CHAPTER 2
Prep for Your Hormone Reset
It’s time to lay the foundation for your Hormone Reset. Preparation is behind every lasting change when it comes to your body and losing weight for good. Otherwise, modernity conspires against you such that your nervous system is toast, you feel overwhelmed and poisoned by hormones, and you are at the mercy of food cravings. I’ve found the best antidote is intention, so I’ve created a plan for you to prioritize space for the sacred—in your head, heart, and schedule—in the day or two before starting your Hormone Reset.
The preparation phase is a time of emotional, physical, and spiritual arrangements, if you allow it to be. It takes planning to connect to your inner divinity so that it may guide you to your cure. Setting the right intention will create the ideal vibrational tone for the body to begin to reset hormones, release weight and toxins, and heal addictive patterns. You have nothing to lose (except weight, of course!) and everything to gain. On your mark, get set … prepare!
Self-Assessment
Does your weight keep you from living your biggest, fullest, richest life? Do you suffer from food addiction? Are you a stress case? Welcome to the club! You are in the right place, because we are going to fix these issues, starting immediately. Take the following self-assessment to find out if you need the Hormone Reset. In the past six months, have you experienced …
Looking in the mirror and not liking what you see?
Limiting certain activities until you finally lose the weight, such as sex or going to the beach?
Eating or craving certain foods, even when you’re not hungry? Snacking all day? Observing that you get hungry not long after eating a meal (i.e., within less than four hours)?
Noticing that your weight seems to fluctuate constantly?
Jumping from one diet to another, looking for the magic bullet? Occasionally restricting your food, though you’re able to sustain this only a short while?
Feeling tired or sluggish after eating?
Hiding food or eating in secrecy? Keeping a secret stash of chocolate or sweets in your special drawer or cabinet?
Weighing yourself every day? Being in either a good or a bad mood for the day depending on the number on the bathroom scale?
Eating more than you planned or bingeing? Noticing that you have avalanche foods: you take one bite, and shortly thereafter, the whole container is gone? Feeling guilty about how much (quantity) or the types of food (quality) you’re eating? Eating until you feel uncomfortably full?
Purging? Overeating and then taking a laxative, vomiting, or exercising to make up for it?
Experiencing health issues from overeating—including diagnoses from your doctor, such as prediabetes, diabetes, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome—or just being told you need to lose weight to get healthier?
Observing that you need more of certain foods for them to bring you the same pleasure as they used to provide, such as chocolate, wine, or french fries?
Thinking about your weight or food constantly?
Continuing to eat foods that have negative consequences for you, such as weight gain, bloating, belly pain, gas, or other signs that the foods don’t agree with your body?
Interpret Your Results
• If you have five or more of these indicators, you are so ready for the Hormone Reset that you can come straight through the starting gate now! Food, stress, and negative habits have handcuffed you, as noted from the self-assessment (adapted with significant changes for my patients from the Yale Food Addiction Scale, which has been validated in women).1 Together, we are going to remove the cuffs and get you back to an empowered, healthy version of yourself.
• If you have four or fewer of these symptoms or are unsure, you may be teetering on the edge of food addiction and unhealthy eating. I want you to come back to solid ground before it’s too late! I heartily recommend that you start your Hormone Reset to prevent food issues from later causing more weight gain and health problems.
Overview of Your Hormone Reset
In your Hormone Reset we will resynchronize the seven hormones of metabolism. Here is the order of hormone resets that I’ve found to be the most effective:
1. Meatless, designed to reset your estrogen by excluding red meat and alcohol from your diet. (Note that this reset is essential for everyone, whether you’re a meat eater or not.)
2. Sugar Free, intended to banish your cravings for sugar and reset your insulin.
3. Fruitless, targeted to reset your hunger hormone, leptin.
4. Caffeine Free, which will reset your relationship to stress and cortisol.
5. Grain Free, formulated to activate your thyroid hormone in a powerful new way and will reset insulin and leptin.
6. Dairy Free, designed to reset your growth hormone, which also improves insulin.
7. Toxin Free, which will redirect your testosterone level to normal, along with supporting the reset of estrogen, insulin, leptin, and thyroid.
