Some conditions make it hard to lose weight. This report

shares details on how to get your body to lose weight, even

if you are living in a weight loss resistant body due to...

Insulin Resistant | Leaky Gut Syndrome | Thyroid Problems

Perimenopause | Menopause |PCOS

Weight Loss Resistance

Weight loss resistance is a broad term that describes a general difficulty losing weight.

There are a lot of reasons for the body to store fat and resist the release of that fat from

storage. But, most of those reasons have to do with two things: the body’s desire to maintain homeostasis (i.e. balance) or a condition that interferes with normal hormonal

levels.

To understand weight loss resistance, you need to think of fat cells from your body’s point of view. To your body, fat cells are the city dump. Anything that doesn’t have a use

gets sent there, so other more important body systems can stay in balance. For

example, if you have too much sugar in your bloodstream, the excess sugar gets swept

out of your blood and dumped into your fat cells, thereby restoring the blood to its

normal balanced state. If you didn’t have this fatty dumping ground, your blood sugar

level would climb so high that it would cause chaos inside your body and eventually lead

to death.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone that plays an important role in metabolism because it determines

what happens to the digested carbohydrates you eat. Once carbs are broken down into

sugar, they are sent to your bloodstream.

Your body is not happy when there’s a flood of sugar (glucose) rushing into your blood,

so your pancreas secretes insulin to carry the glucose out of your blood and into your

cells (i.e. muscle, liver, or fat cells).

If your body is insulin resistant, your cells ”resist” insulin. Insulin carries glucose to your

cells, knocks on the cell door, but nothing happens. It’s as if the liver, muscle and fat cells lock their doors, and ignore insulin’s knock.

This creates two problems:

1. With nowhere to go, glucose builds up in your bloodstream resulting in chronic

high blood sugar or pre-diabetes.

2. Without glucose, your cells can’t store energy; as a result, you feel low on

energy and you crave energy foods (i.e. carbohydrates).

Your pancreas tries to correct the problem by pumping out more insulin to force the cell

doors open, which creates more problems:

Increased insulin blocks fat burning.

Increased insulin pushes fatty acids from the blood into fat cells.

By the time insulin busts down the doors, there is so much glucose in your blood that it

pours into your fat cells. With this cascade of problems, it’s easy to see how insulin resistance and weight gain are linked.

If this continues, the pancreas eventually wears out and stops producing insulin. As a

result, blood glucose levels skyrocket, and you’re faced with type 2 diabetes.

Factors That Cause Insulin Resistance

Obesity

One of the main causes of insulin resistance is obesity, especially when there is a lot of

fat carried in the abdomen. Belly fat releases fatty acids into the blood; this high level of

blood fats is thought to be a major cause of insulin resistance.

Lack of exercise

Exercise works the muscles, which need glucose to function. Inactivity creates a low

demand for glucose, so glucose builds up in the blood.

Inflammation

Eating inflammatory foods (i.e. sugar, hydrogenated oils, dairy products, gluten,

processed meats) increases oxidative stress, which leads to insulin resistance.

Lack of sleep

Sleep deprivation makes the cells less sensitive to insulin.

Imbalance of gut bacteria

The importance of bacteria in the intestinal tract is just starting to be understood, but

there is strong evidence that shows a low level of good bacteria contributes to

inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity and general poor health (1).

Too many simple carbs

Eating a diet high in simple carbohydrates causes blood sugar spikes that tax the

pancreas.

How To Fix Insulin Resistance

Fortunately, insulin resistance can be fixed, but the problem needs to get under control

before it leads to type 2 diabetes. The fix involves lifestyle and diet changes:

Sleep at least 7 hours a night. Sleep deprivation causes your cells to be less receptive

to insulin.

Exercise regularly. Exercise improves the uptake of glucose by your muscles, which

keeps the level of glucose low in the blood.

Omit your intake of sweetened drinks and processed snack foods. Limiting these foods

lowers your intake of high fructose corn syrup, which makes insulin resistance worse.

