I posted on The Middle Aged Middle on September 3 about the new book, released yesterday, from Drs. Eades: The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle: The Simple Plan to Flatten Your Belly Fast!
Summary
Before I get into the details of the program… let me just say that I really like the book. And the plan. Since so much of the plan goes against the grain of our cultural nutritional values, the Eades explain everything thoroughly, yet simply, including refuting the “common wisdom” and flawed studies that have been used to propogate information about fats and nutrition that many of us Low Carbers now believe to be wrong.
Part 1 is an in depth explanation of each component of the plan, how and why it works. This is essential. Otherwise many people would not abandon their fat phobia to the degree necessary to even try it out. Part 2 is the plan. What to do. How to do it, etc. Everything. In detail. Including the meal plans and recipes you use to follow the plan.
My Predictions
In my last post I made the following predictions about The Six Week Cure:
- Wrong. They did not recommend any special meal timing rules or intermittent fasting. The entire six weeks involves total satiety (no hunger), with either 3 meals or 3 shakes plus 1 meal each day.
- Right. Eating adequate saturafed fat is one of the fundamentals of the program! Omega-3s supplementation is recommended in the form of krill oil (best), Cod Liver or Fish Oil (Carlson’s brand recommended in particular). They do not recommend the popular 3-6-9 oil. We already get enough (too much?) 6 and 9, so they recommend just taking the 3.
- Partially Right. The six-week program is broken down into 3 two-week-long phases. Trans Fats, Sugars (especially fructose) and Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) are forbidden throughout. Carb, Caffeine and Alcohol intake vary in the different phases. Small amounts of stevia or sucralose are allowed, as is decaf coffee and caffeine-free, aspartame-free diet sodas.
- Partially Right. There is a chapter on exercise, which mostly explains why the “eat less, exercise more” program is futile.
- They do recommend that everybody on the program does 8 sets (of three reps) per day of one particular abdominal resistance excercise, that can be done standing or sitting, anytime, anyplace. Easy, easy, easy!!! I like it. It is sort of a breathing exercise in which you also tighten your ab muscles. They say not to scoff at its simplicity: Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint
and Mark’s Daily Apple blog, apparently built a set of awesome six pack abs doing just this one exercise. Awesome!- They also recommend that anybody who wants to do even better on the program than nutrition alone, should employ slow burn exercise, as explained in their book, The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution
, co-authored with Fred Hahn. I was right about this part. They claim that a person could lose up to two times as much weight if they employ slow burn exercise with the nutritional program.Here’s the plan in a nutshell:
Weeks 1-2
Goals: detoxify the liver, lose visceral fat, reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, preserve lean muscle/tissue
Nutritional Plan: 3 + 1 = 3 shakes + 1 solid meal. Limited Calories. Limited Carbs. Adequate Protein and Fat.
Main Ingredients: protein, saturated fat, very limited carbs.
Things to Avoid: alcohol, caffeine, aspartame and most medications that can be skipped (both Rx and OTC).
- Notes: Liver detoxification is central to the first two weeks. The goal is to lose “visceral” fat, the health-threatening fat that has invaded your internal organs, and turned your liver into foie gras. Adequate protein and saturated fat PLUS extremely limited carbs is the most effective way to control blood sugar and insulin, boost fat burning (discourage fat storage) and speed up the removal of the fat from your liver cells, and maybe even get it to take some subcutaneous fat along for the ride (bye bye, fat!!).
- The protein shakes are formulated to maximize abdominal visceral fat loss, preserve lean muscle, control insulin, and boost cellular energy. They contain whey or egg protein, saturated fat (dairy cream or coconut milk), an optional egg, any sugar-free flavoring you like (still no aspartame, though) and a couple of added nutrients.
The solid meal you get is supposed to have a satisfying portion of animal protein (don’t skimp on the fat!) with small servings of low-carb fruits and veggies. Go ahead and enjoy that dark chicken with skin, bacon or ribeye steak!
They also have non-meat-eaters’ recommendations for doing the program, though the plan is probably impossible for vegans. They just cannot get enough protein and fat from vegan foods. Eating animal based protein and fat is the best and healthiest way to address this visceral fat.
Weeks 3-4
Goals: eat more calories to support your metabolic drive, supply more protein to preserve your lean tissues (muscle, bone, hair, skin, nails, blood, brain, heart, etc), ensure blood sugar and insulin stay very low.
Nutritional Plan: 3 meals per day, nearly all meat i.e. More Protein. More Fat. Fewer Carbs.
Main Ingredients: animal protein with plenty of fat, even cooked in butter, coconut oil, etc. Keep your calories high; your carbs very low. Don’t be hungry: eat more protein and fat.
Things to avoid: aspartame, all dairy (except butter), grains, legumes, starchy vegetables.
Things to use in moderation: carbs (as few as absolutely possible), alcohol (1-2 drinks per week), caffeine (1 cup of coffee per day, preferably black, but with a small amount of heavy cream if you must).
Weeks 5-6
Goals: careful maintenance
Nutritional Plan: continue the low carb lifestyle
moderate alcohol intake if desired, reintroduce dairy, reintroduce 10g of starchy carbs per day if you can tolerate them, etc.
That’s the plan. That’s the six-week cure for the middle-aged middle.
Get Set…
In my last post, I wondered “aloud” just how much of my middle-aged middle I could lose in six weeks on the program. So, now that I have a copy of the book I can begin this weekend. I’ll take my starting measurements, take a few “before” pictures, and publish them in a post. I’m not getting my labs done, but I will be monitoring my fasting Blood Glocuse Level with my own glucose monitor.
Only a few more days, and I’ll be off and running… Go!
Lovin’ It Low Carb
Ramona Denton
Eades/Protein Power Books at Amazon
Now available at Amazon
The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle: The Simple Plan to Flatten Your Belly Fast!
The Original!
Protein Power: The High-Protein/Low-Carbohydrate Way to Lose Weight, Feel Fit, and Boost Your Health–in Just Weeks!
The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution
The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook
The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution: The Slow Motion Exercise That Will Change Your Body in 30 Minutes a Week
by Frederick Hahn, Michael R. Eades, M.D. and Mary Dan Eades, M.D.
Eades/Protein Power Links
Link to Lovin’ It Low Carb Homepage
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