After you take all these steps, you will have reset your metabolism.
I’m so excited for you because you’re about to enter the circle of hormone resets (as shown in the following figure) that expedite major body transformation from the inside out. I know what it’s like at the top, after completing the first round of seven hormone resets—I can see the comprehensive view from here, and it’s amazing. Yes, you will fix your broken metabolism and lose weight. But more important, you will take the crucial steps you need to feel at home in your body again. You will break the relentless cycle of stress and weight gain. You won’t be constantly bloated, stressed, or sleep deprived. You will grow the happy and diverse bacteria that keep you lean and shed the bacteria that make you fat.
Reaching these goals begins with awareness and preparation. Don’t worry; you aren’t alone. I will hold your hand through every step of the way. In this chapter, you’ll find everything you need to enter the circle starting first with the estrogen reset, including a checklist, a shopping guide, baseline measurements, and key action steps to activate your Hormone Reset.
Checklist
In order to set you up for success with the first reset, review these high-priority items. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just focus on completing what is required for the first reset. If you’re feeling generally okay with your preparations and in the mood for extra credit, add some or all of the optional items.
Required
Choose your Day 1. This is the start day of the twenty-one-day Hormone Reset. Many women choose Monday, but it’s your body and your decision.
Buy a small journal. Make sure it fits into your purse or on your nightstand. Make it pretty. You’ll be committing to your food each night for the next day, thereby setting up a sense of integrity and accomplishment when you eat the foods you’ve planned. You’ll be archiving your thoughts, feelings, wins, and challenges as you progress through your Hormone Reset—not merely as a recording of events but rather as a clarifying tool that helps you know yourself, solve problems, and release old emotions. Journaling is essential to clean eating and recovery, and science proves that it helps boost cognitive function, counteracts stress, and bolsters immunity.
Collect the first four of the ten recommended measurements (on the tracker, page 26). Note that if you want the best results, I recommend you perform all ten measurements prior to starting the program.
Clear the decks. Remove from your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer the food culprits that commonly cause hormonal misfires: alcohol, red meats, sugar, sugar substitutes, sodas and diet sodas, coffee and other caffeinated beverages, high-fructose fruits, grains (including gluten), and dairy products. Enlist your family to support or even join your journey to improve your health, since they will benefit from it too, even if they don’t have weight to lose. If you don’t live alone or your family declines to join you in clearing the decks, create special shelves in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer—not at eye level so you’re not tempted—where you store these foods for others in the household.
Copy the shopping lists (or photograph them with your smartphone). Using the shopping lists provided later in this chapter (page 34), go to the store and, at a minimum, buy everything for the first reset, Meatless. You will be off red meat and need clean protein alternatives.
Take a quick “before” picture. Snap a selfie, or ask someone to take photos of the front, each side, and back of your body before you begin.
Optional
Perform additional measurements. The more you objectively measure and track the progress of your blood pressure, body fat, blood sugar, and waist and hip circumferences, the more you will improve. If you initially chose to take just the first four of the ten measurements, add a few more from the tracker (page 26).
Solicit a friend to join you. Find an accountability partner! I know that people who perform programs like this one together lose twice as much weight.
Purchase supplements:
Shake powder. When you are shifting the way that you eat, you can make life simpler by substituting a shake for a meal. This practice is optional, but I find that shakes provide the essential ingredients you need to reset your hormones, detoxify, and fill nutrient gaps. If you want to eat only food and to drink only filtered water, no problem; plenty of women have succeeded on the Hormone Reset without shakes. If you want shakes as an option, purchase a nondairy, nonwhey protein powder. I recommend that you follow my program to the letter, which means you need to obtain enough shake powder for at least thirty-six servings. (See Resources for my favorite shake powders.) Here are several nutritional requirements that work well for people who have completed my program successfully (check the label of the shake, and make sure you have the following per serving):
• Protein: 15 grams (minimum), but 20 grams is preferred
• Maximum net carbs (total carbs less total fiber): 8 grams, but less is preferred
• Maximum sugar: 5 grams, but less is preferred
Fiber. As you will find during the first reset, fiber helps you activate estrogen so it’s in the fat-burning zone. Order or pick up from your local health food store a fiber blend, at least thirty-six servings’ worth. You want to find the type of fiber that keeps you pooping and doesn’t cause constipation. The average woman in the United States consumes 12 to 14 grams of fiber per day. Plan to gradually increase your fiber intake by a maximum of 5 grams per day so that your body can adjust. For example, aim for 17 grams on Day 1, 22 grams on Day 2, 27 grams on Day 3, etc., until you are consuming 35 to 45 grams per day.
