Read an Excerpt
Introduction
INFORMATION IS POWER
I have people come up to me all the time to tell me that they're stuck. They just can't lose weight. "I've plateaued!" they say. "My program isn't working anymore."
I get it. When you don't see results, you get discouraged. You feel helpless and hopeless. But if you are pursuing a health and wellness goal without the proper information, it's like you're flying blind. Imagine navigating your way from Los Angeles to New York without a GPS, a road map, or a compass-you could never do it. You need the right tools to get where you want to go and to achieve the goals you set for yourself. Like the one you hold in your hands: The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter.
You already know the one universal truth that will always apply to obesity and health: Weight is an energy equation. It's calories in, calories out. We all know that; we just don't always know that there are other factors affecting this equation. That's where the Master diet comes in.
When you find yourself stuck in your weight loss efforts, 99 times out of 100 you're simply not taking into account how much energy is going into your body and how much is going out. Without that info, your chance of getting results and maintaining them is very slim. But when you're informed, you have the ability to make educated choices, powerful choices that effect positive change.
Once you know the calories in any given food, your next question must be about its quality. The quality of your food is critical, not just for preventing disease and combating aging, but because it maximizes your calorie burn. In Master Your Metabolism, I shared shocking information about how low-quality foods (in addition to lifestyle factors like toxic stress and environmental toxins) have dramatically altered our endocrine systems. Those changes to our hormone levels have helped make us-and keep us-fat. If you have already read the book, you know that I didn't shy away from some of the scariest information. Yet people have told me that reading Master Your Metabolism changed their lives. Throughout that book, I cited dozens of scientific studies that have proven one simple fact: When you eat crappy food, it kills your metabolism, ages you, and creates disease in your body; when you eat high-quality food, you get the reverse: a boosted metabolism, stronger immunity, and a powerful weapon against aging. We now know that Hormone Positive Foods are health positive foods. I designed this book as a quick, easy-to-use reference that gives you an accessible and affordable way to stay connected to the Master diet. With it, you can easily find those Hormone Positive, metabolism-boosting foods, every day, at every meal, no matter where you are-at home, on the road, anywhere. A health and weight loss program has to fit your life-it's the only way to ensure long-term success.
In these pages, you'll find complete nutritional information for over 6,000 foods, everything from the very best organic produce to the very worst deep-fried appetizers at chain restaurants-everything you need to count calories accurately and gauge the quality of foods you encounter every day in the real world. I've included an at-a-glance guide to the Master diet, to refresh you on the basics or, if you're new to the plan, give you a bird's-eye view of the diet.
You'll also find lists of hundreds of Hormone Positive Foods that can help increase your body's ability to burn fat and build muscle. And a woeful number of Master Disasters-horrible Anti-Nutrient foods that I wish no one would consume, ever. (Foods with these Master Disasters are included throughout the counter.)
Given that I'm basically saying, "Don't eat these, ever," you might wonder why I've included them at all. Again, it's about giving you power, the power to make an informed choice about what you're eating, not a mindless grab for something you don't really want and certainly don't need. If I've learned anything on the Biggest Loser campus, it's that people have to clearly see what exactly they have done, and what they are currently doing, that has helped create their ill health and obesity. I'll never forget when Pete Thomas from season two of the Biggest Loser looked at the Bloomin' Onion at the Outback Steakhouse and realized that when he routinely ate that dish by himself, he was consuming 1,560 calories and 84 grams of fat in about 10 minutes. That was his true aha moment. That's when he realized, "Oh my God, this is why I am four hundred pounds. This is why my cholesterol is through the roof. This is why I'm diabetic."
In this toxic food environment, you need constant reminders of exactly how bad these choices are for your long-term health and well-being. Some will shock you, just like Pete was shocked. Consider the innocent tuna sandwich. Fish is good for you, right? On the Master Diet, it's a Power Nutrient. But then you're at Quiznos, you're hungry, you're thinking about ordering a large-but a quick peek in these pages tells you that a large Tuna Melt Deli Sub is actually 1,760 calories-more than most of us should eat in an entire day.
While I'd prefer that you not eat at chain restaurants, I'm a realist. Okay, you're already at Quiznos-so what can you have? Scan down the list and you'll see can choose to have a bowl of Hearty Chili (360 calories) or a cup of Tomato Basil Soup (125 calories) and a small Steak and Bleu Salad (230 calories) instead. By becoming aware of what's in your food and understanding which foods have previously led to diet derailment, you can cut them out and replace them with healthier choices.
I want you to bring this book with you everywhere you go. I want it to travel with you when you go out to eat and when you're at the supermarket; it should always be in your backpack, back pocket, or purse. If you use the knowledge you hold in your hands, you will get results.
