The Hormone Reset Diet (23 page)

I
have an important announcement to make, so kindly pay attention.
Nearly every person who struggles with weight has an issue with grains, particularly those that contain gluten.
When your goal is getting lean, eating grains is like throwing gas on a fire; it’s an explosive combination that may thwart your weight-loss goals.

Most grains have a fairly high-glycemic index, meaning that after one to two hours, your blood sugar surges. Unfortunately, foods that spike your blood sugar are chemically addictive. They spur inflammation in your body and keep you in a downward spiral of craving and a growing waistline. Grains are low in nutrient density compared with plants or animals. Grains do more than make you fat: there’s a newly discovered link between grains and your hormone levels of leptin, thyroid, and insulin. So, what to do? My recommendation is to remove grains and delight in the effects over the three-day Grain Free reset.

If life without bread seems like a life not worth living, take a deep breath. Your first step is to complete the following self-assessment
to determine the extent of your grain-related issues. Do you have or have you experienced in the past six months …

Recurring abdominal bloating and/or pain? Frequent or smelly gas? Food poisoning? (Food poisoning puts you at greater risk of problems with gluten.) Constipation or diarrhea? Diagnosis of irritable bowel disease or acid reflux (GERD)?

A first- or second-degree relative with celiac disease?

Anxiety, depression, and/or schizophrenia?

Migraines or other headaches?

Unexplained weight gain? Difficulty losing weight?

Short stature? As a child, did you have low birth weight (i.e., less than 5 pounds)? Attention deficit? Autism?

Joint pain or aches? Bone pain?

Brain fog? Chronic fatigue?

Hair loss? Chronic eczema or acne? Unexplained skin rashes?

Vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies? Iron-deficient anemia?

Unexplained infertility? Menstrual disorders? Repeated miscarriages (three or more)?

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A loss of balance and coordination? Difficulty walking or walking with a wide gait?

Restless legs syndrome?

Thyroid antibodies, also known as autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease, or another autoimmune condition?