Get skinny with HCG: Pregnancy hormone now also available for men.

HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a glycoprotein hormone produced in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the placenta. Its primary utility is to provide nourishment to the fetus by burning the fat content from the mother's body. Research on HCG has suggested that it can have large repercussions on tackling obesity, a glaring problem in the modern day. 


First off - the long-term effects of taking a pregnancy hormone (especially for males... I mean HELLO?!) are not clear - so anyone taking it are guinea pigs at this point in time.


Let's say there are no side effects. Great. Inject yourself like another crack addict in your quest for a skinny derriere. What do you think you'll look like next year when your body has adapted to the hormone? The cause of why you got fat is still left untreated - whether it be emotional eating or metabolic inhibition. You are going to gain everything back and also deal with whatever side-effects may occur later on in your life.


HCG is a band-aid at best - at worst it will lead to endocrine disruption and possibly later cell mutation etc.

The only permanent way to shed the pounds for good is to evaluate each patient's brain chemistry and connect the imbalances with the corresponding amino and nutrient therapy program geared at rebalancing those neurotransmitters at play.

For emotional overeaters: typically serotonin - or dopamine/serotonin
For people struggling with sluggish metabolism: typically dopamine. Each of which requires a unique treatment approach. 
Also hormonal balancing must be considered: considering that neurotransmitters and hormones interact: dopamine-testosterone and serotonin-estrogen

Every imbalance can be traced back to neurotransmitters in the brain.

Humans are hedonistic creatures and eventually we will give in to some sort of instant gratification behavior that temporarily balances or spikes those feel-good neurotransmitters associated with mood and reward.

No one can feel good on a 500 kcal diet for more than the temporary appetite suppressant effect lasts.

Frankly, I can't believe we are still giving into this sort of symptom management when the knowledge on how to treat the actual cause is there - we are just not communicating enough between physicians, nutritionists and neuro/ brain scientists.
And that lack of communication - that is an embarrassment to the health care field as a whole. 
Not to mention the patients.


Follow The Nutrition Doctor in this discussion on linkedin here. 


Join The Nutrition Doctor's think-tank here.

Eating breakfast shown to reduce brain signals that when active, lead to reward driven eating behavior.

New study explains the brain chemical science of what we already know: Eating breakfast in the morning reduced brain activity in the regions associated with motivation and reward, which is also where dopamine is released – a hormone that plays a role in emotional well-being and pleasure. Skipping the most important meal of the day is associated with more snacking and food cravings.

More protein in the morning reduces snacking

Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to look at brain activity related to food motivation and reward. The researchers also measured appetite perceived by the teens, hormonal markers and psychological motivation related to desire to eat.

The adolescents who ate breakfast reported greater satisfaction and less hunger throughout the morning, compared to those who skipped breakfast.

Check out the texture!
There is nothing better than starting off the day licking a bowl clean of ice cream...
 slightly naughty, but it really is good for you! Depending on what I crave, 
I'll top it with berries, shaved dark chocolate, chopped nuts 
or simply drizzle some raw honey over it. So. Unbelievably. Good.

The Nutrition Doctor in The Kitchen is right now making frozen yogurt with just 3 ingredients: Greek yogurt, raw honey and a tiny drop of Amaretto.
When making your own fro-yo, the secret to amazing rich creaminess that just wraps around your tongue like silk is to use 2% Greek yogurt and adding just a drop of liqueur to lower the freezing point and avoid ice crystals. Greek yogurt is a great breakfast choice as it has triple the protein contents of regular, so it satisfies you longer than regular plain yogurt. In the heat of the summer this is one of my breakfast favourites - yes ice cream for breakfast. Rich, creamy... so decadent yet oh-so-good-for you. Lick it, baby!

Reference: 

Heather J. Leidy et al. 

“Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli After a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens: A Pilot fMRI Study”. 

Obesity (2011) doi:10.1038/oby.2011.108

The Nutrition Doctor is here...

Follow The Nutrition Doctor in the kitchen for nutritious and delicious recipes here.

This is culinary medicine taken to the next level based on the science of nutrigenomics and well, what's yummy in your tummy.

And don't forget to get The Nutrition Doctor's Rx for Natural Solutions for Drug Prescriptions here!

Get your biochemistry type determined today: Make an appointment with The Nutrition Doctor.

There are many ways to commit suicide...

Some of us do it by the knife and fork; gluttony.
Some of us do it by drugging ourselves with Rx meds for years; escaping our emotions.
Some of us take on dead-end jobs that go nowhere; finding solace in never taking risks and being rejected.
Some of us stay in abusive relationships; finding comfort in negative reinforcements of how little value we add.
Some of us prefer to do it in public and hang out at bars after work; numbing our spiritual needs.