Consult a health professional before getting started. If you have or suspect that you have any serious health conditions, including but not limited to diabetes or high blood pressure, and/or if you take any medications, talk to your doctor. Although this program is gradual and gentle, and it has been completed by thousands of women, it’s important to know that some people experience significant reductions in blood sugar and blood pressure.
Baseline laboratory tests. Throughout your Hormone Reset, you will find my recommendations for tests that you can order yourself or request from your health professional. These are optional but may elucidate which of your hormones are misfiring.
The Writing Cure
Ready for your first assignment? Break out that pretty new journal, and we’ll begin. The first question to answer in your journal is an important one that will set your long-term vision for yourself: What will it feel like to be at home in your body?
We are each so unique, with our own history, perspective, and opinions. I asked women who had completed the Hormone Reset about being at home in their bodies, and here are a few of their answers:
“To be comfortable with who I am and have that sense of fulfillment that I’m living in my ultimate purpose, in the healthiest way—body, soul, and spirit. It’s knowing where I’ve been, where I am in the present, and where I’m heading for eternity!”—Katie
“To be home in my body would be the feeling of peace and balance. No pain, no extra ‘stuffing’ in the wrong places, calm and relaxed and fully functioning body.” —Monica
APPLYING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MODEL
Almost all of us know the basics about what to do to lose weight and feel healthy. When we follow a healthy eating plan, we feel great and vow to keep at it. But alas, human nature is complex. Even the best intentioned of us find it hard to sustain that plan.
I struggle with this problem myself. As a scientist, I went to my default: research. This led me to study the burgeoning field of change management so I could apply the best practices to my own life and then teach them to the women who work with me online and in my medical practice. Change management is an approach that helps people or groups move from the current state to a desired future state. The latest research tells us that we need to apply the following when going through a change:
Set a big vision. For instance, “I want to lose 25 pounds” or “I want to bring my fasting blood sugar from the prediabetes range of 110 mg/dL down to the normal range of 70 to 85” or “I’m committing to implementing seven resets in twenty-one days.”
Break the big vision into smaller goals that you can easily achieve. Try saying to yourself, “Today, I am resetting my insulin resistance. I will stay on task with my insulin reset for three days and then move to the next module, which is to banish fructose and reset my leptin” or “I’m committing to writing my next day’s food every evening.”
Rise above the fray. Don’t get caught up with the minutiae. Stick to the big vision and your smaller goals. Write your goals on Post-its and keep them handy so that they trigger your intention: place the Post-its on your bathroom mirror, in your wallet, on your refrigerator, on the steering wheel in your car. If you slip up, be gentle with yourself. I use my smartphone to take a picture of my big vision and smaller goals, and I use the image as the wallpaper on my smartphone, so every time I unlock my phone, I see it and connect to my intention.
Change can feel intimidating, and sometimes you may find yourself momentarily resisting your big vision and/or your smaller goals. Remind yourself that these moments will pass. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on the first three-day reset. Be sweet to yourself and keep moving forward—even small steps that feel inconsequential add up to major transformation over time.
Your Top Ten Measurements
One of the most important aspects of your Hormone Reset is measuring your results. This will help you capture a snapshot of your current health as well as the progress you make during the course of this program. I find it helps to set small goals for specific outcomes beyond losing weight. What you measure improves and connects you to intention—that is, it’s harder to change something you’re unaware of, such as your body fat.
The following is a list of the top ten measurements I recommend you take before, during, and after your Hormone Reset, to track your progress. Measurements one through four are mandatory; they are easy and require very few supplies. Measurements five through ten are highly recommended but optional. (For additional information, see Resources.)