It all adds up: Good choices lead to good results. Achieving results empowers and inspires you to achieve more. And these little successes will beget more success in other areas of your life.
Each one of us has the power to effect positive change within ourselves and globally-first by making the right choices for ourselves, then expanding that thinking to our families and our homes, and then bringing it to our communities. And when we do that, it all falls into place. So let's get started living a Master-full life.
THE MASTER DIET AT-A-GLANCE
So you know weight loss is all about calories in, calories out. That said, who wouldn't mind a little boost in the calories-out department? Most everyone wants to increase their metabolism, but to do this, we have to first know and understand what metabolism is.
Many folks believe that metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. But that's just one thing your metabolism does. In fact, your metabolism is your body's biochemistry. The way all your hormones interact, a.k.a. your endocrine system, has a major impact on your ability to lose weight. Some hormones, like DHEA and testosterone, tell our bodies to burn calories; some, like ghrelin and insulin, tell our bodies to hoard fat. Although the fundamental function of any weight-loss program is and will always be calories in and calories out, you can bolster your efforts to lose weight by optimizing the hormone levels in your body.
Unfortunately, due to the toxic levels of chronic stress, dangerously processed food (Anti-Nutrients, or what I also call Master Disasters), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals everywhere in our environment, your hormone levels and metabolism have likely been thrown off kilter. The Master Your Metabolism plan tackles these critical threats head-on.
First, you Remove Anti-Nutrients, the foods your body doesn't recognize and that confuse and mess up your hormones. Next, you Restore Power Nutrients, the whole foods nature intended us to eat, the foods our bodies recognize, the ones that send healthy, metabolism- boosting messages to our hormones. And last, you Rebalance Your Energy, paying attention to when and how much you eat (which includes using this counter in your daily life-everywhere, all the time-to track the quality and the quantity of what you're taking in each day).
Follow this three-step plan and you'll reboot your entire endocrine system, so your body can get back to burning fat, building muscle, and making your metabolism work for you instead of against you. If you haven't already, read my book Master Your Metabolism to learn more about how our bodies are under attack and how you can fight back to protect your biochemistry with a few key lifestyle changes. In the meantime, check out this at-a-glance peek at the Master Diet. As long as you focus on its three main principles, you can't go wrong.
The Master Your Metabolism Diet Plan
Step One: Remove Anti-Nutrients
Hydrogenated fats
Refined grains
High fructose corn syrup
Artificial sweeteners
Artificial coloring and preservatives
Nitrates and nitrites
Glutamates
Foods from animals treated with hormones or antibiotics
Foods treated with pesticides
Reduce these
Starchy vegetables
Tropical, dried, and canned fruits
Excess soy
Excess alcohol
Canned foods
Step Two: Restore Power Nutrients
Legumes
Alliums (garlic, onions, leeks, scallions)
Berries
Meat and eggs
Colorful fruits and veggies
Cruciferous veggies
Dark green leafy veggies
Nuts and seeds
Dairy
Whole grains
Step Three: Rebalance Energy
Eat breakfast
Eat every four hours
Do not eat after 9 P.M.
No simple carbs at night
Eat until you're full, but not stuffed
Eat 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein
ANTI-NUTRIENTS, OR MASTER DISASTERS
Some foods are so bad for you, I never want you to eat them. Never. Ever. But the sad thing is, sometimes it's hard to know where they're lurking. But at least the supermarket gives you the chance to see for yourself what's in the food you're buying. When you're looking at processed foods in the store, keep your eyes peeled for these words.
Aspartame (NutraSweet)
Autolyzed yeast
Benzoic acid
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Blue dye 1 and 2
Calcium caseinate
Enriched
Fortified
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Green 3
High fructose corn syrup
Hydrolyzed corn gluten
Hydrolyzed protein (wheat, milk, soy, whey-any protein that is hydrolyzed)
Monopotassium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Natrium glutamate
Nitrates
Nitrites
Olestra (Olean)
Hydrogenated oils of any kind (palm, corn, soybean)
Potassium benzoate
Potassium bromate
Red 3 and 40
Refined
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low)
Sodium benzoate
Sodium bisulfite
Sodium caseinate
Sodium dioxide
Sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrite
Sucralose (Splenda)
Sulfites
Textured protein
Trans fats
Yeast extract
Yeast food
Yeast nutrient
Yellow 6
Hormone Positive Foods
MASTERING ESTROGEN
Our individual needs for estrogen can be very different. Some types of estrogen help us stay lean; some make us pack on fat. Perimenopausal women may find a bit of hot flash relief with phytoestrogens, while in post-menopausal women, the same foods may increase the risk of breast and uterine cancers. In men, some phytoestrogens can have a cardioprotective effect but too many can dampen testosterone and increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. And we all have to contend with harmful xenoestrogens that come from toxic substances in the environment, including our cosmetics, cleaning products, preservatives, pesticides, and plastics.