What are we trying to hide; what are the feelings that we don't feel comfortable dealing with?
Why are we so scared of leaving our comfort zone when it is obvious to anyone from the outside that it is hurting us?
Why are we so scared of dying, when the truth is that the majority of us live lives that are like walking deads and we even actively engage in activities that numb us out; disabling us from experiencing the flavors of life.

We all die in the end. And yet everyone seems to obsess about it; things that are beyond our control. It's a funny thing that humans tend to turn into control freaks concerning things that they will never be able to control, and yet the basic things in life that we can control - we never do.
We don't take control of our lives and make it happen. Instead we pursue things that will only bring failure. Maybe it is the appeal of knowing the outcome already, so we don't have to deal with our dreams being crushed like glass shattered on the floor. We will just crush them already - that way we don't have to deal with disappointment, because we dare not dream.
But we should, because without pain there would be no healing. Without hurt there would be no recovery. Without vulnerability there would be no strength.

I'm not afraid of the inevitable that is beyond my power, but I am afraid of not living while I am alive.
You are the only one who is in control of your life while you are alive.
You are the only one who can take responsibility for your outcome in life.
There is no one to put the blame on but you.
Is this the life you want?

Or are you slowly self-destructing...

Eating for pleasure.

Sometimes I eat for pleasure.

Sometimes I eat for comfort.

Sometimes I eat because my body demands fuel right now.

What I always do, however, is that I savor the flavors.

I NEVER eat anything that I do not truly enjoy.

Whether it be savoring the bold, earthy richness of Amarone in the bath tub or enjoying the explosion of flavors unfolding on my tongue that comes from dipping salmon sashimi in salty soy sauce mixed with green wasabi that just gives it that perfect "kick" combined with the sweetness of pink, pickled ginger. I believe food is there to be enjoyed - to nourish your body, mind and soul.



Alcohol is off-limits while you are

rebuilding your brain chemistry,

as it blocks the GABA/serotonin receptors.

However, to a STABLE brain, a glass of red wine

does offer benefits due to its contents off resveratrol.

Medicinal nutrition can be tasty. There is nothing pleasurable about stuffing yourself with soggy fries while typing away on the keyboard. You are not even realizing the flavors of what you are eating. Emotional overeating has nothing to do with being a foodie.

I am a foodie, but I do not numb myself with food; rather I use it as one of the many pleasures that are available to every human being.

French double-crème raw cow's milk brie on rustique, crusty baguette and sipping a glass of Amarone as the sun sets.

Did you know that truly... TRULY... enjoying your food and savoring every bite actually boosts anti-aging endorphins in your body?  And that forcing that shot of seemingly good-for-you but absolutely for your taste buds repulsing shot of wheatgrass increases stress hormones as your force it down in an attempt to make up for your sins.  Food is supposed to be a daily pleasure, not a struggle.

Here's something to think about.

'I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well' for my age. (I just turned 77.)
A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'
The doctor responded by asking, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?' 
'Oh no,' I replied . . . 'I'm not doing drugs, either!' 
Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?' "I said, 'Not much since my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!' 
'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?' 'No, I don't,' I said. 
He asked, 'Do you gamble, go on vacations or have a lot of sex?' 'No,' I said. 

He looked at me and said, . . . 'Then, why do you even give a damn?'

Savoring the flavors of life... on every level.

A healthy life does not entail one that is confined or restricted; it is about living the life of your dreams, and you can  only do so if you are not numbing yourself via self-destructive behaviors. It's not the glass of red wine or the couple of French truffles in the evening that is killing you: It's trying to find happiness at the bottom of the scotch bottle after work; It's raiding the cookie jar and disconnecting from yourself and your emotions and needs.

Food & Drug Addictions. It's an imbalance in your brain chemistry!

During my work with eating disorders and addictions in Denmark I came to realize how important it is to understand that addictions cannot be treated through psychotherapy alone - simply because they are based on biochemistry imbalances that set the individual up to crave specific substances beyond their control. You can have all the insight, knowledge and skills on how to deal with stressors in life etc. but if you are fighting against your biology, you are up against powers stronger than you! It has NOTHING to do with lack of morals or willpower, but rather everything to do with brainpower.

This led me to initiate their nutritional treatment program consisting of amino acid therapy to help combat cravings and stabilize those neurotransmitters that are associated with the various types of addictions. They now have the highest success rate in treating food addictions and co-dependencies in the world.

