Some random pics

 Jared and Savannah were cute drawing on the white board together one evening.  Here are a few of their drawings of Nathan, Weston, Alex and Jared.  

We had some pretty hot days this fall.  In fact, a few of Jared's cross country meets got moved to the morning (or late evening once) due to the heat.  That actually allowed me to go see those though, since I would have missed the late afternoon meets.  One of those days, we got back around 12:30 or so.  A little while after being home, I thought about the dog outside in the heat.  I went to check on her and called her in.  She didn't come right away, but eventually came really slowly walking in.  She didn't look well and was panting really hard.  We were able to get her to drink some water and get her cooled off in front of a fan.  I think she almost over-heated outside... she was better after a bit.  (Jared fell asleep reading his scriptures after he came home from his meet).  The heat made everyone tired.  

Alex found what's been eating our garden...

We had another pest which was a huge problem this fall.  Ants kept finding their way in the kitchen and into the dog bowl.  I tried some eggs mixed with Borax to poison them - they'd be gone for a few days and then another round would show up through another crack in the wall / kitchen window.  I finally found the source - a huge colony under our outdoor storage bucket.  I also used some Ortho Home Defense around all the edges and walls and to kill off the colony.  That seemed to work for now, but for several mornings, we woke up to a new trail of ants.  Such a pain! 

I wasn't going to post this, but then I decided it's part of my experience and history, so I guess I'll document it.  I had 2 more basal cell cancer spots removed in September.  I think this is the 3rd spot on my face cut off and the maybe the 11th spot overall.  I had 3 spots biopsied this round, with 2 of them cancerous.  I really hate skin cancer and hate having to go through these procedures to remove them.  For this one on my forehead, I was referred to a plastic surgeon this time.  It does look a lot better after it has healed, but I also had some nerve damage with the procedure.  The area up there around it lost a little bit of feeling - don't know if that's permanent or will eventually regain the feeling.  I guess it's good that I go in somewhat regularly to have spots checked out.  This spot on my head was a tiny red spot that just didn't ever quite go away - occasionally it bled, which I knew wasn't a good sign.  The nurse I talked to on the phone was trying to make it sound like that was a normal thing, but good thing I knew otherwise and didn't get talked out of having it checked out.  I had tried to get an appointment in September of 2021 and didn't get seen until July of 2022!  I got the biopsy in July and then removal in September.  Luckily it wasn't a fast growing cancer.  Crazy that they don't give more urgency and priority for patients with a history of skin cancer.  

And then there was Covid...

We had church prom (Saturday), Jared's patriarchal blessing (Sunday), Nathan's mission call opening (Tuesday), and Jared's birthday (Wednesday) right before we found out we had Covid (Thursday).  I'm not sure where we got it (but maybe prom, because most of Nathan's group got it, except the ones that had already had it).  I wasn't feeling great on Sunday, but not enough to keep me down.  I went to church and all our activities the next few days.  Nathan had a yucky day on Jared's birthday.  The day after Jared's birthday, Alex woke up with some sniffles and realized he couldn't taste his breakfast... that was when he got a positive Covid test.  Some of the kids had already gone to school, but those still home tested as well.  Alex, Nathan, and I tested positive.  Jared tested negative and went to school.  Later, Owen, Weston, and Savannah took a test and Savannah tested positive.  However, she didn't have any symptoms and never did get any.  She felt fine, but since she tested positive, she had to stay out of school a minimum of 5 days and couldn't go back until she got a negative test (which wasn't until about day 7).  She missed a whole week of school.  Although she missed some fun things at school, it wasn't too bad staying home "sick".  She got to watch movies, hang out with Mom, and even get lunch from Wendy's one day.  It wasn't too bad not being able to go to our activities - I had been pretty stressed about all the things I had to get done.  It was kind-of nice to play the "Covid card" and have a break - the sickness was mild.  Unfortunately, we had to postpone Jared's birthday party though.  Nathan was lucky to be done before graduation and the end of the year things.  Jared and Owen stayed Covid-free until after Nathan's graduation and until after Baba and Papa's visit.  Weston was the only one who never got Covid.  We were able to make all the big events with the timing of Covid - I was really thankful for that.  