Choose slow-digesting carbohydrates. Carbohydrates that are high in fiber digest slowly

in your system, which provides a gradual increase in blood glucose. Fortunately, the

0,1,2,3 Diet Plan has many slow-digesting carbs built in for you. You’ll benefit from the

fiber in vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds in your daily diet.

To accelerate your results, omit the one starch from your day as you follow the 0,1,2,3

Diet Plan.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

The simplicity of the name, leaky gut, defies this disorders ravenous effect on the body.

In a person with leaky gut, the cell junctions that line the digestive tract walls spread

apart, allowing small food particles to leak out of the tract and into the blood.

There are a number of food particles that can be involved in this syndrome, but dairy

and gluten proteins are common irritants that damage the intestinal lining and cause the

gut to leak.

The leaks allow food proteins and other digestive tract particles to pass into your

bloodstream where your immune system identifies them as foreign invaders that must

be attacked. Sensitivity to these proteins and food particles can cause unpleasant

digestive issues (i.e. bloating, gas, IBS) as well as inflammation of muscles and joints

leading to chronic pain.

Leaky gut syndrome can also have an indirect, but significant effect on your metabolism

because it opens the door to an attack on your main metabolic organ, the thyroid gland.

Dairy and gluten molecules look a lot like thyroid cells. If they leak out of your gut, your

immune system attacks them and also attacks your thyroid cells due to a case of

mistaken identity or medically speaking, molecular mimicry.

After the attack, your damaged thyroid is no longer able to produce sufficient amounts of

thyroid hormone, and you become hypothyroid. The most common form of

hypothyroidism called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (named after the doctor that first

described the condition) is an autoimmune disorder in which your body mistakenly

attacks your thyroid as described above.

What you choose to eat will go a long way to supporting the lining of the gut. A list of

foods that may help heal leaky gut syndrome as well as ones to avoid is found below.

Foods that help heal leaky gut syndrome:

Collagen hydrolysate*

Bone Broth

Fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi)

Cooked non-starchy vegetables

Healthy fats (eggs, salmon, avocado, coconut oil, ghee or clarified butter)

Foods to avoid if you have leaky gut syndrome:

Gluten

Dairy products

Sugar

Grains, except sprouted grains like Ezekiel Bread

*Collagen hydrolysate is a tasteless supplement. It comes in a powder form that

easily mixes with any hot or cold drink, so it’s easy to take. It’s also a good source of

protein and can be used instead of protein powder in a smoothie. Additional benefits

of collagen are that it supports the hair, skin, and nails, which are common problems

associated with hypothyroidism.

Thyroid Problems

Did you know that every cell in your body needs thyroid hormone to make energy?

Inside your cells are little energy factories called mitochondria. These tiny powerhouses

turn sugar (glucose) and oxygen into energy (ATP).

Thyroid hormones (T3) regulate this process and tell the mitochondria when to work.

It’s as if T3 is the plug that supplies the power that runs the mitochondria. The

mitochondria just sit there until T3 plugs in charges them up.

When one mitochondrion makes a molecule of ATP, it’s only a speck of energy.

But here’s the thing…

You have trillions of cells. And, each cell has multiple mitochondria. When your thyroid

is supplying the perfect amount of power (i.e. thyroid hormone), you get the cumulative

effect of trillions of ATP molecules flooding your body, which leaves you feeling

energized, vital, and alive!

But what if that’s not what’s happening? What if there is too little thyroid hormone?

The low thyroid hormone level tells the mitochondria not to work so hard, and your

energy level drops across the board. Every cell in your body feels the effects, and you

experience the symptoms of a low thyroid or hypothyroidism.

How Do You Know If Your Thyroid is The Problem?

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism include unexplained weight gain or slow weight loss,

fatigue, depression, anxiety, hair loss, brain fog, constipation and poor quality of sleep.