Measurement #1: Waist and Hips
Frequency: Before Day 1 and weekly
Supplies Needed: A soft tape measure
Instructions: Measure your waist circumference, at your belly button and also one inch above your belly button. Make sure the tape measure is not too tight and that it’s parallel with the floor. Don’t hold your breath while measuring! Write down your measurements in inches or centimeters. You will use the measurement at your belly button to calculate your waist-to-hip ratio and the measurement one inch above your belly button for your waist-to-height ratio.
Also measure your hips—the circumference of your hips at the widest point. Try to use a similar degree of snugness each time you measure. Then calculate the waist-to-hip ratio by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement, or go to www.healthcalculators.org.2
Which shape are you? Indicate your measurements in the tracker or cut and paste into your journal. For all the possible waist-to-hip ratios and what they mean for women, see the following breakdown.
• A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.80 or less. You are a “pear” shape and at low risk of health problems. Good job! You may still have a broken metabolism, and together we will work to get your ratio even better.
• A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.81 to 0.85. You are an “avocado” shape and are at moderate risk of health issues. The Hormone Reset is designed to improve your waist-to-hip ratio over the next twenty-one days, and hopefully—if you follow the plan carefully—you will reduce your risk by lowering your ratio.
• A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.86 or higher. You are an “apple” shape, and you are at increased risk of blood sugar problems, prediabetes, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and hip fractures. You would benefit from performing all ten measurements and following the Hormone Reset closely.
Measurement #2: Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Height Ratio, and Basal Metabolic Rate
Frequency: Before Day 1 and the first day of each reset
Supplies Needed: A bathroom scale, a yardstick or tape measure to measure your most recent height accurately, and a computer with Internet access
Instructions: Always weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast. Write down your weight in pounds or kilograms.
Also determine your height. As a population, we shrink as we age from poor posture and osteoporosis, so please get an accurate height, either at home or when you go to see your practitioner prior to starting the Hormone Reset. Write it down in inches or centimeters.
From your accurate preprogram height and weight measurements, you can calculate important metrics for your tracker:
• Body mass index (BMI). Use an online calculator or the formula (BMI = weight ÷ height2).3 If you use kilograms and centimeters, you have your result. If you use pounds and inches, you need to multiply the result by 703. (See Notes for more details and examples.4) For example, for a woman who is 150 pounds with a height of five feet four inches (64 inches total),
BMI = (150 ÷ 642) × 703 = 25.7
• Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). One recent study of 3,937 women in the United Kingdom showed that their waist-to-height ratio predicted their risk of diabetes better than their BMI. Other studies concur.5 To calculate your WHtR, take your waist measurement from measurement one (one inch above your belly button) and divide that by your height in inches (or use an online calculator6). If you’re female, keep your WHtR less than 0.49. If your WHtR is 0.50 or higher, let’s work together to get the ratio down over the next twenty-one days.
• Basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories that you burn at rest over twenty-four hours (if you stayed in bed all day). The result helps you determine whether your metabolism is fast or slow. You can measure it at a gym (usually as a resting metabolic rate, based on the oxygen you inhale and the carbon dioxide you exhale), or you can calculate an estimate based on your weight, height, and age. Use an online calculator (see Resources) or the following formula if you can’t make it to a participating gym.
BMR = 655 + (4.35 × weight in pounds) +
(4.7 × height in inches) – (4.7 × age)
Continuing with our example of a woman who is 150 pounds with a height of five feet four inches, and an age of forty,
BMR = 655 + (4.35 × 150) + (4.7 × 64) – (4.7 × 40) = 1420
Once you know your BMR, you can determine your daily caloric burn by adjusting BMR based on your physical fitness. For someone who exercises lightly one to three days per week, you multiple BMR by 1.375. Sedentary folks use BMR × 1.2, and people who moderately exercise three to five times per week, use BMR × 1.55.
In our example, our 150-pound woman walks for thirty minutes three times per week, so her daily caloric need is approximately 1420 × 1.375 = 1953 calories per day. While weight loss is not simply a matter of calories in and calories out, BMR can give you a ballpark for where your metabolism is at the beginning and end of the program. You can raise your BMR by resetting your metabolic hormones, lifting weights, and burst training.
