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FAQs

It seems like my body type is a mix of all the types. Which diet should I use?

Start on the Liver Enhancement Plan; then, depending on whether you did well or not, add protein as needed. If you did well on the Liver Enhancement Plan, I would recommend that you go to the Liver/Thyroid diet. If you didn’t lose much weight on the Liver Enhancement Plan or didn’t have improvements in energy level or decreased cravings, go on the Adrenal/Ovary diet.

How much weight loss is possible per week?

There are two types of weight problems, (1) water and (2) fat. The maximum fat that can be burned per week is between one and two pounds. That's it. The maximum water loss is unlimited. This would explain how some people can lose and gain several pounds within days. Anyone can do any diet and lose water weight, but the true test is how much real fat they can lose. This program is designed to do directly that. It also emphasizes the sodium and potassium food ratios. If you're only losing one to two pounds per week, it might not be a bad thing; it might actually be normal. And it's important to understand this so you don't get discouraged. Better indicators for improvement would be energy level, sleep quality, digestion and cravings, as these tell if the body is healing.

How do I know if I have water weight or fat?

There is a test called Body Composition, which allows a practitioner to measure body fat versus fluids. Generally, if you weigh a lot and get your body fat tested and it comes out low or normal, then you probably have more fluid weight. A fairly large percentage of male patients in my office have more water weight than body fat. Exercise rarely fixes this water problem—diet is the only way. Get on the Liver Enhancement Plan to create a healthy liver. Healthy liver foods are high in potassium, which will allow the water to come out gradually over a few months.

What if I do not lose weight?

If a person has major problems with stress, proteins in the muscles (thighs and buttocks) can be broken down and turned into sugar. Sugar is then turned into fat around the abdomen. Some people actually gain weight before they lose weight because the body has to rebuild muscle first. Muscle is heavier than fat. Some of our patients lose inches, increase energy and have better digestion, yet they see no initial weight loss. After these muscles are repaired, I have found that weight loss is easier.

What if I’m pregnant? Can I do this program?

You can do either diet, but not the Liver Enhancement Plan. Just make sure you are adding enough protein. Check with your doctor so see if this is acceptable or not. You don’t want to be dieting when you are pregnant. However, my program is very healthy and adding proteins to it would help contribute to a healthy baby.

Can I come off my hormone therapy and medications when I’m on this program?

That is between you and your doctor. As you improve, get him or her to help you make the transition.

Your program seems very strict. I’m not sure if I can do it.

Something is better than nothing. Do what you can and try to improve this each week. I had a female patient who just couldn’t do the program. However, she was able to do the cranberry drinks and add more vegetables. This helped her to crave less and she was able to do more and more over time. Something is better than nothing.

What do I do if I’m allergic to the foods recommended?

Occasionally, a person is allergic and has sensitivity to some of the foods recommended, such as broccoli, cabbage, etc. Make a food log to track your responses and start replacing these with foods you know you can eat without the bloating. Many people are sensitive to cashew nuts, which make them feel bloated and tired. If you suspect you are allergic to something, cut it out and see how you feel.

Common gas-producing foods are beans, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, radishes, bananas, apricots and pears. Consume vegetables and fruits you know do not cause bloating, as this intestinal stress can increase stress hormones, preventing weight loss.

People are not usually allergic to vegetables like broccoli, or even beans; rather they are missing an enzyme, which causes gas in the intestines. You can supplement your diet with this enzyme to digest these foods—go to http://www.bean-zyme.com/.

Do I need to buy all organic, hormone-free foods?

I’m not saying you need to change your entire diet overnight; I’ll give you a week. Just kidding. It would be ideal to eat only organic, but 50 percent would be the bare minimum. The first change in your diet needs to be consuming hormone-free foods. Then once this is implemented, start adding the organic (non-insecticide) foods.

I can’t afford the organic foods. What should I do?

Get a part-time job to support your new diet. I’m kidding again. You could start with just purchasing organic meats, even hamburger and eggs, and keep everything else commercial. The point: the cost is an investment and it will pay off later. You are basically creating a higher level of health and it’s worth the investment. Instead of getting that oil change for your car, buy some organic salad.

Do I have to avoid taking my supplements on this program?

I would recommend that you only avoid them if they are synthetics. Replace them with whole food–based vitamins.

What vitamins should I take?