Similar for every addiction - whether it be food, drug, alcohol - or even behavioral addictions (stealing, shopping, cutting, sex etc.) - is that they are based on specific nutrient deficiencies. Understanding this basic fact along with integrating the science of nutrigenomics - how nutrition affects our genotype - enables us to cut the chains of addiction FOR LIFE!

In this clip, Julia Ross explains the background of food addiction which you can read more about in her book The Diet Cure, which is a good book to get a basic understanding of what exactly you are up against when it comes to dealing with addictions.

In order to have your biochemistry type defined and brain chemical imbalances determined, you can make an appointment with The Nutrition Doctor here.


NB: Turn off the music in the right side bar before watching the video clip!

Breaking A Bad Habit

Habits are learned slowly but once they are in place they are by their very nature difficult to break. One defining feature of habits is that they are resistant to extinction. Habits are very inflexible; they're very unresponsive when a situation changes. The distinction between behavior driven by a goal and behavior driven by a habit is that goal driven behavior requires thinking. 

However, if you do the goal driven activity often enough, then it becomes an automated habit triggered by circumstances beyond your control.

Dopamine influences both types of behavior,  revving up  the motivational circuits of the brain and strengthening the power of habit. The circuitry operates in roughly parallel loops, with one loop acting as the processing center for motivational information and another focusing on the motor activity associated with habits.

The implications for someone trying to control food intake are obvious. As habits are learned, the brain comes to code whole sequences of behavior as performance units that can be triggered by specific contexts. Cues in the environment become the triggers of predictable and automatic actions.

When it comes to food, we are, in essence, following an eating script that has been written into the circuits of our brains. The more rewarding the food, the stronger the learning experience that creates the automatic behavior (i.e. high sugar/fat foods). That's the danger of habit. 

But habit formation has the potential for good as well. If we can learn to turn all of this around, we can eventually create new habits, ones that motivate us to pursue other, healthier sources of reward.

Contact us to get a brand NEW YOU this year!

Analyze this: The celeb with a serotonin deficiency!

Now as some of you know Britney Spears has undergone some dramatic weight changes throughout her career.

Rumors have it, that she is suffering from bulimia, which is characterized by consuming excess amounts of food in one sitting, only to purge it up shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, this is a very inefficient way of losing weight long-term, as your body responds by speeding up its ability to absorb calories - the absorption of calories from those doughnuts has already begun once the first bite has been taken. This is also why bulimics often are in the normal - overweight weight range.

Britney has previously undergone treatment at Promises rehab for alcohol abuse (one of the most frequent abuses connected with Bulimia). Furthermore the pop princess is notoriously known for binge shopping and episodes of borderline behavior.

Now why am I focusing on these things in particular?

Because our behaviors, eating habits, weight fluctuations and personality traits all reveal how our brain is wired and which communicators are out of whack, so to speak. Those communicators - neurotransmitters - can be rebuilt, and your brain can be rewired in order to combat cravings effortlessly!

In Britney's case there is a clear cut correlation between her key issues and a serotonin deficiency.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter in our brain responsible for keeping us happy and collected as well as keeping our appetite in check. Serotonin (and its resulting delta brain waves) is produced in the brain's occipital lobes and controls your brain's ability to rest and resynchronize and is also involved in vision. When your serotonin levels are balanced you can sleep deeply and think rationally. You are able to live in the moment and enjoy the simple things in life, such as eating a good meal or watching the leaves play in the wind.

Key signs of a serotonin imbalance are:

• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Carb cravings and alcohol abuse
• Impulsive
• Anger/ Rage/ Emotional outbursts/Anxiety
• Appetite dysfunction: chronic hungry/obsessing over food
• Overly self-critical
• Adrenaline junkie/ thrill seeker
• Depression
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Palpitations
• Binging behaviour (food, shopping, kleptomania, sex etc.)

These signs are simply the symptoms of the cause - which is an imbalanced brain chemistry! In order to treat these issues you need to understand which nutritional strategies, supplements as well as meds that support your brain wiring! When you engage in extreme behaviors you are simply self-medicating on things that give you an instant relief from your pain and imbalanced brain. The key, however, is to rebalance your brain and all the symptoms then painlessly disappear! - Quitting an addiction is NOT about willpower! It's about understanding which chemicals in your brain are responsible for making you crave certain substances and then how you can alter it.

Every time Britney goes on a diet she will deplete that chemical further.

