I have several friends who have had great success following the Dukan Diet (or as some people call it the Kate Middleton diet!). I am trying to get myself motivated because the first phase Attack Phase can be pretty grueling. But with 2 + weeks to go before Christmas  it could be a good way to get started before the holiday. A jump start shall we say.

Enough about my motivation, what interested me today was a little item I read that sent me to the Dukan Diet website where I read about using green tea when you reach a diet plateau. Dr. Dukan recommends that when you hit a plateau you drink only green tea for three days instead of water – day and night too. Iced or hot, doesn’t matter, just green tea in abundance and at some point during the 3 days you will start to once again see your weight loss. Of course you must stay on the diet plan. Interesting and goes along with a study in Scandinavia a few years ago that people who drank 3 -5 cups of green tea per day seemed to burn 250+ more calories each day. So as I contemplate whether to test the Attack Phase of the Dukan Diet I know I will try to remember to add 3 cups of greet tea to my day.

Promise to keep readers posted on the Dukan Diet if I try it….I know it is not about diet it is about changing your eating patterns. But that is what the Dukan plan does. In Australia restaurants have Dukan Thursdays where they offer a meal prepared within the guidelines of the plan. The maintenance plan.

Recently some celebrities came out with their tricks to keep fight the belly fat blues. We all know that in the menopause years bellyfat seems to just appear as if magically out of thin (!) air. One day flat tummy, the next jelly belly! Here are a few tips that may be useful. These are things that would be considered small changes that may have BIG results – as with everything – give it time. Remind yourself that the weight or tummy didn’t appear overnight (although it may seem that way) and it will take some time for the results to be seen..

Tip #1

According to Natasha Turner, naturopathic doctor and author of  The Hormone Diet

“You must eat a snack that contains protein between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Go for a protein bar, a piece of low-fat cheese, or some almonds with an organic apple.

No matter what, do not miss that snack. It’s important because it boosts metabolism and balances blood sugar. The lower you keep your blood sugar, the lower you keep your insulin, and insulin makes you store fat around your middle. Eating every three to four hours will keep your blood sugar even, but many people tend to go five or six hours between lunch and dinner without eating.”

Tip #2

According to Jorge Cruise, author of The Belly Fat Cure

“Eat as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. This will keep insulin levels low and also keep levels of glucagon high. Glucagon, a hormone, is the best friend you could ever have in the struggle for a flat belly! Picture Ms. Pac-Man traveling around your waistline, gobbling up fat to be used as energy. That is glucagon.

The closer to zero grams of sugar you consume, the lower your insulin and the higher your glucagon…it’s as simple as that.”

Tip #3

According to Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD and author of The Flexitarian Diet

“Chewing is the No. 1 tip I give to prevent bloating. Chew food until it is like applesauce in your mouth. Digestion begins in the mouth, and without proper chewing, food is not well-digested. Better-digested food means less gas and bloating.”

Check back as we offer more tips to beat the menopause bellyfat blues!

Update on my PACE workout is fantastic! Although I have not seen any weight loss (because I had not changed my eating!) I can feel the increased lung capacity and strength. I have always included exercise in my daily life. Sometimes I would fall off the wagon for a few months but have never been a couch potato. But the program is truly what I need in that it is a short “workout” with great benefits and no excuses can keep you from 20 minutes 3 – 4 times per week.

This week I have added a special smoothie and soup based detox to get me started. After one day I have lost 3 lbs! Really! I realize it is likely water weight but I am sure that the colon cleansing has had an effect as well! I gave myself a jump-start on Sunday by stopping all coffee and alcohol. Then Monday because I was unable to find some of the items required (affordable protein powder and psyllium husks) I skipped dinner Monday night in favor of a fruit and protein smoothie. Then Tuesday started in earnest. You begin the day with juice and psyllium husks followed by a yummy frozen fruit smoothie. Some homemade (or Trader Joes) carrot soup mid-morning and mid-afternoon and smoothies (varied through out the day) for lunch and dinner. I have stalled the PACE workout for these 3 days because strenuous exercise is not recommended, I did however walk 2 miles slowly yesterday. Today I will do my sit-ups and push-ups only.

Watch this space for my results.

To Menopause Weight Loss!

Elizabeth

Two weeks ago I began following the exercise portion of the Dr. Al Sears P.A.C.E. program and can report that I feel terrific! At the core of the program is the concept that cardio is not good for you (supported by lots of research) and that strenuous exercise in short bursts followed by rest is how our bodies were meant to work. No long sessions on the treadmill or running miles. If you look at the way people were before “civilization” as hunter gatherers, we ran in short bursts (chasing food!) with periods of rest in between.

Dr. Sears claims that with “as little as 12 minutes” ,which admittedly is a bit misleading since it is actually more like 20 minutes including the rest periods, you can get the same benefit of an hour of cardio without the damage cardio inflicts on the human body. There are a number of exercise plans you can follow, all with the 12 minutes of strenuous exercise in short bursts. For the first month I am following this plan:

2 minutes – warm up
*4 minutes – strenuous exercise
Cool down, reduce heart rate to near normal or normal resting
*3 minutes – strenuous exercise
Cool down, reduce heart rate to near normal or normal resting
*2 minutes – strenuous exercise
Cool down, reduce heart rate to near normal or normal resting
*1 minute – strenuous exercise
Cool down

All up it takes about 20 minutes.

*You are supposed to sweat during the strenuous exercise portions and should be breathing heavily and unable to carry on a conversation.

I am loving it! There is no excuse to not find 20 minutes, for up to an hour afterwards I feel energized and after only 2 weeks, 4 x per week, my butt and thighs are already tightening up. Now I am working on my 77 year old mother who is walking down her 1/8 mile driveway (warm up) and back up 4 times.

I will chronicle my journey here. I am slowly incorporating the change of eating habits to a more protein based diet and hope to see great results. Check out some of the testimonials from his patients here; Dr. Al Sears patients’ testimonials

Jack Lalanne passed away yesterday at 96 years young. He believed in worshiping ones body by treating it well with exercise, healthy eating and eliminating white sugar. He truly lived as he taught and made it to 96 to prove it! Last year he was quoted as saying he could die because it would be bad for his image!

I am sure I am not alone as I sit here in the Sunrise Years remembering my mother stretching and doing jumping jacks in front of the old black and white TV to Jack Lalanne. Julia Child brought French cooking to the American housewife and Jack Lalanne brought them exercise. Read the rest of this entry »

Want to get into the best shape of your life in just 12 minutes a day?

If you’re serious about losing weight, building muscle, and creating a strong healthy body, our friend Dr. Al Sears has a solution for you that has already worked for thousands.

Throw away your jogging shoes, get a refund on that aerobics class, and say goodbye to hours of drudgery at the gym.

You can reawaken the energy and vitality you had years ago.

Plus, you’ll burn more calories, increase your lung capacity, and improve your heart health. Read the rest of this entry »