I always recommend a food-based vitamin. I don’t recommend synthetics unless you are on a detoxifying program. Look on the back of the label and see if they mention actual food, then look at the milligram dosages and notice the amounts. If the vitamins are synthetic, you will see the same dosage for each vitamin; for example: 100 mg of B1, 100 mg of B2, 100 mg of B6, etc. The whole-food vitamins come in different amounts; for instance, 21 mg of B1, 3.4 mg of B2 or 13 mg of B6.

Why do I have to do the Liver Enhancement Plan before the diet?

Because ALL fat-burning hormones work through the liver; it is the hub of weight loss.

The Liver Enhancement is very low in protein. While I’m on this plan, how do I know when I need to start introducing protein into the diet?

Indications could include cravings for protein or feeling tired, dizzy, lightheaded, extra cold or like your blood sugars are low. Just start increasing proteins by 10 grams per day to see if this is the reason.

But you have to realize that when you come off coffee for these two weeks, there will be a one- to two-day period of lethargy or grogginess.

What if I get constipated on the Liver Enhancement Plan?

If you get constipated on the Liver Enhancement Plan, this means either you are allergic to the vegetables or you are an Adrenal body type. Adrenals do better on more protein. I had one guy get constipated on lots of vegetables and I told him to cut down on them and eat some buffalo burger instead and include other animal proteins with each meal. His bowel movements returned to normal.

For constipation, eat at least half a beet (raw and shaved on your salad) daily or drink some prune juice mixed with water—about one-third of a cup in a glass of water. It’s sweet, so keep it diluted.

I can’t stand the thought of consuming vegetables for breakfast on the Liver Enhancement. What are the substitutes?

Consume an apple and some nuts. Have cottage cheese or plain yogurt with berries. You could make a shake with berries, plain yogurt and peanut butter. Also take some celery and dip it into peanut butter or hummus. Apples and hummus are good as well. If within three days you don’t feel right, add fish for breakfast.

Can’t I eat some oatmeal for breakfast?

Preferably not—not until the maintenance plan. If you eat it once in a while, it’s not a problem, but definitely not on the Liver Enhancement Plan. If you consume oatmeal, make sure it’s steel cut, from a health food store.

I’m not hungry for breakfast. Is it okay to skip it?

No, because you will trigger cortisol and crave sweets later at night. You have to eat something, even if it’s small, preferably six times per day. If you definitely have a Liver body type, eat only three meals per day with no snacks.

What is the best thing for brain fog or fatigue around my eyes?

You need more protein for breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day and adding protein (fish, eggs, etc.) is essential to keep your blood sugars level through the day. A lean steak for breakfast is also acceptable. Your stomach is able to digest animal proteins better in the a.m. than the p.m.

I’m bored with the food and need something to snack on other than apples, nuts and vegetables. What can I do?

Rye crackers are the least damaging; dipping them into some brie cheese would be okay. You could also dip them in hummus. The next least damaging is corn chips. Get the ones with no hydrogenated oils. You can add some sour cream, olives, salsa and melted cheese.

Another idea is melted brie cheese with pecans. Put it in the oven with the nuts and it makes a great snack or meal. Use an apple to dip into the mixture.

One more idea is Greek yogurt (plain) with some walnuts and a very small amount of honey. Use Tupelo or raw honey. It’s interesting to note that the Tupelo bees make 30,000 trips to the bee hives to create one pound of honey. It is the slowest absorbing sweetener.

You could also occasionally consume homemade low-carbohydrate cheesecake.

The overall protein amounts seem extremely low. Isn’t it recommended that a person consume 9 grams per 20 pounds of weight?

Because the cause of stubborn weight is a failing endocrine system, I have found that people need less protein than they might consider. I’m not concerned about excess protein adding calories and then those calories turning into fat. My concern is that overweight people have poor livers and added protein stresses the liver. What they need more of is raw whole vegetables. I want them to get their calories from eating lots of vegetables. It is these vegetables that provide the healing building blocks to repair gland tissue.

Why can’t I have protein powders?

Most are too processed (broken down). We have SP Complete & Whey Pro Complete which use whole whey and no sweetener. These can be used on the program to carefully monitor protein intake. You still need to eat real whole, mostly raw food. I prefer you consume whole foods as much as possible.

How can I be in ketosis when I’m not eating any fat or animal protein?

This is a breakthrough we made. By feeding the body lots of vegetables, very low proteins and no sugars or grains, people go into ketosis (fat burning). Prove this to yourself: go to the drugstore and purchase some ketone sticks and test your urine in the morning.

Why don't you consider calories within this program?

