Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
—Unknown
Please do me a favor.
I want you to throw out everything you thought you knew about health and weight loss. What you’re about to read in this book will undoubtedly fly in the face of both conventional and even alternative dietary wisdom. But regardless of what you’ve tried before, get ready for a radical shift in your health. Because what we are doing is clearly not working—we need a different plan, and we need it now.
America just continues to grow fatter, sicker, and more toxic, but it isn’t for lack of effort. About 60 percent of Americans are desperately trying to lose weight, yet only 5 to 10 percent actually keep it off. In 2013, we spent $60.5 billion on weight-loss products and services alone.1 You would think that with this many people investing that much money in their health, we would be the leanest and healthiest country on Earth, but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, we are world leaders in obesity and chronic disease.
More than a third of us are obese, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes is going through the roof with Alzheimer’s disease not far behind. For the first time in decades, in 2015 US life expectancy dropped due to increased deaths from heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and kidney disease. In the United States, one in two women and one in three men will develop cancer in their lifetime. Not to mention the many common symptoms that so many of us live with every day, such as fatigue, indigestion, and depression.
Many clients come to me after having dieted for decades. In fact, even though nutritional advice has come a long way since the 1980s, these days many of you are struggling in spite of doing everything “right.” Your weight-loss efforts have failed miserably despite eating clean, going gluten-free, and loading up on bone broth. This book reveals why and provides the necessary course correction.
Maybe you’ve even tried some of the latest diets, such as Keto, where the focus is on eating the way our ancestors presumably did. There is much to be said in praise of the direction these diets have taken us—specifically, moving refined sugar, gluten, and excess carbs aside in favor of more protein and fat. But there are pitfalls. Today our bodies have a hard time digesting fats, which causes digestive symptoms. People experience difficulty sustaining energy levels and losing excess weight. Radical Metabolism connects the dots for you in a powerful new way. You can think of it as the next wave—going beyond Keto, Paleo, and primal style diets.
The current health statistics are staggering, but there is hope! You don’t have to be a statistic. My intention is to bring you newly discovered secrets for reigniting a stalled metabolism, harmonizing your hormones, and healing your gut. It’s no secret that obesity and chronic illness go hand in hand. Not only will I lay out a plan to reenergize your sluggish metabolism, but I will also provide some long overdue insights into all those mystery illnesses that are lumped together under “autoimmune conditions,” which afflict millions of people today. I want this book to rock your world and reset your personal healing trajectory so that it’s the last weight-loss book you’ll ever need.
Who am I, and why should you listen to me? For well over thirty years, I’ve been challenging conventional medicine and sharing the latest cutting-edge remedies. In 1988, I was reluctantly thrust onto the national stage with the publication of my first book. Later, as an award-winning New York Times bestselling author, my integrative and functional medicine colleagues called me a “visionary health expert” and “health pioneer.” Over the course of my career, I have been deeply honored to be cited as one of the “Ten Most Knowledgeable Nutritionists” in the United States by Self magazine, received the Excellence in Medical Communication Award from the American Medical Writers Association, and was presented in 2016 with the Humanitarian Award by the Cancer Control Society.
I am an outside-of-the-box nutritionist! Back in the 1980s, everyone was munching on carbs and only carbs—Shredded Wheat and Grape-Nuts, to be exact—while eschewing any morsel of fat. I openly defied the reigning high-grain, high-carb, low-fat dietary recommendations of the time with my first book, Beyond Pritikin (the no- to low-fat Pritikin diet was the big health regimen back then). In my book, I proposed a new diet model featuring essential fats for weight loss, heart health, and immunity. This was downright health heresy at the time, but today the importance of healthy fats is widely acknowledged. After my departure from the Pritikin principles, noted health guru Dr. Robert Atkins invited me to appear as a regular on his radio shows on WOR in New York City, eventually asking me to run the diet department of his integrative medicine clinic in New York.
