress response. When you tune in to social cues- the smiles and laughter of your friends- these nerves send calming signals to your body.

The Importance of Mental Activity #TheStubbornFatFix

If you don’t already take part in a hobby, think about starting one. Activities such as painting, dancing, singing, and knitting help boost your sense of self, which can go a long way toward helping you stick with a new way of eating. They also keep you busy, which is important when losing weight. Boredom often leads to only one thing: thoughts about foods you wish you didn’t find tempting.

If You Need Salty Snacks #TheStubbornFatFix

“No one can eat just one” is such an apt slogan for a potato chip. Once a week, you may have a single 1-ounce serving of any trans fats-free snack, such as pretzels or baked potato chips. (Check the list of ingredients to make sure the word hydrogenated does not appear. Packaged foods can claim they have zero trans fat even if they have up to 0.5 gram per serving.) Always consume salty snacks with a little fat to slow digestion and help you stay in control. Have them with 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut or almond butter, avocado, ricotta cheese, or hummus.

The Dangers of Trans Fat #TheStubbornFatFix

Trans fatty acids are created when manufacturers partially hydrogenate vegetable oils, whipping the fats with hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature. These fats were invented in a lab a century ago to provide a cheap alternative to butter. At the time, it may have seemed like a good idea, but maybe the joke is on us. The consumption of hydrogenated trans fat from vegetable oils (found in margarine, baked goods, fried foods, and most processed foods) jumped 400 percent during the 1900s. Trans fat carries a number of health risks, including infertility and ovulation problems, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Don’t believe everything you read #TheStubbornFatFix

We’ve seen news stories that claim chocolate pudding pops have “less fat than you think” and avocados have “more fat than you need”. Avocados are a fruit that grow in nature and have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. They contain a number of health-promoting antioxidants, plus heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, fiber, vitamin K, potassium, folate, vitamin C, and copper. Pudding pops are a relatively recent invention made from refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or both. They contain calories and little to no nutrition. Why on earth would it be better for you to eat a pudding pop than an avocado, an egg, or a handful of olives?

Eat Fat to Run Fast #TheStubbornFatFix

A study at the University of Buffalo determined that runners who switched from a low-fat diet to a high-fat diet for two months improved their running performance. Additional research at the same institution has shown that endurance athletes who restrict fat tend to experience a drop in immunity and an increase in the incidence of colds and flu. According to the researchers, a diet too low in fat increases levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (a type of immune system chemical) and free radicals and inhibits levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Adding more fat can increase levels of important immune cells that fight infection. Finally, when runners ate more fat, there was no ill effect on their weight, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels.

When in doubt, eat real food #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

If you want to indulge in something sweet, do so, but make it a small serving of a real food. Ice cream means sugar and cream, and almost nothing else. Don’t go for the low-fat or artificially sweetened varieties. These are not only less satisfying and satiating, but they also tend to cause people to lose self-control. It’s psychological. When we eat reduced-calorie foods, we assume we can have more. When we eat high-calorie foods, we assume we can have less and stick to it.

#DeStress on the Way to Work #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

If you commute by train or bus, don’t read the paper. It’s just an added source of stress. Instead, read a novel, sleep, breathe deeply, or listen to relaxing music. Look out the window and let your thoughts wander- this “idle” time allows your brain to reboot and be recharged and ready when you get to your desk. If you commute by car, minimize your exposure to depressing news or shock radio- instead, listen to e-books or music.

#Sugar will make you crash and burn #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

Candy, soft drinks, and other foods that contain a lot of sugar are quickly digested and absorbed. This dumps a lot of glucose into your bloodstream at once, causing the pancreas to overproduce insulin, which causes blood sugar to drop quickly. Although eating sugary foods will temporarily turn off appetite fast, hunger returns quickly and very strongly. This all disrupts your metabolism. You eat sugar and experience a short-lived exhilaration and energy as your adrenal glands produce the stress hormone adrenaline. This hormone drops quickly, so you feel fatigued. You eat more sugar and rise some, only to drop deeper into exhaustion. Each sugar hit gives you a little bounce, followed by a bigger crash.

If you backslide, get back on track straight away #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

Everyone backslides. You might slip up as early as the first week of the diet, or it might not happen until the first month, the sixth month, or even six months after reaching your goal weight. But at some point, it will happen. An old bad habit will creep back into your daily nutritional repertoire. It might be the bagel you used to enjoy each morning for breakfast. It might be pizza on a Friday night. Instead of holding yourself to one vegetable-loaded slice of thin crust, for example, you go overboard with three or four slices with extra cheese. It might be that you find yourself continually dishing up larger servings than you should be eating. Whatever it is, the first slip can easily lead to more slips, which can lead to a plateau, which can lead to gaining. If you don’t put the breaks on this cycle, you can easily find yourself back where you started- regaining all of the pounds you lost, and then some.