Calories, which are the units of energy in foods, are rather insignificant, in my opinion, compared to the hormone influence of foods and activities. Let’s take fat. Fat has high calories compared to other foods but fat does not stimulate fat-storing hormones. However, the carbohydrates like breads or pasta can trigger fat-storing hormones. Cutting calories can cause long-term weight gain by stimulating a stress hormone, cortisol, which releases sugar in the blood and triggers insulin to change this sugar into fat. This is why some people who go on a low-calorie diet gain weight down the road.

You don’t seem to put emphasis on the dangers of fats. Why?

Hydrogenated fats are bad, no doubt. But fat-storing or fat-burning hormones treat fats as neutral, despite their having the most calories.

Is there a way to speed up getting rid of cellulite-type fat on my thighs?

This is usually an Ovary body shape. It can be one of two problems: (1) excessive estrogen or (2) fluid retention within the lymphatic system in the outer thighs. If your eyes are puffy and feel swollen, suspect lymphatic fluid retention. If you press around your bellybutton, you can usually feel some soreness due to congested lymph nodes.

The water retention situation can be solved by going on the Liver Enhancement Plan. The high potassium in these foods will balance the sodium. The key is to avoid artificial sweeteners and food chemicals and go as natural as possible. Many of these people are consuming some type of artificial sweetener within sodas or other drinks.

Fibroids and ovary cysts can produce excess estrogen; so can HRT and birth- control pills. Growth hormones in animal meats can also contain estrogen. Make sure everything is organic and without hormones.

Another tip for this problem is to increase circulation by exercising the lower part of the body as opposed to the top part. Increasing protein in the diet can also decrease water retention. Add the protein after you have done the Liver Enhancement Plan.

I hit a plateau and am not losing any more weight. What should I do?

Some people go on the Liver Enhancement Plan, then transition to the diet and stop losing weight. If this occurs, go back on the Liver Enhancement Plan for a longer time. I’ve had people do it for several months; this is what their livers needed.

The worse your metabolism is, the stricter your food intake needs to be. You can’t afford to eat everything in moderation or even a few sweets here and there.

What might have happened as well is that you initially lost water weight, then plateaued once you started to burn fat, since fat burning is slower (one to two pounds per week). Also, look at whether your energy has increased, as this is an indicator of improvement. If it has increased, then continue; eventually the body will reach a greater level of health and the weight will come off. If your energy has not changed, then look through your diet to find what you are eating that might be preventing this. It is usually something simple like wine at night or a little bit of something sweet. One thing you have to realize is that if your diet has been bad for years, it might take some time to get your health back. I had one patient tell me, “I’m not losing and I’ve been eating well.” I looked at her file; it was the third day of the program. Sometimes it might take “eating well” for a full week before you achieve your ideal weight. That’s my sarcastic humor. You can’t expect the result of fifty years of poor eating to turn around in a few days of healthy eating.

You could add more exercise to speed things up.

Consider using the tool Dr. Berg developed to help analyze what behaviors are putting you in or keeping you out of fat burning. This link will set you up for a week at no charge http://www.fbtcoach.com/signup/?doctor_id=3016-304-7-1-0-0-1-0-0-7-1 . You’ll get reports and graphs every 7 days of the hormone responses to food that show if you are in fat burning or not. Dr. Rote is available for phone consults regarding your results.

I’m gaining weight on this diet. What does that mean?

It could mean you are building more muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. This means your cortisol hormones have been destroying your muscle proteins. A necessary process of healing requires more protein building. If you aren’t sure, schedule a BIA in the office to measure your muscle mass and body fat.

My willpower is low and I’m having a hard time sticking to the program. How can I improve this?

We have a tool to keep you accountable. Call the office for a free week to see for yourself. It sometimes helps to have a trained person observe everything you do and gently nudge you (or kick your butt) in the right direction. With this program we can analyze your food response to the fat-burning hormones. This feedback is essential to show you where you are at—fat burning, sugar burning or fat making. This program is $36 / 4 weeks.

Any tips on how I handle stress on this program?

The more stress, the more you need to add in aerobic exercise (low pulse rate, endurance), not anaerobic (high pulse rate or resistance-type). You also need to add more fat and consume zero sugars. Butter or coconut butter is an excellent food to add into the diet when you are stressed so that you can feed your adrenal hormones.

What’s the best way to speed up my metabolism with exercise?

Once you graduate from the aerobic light resistance-type exercise, you can really pick up the pace on anaerobic exercise. The key is to know that “intensity” is the most important trigger. The more intense the exercise, the more the hormone release. Do short, quick intense exercises with lots of rest in between.