Tips for a healthier you?

Okay, I have a bunch of other posts in line, but this is on my mind now. So I'll get it out of the way and then get to the kid stuff. I have some more health and weight loss things to try... I hope you don't mind. I'm not one to sugar-coat or keep secrets or withhold information that I think could be useful. And I will also say that I am not a dietitian and don't have any background in this, but it's just me reading books and passing along info. So if you don't agree or don't think it sounds right, that's okay. I don't know whether it's actually right or not either. Just Annie here sharing what maybe could help you. Or not. You read it and decide if you want to try it. Doesn't hurt to try. And that's the best way - try it out. If it works, great. If not, try something else. (Although some things might take 6 months to a year to notice a difference.)

 Anyway, so my books of choice are often self-help, health related, books about parenting, etc. Hmmm...why am I attracted to those... I need a lot of energy for a lot of kids. Here are a few of my latest health reads: "Little Sugar Addicts" by Kathleen Desmaisons (LSA), "Power Foods for the Brain" by Neal D. Barnard (PFB), and "Wheat Belly" by William Davis (WB). LSA was an interesting look at how sugar affects your body. The title immediately caught my eye because I am addicted to sugar myself, and I think I have a few little sugar addicts as well. Sugar acts like a drug in the body. It affects the same brain chemicals that heroin and morphine do. Obviously the affects are different, but it is interesting that sugar does have the power to literally make you feel good and you can become addicted to it. Trying to get off sugar can give you similar withdrawals as drugs (so you just have to push past that crave and also don't go cold turkey). Too much sugar leads to imbalances and sugar sensitivities in 3 areas: blood sugar, serotonin, and beta-endorphins. You'll have to read up more on these, but basically when you consume too much sugar, it causes your system to overreact or affect the chemicals in your brain responsible for calming you (serotonin) or painkiller (beta-endorphins). When your body processes sugar, it has to release insulin. If you overload the system,
you have blood sugar spikes, so the body has to release adrenaline. (Think sugar high, particularly for
 kids.) I thought it was also interesting what the author mentioned about caffeine. It also acts like a drug, it peaks in 40-60 minutes, and takes 3-7 hours to get out of your system. Caffeine blocks adenosine (that quiets the brain), contributes to sleep disturbance, and causes an increase in serotonin receptors (which deal with impulse control; making it hard to say "no").

 Okay, next book. PFB talked about the best and worst things for our brain. We have to be careful about toxic metals - not just aluminum, but iron, zinc, and copper. Too much of these leads to Alzheimer's and other problems. One interesting note is NOT to take a supplement with minerals. You'll end up getting more than you need. If you do take a multi-vitamin, get just a vitamin supplement without the minerals. Liver and meat-heavy diets contain a lot of iron, which is harder for the body to regulate. Exercise does help get rid of excess iron. Plant-based diets help avoid an overdose of zinc and copper. Avoid partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat), which cause the body to make more cholesterol, which eventually pinches off the passage of blood. Get plenty of vitamin E, an antioxidant (from broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, etc.) Although
don't eat too many nuts, which are high in fat. Get folate (leafy greens!, citrus fruits, etc.). Get Vitamin B6 (whole grains, green veggies, beans, bananas, nuts, etc.). Get B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Orange fruits and vegs have the most heart protecting power. Apples and pears are best for preventing stroke. Get plenty of exercise! The author actually advocates a vegan diet (not eating anything that is animal based - meats, eggs, etc.) as the best for your brain, but I'm not jumping on board with that. A side note for migraine sufferers: common triggers are dairy, chocolate, eggs, citrus, meat, wheat, nuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples, and bananas. What's left to eat... you get to eat veggies and beans!

