The 17 Day Diet (8 page)

A team of Quebec researchers found that when toxins are released while overweight people are dieting, their metabolic rate—the speed at which calories are burned—slows down considerably, even more than the slowdown often caused by dieting. Fortunately, many of the foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, on the 17 Day Diet are heroes at cleansing the body of toxins.

Source:
American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2001.

The Accelerate Cycle is the handiest diet tool you’ve got for getting—and keeping—your weight down. Look, if your diet goes AWOL for whatever reason—and you gain some weight back, you can always return to the Accelerate Cycle to get back on track. Do this and you’ll keep getting closer to your ideal weight. It’s a short-term strategy that will guarantee long-term results.

My Hunger/Fullness Meter

Your parents probably drilled into you that you were not allowed to leave the table unless you finished everything on your plate. That was good advice when portions were smaller, and everyone hated to waste food.

These days, most of us don’t know when we’re hungry and when we’re full. We lose this ability by the time we reach kindergarten. And it’s making us fat.

I have a solution: Dr. Mike’s Hunger/Fullness Meter. The Fullness Meter is kind of like the “pain scale” doctors ask you about when you are in the hospital. Basically, you rate your hunger and fullness on a scale. This is not a new idea; there are lots of hunger scales out there. But the problem with most is that they want you to rate your hunger on a scale of 0 to 10. That’s too complicated. What is the difference between a 0 or a 1, or a 9 or a 10, anyway? You’d spend so much time trying to figure out your rating that you won’t have time to eat.

I say it’s simpler to use a hunger rating from 1-2; and a fullness rating from 3-4. Here’s how mine works.

Hunger Meter

1. I’m little hungry; my stomach feels as hollow as the promises of a politician.

Eat now to prevent yourself from progressing to 2. Other leading indicators of mild hunger are slight stomach growling, mild headache, shakiness and loss of concentration. If you aren’t sure whether you’re actually hungry, you’re probably not. You may be confusing true hunger with boredom, fatigue or thirst.

2. I’m so hungry I could eat the lining of an empty Spam can. My stomach is growling so loud it scared off a junkyard dog. I’ve got to get something to eat, and fast.

Don’t let yourself get here. You’ll be eating a package of Twinkies and guzzling Coke like crazy.

Fullness Meter

3. I’m starting to feel full. I will stop now so that I can save on my grocery bill.

You have entered that pleasant zone where you are no longer hungry but not quite full either. Feel honorable about leaving a little room in your stomach. Try to keep yourself here at meals, never starving, never stuffed.

4. I’m so stuffed I’ll have to waddle over to the couch to collapse.

You have eaten too much, even if it’s all on your diet. Avoid this extreme; practice more restraint. Don’t feel obligated to clean your plate, either. Stop eating as soon as your stomach feels full. Those extra bites of food that you’re trying not to waste add unneeded calories.

As you go through your day and manage your mealtimes, ask yourself how hungry or full you are, based on my Hunger/Fullness Meter. Your goal is to listen to your body and let go of external cues, such as the clock, to tell you when, and how much, to eat.

General Guidelines for the Accelerate Cycle

1.
Follow the Accelerate Cycle for 17 days. If you reach your weight loss goal, move on to Cycle 4: Arrive. If you have more weight to lose, go on to the next Cycle: Activate.

2.
Your diet will consist of lean proteins, vegetables, low-sugar fruits, pro-biotic foods like yogurt, and good fats. Starchy foods such as potatoes, legumes, brown rice, corn and oatmeal are not permitted on this Cycle.

3.
Remove skin from chicken or turkey prior to cooking or purchase skinless poultry.

4.
About eggs: You may eat up to two eggs a day. But stick to no more than four yolks per week if your physician has diagnosed you with high cholesterol. Egg whites can be eaten without restriction.

5.
Enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits as much as possible. For convenience, frozen and canned items are fine, if chosen in moderation. They must be unsweetened, however.

6.
Do not eat any fruit after 2:00 p.m. Fruit is a carb. The timing of carbohydrate intake is very important. I’ve found that carbs eaten early in the day supply the body with only enough fuel (in the form of glycogen stored in muscles) to energize the body the rest of the day. You’ll find that this approach also improves your waistline. If you eat carbs in the evening, it’s harder for the body to burn them off because you expend less energy in the evening. Those carbs might be stored as fat.