I’ve been doing intense training at the gym for months and I haven’t lost any weight?

It is possible that you are and Adrenal/Ovary Type. If so, you have to recover some of your glands’ function before creating more stress on your adrenal glands. If you stress them with stressful exercise, it will raise your cortisol and increase your belly fat.

How will I know when I can switch from aerobic to anaerobic exercise?

Heart Rate Variability Testing enables us to know when you should start intensity training. The initial screening to see if you are healthy enough is available at no charge for existing patients. When you are ready to do the full testing, the fee is $50.

I don’t have time to exercise. Can I still lose weight on this program?

Yes, but the six fat-burning hormones have triggers. And the more you can trigger these hormones, the more weight you will lose. If you don’t exercise, then you have to keep the diet really perfect. If the diet is not great, then you need to exercise more. If you’re not sleeping well, then your diet and exercise need to be even better to compensate for this.

Do I burn more fat when I sleep?

Fat is released via hormones, especially growth hormone. Growth hormone spikes the most between midnight and 4:00 a.m. So, definitely get to bed before 11:00 p.m.

Why do pain and lack of sleep keep me from weight loss?

Pain and lack of sleep trigger cortisol, which keeps you out of fat burning. If stress is keeping you from sleeping, call the office and schedule an appoinment for the Acupressure Stress Elimination Technique.

I can’t sleep at night. Any recommendations?

Eat four stalks of celery before bed. Celery contains active compounds called pthalides, which relax the muscles of the arteries that regulate blood pressure. Pthalides also reduce adrenal (stress) hormones, which cause high blood pressure. When researchers injected a compound derived from celery into test animals, the animals’ blood pressure dropped 12 to 14 percent. In humans, an equivalent dose would be supplied in about four stalks of celery.
(Source: George Mateljan Foundation, The World’s Healthiest Foods List, A–Z: Celery)

It depends on if your problem is getting to sleep – in which case we think minerals are needed. If your problem is waking after a couple of hours, you might consider a few nuts or hard-boiled egg 30 minutes before bed – to help balance out your blood sugar. If you wake in the night and are alert and thinking, this is a sign of adrenal stress – this responds very well to the Acupressure Stress Elimination Technique. Call the office and schedule an appointment – you could have a great night’s sleep tonight!

How much water should I drink per day?

Don’t ever force yourself to drink water. Drink when you are thirsty.

Is there a difference between farm-raised fish and wild-caught fish?

Big time! Each category has both omega 3 and omega 6 fats, which need to be in a certain ratio, but wild-caught fish have far more omega 3 fatty acids, in addition to being free of the hormones fed to farm-raised fish. So, if possible, consume wild-caught fish.

Is it true that consuming beef will cause cancer?

From the research I have done, a prime cause of cancer is low oxygen in the cells, which leads to alteration in the DNA and then cancer. Certain fats, called omega fatty acids, make up our cellular membranes, especially the parts that control cell respiration (breathing of oxygen). If you starve the cells of the raw materials they need in order to breathe, it seems obvious that your risk for cancer can increase. Commercial beef (grain-fed) has very low levels of omega 3 fatty acids, which are protective to your cell walls. However, when you consume grass-fed beef, omega 3 fats are much higher and thus cancer protective.

What are the benefits of broccoli sprouts?

Researchers estimate that broccoli sprouts contain 10–100 times the power of mature broccoli to boost enzymes that detoxify potential carcinogens! A healthy serving of broccoli sprouts in your salad or sandwich can offer even more protection against cancer than larger amounts of mature broccoli. Broccoli sprouts are more nutritious than alfalfa sprouts.

I thought eggs were bad for me and would give me high cholesterol.

Eggs are high in lecithin, which, by the way, is the antidote to cholesterol.

The only time I would recommend substituting eggs with fish would be if you have a gallbladder problem. If this is the case, consider adding Cholacol (I call it Gallbladder juice in a bottle). It will help you breakdown the fat that your gallbladder isn’t. This is essential if you have had your gallbladder removed.

Should I just consume the egg white and skip the yolk?

Eat the whole thing. You need this cholesterol to help with building hormones, especially the adrenal hormones. And the more stress you go through, the more fatty foods, especially eggs, I would recommend. Cholesterol also helps in supporting normal nerve function and normal brain function.

Can I eat eggs daily without a problem?

Yes. Please by the organic eggs which are hormone free.

Can I overdo eating nuts?