 Alright, WB book. The author coined the term "wheat belly" to mean the accumulation of fat from consuming foods that trigger insulin, the hormone of fat storage. It doesn't just accumulate in the belly, although that is a common area (and one of most concern as far as leading to diseases). In the book, he talks about the destructive nature of today's modified (dwarf)wheat. The wheat being grown today has small changes in the wheat protein structure, which is hard for your body to process. The
author argues that wheat is the most destructive dietary ingredient, due to these reasons: appetite stimulation, exposure to brain-active exorphins (counterpart to endorphins), exaggeraged blood sugar, inflammatory and pH effects that erode cartilage and damage bone, activation of disordered immune responses, and leads to diseases - neurological, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis. Supposedly, looking at glycemic index, whole wheat bread increases blood sugar as much as or more than table sugar. And this is not just a gluten free thing, the author says that foods made with cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch increase blood sugar even more than wheat products. Many gluten free foods are made with these starches. His best advice for weight loss is to completely cut out wheat from your diet. I'm not on board with that either, but I also don't have a weight problem to deal with. If I did and was desperate, I might be willing to try it. My thought is that if you really did cut out all wheat, you would also be eliminating the processed foods and bakery items and junk food that also have other destructive ingredients in it.

 Okay, so I don't just go with everything I read, but I take bits and pieces and try them out. From things I have read recently and in the past, I started jotting down a list of things I wanted to incorporate into my diet. Here are some of my weight loss tips:
- Exercise (45 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week)
- Limit sugar (sweet treat once a week)
- No soda, alcohol, coffee, or tea
- Drink more water (I'm bad at this one...)
 - Avoid fruit juice - Eat a good protein breakfast
- Don't snack in between meals or right before bed (working on this too...) - Limit wheat and corn (just less, not eliminate)
 - Eat more fruits and vegetables (but limit underground vegs like carrots and potatoes)
- Eat more leafy greens
- Replace oils with olive oil
 - Limit processed foods
- Avoid bacon, ham, and pork
- Red meat once a week
- turkey or fish (or chicken if you're not blood type B...) twice a week
- Eggs and nuts (almonds/walnuts) daily
- Incorporate "super foods" into diet (broccoli, onions, berries, spinach, kale, pineapple, garlic, etc.)
- Avoid aspartame, cornstarch, corn syrup (especially high fructose), ketchup, MSG, soy sauce, tapioca, Worchestershire sauce
-You might need a B12 supplement if you're not getting enough of the B12 fortified foods
- Don't eat out often (maybe once a month, unless you can find restaurants with healthy choices AND stick to the healthy choices. When I eat out, I tend to eat more and more of the stuff I'm not supposed to.)
- And don't have a lot of friends... :) they make you eat out and have girl's nights with lots of sweets and comfort foods... and then there's baby showers and church activities...okay, good luck with those. I'm too weak not to pig out at those! Really, do all social activities have to revolve around food? Guess so. Otherwise, we would just be sitting around looking at each other, instead of looking at each other between mouthfuls. Ha ha.

 One thing to mention: I don't think there's a temporary or quick loss solution. It has to be considered as a lifestyle change, and it has to happen gradually so your body has time to adjust to the metabolism changes. Good luck to finding out what works for a healthier you!

 Oh, one recent discovery (from a cooking class) - did you know you could make oat flour by putting oats in your blender? Makes a pretty good flour substitute.

Because you didn't ask...

Well, I don't often do posts about me, but I figure I want to document some things about me in my blog books.  And maybe you're wondering about me sometimes too.  

So... my latest thing is trying to get in shape and be more healthy (you might have a similar goal right?).  I want to lose my pregnancy weight, get back in shape, and just improve my general health.  I started jogging again towards the end of February and doing some on-line work-out videos.  I really like this cardio kickboxing one, which I thought I wouldn't.  But it's actually a pretty feel good work-out.  It's good to do when I feel like hitting or kicking something!  :)  It would be even better if I had a punching bag.  (I did kick the wall the other day when I was really angry...didn't leave a mark luckily.)