Shortly thereafter, I wrote Super Nutrition for Women, which further chastised carbohydrates and promoted a high-fat diet, this time for hormone health. I was the first to discuss nutritional strategies for perimenopause in my New York Times best seller Before the Change. As early as 1997, I warned about the dangers of gluten in Your Body Knows Best and sounded the alarm about environmental toxicity, long before the terms gluten-free and detox were part of the American lexicon.
In 2002, I published the book for which I’m probably best known, The Fat Flush Plan. In Fat Flush, I introduced the importance of cleansing and focused on the liver as a primary fat-burning organ and detoxifier—diet heresy, once again, according to the New York Times. Yet, the book struck a long and enduring chord with the public and spawned a family of five additional titles. Since that time, hundreds of books about liver toxicity and detox and cleansing have appeared on bookstore shelves. In 2016, I even released a new updated version, The New Fat Flush Plan.
I’ve tirelessly searched to uncover root causes and hidden factors that sabotage weight loss and health. In Guess What Came to Dinner?, I also wrote about how parasites are not just a third-world problem: how they’re masquerading as more commonly recognized conditions, such as weight-loss resistance, metabolic syndrome, bloating, inflammation, and chronic fatigue. I wrote about natural alternatives to menopause at a time when physicians were medicating women as if menopause itself were a disease. After publishing The Fast Track Detox Diet in 2005, I was featured on 20/20 for daring to say that chemicals, such as BPA, were making us fat. Of course today, the toxic effects of xenoestrogens and obesogens are widely accepted by mainstream medicine. In 2010, I took on the often overlooked and controversial biological risks of electropollution from Wi-Fi, cell phones, and smart meters in my book Zapped and alluded to how connection addiction may be rewiring our brain and invisibly undermining our body.
For the last three decades I have found myself rewriting the rules of nutrition—and now, with Radical Metabolism, I’m at it again. Why? Because the latest science paints a new picture, and it’s not a pretty one. I am well past fifty, and in moving through that transition I was personally challenged by a metabolic slowdown. The plan in this book has evolved from my discovery of what worked for me and others. I happily report that your metabolism can be reignited regardless of your age and exposure to environmental pollutants.
We are living a new toxic nightmare and the old remedies don’t work. Every day we face an invisible war deep within our body as hormone-disrupting environmental pollutants contaminate, and progressively erode, our cellular defenses. Petrochemicals, plastics, heavy metals, fake hormones, radiation, microbes, and other toxic agents all wreak hormone havoc on our biology. Most of these toxins are hidden, lurking in our food, air, and water, as well as body care, household, and cleaning products, and even technology, which makes them even more insidious. This is not your parents’ or grandparents’ world anymore. Our planet—and our bodies—are crying out for help.
We have more than 70 trillion cells in the body, and every one of them is at risk. Once enough of your cells become compromised, then your tissue and organ function will soon follow. Healthy cells begin with healthy cell membranes. Without them, your body essentially stands naked and defenseless against those toxic assaults, which results in hormone disruption and inflammation. Inflammation is the number one factor driving nearly every chronic disease today.
Back in 1858, physician Rudolf Virchow, the “father of modern pathology,” said, “All diseases are disturbances at the cellular level.” He argued that to treat a disease, we must first understand the cause—and the cause is always found at the level of the cell. There are many examples. Alzheimer’s disease involves defective processing of amyloid precursor proteins by cells in the brain. A genetic predisposition to high cholesterol is caused by defective cellular uptake of lipoproteins. Cancer occurs when cells develop aberrant growth patterns, and autoimmune diseases arise when cellular communication runs amok.
And so it is with metabolism.
After working with literally thousands of “fat, forty, and fatigued” females, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place for me. It became clear that no diet in the world will work if your metabolism has turned toxic. One reason many diets fail is they don’t correct the shutdown of key fat-burning tissues in the body. You have three important metabolically active tissues: brown fat, muscle, and your microbiome—that vast community of microorganisms inhabiting your gut. Each of these prefers a specific type of food for its optimal function. If you don’t properly fuel these fat-burning tissues, they aren’t going to return the favor by giving you a radical metabolism and a healthy weight.