7.
Avoid alcohol and sugar in order to help your body eliminate toxins, improve digestion and burn fat.

8.
Adopt the habit of drinking green tea. It contains some caffeine but offers compounds that help burn fat.

9.
About probiotic foods: Research indicates that they boost the immune system and promote gut-cleansing bacteria. Probiotic foods are also thought to help the body burn fat. If you don’t like yogurt, try the sugar-free fruit-flavored yogurt or cultured milk, such as low-fat acidophilus milk (it tastes just like regular low-fat milk). Also, you can still get the friendly bacteria you need. Most health food stores sell capsules containing probiotics; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dosage.

10.
Eat slowly and only until full; do not overload your stomach.

11.
Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water a day.

12.
Exercise at least 17 minutes a day.

Take It Off: The Accelerate Cycle Food List

Lean Proteins

Here’s where you’ll be getting a lot of your fat-burning power. Eat all you want of the following proteins. They’re freebies. The 17 Day Diet is purposely high in protein because it stimulates the reduction of body fat.

Fish*

Salmon, canned or fresh

Sole

Flounder

Catfish

Tilapia

Canned light tuna (in water)

*Opt for wild-caught rather than farm-raised fish, which may have received doses of antibiotics. Avoid the bigger fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and albacore tuna. They are the most likely to carry metals like methyl-mercury, which is considered a toxin.

Poultry

Chicken breasts

Turkey breasts

Ground turkey, lean

Eggs (2 eggs = 1 serving)

Egg whites (4 egg whites = 1 serving)

Cleansing Vegetables

Eat all you want from the following list. They’re freebies too. I call these cleansing vegetables because they support detoxification in the intestines, blood and liver, and offer protective antioxidants. A few honorable mentions:

Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts supply important phytochemicals (disease-fighting substances in plants), which help the liver detoxify chemicals, drugs and pollutants.

Asparagus, spinach and okra are all notable sources of glutathione, a vital compound that aids in the removal of fat-soluble toxins. (So is cooked chicken.)

Spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and Brussels sprouts contribute alpha-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant that destroys harmful free radicals, which are byproducts of detoxification.

Onions accelerate the break down of fats in your food. As a result, your body is more apt to excrete them than to store them in fat cells.

Greens have diuretic properties (which help you lose water weight), and their ability to stabilize blood sugar prevents binge eating.

Artichokes have a range of health-promoting benefits. This veggie scores high on the antioxidant scale, thanks to the presence of cynarin and silymarin. These two phytochemicals are thought to lower cholesterol, protect liver cells from toxins, enhance circulation, alpha-lipoic acid and aid digestion. Both antioxidants are found in the leaves and the heart of the vegetable.

Artichoke

Artichoke hearts

Asparagus

Bell peppers, green, orange, red,

yellow

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

LEAN 17
: Maximize the Health Power of Fruits and Veggies

1.
Look for fresh produce that is crisp and not wilted. Fresh = nutritious.

2.
When buying fresh fruits, look for bruises on the fruit. Bruising initiates a chemical reaction that saps the nutrient content.

3.
When purchasing salad-in-a-bag, look for a colorful medley of greens in the package. The more color, the more antioxidants and phytochemicals in the vegetables.

4.
Always select the brightest, most colorful fruits and vegetables on the shelves. The brighter the color, the more vitamins and nutrients in the produce.

5.
Go for darker shades of green when buying lettuce. Dark-leafed lettuce, like Romaine, is richer in certain B vitamins than are lighter varieties of lettuce such as iceberg.

6.
Buy certain vegetables such as onions and sweet peppers in all their various colors for a greater array of nutrients.

7.
Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables in season when their flavor and nutrition are at peak levels.

8.
Buy locally grown fruit and vegetables when you can. They tend to be more nutrient-rich because they come picked right from the field. (A lot of nutrient loss occurs when produce is in transit for delivery to supermarkets.)

9.
Berries are highly perishable. At the grocery store, look at the bottom of the container. Staining is a sign that the fruit has been bruised or is overripe. Nutrient loss has already set in, and the fruit will spoil rapidly.

10.
Look for the brightest strawberries possible. A bright color signals exceptional nutrient quality. If berries show too much whiteness at their base, they’re less nutritious.

11.
Sniff berries to test for freshness. A pleasant aroma indicates good flavor, ripeness and nutritional goodness.

12.
Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables on the food lists. The greater the variety of foods you eat, the healthier your nutrition.

13.
Eat fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible. Generally, raw produce is healthier. Exception to the raw rule: Cooked carrots and tomatoes yield more antioxidants.