The Hormone Reset Diet (5 page)

Instructions:
Measure your waist circumference, at your belly button and also one inch above your belly button. Make sure the tape measure is not too tight and that it’s parallel with the floor. Don’t hold your breath while measuring! Write down your measurements in inches or centimeters. You will use the measurement at your belly button to calculate your waist-to-hip ratio and the measurement one inch above your belly button for your waist-to-height ratio.

Also measure your hips—the circumference of your hips at the widest point. Try to use a similar degree of snugness each time you measure. Then calculate the waist-to-hip ratio by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement, or go to www.healthcalculators.org.
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Which shape are you? Indicate your measurements in the tracker or cut and paste into your journal. For all the possible waist-to-hip ratios and what they mean for women, see the following breakdown.

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A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.80 or less.
You are a “pear” shape and at low risk of health problems. Good job! You may still have a broken metabolism, and together we will work to get your ratio even better.

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A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.81 to 0.85.
You are an “avocado” shape and are at moderate risk of health issues. The Hormone Reset is designed to improve your waist-to-hip ratio over the next twenty-one days, and hopefully—if you follow the plan carefully—you will reduce your risk by lowering your ratio.

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A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.86 or higher.
You are an “apple” shape, and you are at increased risk of blood sugar problems, prediabetes, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and hip fractures. You would benefit from performing all ten measurements and following the Hormone Reset closely.

Frequency:
Before Day 1 and the first day of each reset

Supplies Needed:
A bathroom scale, a yardstick or tape measure to measure your most recent height accurately, and a computer with Internet access

Instructions:
Always weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast. Write down your weight in pounds or kilograms.

Also determine your height. As a population, we shrink as we age from poor posture and osteoporosis, so please get an accurate height, either at home or when you go to see your practitioner prior to starting the Hormone Reset. Write it down in inches or centimeters.

From your accurate preprogram height and weight measurements, you can calculate important metrics for your tracker:

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Body mass index (BMI).
Use an online calculator or the formula (BMI = weight ÷ height
²
).
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If you use kilograms and centimeters, you have your result. If you use pounds and inches, you need to multiply the result by 703. (See Notes for more details and examples.
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) For example, for a woman who is 150 pounds with a height of five feet four inches (64 inches total),
BMI = (150 ÷ 64
²
) × 703 = 25.7

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Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).
One recent study of 3,937 women in the United Kingdom showed that their waist-to-height ratio predicted their risk of diabetes better than their BMI. Other studies concur.
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To calculate your WHtR, take your waist measurement from measurement one (one inch above your belly button) and divide that by your height in inches (or use an online calculator
⁶
). If you’re female, keep your WHtR less than 0.49. If your WHtR is 0.50 or higher, let’s work together to get the ratio down over the next twenty-one days.

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Basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Your BMR is the amount of calories that you burn at rest over twenty-four hours (if you stayed in bed all day). The result helps you determine whether your metabolism is fast or slow. You can measure it at a gym (usually as a resting metabolic rate, based on the oxygen you inhale and the carbon dioxide you exhale), or you can calculate an estimate based on your weight, height, and age. Use an online calculator (see Resources) or the following formula if you can’t make it to a participating gym.
BMR = 655 + (4.35 × weight in pounds) +
(4.7 × height in inches) – (4.7 × age)
Continuing with our example of a woman who is 150 pounds with a height of five feet four inches, and an age of forty,

    
BMR = 655 + (4.35 × 150) + (4.7 × 64) – (4.7 × 40) = 1420
Once you know your BMR, you can determine your daily caloric burn by adjusting BMR based on your physical fitness. For someone who exercises lightly one to three days per week, you multiple BMR by 1.375. Sedentary folks use BMR × 1.2, and people who moderately exercise three to five times per week, use BMR × 1.55.
In our example, our 150-pound woman walks for thirty minutes three times per week, so her daily caloric need is approximately 1420 × 1.375 = 1953 calories per day. While weight loss is not simply a matter of calories in and calories out, BMR can give you a ballpark for where your metabolism is at the beginning and end of the program. You can raise your BMR by resetting your metabolic hormones, lifting weights, and burst training.

Frequency:
Before Day 1 and again on Day 22

Supplies Needed:
A computer with Internet access or
The Hormone Cure

Instructions:
My Hormone Score is a quiz that has been formulated to help you quickly identify which of your hormones and neurotransmitters are imbalanced. You can take the online assessment at www.thehormonecurebook.com/quiz/ or purchase my book,
The Hormone Cure,
for the full-length version. If you use the full-length version, tally the total number of “yes” answers for each hormone imbalance and record that number as your score on your tracker (page 26). If you’re using the online quiz, make a note in your journal of which hormones may be out of balance prior to starting your Hormone Reset, and you can revisit the quiz again after you’ve completed the twenty-one days.

Frequency: Daily

Supplies Needed:
Nothing is needed to measure total sleep; use a sleep tracking device to measure type of sleep (see my recommendations in the Shopping Guide, page 34).