Measurement #3: Hormones
Frequency: Before Day 1 and again on Day 22
Supplies Needed: A computer with Internet access or The Hormone Cure
Instructions: My Hormone Score is a quiz that has been formulated to help you quickly identify which of your hormones and neurotransmitters are imbalanced. You can take the online assessment at www.thehormonecurebook.com/quiz/ or purchase my book, The Hormone Cure, for the full-length version. If you use the full-length version, tally the total number of “yes” answers for each hormone imbalance and record that number as your score on your tracker (page 26). If you’re using the online quiz, make a note in your journal of which hormones may be out of balance prior to starting your Hormone Reset, and you can revisit the quiz again after you’ve completed the twenty-one days.
Measurement #4: Sleep
Frequency: Daily
Supplies Needed: Nothing is needed to measure total sleep; use a sleep tracking device to measure type of sleep (see my recommendations in the Shopping Guide, page 34).
Instructions: At a minimum, you should record the quantity and quality of your sleep each night using a journal. Better yet would be to measure your type of sleep using a tracking device. On the Jawbone UP device, for example, you will receive a “sleep score” each night or a percentage of ideal sleep for you based on your age and sleep patterns. If you’re using the UP, record your Day 0 sleep score from the main app page on your smartphone.
Measurement #5: Blood Pressure
Frequency: Before Day 1 and again on Day 22 or later
Supplies Needed: You can measure your blood pressure at home, at your practitioner’s office, or at your local drugstore.
Instructions: There are two important numbers to pay attention to when you measure your blood pressure. The top number is called your “systolic” blood pressure, and it should be less than 140 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). The bottom number is called your “diastolic” blood pressure, and it should be less than 90 mm Hg.
Measurement #6: Blood Sugar
Frequency: Daily; however, measure every three days if your fasting and postprandial (after a meal) blood sugar levels are in the optimal ranges.
Supplies Needed: A blood glucose meter (you can purchase one at your local drugstore without a prescription), blood glucose test strips, a lancing device, lancets, and a control solution (optional)
Instructions: There are two important times to check your blood sugar. The first is in the morning after you’ve not eaten for eight to twelve hours, and the second is two hours after you’ve eaten. Start by measuring your fasting blood sugar before eating breakfast. In addition, it’s helpful to measure your blood sugar two hours after a meal, particularly dinner.
I provide a detailed, step-by-step description of how to do this on my website,7 or have someone at your doctor’s office teach you how to do it.
Measurement #7: Steps
Frequency: Daily
Supplies Needed: A step-tracking device or a pedometer (see my recommendations in the Shopping Guide, page 34)
Instructions: Adaptive and moderate exercise is very important during the Hormone Reset, because it can speed the release of toxins and heal your metabolism. Tracking your total steps per day will help you monitor and increase your daily activity.
Measurement #8: Body Fat
Frequency: Before Day 1 and again on Day 22
Supplies Needed: A special body fat scale (see Resources) or caliper measurements or bioelectrical impedance analysis at your local gym
Instructions: It’s easy to get fixated on the number on your bathroom scale, but body fat can be a much more accurate indicator of health and fitness. Your body is a complex combination of fluid, bone, muscle, and fat; a single number on a scale isn’t sufficient to capture your progress on this program.
The most accurate measurement of fat is with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which can be done for fifteen dollars at my local university, for example. Search “BOD POD” online to see if there’s a device near you where you can accurately measure your body fat.
Measurement #9: Net Carbohydrates
Frequency: Daily
Supplies Needed: None, or a simple calculator (such as on your phone) or app
Instructions: Your goal from Day 1 through Day 21 is to keep your net carbohydrates at between 20 to 49 grams per day. Net carbs are calculated by determining your total carbohydrate intake (in grams) and deducting the total fiber intake (in grams). For instance, I aim to keep my total carbohydrates at approximately 75 grams per day when I’m trying to lose weight and 100 to 150 grams when I’m maintaining my weight. I eat 35 to 45 grams of fiber per day. If each day, from Day 1 through Day 21, I eat 75 grams of carbohydrates and 40 grams of fiber, my daily net carbs are 35 grams (75–40 = 35). Record your net carbs before Day 1 on your tracker (page 26) so you get the hang of it.
