Read Diet Rehab: 28 Days to Finally Stop Craving the Foods That Make You Fat Online
Authors: Mike Dow,Antonia Blyth
Basil:
Italian foods, such as tomatoes, pasta, chicken, fish, and shellfishBay leaf:
bean or meat stews and soupsChili powder:
bean or meat stews and soupsChives:
sauces, soups, baked potatoes, salads, omelets, pasta, seafood, and meatCilantro:
Mexican, Latin American, and Asian cuisine; rice, beans, fish, shellfish, poultry, vegetables, salsas, and saladsCumin:
curried vegetables, poultry, fish, and beansCurry:
Indian or southeast Asian cuisine; lamb or meat-based dishes and soupsDill:
seafood, chicken, yogurt, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and beetsGinger:
chicken, rice, and marinadesOregano:
Italian and Greek cuisine; meat and poultry dishesPaprika:
Spanish dishes, potatoes, soups, stews, baked fish, and salad dressingsRosemary:
mushrooms, roasted potatoes, stuffing, ripe melon, poultry, and meatsSage:
poultry stuffing, chicken, duck, pork, eggplant, and bean stews and soupsTarragon:
chicken, veal, fish, shellfish, eggs, salad dressings, tomatoes, mushrooms, and carrotsThyme:
Fish, shellfish, poultry, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, and summer squashTurmeric:
Indian cuisine
When to Add the HerbsPut in dried herbs early when cooking, but toss in fresh herbs at the end. That way, the intense taste of the dried herbs can work its way through the food, but the fresh herbs will still taste fresh.
• Other people have it easier than me. Their lives are more together.
• I’m so fat. Everyone is thinner than I am.
• No one else has to think about every single bite—but I do, or I’ll gain a ton. What is
wrong
with me?
• My weight is so out of control. My job is probably in danger too. And I’ll never have a good relationship!
• Sweet—Berries and other fruits can give you a boost of sweetness that can ease your cravings for processed sugar. They produce a slow and steady boost of serotonin in your brain and won’t spike blood sugar the way candy or white starches will.
• Starchy—Switch up your starches. Brown rice, whole-grain cereals, and sprouted breads have a high satiety value, which, as we discussed in Chapter 10, means that you’ll feel fuller for longer and by eating less. These foods also give you a more prolonged serotonin boost than foods made with white flour. Check out my favorite quick-and-easy recipes in Appendix A for suggestions of meals made up entirely of serotonin boosters, or look at the booster snacks and swaps on pages 243 and 246.
• Stretch—Choose calming exercises like yoga, Pilates, and simple daily stretching to cue your body to make more serotonin. Deep breathing, relaxing baths, and taking some quiet time are also great options. You can even use your serotonin booster foods to create a soothing experience—sip some chamomile tea while reading in bed or make a Greek yogurt and fruit smoothie to enjoy after an afternoon stroll.
• Sleep—Did you know your body releases more ghrelin—the “hunger” hormone—when you don’t get your seven or eight hours every night? Lack of sleep also interferes with your body’s production of serotonin. A big mistake many of my patients make is falling asleep with the computer or television on. Their lights can actually disrupt your circadian rhythms, which promote healthy sleeping and eating patterns, so unplug the electronics and sleep your way to weight loss!
• Sun—The relaxing rays of warm sunshine can have a powerful serotonin-boosting effect. Twenty minutes of sunlight gives you a healthy boost of vitamin D, a booster that helps combat depression. Don’t overdo it, though. Twenty minutes a day of being outside is enough to feel the benefit.
• Soothing—The fragrance of lavender incense, the warmth of a crackling fire, and the peaceful calm of a walk can boost your serotonin levels, as can a relaxing massage, a long bath, or a comforting talk with a friend.
• Spiritual—Reconnecting to your life’s purpose and feeling your place in the universe can breed a sense of peace and security like nothing else. Let your longing for serotonin remind you that your spiritual side is hungry, too. Find your own relationship to prayer, secular meditation, time in nature, or volunteer activities that allow you to experience your deepest connection with our planet and our world.
What About Portion Sizes?Feel free to enjoy generous but reasonable portion sizes of booster foods. The good news is that without excessive pitfall foods hijacking your brain chemistry, you will actually begin to sense when you need to eat and how much will be based on actual physical hunger. For a few booster foods, such as olive oil and nuts, I’ve provided guidelines, but for the rest, just eat what you like in reasonable amounts. In general, booster foods help you to recalibrate your taste buds to prefer generous servings of whole fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins with reasonable servings of whole grains. I have never treated a food addict or even a binge eater who had a problem eating too many whole fruits and vegetables! Most people will find that as they add new, exciting booster foods, they will experience a significant decrease in their desire for packaged pitfall snacks, which are usually mostly unhealthy carbohydrates and fats.
• almond milk, unsweetened
• any nonfat or reduced-fat cheese
• fat-free cream cheese
• low-fat cottage cheese
• low-fat goat’s milk
• nonfat or low-fat kefir
• nonfat or low-fat sour cream
• plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• plain low-fat soy yogurt
• plain low-fat yogurt
• skim or 1% milk
• barley
• brown rice
• buckwheat
• flaxseed
• high-fiber bars (at least 5 grams of fiber per serving)
• high-fiber tortilla (at least 3 grams of fiber per serving)
• plain instant oatmeal
• quinoa
• soba noodles
• spelt
• steel-cut oats
• whole-grain bread/bagel/pita (at least 3 grams of fiber per serving)
• whole-grain cereal (at least 5 grams of fiber per serving)
• whole-wheat pasta
• Animal protein• eggs• chicken• Cornish hen• turkey, ground turkey, turkey bacon
• Seafood: favor wild-caught over farm-raised• clams• halibut• herring• mackerel• salmon• sardines• scallops• shrimp• sole• trout• tuna• white fish
• Beans• adzuki beans• black beans• black-eyed peas• cannellini beans• chickpeas• edamame• fava beans• great northern beans• hummus• Italian beans• kidney beans• lentils• lima beans• mung beans• navy beans• pigeon beans• pinto beans• refried beans: fat-free only, no hydrogenated oils• soybeans• soy nuts• split peas• tempeh• tofu• white beans• yuba (dried bean curd skin)
• Nuts and seeds: just 10 to 15 per serving, favor plain and unsalted• almond and other nut butters• almonds• cashews• hazelnuts• peanut butter (natural)• pecans• pistachios• sunflower seeds• walnuts
• Other protein sources• casein protein• soy crisps• soy protein• whey protein