Instructions:
At a minimum, you should record the quantity and quality of your sleep each night using a journal. Better yet would be to measure your type of sleep using a tracking device. On the Jawbone UP device, for example, you will receive a “sleep score” each night or a percentage of ideal sleep for you based on your age and sleep patterns. If you’re using the UP, record your Day 0 sleep score from the main app page on your smartphone.

Frequency:
Before Day 1 and again on Day 22 or later

Supplies Needed:
You can measure your blood pressure at home, at your practitioner’s office, or at your local drugstore.

Instructions:
There are two important numbers to pay attention to when you measure your blood pressure. The top number is called your “systolic” blood pressure, and it should be less than 140 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). The bottom number is called your “diastolic” blood pressure, and it should be less than 90 mm Hg.

Frequency:
Daily; however, measure every three days if your fasting and postprandial (after a meal) blood sugar levels are in the optimal ranges.

Supplies Needed:
A blood glucose meter (you can purchase one at your local drugstore without a prescription), blood glucose test
strips, a lancing device, lancets, and a control solution (optional)

Instructions:
There are two important times to check your blood sugar. The first is in the morning after you’ve not eaten for eight to twelve hours, and the second is two hours after you’ve eaten. Start by measuring your fasting blood sugar before eating breakfast. In addition, it’s helpful to measure your blood sugar two hours after a meal, particularly dinner.

I provide a detailed, step-by-step description of how to do this on my website,
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or have someone at your doctor’s office teach you how to do it.

Frequency: Daily

Supplies Needed:
A step-tracking device or a pedometer (see my recommendations in the Shopping Guide, page 34)

Instructions:
Adaptive and moderate exercise is very important during the Hormone Reset, because it can speed the release of toxins and heal your metabolism. Tracking your total steps per day will help you monitor and increase your daily activity.

Frequency:
Before Day 1 and again on Day 22

Supplies Needed:
A special body fat scale (see Resources) or caliper measurements or bioelectrical impedance analysis at your local gym

Instructions:
It’s easy to get fixated on the number on your bathroom scale, but body fat can be a much more accurate indicator of health and fitness. Your body is a complex combination of fluid, bone, muscle, and fat; a single number on a scale isn’t sufficient to capture your progress on this program.

The most accurate measurement of fat is with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which can be done for fifteen dollars at my local university, for example. Search “BOD POD” online to see if there’s a device near you where you can accurately measure your body fat.

Frequency: Daily

Supplies Needed:
None, or a simple calculator (such as on your phone) or app

Instructions:
Your goal from Day 1 through Day 21 is to keep your net carbohydrates at between 20 to 49 grams per day. Net carbs are calculated by determining your total carbohydrate intake (in grams) and deducting the total fiber intake (in grams). For instance, I aim to keep my total carbohydrates at approximately 75 grams per day when I’m trying to lose weight and 100 to 150 grams when I’m maintaining my weight. I eat 35 to 45 grams of fiber per day. If each day, from Day 1 through Day 21, I eat 75 grams of carbohydrates and 40 grams of fiber, my daily net carbs are 35 grams (75–40 = 35). Record your net carbs before Day 1 on your tracker (page 26) so you get the hang of it.

Frequency:
Daily; every three days if your pH level is over 7.0 consistently

Supplies Needed
: pH test strips

Instructions:
I recommend testing the pH of your urine first thing in the morning. Instructions are typically included with the test strips and generally consist of letting some of your urine hit the test strip midstream, waiting a few moments, and then comparing the color of the test strip to the colors on the package to find out your current pH level. Your pH level is an important measure of overall health (see page 178).

How many times do you really think about brushing your teeth? My guess is not many. It’s just something you do, even if you don’t want to. You don’t rely on willpower, because it’s a habit. Part of the reason for your acceptance is that you’ve been doing it for a long time. You know that if you don’t, you might suffer the consequences.

I want to make eating healthy food and sustaining your ideal weight as easy as brushing your teeth, which will require creating new habits. Before you become overwhelmed by this task, let’s break it down. You can do this. You might be surprised at how easy creating new habits becomes once you enjoy the benefits of weight loss, increased energy, and fewer mood swings. Choose one or more of the following actions to create new habits in the next three days:

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Write.
Start writing in your Hormone Reset journal. Why do you want to be healthy? I believe healthy people have more fun and true connection with others—but that’s me.

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Listen.
Tune in to your body before you act. This could mean acting on an impulse to eat or reacting to your child’s whining. Tune in, listen, and identify the feelings in your body. Do you feel an ache in your belly? A tightening in your chest? Is your breathing restricted or full? Simply noticing your bodily sensations will help you identify your feelings and think before you act.

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Notice.
Pay attention to your life energy. What makes it strong, and what makes it weak? What stops it from flowing? Write the answers in your journal and see where your writing leads and what insights it provides.