I also have been trying to make some changes in my diet.  I don't eat terribly, but not the best either.  I know I wasn't eating enough fruits and vegetables.  I don't know why, but I was drawn back to the "Eating Right for your Blood Type Diet."  I had read about it a while back, but never really tried it out.  I am attempting to see if it makes a difference, although I haven't been really strict about adhering to my particular diet.  The BTD has certain foods that you should avoid and certain ones that are very beneficial for your blood type.  Some of the main "avoids" for me are tomatoes, chicken, corn, and peanuts.  Supposedly I don't process those very well.  I have been pretty good about cutting those out, despite several favorite things that have those - like spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, chips & salsa, and peanut butter.  (I did eat a couple pieces of pizza for Jared's birthday).  The other thing that most blood types don't tolerate very well is wheat.  I haven't been great about that, since so many things have wheat in it.  Hats off to the successful gluten free people out there!  It's hard.  The more I am reading, the more I am hearing about wheat not being very good.  But there are just so many yummy things out there that I have a hard time not eating.  It seems like our culture is so in-grained (ha ha) with wheat products, but maybe that's why obesity and heart disease etc. are such a problem.  Lots of sugar, wheat, and processed foods is a bad combination.  Anyway, I figure I have nothing to lose by trying this out.  It's not a type of diet where you feel hungry all the time.  If anything, I'll just end up eating more fruits and veggies since I need to fill up with something besides bread and pasta.   

Another of my main objectives, besides general health, is to also see if I can help my allergies by avoiding certain things too.  I have had this weird thing with my voice, where it cuts out on certain sounds.  At times I have a really hard time talking.  I'm not sure exactly what it is - I have been diagnosed with "spasmodic dysphonia", but that basically just means vocal cord dysfunction.  No one seems to know what causes it.  Sometimes it's better and sometimes worse, so I think it could be related to allergies?  I had the problem towards the end of high school and beginning of college, but when I started allergy shots, it was significantly better.  When I later went off the allergy shots, I had problems again.  Anyway, D'Adamo (the author of the BTD) also has a book on allergies and how certain foods may be a problem.  One of my main culprits could be wheat. Cheese also can contribute to excess mucous.  So although I am not cutting them out completely, I'm just trying to eat less of them. And there are foods that are highly beneficial that I'm trying to eat more of, like onions, pineapple, walnuts, kale, olive oil, and some other things.   

Here's a look at what I have been eating.  I think I do pretty good with breakfast and lunch, but I need some more dinner ideas.  Cooking without chicken, tomatoes, and less bread and pasta is challenging.  I have still been cooking with some of my "avoids" for Alex and the boys.  I haven't subjected them to my diet yet.  I tried a gluten free pasta and didn't like it - it was made with rice and corn though, which I didn't realize.  (Corn is on the avoid list anyway.) Luckily the boys like beef and most veggies, so I don't have to do completely separate meals.  

I don't really miss sandwiches - I love the yogurt and fruit for lunch.  I'll probably eat more tuna fish when I'm not breastfeeding anymore.  Tuna tastes pretty good on salad.  I have been trying to eat more salads, just prepared individually right before I eat them.  I used to not make them because the boys don't eat them, and the rest of the salad would go to waste in the fridge.  But if I just make my own salad, it's great.  (Why didn't I do that before...?)  I recently went to this salad class with the church ladies and was introduced to homemade dressing.  There are variations, but basically you just use lemon juice, olive oil, and a little salt or vinegar.  Basil tastes good too.  I really like it.   

Bacon and pork aren't very good for you, so I'm trying the turkey bacon - love it.  We're still doing lots of eggs since protein for breakfast is really good for you.  (A friend from church gave us some quail eggs - such cute little egg bites.)  We're doing some yogurt smoothies now, about every other day.  I'm putting some spinach, kale, and flaxseed in there for a boost.       