How to keep it all straight? Thankfully, these Hormone Positive Foods- remember, always organic!-can help our bodies contend with this chemical onslaught and optimize our natural levels of estrogen. Look for foods with high levels of fiber; the more fiber in your diet, the better your natural estrogen disposal system works.
Almonds
Anise
Apples
Avocadoes
Barley
Bean sprouts
Beans (black, garbanzo, kidney, navy, pinto)
Blackberries
Black raspberries
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Bulgur
Cabbage
Fennel
Fermented soy products (tofu, miso, and tempeh; 1 serving per week)
Flaxseed
Green tea
Hops
Kale
Lentils
Nectarines
Oat bran
Oatmeal
Onions
Plums
Pomegranates
Prunes
Psyllium fiber
Rice bran
Rye
Sesame seeds
Sweet potatoes
Wheat germ
Hormone Positive Foods
MASTERING GHRELIN
Ghrelin is our number one hunger hormone. When it's your normal mealtime or you smell something really delicious, ghrelin is released in your belly and travels up to trigger your brain's appetite center (and, unfortunately, simultaneously turns down your calorie burn). Keep ghrelin in check by eating slowly, and doing so every three to four hours, especially high-volume foods with lots of fiber and water- hello, vegetable soup!-because as soon as your stomach registers it's full, ghrelin levels fall again.
Apples
Artichokes
Beets
Blueberries
Buckwheat
Bulgur
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard greens
Cranberries
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel
Flaxseed
Grapefruit
Green beans
High fiber cereal
Lentils
Mustard greens
Navy, black, pinto, and kidney beans
Oats
Oranges
Pistachios
Raspberries
Romaine lettuce
Shiitake mushrooms
Split peas
Strawberries
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Turnip greens
Watermelon
Whey protein (not hydrolyzed)
Whole grains
Zucchini
Hormone Positive Foods
MASTERING THYROID
Thyroid hormones help control how much oxygen your cells use, how fast your heart beats, how warm your body gets, not to mention how good your memory and mood are on any given day. Thyroid also plays a large role in the rate at which your body burns calories. Avoiding goitrogenic foods, like raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale), peanuts and peaches, or soy foods, like tofu or "not-dogs," is particularly important for people with thyroid issues (like me!). (These goitrogens interrupt the thyroid's uptake of iodine, the building block of thyroid hormones.) Everyone can benefit from eating more of the Hormone Positive Foods listed here, many of which are high in zinc, which helps trigger thyroid release, and selenium, a mineral that helps your body create T4 and convert it into T3, the metabolism-boosting thyroid hormone.
Almonds
Anchovies
Asparagus
Avocadoes
Basil
Beef
Brazil nuts
Brewer's yeast
Broccoli
Cashews
Collard greens
Cremini mushrooms
Green peas
Hazelnuts
Herring
Lamb
Mustard greens
Olive oil
Oysters
Pacific salmon
Peas
Pumpkin seeds
Sardines
Sesame seeds
Shrimp
Spinach
Summer squash
Swiss chard
Thyme
Venison
Wheat germ
Whole grains
Yogurt
Hormone Positive Foods
MASTERING INSULIN
When it comes to insulin, the Master plan is all about keeping it low. After you eat, insulin is released from the pancreas to regulate the level of sugar in your blood. But if you regularly eat foods that cause a spike in your blood sugar, like overly refined white pasta, bread, or other "fast" carbs, you can overtax your body's insulin production system and pack on the pounds-not to mention raise your risk of developing diabetes. Luckily, you can avoid this easily. Start by making sure you eat some protein at every meal and snack; protein lowers your blood sugar response and lessens your need for insulin. Also, go crazy for nonstarchy vegetables with plenty of fiber. The following foods are a good start.
Almonds
Amaranth
Artichoke hearts
Barley
Basil
Beans (lima, black, cannellini, fava, garbanzo, kidney, or pinto)
Bok choy
Bran cereals
Brazil nuts
Brewer's yeast
Broccoli
Cabbage
Chicken
Chili peppers
Cinnamon
Collard greens
Cucumber
Eggs
Endive
Grapefruit
Greek yogurt
Green beans
Herring
Kudzu
Lamb
Leeks
Mackerel
Mustard greens
Oats
Olive oil
Onions
Oysters
Peanuts
Pickles
Psyllium
Radicchio
Romaine lettuce
Salmon
Spinach
Tomatoes
Turmeric
Turkey breast
Turnip greens
Vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red wine, or white)
Walnuts
Whole grain bread