Especially if it's a low-carb diet or a vegan type of diet - both extremes have been proven to screw up serotonin balance big time. And this is something which females are particularly vulnerably to as estrogen and serotonin levels are connected (also why most females crave carbs and suffer PMS during certain times of their cycle - because they are experiencing a drop in serotonin levels due to fluctuating estrogen levels. However, this is something that is preventable - PMS is NOT normal!).

Contact The Nutrition Doctor to get you back on track to a STRONG MIND in a STRONG BODY!

FEED the BRAIN and BURN the FAT!

Willpower vs. Brainpower

Being fat. It's NOT about willpower - it's about BRAINPOWER!

One thing that continues to amaze me is the amount of ignorance that people are able to show off.

Manhattanites are blunt. Angelenos are softies. Now I know that some people prefer the straightforward talk that New Yorkers are known for as things admittedly can get a bit sugarcoated in Cali, but that is no excuse to lack empathy.

Let me give you an example. 

I was walking along the bike path down by Coney island when this guy sitting on the board walk yells out to a girl walking in front of me: "Yo, you got fat, girl." He looks at the doughnut she's eating and continues, "Yeah we know where that fat came from huh...". Unbelievable. 

Now I am usually pretty calm and collected, but this sort of childish behavior demonstrated by picking an easy target to humiliate in order to boost your own vain ego always challenges my anger management skills. And I am sure this will make for a great story some day, but until then I count my blessings. Because frankly, I wouldn't be worth much, if it came down to a fight with my skinny ass on the line. Anyway, this is not about me and anger management techniques. This post is about being fat.

And the fact that overeating is an addiction similar to drug and alcohol abuse. 

It changes our brain and offsets a cascade of disastrous biochemistry reactions in our body.

Still, for some reason people think being fat is a matter of choice. It is not. Being addicted is not a choice. Just imagine the pain that this girl is going through each day - the humiliation and the condescending comments.When you are in her shoes it is difficult to stand up for yourself - everyone's got an opinion of why you are fat. And it is not exactly like those who feel entitled to judge her are perfect beings - their issues may jut not be that obvious to the eye. For some reason people think it is okay to say "hey, you are fat - why don't you just close your mouth".

However, what many people just do not get is that for her it is not a question of willpower.

The reason why she continues to stuff herself with dougnuts is not because she is lazy, retarded or lacks integrity. This young girl has messed up her biochemistry so bad that she is unable to control her cravings. She is literally addicted to fast food. Obviously, said guy thought that she could just close her mouth and stop eating that garbage. If it were that simple we would not have an obesity epidemic. Americans are not getting fatter day by day due to lack of morals, willpower and knowledge.

We are getting fatter day by day, because we have screwed up our brain chemistry.

An imbalanced brain chemistry causes us to crave foods that hijack our brain's reward center and sets us up to behave like addicts towards certain types of foods.

Understanding the biochemistry of food and how they affect our brain chemistry, taking into account that each one of us are predisposed for a specific brain chemistry combination that - when balanced - makes us feel "normal". Our brain chemistry has a set-point similar to our weight - when treating any type of disease, this needs to be taken into account, simply because your brain controls every aspect of your body!

Ultimately, that is also why people respond differently to the same diet! 

Each one of us have uniquely wired brains that governs our personality, food preferences, waistline and how we perceive life. 

Nutrients, food strategies and behaviors MUST mach our genotype as well as cater for our brain chemistry set-point in order to make us feel and look on top of our game.

If what you are currently doing is right for your brain chemistry type then you will think SHARP, have ZERO cellulite and be able to handle life with everything it throws at you without needing Xanax or that after work drink(s)! This is not about abstinence - it is about changing your brain, so you change your preferences and coping mechanisms painlessly! After all, life is supposed to be enjoyed and food really is a sensual pleasure that is able to nourish our body, mind and soul when we understand how to take care of ourselves and stop the self-destructive diets and addictive black/white thinking pattern!

It really is that simple.

We need to understand that no amount of willpower and calorie counting will ever get us where we want to be - humans are hedonistic creatures, and we will do what makes us FEEL good!

The cottage cheese solution...

The only cottage cheese is on my plate...

You can change your brain, so that you perform at your peak: physically and mentally! And yes, I know this works, because I live by this myself - and I do not work out and yet the only cottage cheese I have is what is on my plate! Talk is cheap, ultimately results are what count. Are you ready to get started on your new life?

When you change your brain.... you change your body!

Matching your nutrients, diet and everyday behaviors with your specific brain chemistry type will give you a STRONG MIND in a STRONG BODY!

Contact The Nutrition Doctor today to change your brain, body... and LIFE!