So... when you ruin dinner, you usually throw a pizza in the oven, right?  What happens when you ruin the pizza??  The pizza slid off the pan, cheese side down....

Well, I wasn't eating it, so I just picked it up and added some more cheese, popped it in the oven, and it was good to go! Ha ha. What a mess...

As I mentioned earlier, the other part of my health kick is getting in shape.  I don't really think you can lose weight and keep it off without exercise.  You have to burn more than you consume... 

Back to jogging again.  I am still going pretty slow, but trying to gradually increase my mileage.  I have been doing about 3 miles, bumping it up to 4 sometimes.

I did do a local fundraiser race - 4 miles.  I wasn't really ready for it (knew about it 3 weeks beforehand), but it wasn't hard to finish it.  My time was 38:30.  The boys asked why I ran so slow... that's about as good as I can right now.  I had only done about 30 minutes at a pace.  

The mornings work well for jogging.  My dad will be happy to know that Nathan and Jared are now running in the morning with Alex or me.  I ran with my dad in the mornings when I was young.  It was a good feeling coming full circle to now have my kids running with me.  They have only been doing about a mile, but I hope to start running a little more with them too.  I think this is the 7th week of running for them, so we are sticking with it pretty well! 

my most useful baby item is...

...the jogging stroller!  

All of the boys, at about 3 months old, have been introduced to their new ride.  It's fun to see the rotation and see them grow out of it.  I could only find one picture of Nathan in the single jogging stroller - this was his 1st ride in it.  I couldn't find any pictures of Jared and Owen together not snoozing.  I probably have one somewhere, but didn't come across any.  

This is a must-have in my book for baby/kid equipment.  It's not the easiest to maneuver, but it still gets the job done.  If you want to consistently exercise, you need one of these.  If you can't get up early to exercise before your spouse leaves for work or your spouse is out of town, this is great.  I guess a treadmill would be okay too, but I think it's too easy to let the treadmill do most of the work.  AND this counts as quality time outside with your kids!  My boys usually love going for a ride.  The "encouragement" is nice too:  "Mama, run!  Run faster!"  Nathan and Owen are my chatter boxes.  

Nap resistant kids?  No problem.  Just take them for a jog.  When you're done, leave them in the stroller on the back porch OR if it's a little chilly out, wheel them right inside the back door. 

They're so cute when they're snoozing.

Mastering Leptin

So... just a few quick questions to start off with:

Are you trying to lose weight?  Have you lost weight and then gain it all back?  Do you have cravings?  Do you have low energy, feel sluggish or have a hard time getting going in the morning?  Do you have problems with sleeping, fibromyalgia, or other health or hormonal problems?

I'm guessing most of you can answer yes to one or all of these questions (and most likely with a big SIGH of frustration because you've tried overcoming these and haven't had success.)  I was recently introduced to a book called "Mastering Leptin" by Byron Richards - thanks Ray & Warren for passing the book along.  It presents the Leptin Diet, which is "a common-sense way to eat that enables metabolism to run faster on less food.  It improves energy, mood, vitality, and the feeling of good health, and significantly reduces the risk for the primary diseases of aging."

First, I have to say that I cannot tell you from personal experience that the principles in this book work.  I haven't had a chance to test it all out yet.  But after reading it, I didn't want to wait to pass along the resource, because it seems like their Leptin theory has the science to back it up - the back of the book is filled with lots of references.  And you know how sometimes when you read something, it just sounds right?  I had that feeling when I was reading, that it just made sense.  My hope is that it will help someone out there who is struggling or who just wants to be more healthy (and shouldn't we all?).  Our bodies are truly a gift from God, so we need to do all we can to take care of them.  Besides, health and happiness go hand in hand.  And we want to be at our best to be able to be there for and help others, like our children.