When Eating, Savor Every Bite #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

Turn off the TV. Eat in the dining room. Light a candle or two. Look at your treat. Smell your treat. Notice every single bite. Notice the taste and texture of at least the first bite. This may feel unusual to you at first, but you will eventually get used to it. Over time, eating with distraction will feel as foreign to you as eating without it may feel now. If you find you resist focusing on your treat, think about why. Are you consciously tuning out to avoid feeling guilty about eating? In other words, do you tell yourself, “The calories don’t count if I don’t remember eating them”? Eating without distraction may take a little getting used to, but you’ll eventually find that it increases the joy of eating and decreases your risk of overeating.

Fiber: The Whole Truth #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

In 1900, the average American consumed more than 30 percent of their daily calories from fiber-rich whole grain foods. Today, that number has dropped to less than 1 percent. Yet, Americans are eating more grains. How can we be consuming less fiber if we’re eating more grain? Nearly all of the grain we consume comes from refined wheat flour, which contains little to no fiber.

Calm your Qualms about Ketones #CBHealthNY #TheStubbornFatFix

The increase in ketones that results from fat burning can cause minor, short-lived side effects, including dizziness, headache, low energy levels, and weakness. These symptoms simply indicate that your body has become more efficient at burning fat- they are the same sensations that long distance runners or athletes experience after long periods of exercise. The fact is, every cell in your body is capable of using ketones for energy, and your heart and brain run 25 percent more efficiently on ketones than they do on glucose. Although a low-carbohydrate diet raises ketone levels, the increase is a slight one. Most people- regardless of how they eat- have elevated levels of ketones when they wake in the morning, as a result of their overnight fast. The level of ketones your body produces on a low-carbohydrate diet is only slightly higher than this waking level. It does not even come close to the level that signals danger.

Despite what some people say, #eggs are one of the best foods you can eat. Here's why... #CBHealthNY

There are so many misconceptions about #eggs right now when they’re actually incredibly healthy…it’s time to bring them back to the table. People shy away from eggs because of outdated research about the dangers of dietary cholesterol and fat. Eggs are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. The yolks contain lutein and zeaxanthin (antioxidants that protect your eyes from cataracts and blindness) and choline (important in preserving memory). The yolk’s B vitamins probably reduce the risk of heart disease by neutralizing a toxic blood chemical called homo-cysteine. Along with half the egg’s protein, the yolk also contains vitamins A, D & E, along with the minerals iron & zinc. It’s true that the yolk contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol. But it’s also true that most of this passes through the gut without ever entering the bloodstream. The yolk may contain all of the fat, but Harvard research has shown that consuming eggs does not raise heart attack risk. Think about it this way: eggs were a dietary stable for our ancient ancestors, whose metabolisms evolved on a diet that included whole eggs, not egg whites. Eggs are a whole food that have been on the planet since the beginning of human life. Does it make sense that we’re only supposed to eat part of what’s inside? It sure doesn’t to us. #StubbornFatFix

The Rest Prescription #StubbornFatFix #CBHealthNY

You’re probably thinking, what does rest have to do with weight loss? We’re so glad you asked, because rest has everything to do with weight loss. Chronic unrest-lack of sleep coupled with a high stress lifestyle-can nullify the best diet and supplement plan. We’ve seen this happen so often in practice. We counsel a patient who seems to be doing everything right. According to her food records, she’s eating exactly as prescribed, yet the weight isn’t budging. Then we dig a little deeper and learn she’s up repeatedly at night to soothe her kids back to sleep, on the go constantly during the day, and draining herself further with intense exercise at the gym.

This type of unrest keeps the fight-or-flight response in a permanent “on” position. Our bodies are designed to handle periodic influxes of stress hormones. Triggering your flight or flight response just once a day probably won’t interfere with weight loss, because your body easily clears these hormones. Triggering it every 5 minutes? That’s a recipe for weight gain.

The Pancreas and Insulin #StubbornFatFix #CBHealthNY

As your stomach and intestines break down the food you eat into fuel that can be absorbed into the bloodstream, the pancreas pumps out insulin, a hormone that helps your body either store extra calories (as fat) or burn them for energy. Think of it as a master key that opens many doors (cell membranes) throughout your body. Some of these doors are on muscle cells. When insulin fits into the locks on these cells, blood sugar enters and is either incinerated to make energy or stored (in the form of glycogen) for later use. Insulin can also open doors on your fat cells. When it fits into a fat cell’s lock, blood sugar is converted into fat and store in the cell. Some insulin is good- it helps the food you eat go where it belongs. Too much insulin-which generally comes from eating too much of the wrong types of food- is not.

Do You Have a Thyroid Disadvantage? #StubbornFatFix #CBHealthNY

1. Do you suffer from cold hands and feet, even when you are in a heated room?
2. Do you feel depressed, lethargic?
3. Do you suffer from constipation?
4. Do your nails break easily?
5. Do you have a low sex drive/libido?
6. Do you have difficulty sleeping (it takes you longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep and you wake more than once during the night)?
7. Do you feel tired during the day?
8. Have you recently gained weight, even though you were not overeating?
9. Have the hairs along the outer one-third of your eyebrows thinned or fallen out?
10. Do you suffer from muscle aches or joint pain?
11. Is your temperature below 98.5°F when you first wake up?
12. Is your total cholesterol above 200 or your LDL cholesterol above 130?
13. Do you have irregular periods?
14. Is your hair thinning?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, consider making an appointment with your physician for a thyroid test.