You see that having an underactive thyroid is not only about slow weight loss, but that is

a particularly frustrating aspect of hypothyroidism.

When you are hypothyroid, there is less sugar (glucose) being converted to energy, and

you cannot catch a break when you step on the scale. You might even be gaining weight

even though you’ve been trying to lose.

Diagnosing hypothyroidism is done using a symptom profile and a blood test.

Hypothyroidism Quiz – Do You Have It?

When I work with men and women who have trouble losing weight, I often ask them

questions geared toward understanding how well their thyroid gland is performing.

Below are questions designed to reveal low thyroid hormone production.

Place a check mark beside each question you answer with a YES. The number of yeses

you end up with will reveal your symptom profile.

HYPOTHYROIDISM QUIZ

_____Do you experience muscle and joint aches?

_____Have you noticed that you are losing your hair?

_____Have you noticed that your hair is straw-like or dry?

_____Is your skin dry?

_____Do you have brittle fingernails?

_____Are your hands and feet unusually cold?

_____Do you experience tingling in your hands or feet?

_____Do you feel bloated?

_____Do you have trouble losing weight despite what you eat?

_____Do you feel tired often throughout the day? i.e. you could take a nap at any time

during the day, even the mornings.

_____Is your sex drive lower than before for no apparent reason?

_____Do you feel depressed or lack enthusiasm for life?

_____Do you experience frequent headaches?

_____Do you have trouble concentrating or experience brain fog?

_____Have your bowels been sluggish? i.e. You move your bowels less than once a

day or do not fully move your bowels.

_____Do you notice a decrease in the amount you sweat?

_____Do you have a family history of thyroid problems?

_____If you are still of childbearing years, do you experience heavy bleeding with your

period or other problems related to your period?

If you said YES to nine or more of the questions, there is a fair probability that your

thyroid gland is underperforming, and you should have a thyroid blood test.

But let me ask you another question? Did you already have your thyroid tested? If so,

did the results come back normal, even though you have all of the classic symptoms?

Or, maybe you’re taking a thyroid medication, but you still have the symptoms?

Many times, I’ve heard, “but my thyroid test came back normal” from women who are

frustrated with their inability to lose weight.

I’ve also interviewed many women who are currently taking thyroid medication, yet their

hair is falling out, they are constantly cold, and they feel tired and blah – all classic signs

of hypothyroidism. The truth is that routine blood tests often fail to detect low thyroid

levels (2). As it turns out, there is a lot of debate and confusion as to what constitutes

“normal” when it comes to your thyroid, and the standard thyroid blood test does not look deep enough to reveal hidden problems.

Doctors test your blood to check the levels of different thyroid-related hormones. A

cursory test typically looks at the level of TSH, Free T4, and maybe Free T3

Problem with Thyroid Testing #1 – Confusion: Some doctors are using outdated

standards to define “normal.”

In 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommended that the

ranges for determining normal become more narrow, yet some doctors still use the old

values.

Problem with Thyroid Testing #2 – Incomplete Testing: Testing is usually not

comprehensive enough to catch hypothyroidism.

If you’ve been told that your thyroid hormones are within the normal range, but you still

have symptoms, ask your doctor to run a Complete Thyroid Panel and measure the

results against optimal range. I include the panel details and optimal ranges below (3).

Complete Thyroid Panel

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

Reverse T3

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb)

Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)

The Optimal Thyroid Lab Ranges

TSH 1-2 UIU/ML or lower (Armour or compounded T3 can artificially suppress

TSH)

FT4 >1.1 NG/DL

FT3 > 3.2 PG/ML

RT3 less than a 10:1 ratio RT3:FT3

TPO – TgAb – < 4 IU/ML or negative

How to Charge Your Thyroid (& Metabolism), Naturally

While you may need to talk with your doctor about a supplemental medication, there are

many diet and lifestyle changes you can start doing right now to boost your thyroid

gland’s performance.