Here is their website - www.WellnessResources.com/leptin.  Go check it out.

I know a few of you may be rolling your eyes and/or won't go check it out, so here are some quotes from the book and some notes I took, if you're willing to keep reading.  

First off, I'm sure you're wondering what leptin is - it's a hormone secreted by fat cells, and the most important of hormones because of its regulating effect on other hormones.  Leptin provides communication within the body and controls energy balance and metabolism.  Leptin tells the brain how much fat is in reserve.  Problems with leptin involve loss of natural balance in regulating food intake, fat storage, and metabolic rate throughout the body.  Most overweight people have too much leptin.  When the balance is off, the brain doesn't sense leptin levels correctly, building resistance to the hormone.  When there's leptin resistance, the signal to stop eating is missing.  Overweight people are leptin resistant (brain) and insulin resistant (body).  The leptin solution is "science based on restoring health by fixing problems in natural balance... Drugs will always have a relevant place, but not as a prime force in solving the emerging obesity epidemic.... there is no quick fix for obesity."

"Obesity may soon overtake smoking as the number-one cause of preventable death in America.  In addition to mortality, quality of life is seriously affected even in people who are simply overweight and not obese: fatigue, stress, depression, sleep apnea, snoring, and arthritis are just a few of the inflammatory problems directly caused by obesity...  It is now recognized in the scientific literature that leptin problems are a primary cause of cardiovascular disease.  Leptin problems are directly involved with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and risk for stroke and heart attack.  Doctors are complacently handing out cardiovascular medication without understanding of the most current underlying scientific principles actually causing the problems.  While they are asleep on their watch, heart disease continues to be the number-one killer in America."  

"Drugs given to 'manage the symptoms' of a problem frequently adversely interact with leptin, making underlying health problems worse."

I think we all know that obesity is a problem, but how we're trying to overcome it is wrong.  Drugs, fad diets, and inconsistent exercise won't work.  There's not an easy way - if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to have BOTH consistent exercise and eating right.  You can't have one without the other, although you can lose weight temporarily with just one or the other. But you're likely to actually gain MORE weight in the process if you don't do things the right way.  (But if you're lucky to have naturally good metabolism, you may be able to eat poorly and still maintain normal weight - like me.)  Part of this I have already discovered from personal experience.  I've lost all my pregnancy weight by exercising, but it hasn't been quick weight loss either.  I have been jogging 3-4 times a week for about 10 months.  The part that I have NOT been good at is eating right.  I may look healthy, but I don't FEEL healthy.  I'm hoping that I can gain some more energy and get rid of some of my cravings (especially for sugar).

Back to my notes... some of these may be random points that I wrote down... if you want to know more about it, you'll have to go read up on it.

- "Because of the function of leptin in muscle, the necessity of consistent exercise to maintain health has never been more important."

- The food pyramid induces serious health issues.  There's only one healthy way to eat - to maximize efficient function of leptin.

- Low fat diets (as well as high fat diets) are incredibly destructive.

- Leptin causes metabolism to slow down.

- Eating after dinner seriously disturbs leptin function.

- Eating too many carbs or sweets throws off body rhythm.

- Why diets don't work:  You will initially burn stored fat because your metabolism is set for a higher calorie amount.  As the diet continues, leptin levels drop, initiating genetic response to starvation.  This slows down stimulation of fat cells to conserve fuel.  Metabolism slows down and weight loss stops.  This is why you may hit a plateau 15-25 lbs. from your goal, even though starving on a low calorie diet.

- Ideal aerobics for weight loss:  3 times a week for 1-2 hours duration.  The timing is important too.   You should exercise between meals (on empty stomach) or first thing in morning before eating.  After exercising, don't eat until you get a hunger signal.  
- Consistency in exercise is more important than intensity (longer rather than faster).  This is good news for those who don't like to run.  You can benefit just as much by walking for 1-2 hours as you can from a quick jog.  (I personally don't have time for 1-2 hours of walking or aerobic exercise, so I have to jog).  However, even small amounts of exercise helps with insulin resistance.  Exercise beyond 20 minutes is good, but 30-40 minutes is better, and 1 hour 3 times a week is best.  Antioxidants prior to exercise may help (they suggest co-enzyme Q-10).