Another critical missing link concerns the role of the much-maligned omega-6 fats—the pariah of both conventional and alternative health experts. We hear so much these days about ditching omega-6s for omega-3 fats, but as it turns out, high-quality omega-6 fats are the most critical fuel for reigniting sluggish mitochondria—the energy engines in your cells. Essential fats and certain essential amino acids fast-track your metabolism for lasting weight loss, as well as being vital to the nourishment of your cell membranes that surround and protect the mitochondria.
As you will read shortly, the mitochondria are linked to the metabolically active “brown fat” that eats up heavy-duty amounts of glucose and fat for dramatic weight loss and fat loss, and decreased risk of insulin resistance.
In addition, no disease can be healed if your cell membranes—which direct nutrients in and poisons out—are weak and unstable. Radical Metabolism is all about what to eat to rebuild and fortify those lipid (fat)-based cell membranes, so that toxins are prevented from moving up the chain and gunking up the function of every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, from your brain to your thyroid, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, and skin. This is also where omega-6 fats really shine. True healing requires that we protect ourselves at the source—at the cellular level. Finally, breakthrough research reveals how putting back the missing omega-6s can boost cellular energy, to gain vitality and accelerate fat burn.
But reinstating omega-6s is just one unique aspect of Radical Metabolism. Eating “good fats” does you no good if you can’t properly digest them. So, this program also introduces the forgotten but powerful role bile plays in the body’s slimming systems. Bile is stored in the gallbladder to break down dietary fat and remove toxins from the body. Harvard Medical School research has revealed that subjects with improved bile health showed a remarkable spike in metabolism.
Even more fascinating is a study out of Finland finding that people with decreased bile production are nearly ten times more apt to experience hypothyroidism. With low thyroid on the rise, this provides great hope to the millions of hypothyroid sufferers who experience metabolic slowdown as well as fatigue, dry skin, and constipation. Besides hypothyroidism, studies have also connected poor quality bile with chronic fatigue, migraines, depression, and autoimmune disorders.
If you no longer have your gallbladder, no problem! Unlike other diets, the Radical Metabolism plan helps you compensate for this to ensure you can fully utilize and digest all those good and essential fats that are your body’s preferred fuel. This is a key difference between Radical Metabolism and Paleo, Paleo Plus, and/or Ketogenic diets. I don’t want you overloading on fats if you don’t have a gallbladder or suffer from poor bile quality (as most weight-loss resistant individuals do) without nutritional backup, as this can result in weight gain instead of weight loss—as well as decreased energy, gastrointestinal problems, stress on the kidneys, and other issues.
As you read, Radical Metabolism will probably shake up your long-held beliefs and assumptions about what is healthy, especially when it comes to diet. I sure hope so! I’m not just talking about weight loss—I’m talking about staying energized for life. Let’s put the brakes on aging—I’m talking about gaining the tools necessary for dodging age-related illnesses so you won’t spend years stuck in the hospital revolving door. If you find the word radical a bit intimidating, rest assured that the strategies herein are actually really quite simple and straightforward, designed for easy integration into today’s busy lifestyle. However, these simple strategies produce radical results!
In the first part of this book, you’ll learn the scientific basis for the program before moving on to the protocol itself, so you can understand the rationale. I start by laying out my five Radical Rules to rescue a stalled metabolism, which are foundational to the program. Each of the five must be addressed if you want to reignite your internal cellular energy and fat-burning tissues to fix your broken metabolism. More than 80 percent of readers will feel better after just four days of implementing the basic Radical Rules.
