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Introduction

INFORMATION IS POWER

I have people come up to me all the time to tell me that they're stuck. They just can't lose weight. "I've plateaued!" they say. "My program isn't working anymore."

I get it. When you don't see results, you get discouraged. You feel helpless and hopeless. But if you are pursuing a health and wellness goal without the proper information, it's like you're flying blind. Imagine navigating your way from Los Angeles to New York without a GPS, a road map, or a compass-you could never do it. You need the right tools to get where you want to go and to achieve the goals you set for yourself. Like the one you hold in your hands: The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter.

You already know the one universal truth that will always apply to obesity and health: Weight is an energy equation. It's calories in, calories out. We all know that; we just don't always know that there are other factors affecting this equation. That's where the Master diet comes in.

When you find yourself stuck in your weight loss efforts, 99 times out of 100 you're simply not taking into account how much energy is going into your body and how much is going out. Without that info, your chance of getting results and maintaining them is very slim. But when you're informed, you have the ability to make educated choices, powerful choices that effect positive change.

Once you know the calories in any given food, your next question must be about its quality. The quality of your food is critical, not just for preventing disease and combating aging, but because it maximizes your calorie burn. In Master Your Metabolism, I shared shocking information about how low-quality foods (in addition to lifestyle factors like toxic stress and environmental toxins) have dramatically altered our endocrine systems. Those changes to our hormone levels have helped make us-and keep us-fat. If you have already read the book, you know that I didn't shy away from some of the scariest information. Yet people have told me that reading Master Your Metabolism changed their lives. Throughout that book, I cited dozens of scientific studies that have proven one simple fact: When you eat crappy food, it kills your metabolism, ages you, and creates disease in your body; when you eat high-quality food, you get the reverse: a boosted metabolism, stronger immunity, and a powerful weapon against aging. We now know that Hormone Positive Foods are health positive foods. I designed this book as a quick, easy-to-use reference that gives you an accessible and affordable way to stay connected to the Master diet. With it, you can easily find those Hormone Positive, metabolism-boosting foods, every day, at every meal, no matter where you are-at home, on the road, anywhere. A health and weight loss program has to fit your life-it's the only way to ensure long-term success.

In these pages, you'll find complete nutritional information for over 6,000 foods, everything from the very best organic produce to the very worst deep-fried appetizers at chain restaurants-everything you need to count calories accurately and gauge the quality of foods you encounter every day in the real world. I've included an at-a-glance guide to the Master diet, to refresh you on the basics or, if you're new to the plan, give you a bird's-eye view of the diet.

You'll also find lists of hundreds of Hormone Positive Foods that can help increase your body's ability to burn fat and build muscle. And a woeful number of Master Disasters-horrible Anti-Nutrient foods that I wish no one would consume, ever. (Foods with these Master Disasters are included throughout the counter.)

Given that I'm basically saying, "Don't eat these, ever," you might wonder why I've included them at all. Again, it's about giving you power, the power to make an informed choice about what you're eating, not a mindless grab for something you don't really want and certainly don't need. If I've learned anything on the Biggest Loser campus, it's that people have to clearly see what exactly they have done, and what they are currently doing, that has helped create their ill health and obesity. I'll never forget when Pete Thomas from season two of the Biggest Loser looked at the Bloomin' Onion at the Outback Steakhouse and realized that when he routinely ate that dish by himself, he was consuming 1,560 calories and 84 grams of fat in about 10 minutes. That was his true aha moment. That's when he realized, "Oh my God, this is why I am four hundred pounds. This is why my cholesterol is through the roof. This is why I'm diabetic."

In this toxic food environment, you need constant reminders of exactly how bad these choices are for your long-term health and well-being. Some will shock you, just like Pete was shocked. Consider the innocent tuna sandwich. Fish is good for you, right? On the Master Diet, it's a Power Nutrient. But then you're at Quiznos, you're hungry, you're thinking about ordering a large-but a quick peek in these pages tells you that a large Tuna Melt Deli Sub is actually 1,760 calories-more than most of us should eat in an entire day.

While I'd prefer that you not eat at chain restaurants, I'm a realist. Okay, you're already at Quiznos-so what can you have? Scan down the list and you'll see can choose to have a bowl of Hearty Chili (360 calories) or a cup of Tomato Basil Soup (125 calories) and a small Steak and Bleu Salad (230 calories) instead. By becoming aware of what's in your food and understanding which foods have previously led to diet derailment, you can cut them out and replace them with healthier choices.

I want you to bring this book with you everywhere you go. I want it to travel with you when you go out to eat and when you're at the supermarket; it should always be in your backpack, back pocket, or purse. If you use the knowledge you hold in your hands, you will get results.