Yes. This is one of the most common problems, as many people stuff their bodies with nuts all day long, then feel bloated, especially when they’re falling asleep. Roasted nuts and cashews usually cause the most bloating. It’s difficult to overdo walnuts or almonds; however, eat to your tolerance. See how your body responds, and if you feel bloated, eat fewer nuts the next time. People generally do better on raw nuts than peanut butter.

Can I use spices?

Yes, but make sure they don’t contain MSG. It comes in other forms: modified food starch, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, carrageenan, glutamic acid, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast and natural flavorings.

Avoid table salt and use sea salt.

I thought salt was bad for me; why do you recommend it for Adrenal body types?

With adrenal weakness, you lose salt, so you need to replace it. Again, use sea salt, not table salt.

What do I do if I’m craving salty foods?

Add some sea salt to your diet every day until the cravings go away. This is usually indicative of adrenal weakness. Sometimes these same cases also crave licorice. Be aware that if your sea salt is bright white it has been processed to strip out the minerals which make it special. I like either RealSalt or Celtic Sea Salt. These are both available at Whole Foods or Sprouts.

What do I do if I’m craving sweets?

Increase your fats and proteins, especially in the morning. This would be eggs (especially the yolks), walnuts and peanut butter. I also recommend you eat before you get hungry by adding snacks between meals. Craving sweets means you are burning sugar, not fat. The diet is designed to get you into fat burning so this doesn’t happen.

Dr. Berg has developed a craving support product called CraveStopper. A couple of sprays on the tongue will eliminate nearly all taste for sweets. You will taste everything else but sweet. It will last a few hours and comes in handy if you are in a pinch. It has no side effects and is an herbal product. Check it out at http://www.RidCravings.com/.

What do I do if I crave chocolate?

This is usually an adrenal or ovary weakness; serotonin deficiencies will cause people to want chocolate. Using Gymnema (1 – 3 times a day) will definitely help with this as well. This is available in our office.

Instead of eating chocolate, I would feed the adrenals by going on the Adrenal diet. If you are an addict and need to wean yourself off gradually, start with bittersweet chocolate. Another chocolate, which is sweetened with Rapadura whole cane sugar, is a bit better due to the sweetener being whole sugar cane. Rapunzel makes a chocolate using this whole cane sugar, which can be purchased in health food stores and on the Internet. The advantage is that even though it’s sugar, it contains all the minerals and vitamins within sugar cane and will not deplete your body.

What can I have as a sugar substitute?

The goal is to avoid all sugars, but occasionally you have a birthday or other occasion where you are forced to eat some. If this occurs, the following are the best choices, listed in descending order:

Stevia
Agave nectar (cactus sugar)
Raw or Tupelo honey
Rapadura whole cane sugar
Molasses

What about the sugar in salad dressing, gum, ketchup, etc.?

You need to start reading labels and look at the sugar amounts. It’s these hidden sugars that add up to no weight loss. I get all my condiments at the health food store. Even many brands of pickles have sugar added—so read labels.

What about popcorn?

Popcorn is the least damaging of all the starches. You can have some occasionally, but make sure you add real butter to slow the insulin response. If you find you are not losing weight, then cut it out.

Will I ever be able to eat bread?

Once you achieve your ideal weight and size, you can add occasional bread into your diet. The kind of bread will be Ezekiel or spelt bread, as it is the least damaging to your system. Some other diet programs have several phases that gradually add the processed and refined foods back into the diet. The goal with our program is to get your body used to eating healthful foods, and then maintain that healthy eating.

Another problem with commercial bread is not only that it’s too much of a starch but it is also badly processed. The flour that most breads are made from loses its vitamins very soon after the grain is ground. Then synthetic vitamins are sprayed onto it. When you eat it, a depletion of these vitamins can occur. Once you achieve your ideal weight you could, in your spare time, grind your wheat fresh and make your own bread—sparingly.

Can’t I eat whole-wheat bread?

Commercial whole-wheat bread has more chemicals and bug sprays (insecticides) than white bread because it has more nutrition for the bugs to live on. It’s too much starch and it will slow your progress.

What about puffed cereals or puffed rice cakes?

An experiment was done a few years ago on mice with four different types of food. Each of the four groups of mice was fed either mouse food, whole-wheat bread, white bread or puffed cereal. Take a wild guess which group died first?

The puffed cereal group died first, then the whole-wheat group died next. Paul A. Stitt, author of Fighting the Food Giants, mentioned that a chemical is released when the cereal is puffed, making it toxic to mice.

Avoid anything puffed.

What about milk or dairy products?

