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 Price of Vanity...

30 % of women would trade at least one year of their life to achieve their ideal body weight and shape.

Kelly Brook: Does having a slamming body equal happiness?

Latest research conducted for new eating disorder charity The Succeed Foundation, in partnership with the University of the West of England (UWE), has found that 30% of women would trade at least one year of their life to achieve their ideal body weight and shape.  The research has also found that in order to achieve their ideal body weight and shape:

-- 16% would trade 1 year of their life
-- 10% would trade 2-5 years of their life
-- 2% would trade 6-10 years of their life
-- 1% would trade 21 years or more of their life

The survey conducted at British Universities by Dr Diedrichs also discovered that in order to achieve their ideal body weight and shape, 26% of the women surveyed were willing to sacrifice at least one of the following:

-- £5000 from their annual salary (13%)
-- A promotion at work (8%)
-- Achieving a first class honours degree (6%)
-- Spending time with their partner (9%)
-- Spending time with their family (7%)
-- Spending time with their friends (9%)
-- Their health (7%)

The survey results suggest that body dissatisfaction was common among the women surveyed, with 1 in 2 women saying that more needs to be done on their university campus to promote healthy body image.

-- 46% of the women surveyed have been ridiculed or bullied because of their appearance.

-- 39% of the women surveyed reported that if money wasn't a concern they would have cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance. Of the 39% who said they would have cosmetic surgery, 76% desired multiple surgical procedures. 5% of the women surveyed have already had cosmetic surgery to alter their appearance.

-- 79% of the women surveyed reported that they would like to lose weight, despite the fact that the majority of the women sampled (78.37%) were actually within the underweight or 'normal' weight ranges. Only 3% said that they would like to gain weight.

-- 93% of the women surveyed reported that they had had negative thoughts about their appearance during the past week. 31% had negative thoughts several times a day
-- When asked which celebrity has the perfect body Kelly Brook came top of the list. Let's hope she found happiness and not just another Botox needle addict.


Looking great and feeling great do go together, as it shows when you treat your body with respect. But exchanging years of life for perfection screams out loud that we are not connecting the dots: If you fail to heal your inner wounds and the reason why you are struggling with emotional eating, then you will end up a shallow, hollow shell with little else to offer than firm buttocks. And when all is said and done... we all end up like raisins in the end. So finding that internal happiness before you pursue the body of your dreams should always come as step 1.


That is why a Life Stylist is key to make for lang-lasting change and permanent weight-loss success.
When you radiate happiness from within it shines through. And you will want to treat your body with respect.

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221215.php 05 Apr 2011 

No, it's NOT the pants: It's your ass that makes your ass look big.

I have this friend who is always complaining about the size of her ass. Well, actually I have a bunch of friends who do this. Come to think of it, the majority of my female friends' favorite topic is to discuss physical flaws and what they are unhappy with.

A mind-blowingly boring topic, if I may say so.

Either own it or do something about it.
Complaining and whining is a waste of precious time.
That, and it is very unattractive.
Fatal attraction starts with feeling comfortable in your own skin...
whatever the size of your ass, and whether it needs a zip-code of its own or not.

Because nothing ever changes in the changing room; the question they ask remains the same, "Does my ass look big in this?". Well, if you need to ask darling, then it probably does. And no, it's not the pants: It's your ass that makes your ass look big. Take some responsibility and stop playing the victim. That said, there is nothing wrong with having some junk in your trunk; I think it's hot. The type of fat you accumulate on your rear is inactive fat; meaning it does not produce cytokines, the type of proteins that promote inflammation.

What I do not understand, however, is that if you are really unhappy about something, then why don't you just step up to the plate and change it, and go after what you want in life.

Instead of whining, complaining and trying... always trying. Trying is not going to get you anywhere. Either you commit to doing it, or you don't. Simple really. And yet, admittedly, it is the simple things in life that often are the most difficult to grasp.

Committing to doing something requires planning, structuring and mapping out what drives you and setting short-term as well as long-term goals. And don't think you can do it on your own, because you can't. When it comes to change, everybody needs help and accountability. The first step is admitting that even though you may know what you need to do, you just can't transfer that knowledge into action without help. Yes, this process probably takes a couple of sessions or ten with your Life Stylist, but that enables you to break the habit of being you and sets the fundament for your new life - designed by you, the way you want it.

What are you complaining about?
Write it down as well as a list of all the pros and cons of not changing - if the cons of not changing outweigh the pros, well, then it's time to commit to break the habit of being you.

Your New Body Is Waiting...

Everybody deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin....

It's gettin' hot in here... This summer... This could be YOU!

Contact us to get started with 

The Body Designer™ by The Nutrition Doctor

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.

Forget willpower and get and KEEP that six-pack!

One word that absolutely makes my skin crawl is "willpower".
A term that is greatly used and abused by everyone working or interested in the health field.
"Use your willpower; just stop stuffing your face with Oreos etc. etc.". Those who say that have NEVER used willpower. It is that simple. We are all wired differently, and the more you have to rely on willpower to change - the greater the initial pain of change, the more imbalanced your biochemistry, and quite possibly what you are doing in order to reach that ideal body is not matching your genotype! That is why your brain and body is screaming "NO! I don't want to do this!"

"Beauty is a gift from nature given to those who live according to its laws"
 - Leonardo da Vinci


If only we would start listening to our bodies once again - reconnecting with our body, mind and soul, and retraining our appetite swtich through healthy behaviors that match our unique genotype, then we would find that the lean physique many of us struggle to achieve would be given to us effortlessly. Yes, really. No willpower needed.

Hello HOT stuff!
Sean may have gotten those amazing ABS
by sheer willpower, but he won't be keeping them 
if he is not matching his meds, diet and supplements 
with his biochemistry type!

Use your willpower... and expect to fail!
Willpower. Just the sound of it. I just cannot stand that word. Simply because it makes very little sense. Willpower is an illusion. Humans are hedonistic creatures, and we are going to do what makes us feel good.

Getting and keeping a ripped six-pack has nothing to do with willpower. We are driven by emotions and willpower is fragile and only lasts for a limited amount of time - explains why 95% of all diets fail.

You can have your biochemistry type determined today - make your appointment with The Nutrition Doctor right here, right now!

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!