Measurement #10: pH
Frequency: Daily; every three days if your pH level is over 7.0 consistently
Supplies Needed: pH test strips
Instructions: I recommend testing the pH of your urine first thing in the morning. Instructions are typically included with the test strips and generally consist of letting some of your urine hit the test strip midstream, waiting a few moments, and then comparing the color of the test strip to the colors on the package to find out your current pH level. Your pH level is an important measure of overall health (see page 178).
Gently Shifting Your Habits
How many times do you really think about brushing your teeth? My guess is not many. It’s just something you do, even if you don’t want to. You don’t rely on willpower, because it’s a habit. Part of the reason for your acceptance is that you’ve been doing it for a long time. You know that if you don’t, you might suffer the consequences.
I want to make eating healthy food and sustaining your ideal weight as easy as brushing your teeth, which will require creating new habits. Before you become overwhelmed by this task, let’s break it down. You can do this. You might be surprised at how easy creating new habits becomes once you enjoy the benefits of weight loss, increased energy, and fewer mood swings. Choose one or more of the following actions to create new habits in the next three days:
• Write. Start writing in your Hormone Reset journal. Why do you want to be healthy? I believe healthy people have more fun and true connection with others—but that’s me.
• Listen. Tune in to your body before you act. This could mean acting on an impulse to eat or reacting to your child’s whining. Tune in, listen, and identify the feelings in your body. Do you feel an ache in your belly? A tightening in your chest? Is your breathing restricted or full? Simply noticing your bodily sensations will help you identify your feelings and think before you act.
• Notice. Pay attention to your life energy. What makes it strong, and what makes it weak? What stops it from flowing? Write the answers in your journal and see where your writing leads and what insights it provides.
Get Ready to … Reset!
Over the next twenty-one days you will gradually eliminate the foods and reset the seven hormones that are most likely slowing down your metabolism. If that feels daunting, don’t fret. I’ve included here a shopping guide and grocery lists to set you up for success.
What you eat affects your body, mind, and spirit far more than simply interacting with your taste buds. Food is intimate. When it’s carefully chosen for nutritional value to your specific body, it is assimilated swiftly and easily, and it builds who you are, cell by cell. Think about how you feel the morning after a heavy meal or too much to drink. Consider your mood after you eat a lot of sugar or drink loads of coffee. As you prepare to buy your food for the first reset of your Hormone Reset, hit the pause button and consider what you’ve been filling yourself with up to this point and my recommended replacements. The goal is to become far more mindful of the type of person you want to become—a happy, content, and whole individual with a rich inner and outer life. You can begin to create this, starting with how you eat.
Shopping Guide
Preparation is key to your success. The following shopping lists are just a starting point to help you get a feel for your options at the grocery store; there are plenty of wonderful foods not on these lists. Feel free to select only the items you like, or go on an adventure and search out healthy items that you haven’t yet tried.
SHOPPING RULES OF THUMB
Buy organic whenever possible.
Buy fresh, unprocessed foods.
Aim to eat one pound of vegetables per day! Get creative with different salads and recipes.
Buy local. Farmers’ markets are a great place to get fresh, local food. Just be sure to ask where the food was grown/made. Don’t assume it’s local or organic just because you bought it at a farmers’ market!
Buy non-GM (genetically modified) foods. I believe it’s your right as a consumer to know what’s in your food, including GMs. Your safest bet is to check the listings at the Non-GMO Project, which verifies non-GM foods.8 Another option is to choose organic foods, which do not contain GMOs. Fortunately, grassroots efforts across the United States indicate that citizens want to know what’s in their food: twenty-nine states now have bills for GMO labeling.9 The nine most common GM crops are soy, cottonseed (used for fabric and oil), corn, canola oil, papaya, alfalfa, sugar beets (used to produce half the sugar in the United States), milk (17 percent of U.S. dairy cows are injected with recombinant bovine growth hormone, or rBGH, a genetically modified synthetic hormone), and aspartame (an artificial sweetener commonly used in diet soda as well as six thousand other products; it’s also known as NutraSweet).