Small amounts are okay if the milk is organic. Cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and kefir are okay on the Adrenal/Ovary diet. However, on the Liver/Thyroid diet, you should have smaller amounts and use low-fat or no-fat plain yogurt or cottage cheese.

What about consuming soy products?

Most soy in America is genetically modified. It’s in almost every product. Soy is badly processed and can increase estrogen. Occasional miso soup is okay. I heard of a man who ate so much soy he started lactating.

What about GMO foods?

Genetically modified foods are becoming a problem in the U.S. I would recommend getting a video called The Future of Food, which can be purchased at a video store or by going to http://www.thefutureoffood.com/.

There are four main foods that are being modified presently: corn, wheat, canola and soy. It makes you wonder why so many people have allergies to these foods. Manufacturers are not currently regulated or required to mention if the food is GMO or not, which is scary. The only reason they don’t want you to know is because you would not buy it.

What are the benefits of cranberry juice?

There is a specific type of tannin (plant chemical) found only in cranberries and blueberries. This interferes with projections on the bacterium, preventing it from sticking to the walls of the bladder and causing infection. Cranberries also have high levels of potassium and are low in sodium.

Cranberries contain quinic acid, an acidic compound that is unusual in that it is not broken down in the body but is excreted unchanged in the urine. The presence of quinic acid causes the urine to become just slightly acidic—a level of acidity that is, however, sufficient to prevent calcium and phosphate ions from joining to form insoluble stones. In patients who have had recurrent kidney stones, cranberry juice has been shown to reduce the amount of ionized calcium in their urine by more than 50 percent—a highly protective effect since, in the U.S., 75–85 percent of kidney stones are composed of calcium salts.
(Source: George Mateljan Foundation, The World’s Healthiest Foods List, A–Z: Cranberries)

I’ve heard that spinach, kale and other leafy greens produce oxalates, which make kidney stones.

Yes, they do. Because oxalate is not a nutrient, the blood will transport it directly to the kidneys to excrete as urine. If the urine contains large amounts of oxalate and calcium, the two can bind together to form kidney stones. However, consuming apples, cranberry juice (unsweetened), apple cider vinegar, grapefruits, oranges, lemon juice and asparagus will act to counter the production of these stones. The benefits of cruciferous vegetables far outweigh the possibility of developing stones. And if the diet is balanced, as we recommend, your risks are greatly lowered. If you have stones, definitely start eating grapefruit, cranberry juice and asparagus.

Can I continue the cranberry drink once the Liver Enhancement Plan is done?

Yes, if your body craves it. You can also continue the Organic Cruciferous Food. If you have a potbelly, you should stay on fifteen tablets per day until you achieve your ideal weight. If you have a mixed body type, you could cut it down to six to nine per day. Many people take it as a multivitamin-mineral supplement—three to six per day—and those who don’t eat cruciferous foods use it as a substitute for these vegetables in their diet.

What about a juice cleanse?

No way—all that concentrated juice is far too much sugar. I’ve seen too many people who use to juice and their health starting going downhill. If you eat fruits or vegetables, eat the whole thing. I will say, though, out of all the juices, carrot is the least damaging.

What do I do for caffeine withdrawal?

Realize it will only last one to two days—three days at the most. This can happen with some people when they start the Liver Enhancement Plan. Just schedule this change when you are home over a weekend so you don’t get too irritable with those around you. And if you do get grouchy at someone, don’t mention my name.

What about decaffeinated coffee?

It is okay in small amounts if it’s water processed and organic. Commercial decaf is filled with chemicals. Try Vanilla Teccochino – I’ve seen it at Whole Foods. It is made from nuts and is a great substitute.

What about occasional alcoholic beverages?

Alcohol definitely sets the liver back by several days. The least damaging alcoholic beverage is low-carb light beer. The next is a white wine. Some people have the idea that drinking wine will help give them antioxidants. Yes, it may, but the damage to their liver is a bigger concern. You might also say, “People in Europe consume wine. Why can’t I?” In most cases, Europeans have not been damaged by growth hormones. Their bodies are stronger and can handle small amounts of wine. If your hormone system is weak, you don’t have this option yet.

How do I keep the weight off, now that I’ve lost it?

The goal of this program is to stabilize your organs so you can keep the weight off. The problem is not your weight; it’s your hormones. This is a lifestyle change, and as you get healthier, going back to junk food won’t feel right because your taste buds won’t be able to tolerate much sugar.

What is the biggest reason why people gain the weight right back?

They lose weight and don’t continue a good eating program long enough to achieve full stabilization of a healthy body.