By feeding your body the nutrients it needs, you provide an optimal environment for your

thyroid gland to function. With the right nutrition, your metabolism will thrive because

your thyroid has what it needs to make thyroid hormones, convert inactive T4 to active

form T3, and move T3 into your cells where it’s used.

Foods That Support Your Thyroid Gland (& Metabolism)

Below you’ll find a list of 10 foods that benefit your thyroid gland function. Fortunately,

each food on the list is already a part of the 0,1,2,3 Diet Plan or can be easily added.

Seaweed has an abundance of iodine making it a superfood for your thyroid gland.

Seaweed can be mixed into a smoothie (spirulina), used as a wrap, or turned into kelp

noodles. Given that its origin is from the sea, seaweed also packs a bunch of thyroid-

friendly minerals including selenium, magnesium, and iron.

Wild Salmon is a fatty fish that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats support

the integrity of your cell membranes creating a smooth path for thyroid hormones to

cross into your cells where they regulate energy production. Wild salmon also provides

a healthy dose of tyrosine, selenium, and vitamin D for additional thyroid support.

Spinach and other dark leafy greens are great sources of selenium, iron, and zinc that

your body needs to convert inactive T4 into active T3. Spinach can be used as a base

for your daily salad or added to omelets or soups. Each richly colored leaf also packs a

healthy serving of vitamin A needed to move T3 into your cells.

Collagen Hydrolysate is an unflavored dietary supplement that can help to heal Leaky

Gut, a condition that can lead to autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's). Available in

a powder form that easily mixes with any hot or cold drink, this supplement also contains

tyrosine, making it a good choice for those who don’t like eating red meat. Collagen also supports the hair, skin, and nails.

Garlic has always been touted for its health benefits. This versatile member of the onion

family is a good source of selenium and may help your body metabolize iron. A daily

dose of garlic will also supply your body with B vitamins needed to support your immune

system.

Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats support your cell

membranes allowing thyroid hormones to move into your cells easily. Eating just a

dozen walnut halves a day (that's about one ounce) is all you need to take advantage of

this superfood's healing potential. Walnuts also help you control your weight by

increasing your satiety.

Blueberries are filled with the vitamins your body needs to make thyroid hormones and

move those hormones into your cells. These brightly colored berries can be enjoyed as

a snack or blended into a smoothie. With their good ranking on the Glycemic Index and

their high-fiber content, blueberries are a satisfying fruit choice for anyone who is

watching their blood sugar levels.

Beets contain a unique blend of phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that have

antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that protect your cells. Beets are beneficial

in reducing an enlarged thyroid, or goiter. Beet greens are equally nutritious, making this

whole plant food a nutrient powerhouse. Eat beets raw in salads, juiced, or roasted; beet

greens can be sautéed like spinach.

Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are easily metabolized to

provide energy and encourage weight loss. The lauric acid in coconut oil prevents the

overgrowth of gut bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can open the door to thyroid issues.

Being a mainly saturated fat, coconut oil remains stable when heated making it a good

choice for cooking.

Pumpkin Seeds are a source of tyrosine, which is an amino acid your thyroid gland must

have to make its hormones. Being that many sources of tyrosine are animal-based

foods, pumpkins seeds are a viable way for vegetarians and vegans to boost their

tyrosine intake. Pumpkin seeds also supply iron and selenium, which are nutrients

needed to convert thyroid hormones to their active form.

Inflammatory Foods That Can Harm Your Thyroid (& Metabolism)

Avoiding inflammatory foods is every bit as important as adding thyroid supporting

foods. This fact is particularly true if you have the most common form of hypothyroidism

called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Trans Fats and Hydrogenated Fats harm your cell membranes, making it hard for T3 to

get into your cells. Avoid fast foods and packaged baked foods with vegetable oils and

soybean oils listed on their ingredient’s lists.

Sugar is an inflammatory food. Being in an inflammatory state is damaging to your

thyroid and can lead to conditions like leaky gut, which increases your risk of thyroid

problems. Sugar provides zero nutrients, so it provides nothing but calories.

