Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (53 page)

Chickweed
to help break down stubborn fat deposits. Drink two cups of chickweed tea a day.

Kelp
to support the thyroid gland and weight loss. Take three tablets a day or use the seaweed kombu in cooking.

Lecithin
to utilize body fats. Take a tablespoon of granules twice a day.

Good-quality fiber
to cleanse your system. Take psyllium husks in between meals—with lots of water.

Ginseng
to nourish the metabolic system and help the liver to break down fats more effectively. Take two tablets daily

(500 mg) or drink ginseng tea twice daily.

Dandelion tea
is cleansing to the liver and a natural diuretic, so helpful in weight loss and fluid retention.

Nettle tea
is a great weight-loss tea, as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties.

How best to start a new lifestyle and then stick to it

By picking up this food bible, you have already taken a big step toward changing your lifestyle. But when it comes to actually making the change—altering your diet, activity levels, attitude—that’s when the self-doubt creeps in. A big worry clients always vocalize to me is that they’re not going to be able to stick to it. They have been on every diet known to man and they are still back at square one. To this, I can offer them—and you—absolute reassurance. You will feel so good when you follow the Gillian McKeith way that you will want to stay on the path. The payoff is huge and it’s that elusive commodity we all want more of: energy.

Good food not only gives you more energy; it
is
energy. The physical and molecular structure of food itself is energy in its own right. Good food is your fuel that powers you for life.

Years ago, I developed a superfood energy powder from sprouted seeds for my clients. I always remember this story I was told about an old woman who owned a shop in Fulham, London, and how she used dousing to test the vibration of new foods before she would bring them into her shop. It turned out the woman, who also worked with energy healing, was astounded when she discovered the high vibrational charge of my superfood energy powder. She claimed it was the highest level of vibration charge for a new food supplement powder.

My point here is that the food you eat is either of a high vibration or of a low vibration. Food can either heal you or hurt you. For example, carbonated soda drinks, sugary cakes, processed lunch meats, and the like, are of the lowest vibrational energy charge. Therefore, they are hurtful and unhelpful. Conversely, sprouted millet or sprouted broccoli seeds are of the highest vibrational energy charge. Feed yourselves with foods of the highest vibrational charge in the most natural state—in other words, all the foods I recommend to you in my food bible—and you’ll be living a happy, healthy, and loving life.

Top tips for initial weight loss

Eat more, not less. Eating less than is required to support your basal metabolism will slow your metabolism down. My clients raise metabolism and keep blood-sugar levels stable with regular healthy eating. It also helps to prevent bingeing because you never feel famished.

Drink more water. Drink eight glasses of water a day between meals. Have a large glass of water 20 to 30 minutes before meals, not during meals, as this is a recipe for gas. Dehydration, because it causes headaches, lack of concentration, and fatigue, is also often mistaken for hunger. Please drink enough water.

Slow down. Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That’s because from the time that you begin eating, it takes the brain 20 minutes to signal feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20-minute signal has had a chance to set in. Put your knife and fork down between each bite, take smaller bites, and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel. Nutrient uptake is more effective, too.

Go through your cupboards, fridge, and freezer and throw out salty convenience foods, fatty foods, sugary drinks, chemical snacks, foods with unpronounceable ingredients, hydrogenated oils, and processed foods.