The Fat Flush Cookbook (3 page)

In the chapter entitled “Five Hidden Weight Gain Factors” in
The Fat Flush Plan,
you learned that white sugar (and white flour and white rice which are metabolized like sugar) adversely affect your blood sugar and insulin levels as well as trigger yeast overgrowth. While high blood sugar,
excess insulin, and excess yeast can lead to a slew of health challenges like adult-onset diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and impaired immunity, they can also sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or improve your overall health, here's what you need to do to get started so your transition to the phase 1: Two-Week Fat Flush will be as pleasant as possible

If you are hooked on sugar, these tips are absolutely essential for your Fat Flush success:

1.
Right now,
stop adding sugar to foods such as cereal and fruits and to any of your drinks—even those herbal coffee substitutes or herbal teas you are now using. All forms of sugar, sugar alcohols, and artificial sweeteners are out for this transitional phase. The noncaloric sugar alcohols (such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol) found in sugar-free chewing gums are often the cause of cramps, diarrhea, and bloating. Artificial sweeteners like Aspartame (also known as Equal or NutraSweet) can increase both sugar and carbohydrate cravings by blocking production of serotonin. Insufficient serotonin creates more sugar and carbohydrate cravings, which can then increase the likelihood of binging. Watch out for all the fancy names for any of the above, like dehydrated cane crystals, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, caramel, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, dextrose, diastase, fructose, fruit juice and fruit juice concentrates, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, sorghum syrup, regular sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, and brown sugar. (Ideally, these should not be consumed at all, unless they are listed right near the end of the ingredients—ideally way after the first five ingredients.)

2. Get rid of processed carbohydrates from your kitchen starting today. As I mention previously but this is well worth repeating, refined carbohydrates in the form of white rice, white bread, and white pasta (the “wicked whites”) are rapidly converted to sugars in the body and upset the body's blood sugar and fat-controlling systems. Keeping these products out of the house is a very simple yet most effective way to maintain a well-balanced blood sugar level for long-term energy and the avoidance of hunger (and temptations).

3. Foodwise, just remember to go with unrefined and unprocessed as much as possible. This is the
only
way to ensure that you are really reducing your sugar intake, especially the hidden sugars in sauces, cereals, dressings, and such. Most vegetables and fruits as well as chicken, meat, fish, tofu, and eggs are as sugar free as you can get. The
naturally occurring sugars present in legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds are combined with fiber and other nutrients which help to balance your blood sugar by slowing down the body's absorption and assimilation of the natural sugars present.

4. Dilute even the natural sweeteners or naturally sweetened foods whenever you can. If you are a health nut already and are using healthful sweeteners like barley malt or brown rice syrup, for example, then dilute these concentrated sweeteners with water.

5. Avoid any food with the label “fat free,” the marketing trick that makes you think such foods may help you lose weight but have actually contributed to our increasing weight and health problems. (Remember that section in
The Fat Flush Plan
in the “Five Hidden Weight Gain Factors” chapter that discusses the consequences of the fear of eating fat, even the right—fat burning fats?) When “fat free” is on the label, you can be sure to find lots of sugar in various disguises ending with “-ose” like sucrose, glucose, dextrose, and levulose to improve the taste factor. Excess amounts of sugar that are not balanced with protein and fat cause the pancreas to release insulin, the body's main fat storage hormone.

6. The more natural, the better the food for you. So, load up on fresh veggies and fruits. The more processed a food may be (think potato chips and even orange juice), the more it will tend to raise your blood sugar because the fiber and nutrients are missing.

7. Make a vow to ingest foods
only
with 0 to 4 grams of sugars per serving. Become a sugar sleuth. To cut the sugar out, you have to know where it is hiding first. There's no way around it. If you are still buying packaged foods, you have to pay attention to what's in them. Three quarters of the sugars Americans ingest are “hidden” in processed foods, so you have to become a health detective. Learn to read those labels and search for the various names for sugar itemized in number 1 above.

8. Now that we are on the topic of labels, note that the label “sugar free” means that the food contains fewer than 0.5 grams of sugar. The labels “no added sugar,” “without added sugar,” and “no sugar added” mean that no sugar or ingredients containing sugars were added during the processing or packing of the products and that the product has no ingredients that were made with added sugars, such as jams, jellies, or concentrated fruit juices. The term “reduced sugar” means that the product contains at least 25 percent less sugar than the original product.

9. Start eating for taste and good health. The human body requires only about 2 teaspoons of sugar in the bloodstream at any one time. You can easily meet this requirement with fresh fruits and veggies, protein, and fat.

10. Listen to your body. Think about what happens when you eat that decadently chocolaty dessert. You may feel an initial high, but an hour later the irritability, depression, and lethargy set in; what is your body telling you? Try to choose foods that make you feel good for the long term—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

11. Start to eat regular, balanced meals and minisnacks. Think protein (eggs, poultry, beef, fish, lamb, tofu), veggies (the more vibrant the color, the better), and quality fats (flaxseed and olive oil) at every meal. Concentrate on fresh fruits twice a day between meals.

Sugar is on its way out of your diet once again. Now, if you are still addicted to salt, listen up. As you already know, excess salt is a primary dietary culprit for waterlogged tissues—one of the five hidden weight gain factors discussed in
The Fat Flush Plan.
Excessive consumption of salt is also linked to strokes, hypertension, and a variety of cardiovascular problems.