In the second half of the book is the eating program itself. It kicks off with a 4-Day Radical Intensive Cleanse, followed by a 21-Day Radical Reboot—a two-part “cellular makeover” diet designed to jump-start your detox pathways and your metabolic healing. The final section expands the menu with fifty amazing recipes, and provides additional guidance for staying on track for the rest of your life. Here is what you’ll learn:
• How to harness the power of omega-6 oils to fuel brown fat to effortlessly stoke your fat-burning fires, while fortifying your cell membranes and ridding your body of toxins
• How bitter foods are key to metabolic healing and digestion; these support your gallbladder health, bile flow, fat breakdown, and better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins for immunity and skin health
• The fabulous foods (herbs, fresh veggies, bitters including watercress, berries, and supplements) that will kick your metabolism into overdrive, reboot your gallbladder (or replace what’s needed in the form of bile salts if you no longer have your gallbladder), and heal your gut by feeding you “from cell to soul”
• How to optimize your protein and amino acid intake to prevent muscle loss, boost your mitochondria, and reset your “metabolic thermostat”
• How to reduce your exposure to unsuspected toxins that may contaminate some of the foods you love, such as bone broth, chocolate, and green tea
• How to modify your kitchen to steer clear of common food contaminants, such as aluminum and Teflon
• How soups and juices can be combined into a powerful cleanse that rejuvenates and resets your system
• How cleansing beverages, such as refreshing hibiscus and dandelion teas, help clear toxins
• A special section about prebiotic and probiotic foods (jicama, miso, sauerkraut, yogurt) to optimize immunity
If you are like me, with an over-forty metabolism, it’s time to shift it into high gear. Who doesn’t want to transform a sluggish system to lose those unwanted pounds, have more energy, and tamp down inflammation? If you’ve been feeling stuck, you’re about to get unstuck. What would it be like to actually look forward to seeing your reflection in a full-length mirror? How would this change your life? This is no fantasy—it’s what many of my clients report after implementing my program.
Here’s what women have experienced on the Radical Metabolism plan:
I am down 15 pounds and I can see a difference on my skin! I have very oily skin, and now it’s almost normal. This is my third week and I have been sleeping like a baby.
—Vicky O., age 46
Because I am eating such “clean” foods, my thinking is much clearer. I have been able to tackle writing my blog and implementing daily meditation with ease. My blood sugars that I test every morning have been very good! I’ve lowered my insulin doses and have a vision that I will be totally off meds in a very short time period, at this rate. Pain levels in my knees are also decreasing, making daily walks much more enjoyable. Daily house chores are not such a chore, as well.… As an added bonus, I lost 12 pounds and inches around my waist and buttocks!”
—Suzanne K., age 61
I have found a great improvement in my chronic inflammation. Until I got the inflammation under control, exercising for me was a painful process, especially the next day when I really paid for it. Now my joints feel much better and I feel less bloated.
—Marianne F., age 50
[The recipes’] overall taste is very good. I love adding all those bitters to my food… all other foods started to taste better and fresher. Sesame, sunflower oils, and ghee are a delight. [I’m] feeling good, energetic, reasonably focused, and calm, despite normal load of work and daily stresses. My total loss in twenty-one days was 8 pounds, and 8.5 inches!
Because this program deals with all the toxic environmental challenges of our modern world, think of it more as a lifestyle program than a “diet plan.” For you to regain your health and maintain it over the long run, these changes will need to be permanent. After all, although there are steps you can take to mitigate the toxins in your home, it’s unlikely our overall environmental toxicity problem is going to vanish anytime soon.
Lastly, radical times call for radical changes, but these techniques don’t all have to be implemented overnight. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, simply slow it down a bit… you know, baby steps. Stress is as detrimental to your health as bad fats—so getting stressed out over these changes is counterproductive. Please know that we are here to support you every step of the way, online and otherwise. Be kind to yourself. It’s important to recognize and applaud even your smallest accomplishments. If it took ten years for your metabolism to turn against you, you can’t expect to completely heal the relationship in less than thirty days. But with a little willingness and determination, you can succeed. You can radically improve your metabolism and be on your way to an ageless, radiant you.
Let’s get started!