It all adds up: Good choices lead to good results. Achieving results empowers and inspires you to achieve more. And these little successes will beget more success in other areas of your life.

Each one of us has the power to effect positive change within ourselves and globally-first by making the right choices for ourselves, then expanding that thinking to our families and our homes, and then bringing it to our communities. And when we do that, it all falls into place. So let's get started living a Master-full life.

THE MASTER DIET AT-A-GLANCE

So you know weight loss is all about calories in, calories out. That said, who wouldn't mind a little boost in the calories-out department? Most everyone wants to increase their metabolism, but to do this, we have to first know and understand what metabolism is.

Many folks believe that metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. But that's just one thing your metabolism does. In fact, your metabolism is your body's biochemistry. The way all your hormones interact, a.k.a. your endocrine system, has a major impact on your ability to lose weight. Some hormones, like DHEA and testosterone, tell our bodies to burn calories; some, like ghrelin and insulin, tell our bodies to hoard fat. Although the fundamental function of any weight-loss program is and will always be calories in and calories out, you can bolster your efforts to lose weight by optimizing the hormone levels in your body.

Unfortunately, due to the toxic levels of chronic stress, dangerously processed food (Anti-Nutrients, or what I also call Master Disasters), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals everywhere in our environment, your hormone levels and metabolism have likely been thrown off kilter. The Master Your Metabolism plan tackles these critical threats head-on.

First, you Remove Anti-Nutrients, the foods your body doesn't recognize and that confuse and mess up your hormones. Next, you Restore Power Nutrients, the whole foods nature intended us to eat, the foods our bodies recognize, the ones that send healthy, metabolism- boosting messages to our hormones. And last, you Rebalance Your Energy, paying attention to when and how much you eat (which includes using this counter in your daily life-everywhere, all the time-to track the quality and the quantity of what you're taking in each day).

Follow this three-step plan and you'll reboot your entire endocrine system, so your body can get back to burning fat, building muscle, and making your metabolism work for you instead of against you. If you haven't already, read my book Master Your Metabolism to learn more about how our bodies are under attack and how you can fight back to protect your biochemistry with a few key lifestyle changes. In the meantime, check out this at-a-glance peek at the Master Diet. As long as you focus on its three main principles, you can't go wrong.

The Master Your Metabolism Diet Plan

Step One: Remove Anti-Nutrients

Hydrogenated fats

Refined grains

High fructose corn syrup

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial coloring and preservatives

Nitrates and nitrites

Glutamates

Foods from animals treated with hormones or antibiotics

Foods treated with pesticides

Reduce these

Starchy vegetables

Tropical, dried, and canned fruits

Excess soy

Excess alcohol

Canned foods

Step Two: Restore Power Nutrients

Legumes

Alliums (garlic, onions, leeks, scallions)

Berries

Meat and eggs

Colorful fruits and veggies

Cruciferous veggies

Dark green leafy veggies

Nuts and seeds

Dairy

Whole grains

Step Three: Rebalance Energy

Eat breakfast

Eat every four hours

Do not eat after 9 P.M.

No simple carbs at night

Eat until you're full, but not stuffed

Eat 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein

ANTI-NUTRIENTS, OR MASTER DISASTERS

Some foods are so bad for you, I never want you to eat them. Never. Ever. But the sad thing is, sometimes it's hard to know where they're lurking. But at least the supermarket gives you the chance to see for yourself what's in the food you're buying. When you're looking at processed foods in the store, keep your eyes peeled for these words.

Aspartame (NutraSweet)

Autolyzed yeast

Benzoic acid

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Blue dye 1 and 2

Calcium caseinate

Enriched

Fortified

Glutamate

Glutamic acid

Green 3

High fructose corn syrup

Hydrolyzed corn gluten

Hydrolyzed protein (wheat, milk, soy, whey-any protein that is hydrolyzed)

Monopotassium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Natrium glutamate

Nitrates

Nitrites

Olestra (Olean)

Hydrogenated oils of any kind (palm, corn, soybean)

Potassium benzoate

Potassium bromate

Red 3 and 40

Refined

Saccharin (Sweet'N Low)

Sodium benzoate

Sodium bisulfite

Sodium caseinate

Sodium dioxide

Sodium nitrate

Sodium nitrite

Sucralose (Splenda)

Sulfites

Textured protein

Trans fats

Yeast extract

Yeast food

Yeast nutrient

Yellow 6





Hormone Positive Foods

MASTERING ESTROGEN

Our individual needs for estrogen can be very different. Some types of estrogen help us stay lean; some make us pack on fat. Perimenopausal women may find a bit of hot flash relief with phytoestrogens, while in post-menopausal women, the same foods may increase the risk of breast and uterine cancers. In men, some phytoestrogens can have a cardioprotective effect but too many can dampen testosterone and increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. And we all have to contend with harmful xenoestrogens that come from toxic substances in the environment, including our cosmetics, cleaning products, preservatives, pesticides, and plastics.