Craving food before bed is a sign of leptin resistance.

Properly functioning leptin enables a person to not crave sweets.

Morning fatigue or taking a long time to feel energized are signs that cortisol is poor.

 
AVOID aspartame, MSG, all soda pop, high fructose sweetened beverages, artificial sweeteners, high salt, high fat, high sugar foods, potato chips and french fries.

Here are the leptin rules:

1.  Don't eat after dinner.  Allow 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast.  Finish dinner at least 3 hours before bed.  (sleep is prime metabolic time.  The fastest way to disrupt sleep is to eat after dinner, eat too large a meal, or too late - it increases leptin resistance, raises adrenaline, which causes insomnia, light or restless sleep, sleep apnea)

2.  Eat 3 meals a day.  Allow 5-6 hours in between.  Don't snack.  (pancreas doesn't have time to prepare insulin for next meal.  Even a healthy snack is a problem - the snack causes insulin to rise and the liver to excessively secrete cholesterol.  The book says you might have to work up to just eating 3 meals, starting with 4 meals.)

3.  Don't eat large meals.  Finish when slightly less than full.  Eat slowly. 

4.  Eat a breakfast containing protein.  (Protein helps metabolism turn on.  Metabolism can increase by 30% for as long as 12 hours from a high protein meal, the calorie-burning equivalent of a 3-4 mile jog.  It also says to avoid fruit juice at breakfast.  It recommends eggs or cottage cheese.)

5. Reduce carbohydrates.

-It's not just the amount of calories that influences ability to lose weight, but the type of calorie and timing of eating.

- Higher calcium intake improves thyroid function and metabolism; settle down excess production of adrenaline.  Vitamin D (from the sun) enhances calcium absorption.


Here's some leptin diet recommendations:

milk (doesn't have to be skim), eggs, lean meat, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, cottage cheese, pork, veal, lamb  (only occasionally - cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, nuts, avocado, hamburgers, steak)

6-8 glasses of water, avoid all fruit juice, avoid all soda pops regardless of sweeteners, avoid alcohol  (I would add avoid coffee and tea - I don't know why, but it's in our religious code of health, which we believe is inspired revelation.  I'm going to trust that God knows more about that than we do.)

eat veggies and salads (unlimited with meals, except carrots, corn, peas, pumpkin)

2 fruit servings a day with meals - don't snack on fruit

Go easy on salad dressing.  Avoid partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Carbs:  whole grain wheat product, pasta, oats, yogurt, milk, tomato soup, chicken noodle soup, sweet potato, beans, carrots  (only occasionally - rice, peas, corn, potatoes, low sugar cereals)

sweeteners:  chocolate, honey, maple syrup, white sugar  (it says for serious weight loss, avoid all sweeteners.  Occasional thumb-sized portion acceptable).  Learn to use herbs, which enhance flavor, to help control cravings

Avoid ice cream  (ouch!  that's a hard one...)


Butter and olive oil - good
Omega 3 oils

Minimize fried foods

Things that will halt weight loss:  lack of sleep, infection, backed-up toxins (no bowel movement = no progress), stress, sugar, high fat


The Leptin Diet is friendly on vitamin supplements, depending on your specific need.  It minimizes use of drugs  (although they may be used temporarily).  It aims for the restoration of natural balance in your body.

The main thing I got out of this book is that balancing leptin is a lifestyle change.  Whether you like it or not, you have to exercise AND eat right, but timing is also important.  There's no easy solution - if you want to lose weight and be healthy, it's going to take time and consistency to get everything in balance.