Splenda (sucralose) is an artificial sweetener that blocks the absorption of zinc and

iodine, which are two nutrients needed to make thyroid hormones.

Above, I’ve listed the main inflammatory foods to avoid. Some people have additional food sensitivities that could affect the thyroid.

Additional foods you may need to avoid if you suspect your thyroid gland is

underperforming:

Grains

Eggs

Soy

Corn

Raw Goitrogens (i.e. kale and broccoli)

Nightshade Vegetables (i.e. Peppers, Tomatoes, Potatoes)

Legumes

Caffeine

Alcohol

What About Other Artificial Sweeteners?

It’s best to do without all artificial sweeteners, but if you feel you need to use one,

pure Stevia is your best bet.

Buyer beware: many brands of Stevia contain hidden sugar to make them bulkier and

better for baking. Read the label. If you see words like dextrose or maltodextrin on the

ingredient’s list, your Stevia contains sugar! I recommend SweetLeaf Brand of Stevia.

You can learn more about artificial sweeteners in the supplemental section of the

0,1,2,3 Diet Plan.

Perimenopause and Menopause

As a woman ages, hormonal changes cause a shift in fat distribution and can make it

harder to lose weight without a good diet like the 0,1,2,3 Diet. There are four stages of

menopause; each stage causes changes in the two main female sex hormones,

progesterone and estrogen.

Progesterone is linked to ovulation (i.e. the release of the egg from the ovary). For the

first two weeks of a woman’s cycle, progesterone is almost non-existent, but then it

shoots up like a rocket immediately following ovulation and stays high until just before

the start of her period.

Estrogen is linked to your period (i.e. bleeding) because it helps to build up the lining of

the uterus. Estrogen is always present but does go up and down during the month.

Your ovaries make most of your progesterone and estrogen with smaller amounts of

both coming from your adrenal glands. Estrogen is also made by your fat cells, and

that’s true for men and women. The fact that your fat cells make estrogen becomes

significant later on in our menopause story, as you’ll see shortly.

But first, let’s look at each stage to better understand the weight loss challenges of each

and how the diet you’re now on is perfectly designed to help you lose weight despite your stage of life.

The 4 Stages of Menopause

Stage 1: Early Perimenopause

Early perimenopause is the first stage of menopause. Many women entered this stage

in their thirties, but have no idea that their increasing love for sweets and step up in

jeans size had anything to do with menopause. After all, periods often still come like

clockwork each month.

During early perimenopause, most women experience their usual monthly periods, but

skip an ovulation from time to time. This event typically goes unnoticed because most

women don’t feel any different when they ovulate.

Skipping ovulation creates a hormone shift in the woman’s body. Without ovulation, the

usual progesterone surge that typically follows ovulation doesn’t happen, and her body moves into a state of estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can be blamed for

weight gain in the hips and thighs as well as an increased cravings for carbs.

Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance:

Cravings for Sweets

Weight Gain in the Hips and Thighs

Bloating

Mood Swings

Depression

Tender Breasts

Lack of Energy

Nervousness

Irritability

Anxiety

Uterine Fibroids

Heavy or Irregular Menses

Headaches

Loss of Sex Drive

Low Thyroid – Cold Hands and Feet

Stage 2: Late Perimenopause

As the years continue to pass and a woman approaches the age of 50, she enters late

perimenopause. At this stage, periods become very irregular. One month her period

may be heavier than usual and last for three weeks straight, and then be followed by two

months of no bleeding at all.

During this stage, ovulation is also unpredictable, so both progesterone and estrogen

are thrown out-of-whack. Weight is harder to control, and a woman may find that she’s increasingly bothered by cravings, irritability, and changes in moods that would take her

from happy-go-lucky one minute to tears the next.

Periods start coming less frequently, and then not at all. After one year of missed

periods, a woman has reached menopause.