How to keep it all straight? Thankfully, these Hormone Positive Foods- remember, always organic!-can help our bodies contend with this chemical onslaught and optimize our natural levels of estrogen. Look for foods with high levels of fiber; the more fiber in your diet, the better your natural estrogen disposal system works.

Almonds

Anise

Apples

Avocadoes

Barley

Bean sprouts

Beans (black, garbanzo, kidney, navy, pinto)

Blackberries

Black raspberries

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Bulgur

Cabbage

Fennel

Fermented soy products (tofu, miso, and tempeh; 1 serving per week)

Flaxseed

Green tea

Hops

Kale

Lentils

Nectarines

Oat bran

Oatmeal

Onions

Plums

Pomegranates

Prunes

Psyllium fiber

Rice bran

Rye

Sesame seeds

Sweet potatoes

Wheat germ

Hormone Positive Foods

MASTERING GHRELIN

Ghrelin is our number one hunger hormone. When it's your normal mealtime or you smell something really delicious, ghrelin is released in your belly and travels up to trigger your brain's appetite center (and, unfortunately, simultaneously turns down your calorie burn). Keep ghrelin in check by eating slowly, and doing so every three to four hours, especially high-volume foods with lots of fiber and water- hello, vegetable soup!-because as soon as your stomach registers it's full, ghrelin levels fall again.

Apples

Artichokes

Beets

Blueberries

Buckwheat

Bulgur

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Collard greens

Cranberries

Cucumber

Eggplant

Fennel

Flaxseed

Grapefruit

Green beans

High fiber cereal

Lentils

Mustard greens

Navy, black, pinto, and kidney beans

Oats

Oranges

Pistachios

Raspberries

Romaine lettuce

Shiitake mushrooms

Split peas

Strawberries

Swiss chard

Tomatoes

Turnip greens

Watermelon

Whey protein (not hydrolyzed)

Whole grains

Zucchini

Hormone Positive Foods

MASTERING THYROID

Thyroid hormones help control how much oxygen your cells use, how fast your heart beats, how warm your body gets, not to mention how good your memory and mood are on any given day. Thyroid also plays a large role in the rate at which your body burns calories. Avoiding goitrogenic foods, like raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale), peanuts and peaches, or soy foods, like tofu or "not-dogs," is particularly important for people with thyroid issues (like me!). (These goitrogens interrupt the thyroid's uptake of iodine, the building block of thyroid hormones.) Everyone can benefit from eating more of the Hormone Positive Foods listed here, many of which are high in zinc, which helps trigger thyroid release, and selenium, a mineral that helps your body create T4 and convert it into T3, the metabolism-boosting thyroid hormone.

Almonds

Anchovies

Asparagus

Avocadoes

Basil

Beef

Brazil nuts

Brewer's yeast

Broccoli

Cashews

Collard greens

Cremini mushrooms

Green peas

Hazelnuts

Herring

Lamb

Mustard greens

Olive oil

Oysters

Pacific salmon

Peas

Pumpkin seeds

Sardines

Sesame seeds

Shrimp

Spinach

Summer squash

Swiss chard

Thyme

Venison

Wheat germ

Whole grains

Yogurt

Hormone Positive Foods

MASTERING INSULIN

When it comes to insulin, the Master plan is all about keeping it low. After you eat, insulin is released from the pancreas to regulate the level of sugar in your blood. But if you regularly eat foods that cause a spike in your blood sugar, like overly refined white pasta, bread, or other "fast" carbs, you can overtax your body's insulin production system and pack on the pounds-not to mention raise your risk of developing diabetes. Luckily, you can avoid this easily. Start by making sure you eat some protein at every meal and snack; protein lowers your blood sugar response and lessens your need for insulin. Also, go crazy for nonstarchy vegetables with plenty of fiber. The following foods are a good start.

Almonds

Amaranth

Artichoke hearts

Barley

Basil

Beans (lima, black, cannellini, fava, garbanzo, kidney, or pinto)

Bok choy

Bran cereals

Brazil nuts

Brewer's yeast

Broccoli

Cabbage

Chicken

Chili peppers

Cinnamon

Collard greens

Cucumber

Eggs

Endive

Grapefruit

Greek yogurt

Green beans

Herring

Kudzu

Lamb

Leeks

Mackerel

Mustard greens

Oats

Olive oil

Onions

Oysters

Peanuts

Pickles

Psyllium

Radicchio

Romaine lettuce

Salmon

Spinach

Tomatoes

Turmeric

Turkey breast

Turnip greens

Vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red wine, or white)

Walnuts

Whole grain bread