Update on the Perricone Weight-Loss Program
No, I haven't lost 20 pounds and 6 dress sizes. And I don't care what anyone says. It's not easy, simple or fast. This program has been very hard and would probably have faded into oblivion if I hadn't had to write follow-up articles.
I've been required to change some very ingrained habits. Then, of course, there's that pesky old bingeing problem, already not as bad as it used to be but still remaining an obstacle to having the results I want.
Fortunately, Steve consented to giving me another month to report my personal results, so this will serve as a brief update together with a little more information on the program.
Even though the scales haven't moved much, there has been one really fabulous result: my jaw line has firmed up. I thought it was an illusion but my husband confirmed it. He never lies to me when I ask him hard questions like “Do I look fat in this?” I've learned not to ask questions like that unless I know the answer and it's positive. I was going to have cosmetic threads inserted to firm that area up but it seems like I may not need to.
The hardest change has been to give up my 45-year addiction to coffee and my frequent Starbucks pit stops. I'm afraid Chai tea just doesn't do it for me. Here's some information that motivated me a lot more to give up coffee. Blowing out my adrenals has never been enough.
Coffee and the “death hormones”
As we age, the amount of “youth hormones” (growth hormones, sex steroids) decreases along with our bodies' ability to use them. At the same time the “death hormones” (cortisol and insulin) continue to rise. These “death hormones” are caused by stress as well as coffee. One cup of coffee can raise cortisol levels for an entire day. When you are young, these levels fall back in a couple of hours. The level of these hormones increases with stress. This causes system-wide damage and results in inflammation, emotional chaos, memory loss and weight gain. So one cup of coffee plus, say, a bad driving experience, may result in a day of anxiety, forgetfulness and depression and your body will be storing too much fat. Too much cortisol can produce extensive biological damage and is also a leading cause of premature aging. Other effects of too much cortisol include decreased blood circulation to the brain, a compromised immune system and increased blood pressure and insulin levels.
Cortisol stimulates insulin release, resulting in an increased appetite. With chronic stress you can find yourself hungry all the time. Cortisol also influences where weight will be deposited. A study in 2001 on the effects of cortisol demonstrated that excess cortisol contributes to the deposit of visceral fat (the fat in the abdomen and surrounding vital organs) particularly in the stomach. “Central obesity” is a serious threat in health matters such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Visceral fat is also referred to as “toxic fat.” People who store weight in the abdomen have higher stress and cortisol levels than those whose weight is stored on the hips.
Cortisol excess can lead to a progressive loss of protein and collagen which results in thinning and reduction in collagen of the tissue, including the skin. Thinner skin is more translucent and causes protruding blood vessels and veins.
Not enough? Coffee is acidic and dehydrates the skin, which makes us look old and unhealthy.
Here's a list of negative effects from elevated cortisol levels:
• increased inflammation
• increased insulin secretion
• increased appetite
• storage of fat, particularly in the abdomen
• increased risk of acne flare-ups. Acne is a systemic inflammatory disease. Stress precipitates and aggravates acne breakouts.
• death of brain cells. High levels of stress actually shrink the brain and other organs.
• destruction of the immune system
• decreased muscle mass
• accelerated aging
What can we drink?
Now I have to find a substitute for coffee. Melissa, my Perricone nutritionist, gave me some very interesting information about green tea, which is at the top of her list for me. Green tea blocks fat absorption by 30%. That in itself is enough to persuade me to try it. My only problem is my aversion to the taste of tea, so I need to find some disguised as something else.
A new study appeared in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism , 2005, showing that supplementation with the most plentiful green tea polyphenol EGCG, stops diet-induced obesity. According to the study, this effect is at least partly caused by the EGCG exerting a direct influence on adipose tissue. The study concluded: “Dietary supplementation with EGCG should be considered as a valuable natural treatment option for obesity.”
A recent study in the United Kingdom found that chemicals in tea also block a key molecule which can play a significant role in the development of cancer. Green tea has been credited with alleviating a variety of health conditions including arthritis, high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure.
The importance of water
This brings us to the most widely available and cheapest drink most often ignored in our diets: water. Water suppresses the appetite and helps metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that when we decrease our water intake, our fat deposits increase… and vice versa. The liver converts stored fat into energy. However, if our water consumption is insufficient, the liver also has to assist the kidneys in their function, causing the fat to remain stored and preventing further weight loss. Water is essential to fat metabolism. The more you weigh the more water you need. Being even mildly dehydrated affects the amount of weight you can lose. Dehydration is also a major cause of fatigue and inflammation. Six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water will decrease appetite. We will look well-defined and healthy as more fat is metabolized and wastes are flushed from the body.
Next month I will provide more information about the program and the results of mine.
Contact Marlene at MarleneVirginia@aol.com
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