Read labels, making sure you understand what the ingredients really are. Dairy, sugar, gluten, and other substances can be hidden under different names. If you’re not certain, Google the ingredient you don’t recognize or just skip that food.
Bring your own bags. The Hormone Reset is an important opportunity to explore different ways of leading a more healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle. Bringing reusable bags to the grocery store is a small step that can really add up over time.
Embrace your inner chef. Making food from scratch is one of the best ways to ensure you know exactly what you’re eating. Set aside time to cook and experiment in the kitchen each week. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it!
Make extra, and take the leftovers for lunch. While the ideal is always to make your food fresh, the reality is that most of us get too busy. When you do have time to cook, make extra so that you can reheat or repurpose it for other meals later (especially staples like clean protein and vegetables).
Nonfood Items
Blender. If you want to splurge on an amazing blender that will last, I recommend the Vitamix or the Blendtec. A less expensive version that still gets you the fiber you need and travels more easily is the NutriBullet. However, any blender will do the job. (You can also use a shaker bottle for travel.)
Food scale. Use a food scale daily to keep your food portions accurate. This tool is particularly important for food addicts, who may have lost their judgment on portion size.
Blood glucose meter. Testing your blood sugar can be one of the most valuable aspects of this program because it will dramatically increase your awareness of how certain foods affect your body.
pH test strips. Test your urine pH with these strips to assess how acid or alkaline your body is and how food impacts your pH. Buy at least thirty strips to last through Reentry.
Soft tape measure. You’ll need this to take your initial measurements and to track your slimming waist and hip circumferences.
Bathroom scale and/or body fat scale. Weigh yourself at the beginning of each reset. You can also purchase a body fat scale or visit your local gym to get your body fat measurement taken.
Sleep and step trackers. I recommend the UP by Jawbone to track both your sleep and your total steps per day (as well as your food, with the convenient app) because it’s essentially all in one. Alternatives for tracking your sleep include the Basis, the Lark, and the Fitbit. Alternatives for tracking your total steps include the Nike+ FuelBand, Fitbit, iPhone, and a regular pedometer.
Dry brush. One of the daily rituals I suggest integrating during your Hormone Reset is dry brushing your skin and stimulating your lymphatic system before you bathe in the morning. This practice can be an invigorating replacement for your morning cup of caffeine. The technique is to brush your dry and naked skin, head to toe or toe to head. Long strokes across your skin exfoliate best: from the bottom of your feet to your belly, then from your hands toward your shoulders, and finally, upward on your torso toward your heart to encourage lymphatic drainage, which collects near your heart.
Epsom salts. Buy a large bag of Epsom salts and your favorite aromatherapy oils. A nightly bath truly helps highly sensitive people (myself included!) create a buffer from the day. Make a hot detox bath at least five times per week, and add one cup of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) plus ten to twenty drops of essential oil (my favorites are sandalwood, frankincense, and lavender). About 72 percent of women are deficient in magnesium (as measured in your red blood cells), which can prevent your DNA from methylating (an important and good action your body takes to support your genes) and increase the accumulation of bad estrogens. Research shows that women with higher magnesium levels are leaner and have lower waist-to-hip ratios.10 Taking an Epsom salts bath will help with this process; you’ll methylate better and get rid of bad estrogens.
Tongue scraper. Scraping your tongue each morning is a great way to get rid of some of the toxins that accumulate there overnight. And it helps with bad breath!
Food Items
Produce
Your favorite veggies (ideally organic, locally grown, and in season). For example, stock up on lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, purple cabbage, cabbage, celery, and carrots. You will need a pound per day, so go ahead and weigh them in the store. You will need three pounds for the first three-day reset and a total of seven pounds each first week. I suggest that you keep three days’ worth of vegetables in your refrigerator, make vegetable soup, and freeze the rest—just make sure your frozen vegetables don’t contain sugar or additives.
Your favorite fruits (ideally organic, locally grown, and in season). Keep lemons in stock, because you’ll be drinking lemon water daily. Buy plenty of avocados, olives (whole and puréed as a tapenade), fresh and dried coconut, and berries. Limit high-glycemic fruits if you are trying to lose weight (I define low-glycemic fruits based on their fructose content, and these include avocados, olives, coconut, lemons, and berries), and eliminate high-glycemic fruits completely when you start the Fruitless reset (chapter 5).
Fridge and Freezer Items
Organic and/or free-range chicken.
Organic and/or free-range turkey.
Organic and/or free-range eggs.
Cold-water fish that are low in mercury. Examples include wild Alaskan salmon, cod, snapper, tilapia, mackerel, trout, sardines, anchovies, orange roughy, herring, flounder, sturgeon, clams, crab, oysters, and scallops.
Hummus.
Pantry Items
Grain-free crackers, granola, etc. Limit these if you are trying to lose weight. Some of my favorite brands include flackers from Doctor in the Kitchen (made from flax seeds) and raw, dehydrated vegetable crackers, such as those from Lydia’s Organics (made from sprouted sunflower seeds, collards, carrots, celery, kale, spinach, zucchini, arugula, radicchio, and other natural ingredients).
Nuts and seeds. For example, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw almonds, cashews (limit if you’re trying to lose weight because they are starchy), walnuts, and Brazil nuts.
Flax seeds, chia seeds, and/or hemp seeds. These are excellent sources of additional fiber and nutrients.
Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and/or organic ghee. Olive and avocado oils are best for low-temperature cooking or raw dressings. Coconut oil is suitable for high-temperature cooking and is also delicious in shakes! Ghee is clarified butter with the milk proteins removed. Avoid vegetable oils like canola, corn, and soy.
Coconut aminos. These add a lot of flavor to steamed vegetables and soups. Find them online or at your local health food store.
Apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar.
Fresh and dried herbs and spices. All herbs and spices are allowed, as long as they don’t contain sugar or additives. Examples include tarragon, basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, ginger, shiso leaf, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, and onion.
Extra-dark chocolate. Purchase 80 percent cacao or higher. Omit if it’s an avalanche food that you can’t stop eating.
Beverages
Filtered water. Use water for smoothies, and drink a large glass (8 to 12 ounces) with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and/or toss in pieces of fresh vegetables or fruit (lemon, lime, berries).
Sparkling water. Sparkling water with fresh lemon, mint, or a small amount of frozen berries is a great alternative to soda or sugary juices.
Unsweetened almond, coconut, or hemp milk. Use these milks for smoothies.
Hot water with lemon and cayenne. You’ll be drinking hot water with cayenne daily, first thing in the morning, during your Hormone Reset. It will alkalinize your body, and you may be surprised to find that this morning ritual is enough to replace your usual morning cup o’ joe (or tea).
Hydrosols. I love to drink hydrosols that combine small amounts of plant extract, at low concentrations, in sparkling water. I make my own by adding a few drops of essential oil, such as lavender, mint, or rose, to my water.
Coconut kefir. Buy it online or make it yourself (see Resources). Coconut kefir is a nondairy combination of coconut water, a small amount of sugar (to feed the cultures), and a “starter” kit to inoculate with healthy bacteria.
Herbal teas. Some of my favorites are ayurvedic teas. Choose from the large selection of herbal teas that help you with balancing your hormones or sleep. I love licorice tea. Aveda’s Comforting Tea is my preferred iced tea. I brew it double strength and serve it over ice. Hands down, my favorite hot tea is organic chocolate herbal tea. Search online or go to your local health food store. I like Tisano and Republic of Tea brands.
Final Word
It’s easy to rush into things, but rushing doesn’t usually lead to changes that stick. It’s a more advanced practice to take things slowly and tethered to your intention. That’s what prep is all about. It’s about honoring your choice to create your personal Hormone Reset and making sure that you are preparing yourself for success. Now that you know how the Hormone Reset works—what to measure, what to buy, what to eat and not eat, what to do and not do—you’re prepared for the first reset. Remember, this is not a restrictive diet. We are going to address the root causes of why you can’t lose weight by correcting your hormonal misfires. It’s an innovative way to totally transform your body from the inside out. Let’s fix your broken metabolism and burn fat so you can get lean and healthy again, starting with Meatless, the three-day reset for estrogen!