Stage 3: Menopause

You may be surprised to learn that menopause is an event that only last one day. It’s an anniversary.

It marks the one-year anniversary of your last menstrual cycle. So, if your last period

begins on August 2nd, 2016, then you’ll reach menopause on August 2nd, 2017. When

you wake up the next morning, you’ll be a post-menopausal woman.

Stage 4: Post-Menopause

With menopause behind her, a woman’s ovaries no longer produce enough estrogen to

satisfy her body, and with only small amounts coming from her adrenals, her body turns

to its last source of estrogen production – her fat cells. The fat cell production of estrogen

is a major reason why menopause and belly fat are linked.

This can be a discouraging time for a woman. Regardless of the fact that her eating and

exercise hasn’t changed, her belly seems to grow bigger. She no longer has a distinct

pear-shaped body, and now has more of an apple roundness. This increase in belly fat

is the result of metabolic changes brought on by the drop in estrogen.

A woman’s post-menopausal body likes the extra belly fat because it supplies some of

the estrogens her body is missing. But, few women are thrilled with their expanding

waistline. Fortunately, you can fight back with a high-quality diet.

Food Choices to Lose Weight Before, During, and After Menopause

To lose weight during the different stages of menopause, you must maintain a healthy

lifestyle, which starts with paying attention to your food choices. The 0,1,2,3 Diet Plan

has all of the necessary elements built in, but let’s look at what they are.

1. A high nutrient-to-calorie ratio

You want to select foods that are naturally high in nutrients and low in calories.

Leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables top the list because they are packed

with vitamins and minerals, yet extremely low in calories. In the 0,1,2,3 Diet Plan,

you’ll make these foods the focus of your daily diet by having a large salad every

day and cooked non-starchy vegetables as a side dish for your evening meal.

Beans and fruit also have a favorable nutrient-to-calorie ratio and should be part

of your daily diet.

Nuts and seeds are high in nutrients, but also high in calories, so while their

nutrient-to-calorie ratio is not as high, in small portions (i.e. a couple of

tablespoons a day) they help with weight loss.

2. High fiber

High fiber foods prevent the insulin spikes that push fat into storage.

Fiber is only found in plant foods, so vegetables, beans, fruit, nuts, and seeds contain

fiber. Whole grains also contain fiber, but check the nutritional facts when eating grains.

A whole grain food should have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving to keep insulin low.

3. Low sugar

Sugar should not be one of the top three ingredients of your food selections.

Sugar does not need to be broken down, so it enters your blood immediately after you

eat it. The high blood sugar causes insulin to rush into your blood, which encourages fat

storage and turns off fat burning.

4. Healthy fats

Healthy fats have been found to be very beneficial for menopausal belly fat loss.

However, you need to pick the right fats. Healthy fats come from whole foods, so make

sure you’re getting a daily dose (about 4 to 5 servings) from nuts, seeds, avocados, or

fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or lake trout.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a hormone disorder characterized by:

Cysts on the ovaries

Insulin resistance

Elevated male hormones

As the most common hormonal problem for women of childbearing years, PCOS sets up

a hormonal storm that encourages belly fat weight gain. Fortunately, an improved diet

can improve hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS to stop and reverse your

growing belly.

You can help your hormones work in harmony by following these…

Steps to Losing Belly Fat with PCOS

1. Choose Slow-Digesting Carbs

Your best approach for fast results is to target your insulin resistance problem. This is

done by balancing your blood sugar and insulin.

All of the carbohydrates you eat break down into sugar in your intestines and that sugar

is then sent to your bloodstream. Which carbohydrates you choose to eat dictates how

quickly your blood sugar and insulin will rise and fall.

Slow-digesting carbs slowly drip sugar into your blood for a nice stable rise and fall.

Fast-digesting carbs make a beeline for your bloodstream, causing a rapid spike in

blood sugar and insulin followed by a crash.

You want to avoid fast-digesting carbs which I identify as the 3 C’s and 3 P’s.

