A close friend recently reported to me that her doctor was concerned that her blood pressure was slightly elevated.

He was quick to recommend medication, but my friend said, “I think if I just lose some weight, I’ll be fine,” so the doctor agreed to let her try.

This is where it gets juicy.

Because the doctor went on to say that she should limit her intake to 1,500 calories a day.  It doesn’t matter what she eats—she could eat 1,500 calories of Cheetos a day—as long as she keeps it under 1,500 calories, she’ll lose weight.

This is actually someone with a medical education.

Yikes. 

Let me point out the holes in my dear friend’s (former) doctor’s recommendation by first of taking a look at…

How we’ve gotten so overweight

Over the past 50 years or so, we have been very efficient at creating overweight and obesity.

Our belief that high-carb, low-fat diets are “healthy” and saturated fat is the devil has created a population of people whose bodies are brimming with glucose, suffering from insulin resistance, storing massive amounts of fat and living their days in cycles of sugar spikes and crashes.

In addition, since sugar is an abrasive, inflammation-stirring substance, inflammatory conditions such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis and autoimmune diseases also continue to be our companions and are affecting us at younger and younger ages.

The chemicals in processed, refined foods play a role too.  Chemicals increase food cravings, lead to water retention and cause weight gain.

At the same time, our bodies have lacked the fats that they so desperately need, which impairs our brain and nervous system function, weakens our cell walls, creates hormonal imbalances and leads to nutritional deficiencies, especially in the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

And of course during all of this, the drug industry has been very efficient at offering an array of products to mask your pain, reduce your blood pressure or blood sugar, lull you to sleep, perk you up, stop your heartburn, make you poop, make you happy or cripple your immune system.

So we have become a society of sick, over-medicated, overweight, undernourished individuals.

Why cutting calories doesn’t work

When you drastically reduce calories, at first you will most assuredly lose weight.  Taking fewer calories in means your body will resort to its own stores for energy and you will lose weight.

But then the game changes. 

Your body is smart, and eventually it goes into starvation mode, thinking that food has become scarce.  It tries to conserve energy for you so you don’t keel over.  In its efforts to save calories, it increases your hunger and S-L-O-W-S your metabolism.

At that point you’d practically need a chisel to get more fat off your body.

Now when this happens, what do most people do?

Cut even MORE calories, that’s what!

But that merely perpetuates the starvation cycle and makes things even WORSE.

Now you can see why the (former) doctor’s advice above is so ridiculous.  It’s bad enough to cut calories to begin with, but then if you’re indiscriminately eating nutrient-poor garbage and thinking you’re OK because you’re flying below the calorie radar, you are on a fast track to nutritional deficiency and disease.  

Oh, and not losing the weight you want to lose either.

Don’t cut calories—nourish your body instead!

What matters far more than cutting calories is nourishing your body with wholesome real foods.  This will help reduce your insulin levels, even out your blood sugar and keep you satisfied longer. 

Go organic as much as possible to avoid the chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics used in traditionally raised foods, as well as to steer clear of genetically modified foods.  I know it can be expensive, but you can help control the cost by shopping at farmer’s markets or participating in CSA (community supported agriculture) programs.

Avoid all highly processed carbohydrates (especially soda!) as much as possible—let legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits be your primary carb sources instead. 

Get healthy sources of proteins—meats, poultry, eggs and wild-caught fish are your best bets.

And most importantly, DO NOT SHUN FATS!    

Here are some wise fat choices to make sure your body is getting what it needs:

Good for cooking:  Real butter (both salted and unsalted), lard, tallow, coconut oil, peanut oil, palm oil and olive oil.  These are stable fats that won’t oxidize when heated.

Good for salads, cold dishes: Olive oil, organic nut oils. 

Food sources of fats: Red meat, eggs, butter, avocado, nuts, olives and wild-caught fish.

Consider supplementing: Omega-3 essential fatty acids (fish oil)—because our food supply does not contain the levels of these natural anti-inflammatories that it used to.  Our outstanding VitalMega-3 fish oil formula can help ensure your body has the Omega-3 EFAs it so desperately needs. 

Avoid at all cost:  Trans-fats (commonly referred to as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils), processed vegetable oils, margarine.

Another key to weight loss—sound digestion

Another key to successful weight loss is to have efficient digestion, because if your body is not digesting your foods properly, you are not deriving the full nutritional benefit from them and not eliminating wastes like you should.

Here are 3 ways to improve your digestion:

1- Make your meals easier to digest

It’s important to structure your meals in a way your body can better digest them.  Certain food pairings are very taxing on your system, but when you instead put foods together that your body can tackle easier, you get more comfortable digestion (and no more gas, bloating, or heartburn!). 

My Great Taste No Pain health system teaches you all you need to know about creating tasty, easy to digest meals.  Plus Great Taste No Pain gives you a collection of luscious recipes featuring delicious nutrient-rich foods. 

2- Probiotic supplementation

If you’re prone to constipation, a full-spectrum, multi-strain probiotic formula like Super Shield can help by repopulating your gut’s supply of beneficial intestinal bacteria.  These helpful good guys help you digest carbs and fiber and keep your BMs running along more like they should. 

As a matter of fact, one of our long-time customers lovingly calls Super Shield “Pooper Shield”—that says it all!

3- Enzyme support as needed

Many of us are running low in our ability to produce adequate enzymes for digestion.

This is due to factors like eating a lot of processed foods (which require loads of enzymes to break them down), use of acid reducers or antacids, age, gallbladder surgery, gastric surgery or pancreatic insufficiencies. 

If enzymes are a concern for you, then a complete enzyme formula like Digestizol Max can be a Godsend for you.

Digestizol Max contains a wide array of 15 different plant-derived enzymes that help your body carry out digestion like it’s supposed to—pain free!

See what a difference it can in reaching your weight loss goals when you nourish your body and support better digestion!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia