This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.
The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training. All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book, be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and fitness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor. As with all exercise and dietary programs, you should get your doctors approval before beginning.
Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.
Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.
2015 by Rodale, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
Special Markets Department, Rodale Inc., 733 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Womens Health is a registered trademark of Rodale Inc.
Photographs by Beth Bischoff
Illustration, Sun Goddess Rules, iStock
Book design by Christina Gaugler
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.
ISBN 9781623366582 trade hardcover
ISBN 9781623366599 ebook
We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.
RodaleWellness.com
To my balance buddies and partners in the kitchen:my husband, Robert; my sons, Robert and William;and, of course, all my amazing clients.
You all remind me that personal relationships are synergistic just like foods in our bodies.
CONTENTS
Reboot your circadian rhythm for natural weight loss and better health
They dont work. So lets try habitual nourishment instead. Its delicious and fun!
Helpful notes to deconstruct the negativity around your weight.
Understanding your body clock and the zeitgebers that make it cuckoo.
Master the Pillars of Positive Nutrition and learn to recognize real hunger
Fall into the drumbeat of an eating structure to synchronize your clocks and defeat temptation
Send stress (and cravings) packing and settle down to a long, rejuvenating slumber
Take 2 weeks to resynchronize your body clock and start losing weight
Master mindfulness and the world is your no-worries buffet
Days 15 to 30: Time to fine-tune your clock with self-care
Practical strategies for crushing the cortisol monster
Days 31 to 45: Adding more flexibility to a life of quiet strength and control.
Delicious meals to satisfy real hunger... in the nick of time!
Exercises for Phases 1, 2, and 3 that respect your precious time
How to ingrain your entire family with the principles of positive nutrition
INTRODUCTION
Timing Is Everything
Reboot your circadian rhythm for natural weight loss and better health
I magine feeling calm, wonderful, and happy. Your body is lean, strong, and nimble. It moves with power and grace. You have the energy to accomplish all the tasks of your day, stress-free, with energy to spare. You work hard and play hard, and at the end of the day you fall into bed tired. Not exhausted, but good tired. Youve known that feeling: Its the kind of feel-good exhaustion that welcomes sleep as you drift off to restful slumber for the night.
This is not science fiction. This can actually be your life. In fact, it should be! This is how our bodies were designed to perform, aligned with a natural rhythm governed mostly by the rising and setting sun. This rhythmic ebb and flow of waking and sleeping is an organic cycle that promotes optimal health; it only seems like fantasy because this kind of perfection is so terribly far from the life most of us experience. The Womens Health Body Clock Diet is designed to reset your bodys internal timers to transport you back into a healthier rhythm. Its going to feel great! And youre going to feel good about yourself 24/7 when youve completed this program.
I am so happy you joined the editors at Womens Health and me on this journey! You will finally find clarity and enlightenment about what it takes to lose weight naturally, without struggle, and keep it off. Lets face reality: With a plethora of nutrition information from the media to supposed weight-loss gurus to the pages of research, we are dazed and confused by the contradictory claims. How do we know what works for you, me, and even our children? Well, with almost 20 years of clinical nutrition experience as a registered dietitian, I believe I have the answers and the evidence to help you free yourself from the dieting mentality and be truly healthy.
YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK
The goal of this book is to reset your circadian rhythm, the bodys 24-hour master clock, and other internal clocksa harmony of biological rhythms that control sleeping and waking, hunger and fullness hormones, body temperature, blood pressure, digestion, and energy, all of which affect your body composition.
When your body clock is ticking optimally, weight loss and weight maintenance come much more easily because you can allow your natural hunger patterns to guide your food choices and amounts. You dont fall prey to terrible cravings. You dont have to count calories and can adopt my philosophy that all foods fit into healthy nutrition. Yes, that means you can literally have your cake and eat it too. Cake! That may sound crazy coming from a certified diabetes educator, but consider this: I am also a certified eating disorders specialist and registered dietitian. Ive successfully treated women with extreme binge-eating problems and the all foods fit idea works for them, too. So trust me when I say that you dont have to count calories anymore! In fact, counting calories can actually work against you, as Ill demonstrate.
You see, good nutrition is not just a numbers game. Its about nurturing your mind, body, and spirit to realign with your natural biorhythms.
NATURE VERSUS NANOTECHNOLOGY
We have a significant challenge with obesity in the country, and in the majority of cases, its caused by lifestyle hiccups that shift our bodies out of their natural rhythms of waking, eating, being active, and sleeping. The human body has not caught up with the progression of industrialization, technology, and urban life. Were still the same beings that, in the days before iPhones or even windup alarm clocks, woke up with the sun. We werent built with battery packs to run day and night like robots. Only the Energizer Bunny can keep going and going.