Fast-Digesting Carbs to avoid:

Cookies

Cakes

Candies

Pizza

Pasta

Pie

Instead, go for carbs that are harder to break down, and therefore take more time to

absorb into your blood stream.

Slow-Digesting Carbs to include in your diet:

Vegetables

Beans

Whole grains, oats, quinoa, and brown or wild rice are also slow-digesting carbs, but

these starchy foods should be limited to one serving (total) per day.

Focusing your carbohydrate intake on these higher quality carbs is always a sound

practice and is part of all of my diet recommendations in the 0,1,2,3 Diet Plan. Choosing

these foods will not only help reverse insulin resistance, but may also reduce the male

hormones in your system by 20% (4).

2. Eat a High-Fiber Diet

Eating a high-fiber diet helps you capitalize on the belly-flattening benefits you get from

eating slow-digesting carbs. Fiber is a type of carb that resists digestion. It keeps your

digestive system busy, which slows the digestion of everything in your stomach.

Fiber also helps your body take excess testosterone out of circulation and excrete it, which brings your male hormone levels down (4).

For losing belly fat due to PCOS, aim high when it comes to your fiber intake. Try to reach 40 grams of fiber each day. To put that into perspective, the average person gets about 15 grams of fiber per day (5).

Only plant foods contain fiber, so make sure your diet includes the following…

Fiber-rich Foods

Vegetables Beans Fruit Limited whole grains (whole oats, barley, bulgur, rye, quinoa)

As a bonus, these high-fiber foods contain vitamins and minerals that help with PCOS and losing belly fat, specifically…

Zinc, which helps to normalize male hormones in the female body. Zinc is found in plant foods like spinach, green beans, beans, and seeds.

Chromium, which improves insulin sensitivity. You’ll find chromium in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

3. Avoid Dairy

According to Dr. Sara Gottfried, author of The Hormone Cure, dairy foods have been

shown to have an inflammatory effect on the body which can drive up male hormone

levels in women with PCOS.

For women with PCOS to lose belly fat, it’s best to cut dairy foods, including milk and cheese.

4. Cut Processed Foods to Balance Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids

To be healthy, your body needs a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids. In a

simplistic explanation, Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, whereas Omega-6s are

inflammatory.

Before processed foods were a thing, balancing these fatty acids was easy. But,

because processed foods are heavy in Omega-6 Fatty Acids, and the Standard

American Diet (SAD) contains many processed foods, our fats are out-of-whack.

Women with more Omega-6s than Omega 3s tend to have higher than normal level of

male hormones, which, as we’ve learned, encourages belly fat (4). To rebalance your

fats, you need to avoid processed foods and increase your intake of Omega-3s.

Processed foods are packaged foods. You want to avoid the ones with unhealthy fats

listed on their nutritional facts, namely hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and vegetable oils.

Foods high in Omega-3s include:

Fatty fish (i.e. mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, wild salmon)

Raw Nuts and Seeds (i.e. walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds)

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements

References:

(1) Caricilli, A. M., & Saad, M. J. A. (2013). The Role of Gut Microbiota on Insulin

Resistance. Nutrients, 5(3), 829–851. http://doi.org/10.3390/nu5030829

(2) Kellman, D. R. (2015, March 10). Why Routine Blood Tests Often Fail to Detect Low

Thyroid Function (And What We Can Do About It). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-raphael-kellman/why-routine-blood-tests-

o_b_6801130.html

(3) Myers, A. (2016). What Your Thyroid Lab Results Really Mean – Amy Myers MD.

(4) Gottfried, S. (2013). The hormone cure: Reclaim balance, sleep, sex drive, and

vitality naturally with the Gottfried Protocol. New York, NY: Scribner.

(5) King, D.E. (2012). Trends in dietary fiber intake in the United States, 1999-2008.

Journal Acad Nutr Diet, 112 (5):642-8 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2012.01.019