The following transitional tips suggest simple ways to shake the salt so that once you begin your Fat Flush journey, you will not be missing it:

1. During the week before you begin Fat Flush, reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking. The salt added in cooking accounts for more than 40 percent of the sodium we consume. Try to reduce the salt called for in recipes by at least one-quarter to one-half until by the end of the week you are using no salt in cooking at all.

2. Add salt to foods
after
cooking for heightened flavor and less sodium. Did you know that salt added before or during cooking doesn't taste as salty as salt that is added after cooking? Why? The salty flavor rapidly dissipates in the cooking process.

3. There are 2000 milligrams of sodium in a teaspoon of salt. This amount is more than sufficient for the majority of Americans in a single day.

4. Become a salt sleuth. Like sugar, the overwhelming majority of the salt we consume is cleverly “hidden” in processed and refined foods. Salt can be disguised in lots of ways: sodium alginate, sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium bisulfite, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium caseinate, sodium nitrite, sodium propionate, sodium saccharin, baking powder, baking soda, disodium phosphate, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

5. Focus on buying foods that carry the label “sodium free” or “low sodium.” The sodium-free foods contain 35 or fewer milligrams of sodium per serving. The low-sodium foods contain 140 milligrams per serving.

6. According to Asian medicine, salt cravings can signal your body's attempt to balance excessive sugar or alcohol in the diet. Since you will be eliminating both sugar and alcohol in this pre Fat Flush transitional phase, your salt cravings should disappear gradually.

7. If you still find yourself craving salt even though you have cut out both sugar and alcohol, then this may be a sign of burned out adrenal glands (your stress glands). You can strengthen these glands by eating frequent minimeals, learning relaxation techniques, and for those of you who have been diagnosed with low blood pressure, a pinch of salt can be helpful.

8. Get used to garlic, cayenne, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and dill as tasty replacements for regular table salt. These healthful herbs and spices can heighten food flavors naturally as well as aid your weight loss efforts by revving up metabolism and helping to balance blood sugar.

9. Focus on the K factor. The symbol “K” stands for potassium, the mineral that counteracts excess sodium in the diet. Potassium is found in all Fat Flush veggies and fruits—especially tomatoes, squash, and citrus fruits.

10. Kick the salt habit by
overstimulating
other tastes. Use cider vinegar and the juices of lemons and limes liberally on your salads, in your veggies, and in marinades.

Now that you know the secrets of how to get both sugar and salt out of your diet for the pre Fat Flush phase, there's even better news about what you can look forward to on the Fat Flush Plan.

You will find that cranberries themselves—in addition to cran-water and unsweetened cranberry juice—are now part of the program in every phase. These ruby-red jewels are chock full of important antioxidants. In light of the new research that has been published by researchers at the University of Scranton, I have created new and delicious recipes in which they play an intriguing role.

Another added fat flushing food in the Fat Flush Evolution is the pomegranate. One-half of a pomegranate or 1 small pomegranate is now a new fruit exchange on all phases of the program! The word
pomegranate
is translated as “apple with many seeds” from the ancient Hebrew. This
delectable and exotic fruit may actually date back to the Garden of Eden. Scholars now believe that Eve's apple was actually a pomegranate.

Not only is this exotic fruit steeped in religious significance, mythology, and legend (the pomegranate was said to be the favorite food of the gods and symbolized long life, regeneration, and marriage), but it has some modern-day scientific backing that is very impressive. Clinical studies have shown that pomegranate juice, similar in some respects to cranberry juice, has demonstrated incredibly high antioxidant activity. In fact, only 4 ounces of unsweetened pomegranate juice per day can help reduce and may even reverse arterial lesions. Three published studies in highly reputable journals (
The Journal of Nutrition,
August 2001;
Atherosclerosis,
2001; and
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
May 2000) revealed the amazingly positive impact of pomegranate juice intake on cardiovascular health.

Notwithstanding the Garden of Eden connection, of course, the science is the real reason I have added both the pomegranate and unsweetened pomegranate juice to the Fat Flush protocols—with this caveat: While the pomegranate itself can be used as a fruit exchange for everybody for all phases, the unsweetened pomegranate juice should be only used for those who are allergic to cranberry or who live outside of the United States, where cranberry is simply unavailable. I cannot vouch for the fat-burning benefits of pomegranate juice, unlike the unsweetened cranberry juice with which I have had nearly ten years of clinical experience.

So, having said that, let's say that you are allergic to cranberries and will be using the pomegranate juice. If you are on phase 1, The Two Week Fat Flush, you can use 2 ounces of unsweetened pomegranate juice (available in supermarkets and health food stores) as an alternative for the 4 ounces of straight cranberry juice used to make up your cran-water. (By the way, it is not as tangy as the unsweetened cranberry—therefore it does not need any sweetener at all, not even Stevia Plus.)

Instead of 28 ounces of plain water and 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice, you will be making up a blend of 30 ounces of plain water and 2 ounces of unsweetened pomegranate juice for each of your two bottles.

For the Long Life Cocktail in phases 2 and 3, you may choose to use 2 ounces of the unsweetened pomegranate juice as an alternative for the 4 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice and to use 6 ounces of water rather than the 4 ounces of water called for with the unsweetened cranberry juice.
Here's an easy cran water to pom water conversion table: