My goal in The Diet Cure is to stop your food cravings, address your eating and weight problems, and eliminate your mood swings and negative obsessions about your body. But first we have to determine what is causing these problems.
The Quick Symptom Questionnaire
Within each popup you'll be directed to the corresponding chapters in the Diet Cure that explain exactly how to solve that particular problem. You'll also find suggestions for expediting the solution effort. We update these suggestions as new information, products, studies, and tests become available.
1. Is depleted
brain chemistry the problem?
2. Are you
suffering because of low-calorie dieting?
3. Are you
struggling with blood sugar instability and stress?
4. Adrenals
5. Do you
have unrecognized low thyroid function?
6. Are you
addicted to foods you are actually allergic to?
7. Are your
hormones unbalanced?
8. Do you
have yeast overgrowth triggered by anti-biotics, cortisone, or birth control
pills?
9. Do you
have fatty acid deficiency?
Click the button your pointer is on to go to the Brain Type Questionnaire or go ahead and finish this questionnaire and come back when you're done.
Note: If you are sensitive to supplements or medications, try ¼ of the lowest suggested dose to start with. Stop taking any supplement that gives you any adverse reactions. Read the Master Nutritional Supplement plan, Chapter 17 of The Diet Cure, for more information.
You can visit our shopping cart by clicking on the button your pointer is on. 1) the multi-vitamin "True Balance" which contains extra amounts of vital blood sugar- stabilizing chromium and vitamin B complex and 2) the amino acid glutamine, also crucial for stopping those hypoglycemic dips and cravings. (Tip: Open a capsule of glutamine and let it's sweet taste absorb in your mouth for craving relief in three minutes. Of course you have to eat every 3-4 hours as well as take these supplements.)
You can order "True Balance" and/or glutamine by clicking the button your pointer is on right now, but please be sure to first review the precautions box before purchasing the amino acid glutamine. 1) turn to chapter 3; page 46, of The Diet Cure and 2) seriously consider doing some testing. You can test your adrenal glands' stress-coping hormone levels with a high-accuracy, 4 sample saliva test. (Order an extra, 5th, vial if you routinely wake up after 2AM for more than 10 minutes). You'll mail the filled vials to the lab and the results will be sent to you. You can then take the results to a holistic practitioner near you (the lab can suggest one) or you can consult with our clinic for interpretation and suggestions, by phone, or by Skype. To purchase a saliva test kit call The Recovery Systems Clinic at (415) 383-3611.
1) A basal temperature home test. A mercury thermometer is best for this kind of measurement of metabolic rate.
2) A blood test to measure your thyroid hormone levels. You can ask your MD to order tests for you. Or you can order a blood spot test kit by calling The Recovery Systems Clinic at (415) 383-3611. After the test results are in, you will need to see a holistic or other thyroid-savvy doctor to interpret the test results for you and treat you if your results are low or low normal and you have low-thyroid symptoms. Access our "Find a Holistic MD, DO, or ND" page via the navigation bar in the upper right for suggestions. Or come see us at our clinic in Northern California.
Females:
For the other 25%: Test your sex hormone levels (at least estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) on day 21 of your cycle. Or any day if you are post-menopausal. (Call The Recovery Systems Clinic at (415) 383-3611 to order a blood spot test kit.) Take the results to a holistic physician or acupuncturist who specializes in sex hormone balancing. (The physician at the lab where the test is run can advise your practitioner, if needed, as to whether and how levels of estrogen, progesterone or testosterone need balancing.)
Also, order a saliva test kit for adrenal function. From age 40 on, the adrenals must take over most of your sex hormone production as your ovaries stop producing. Especially if you've been under a lot of stress or eating poorly, you can get very low in the adrenal glands' critical mood-and sex hormone regulating hormones.
Note: estradiol and testosterone are only available by prescription.
Male or Female:
Note: Be sure to monitor/retest your levels every 6 months to be sure
If your score here is 13 or more, turn to chapters 6 and 4 of The Diet Cure and click the button your pointer is on to visit our "Yeast Overgrowth" section. The yeast section of our website has its own questionnaire and two yeast overgrowth protocols that our clinic often recommends for this tricky cause of carb cravings and other problems.
Regarding Vitamin D: This fat soluble vitamin is critical for many health functions including insulin regulation and bone building. Call The Recovery Systems Clinic to order a Vitamin D bloodspot test kit. If your levels are too low, take vitamin D supplements as recommended on the Sunshine and Vitamin D site (see our links page or got to sunlightandvitamind.com). We prefer fish oil source vitamin D, but only one company, Solgar, seems to make it. Purchase it if your test results come back less than satisfactory. To order Solgar please visit our shopping cart.
What
Readers Are Saying About Take the Quick Symptom Questionnaire
Here is a questionnaire similar to the one you'll find in chapter one of the Diet Cure. It is a mini-version of the questionnaires that we use in our clinic. Its nine key sections will help you to identify the particular physical imbalances at the root of your problems. Click next to any symptom that applies to you and follow the instructions at the end of each section.
If your score is 8 or more, hold your mouse over this
Is Your Brain Chemistry the Problem?
If section one's score is over 10, read chapters 1 and 9. To clarify and speed things up for you, we've summarized these chapters in the next quiz: "Which Brain Type are You?" It will help you quickly identify which of four key brain functions is causing your carb cravings and emotional eating. It will also point you to which amino acid supplements you can use to correct those problems in 24 hours! Suggested doses are included within each popup section of that quiz. Is Dieting the Problem?
If your score here is high, you'll want to read chapter 2 and 10 of The Diet Cure. For a jump start, you'd also probably benefit from taking a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to quickly help start restoring the nutrients that dieting has robbed you of. Our clinic often recommends a multivitamin called "True Balance". Especially if your score on low-bloodsugar (section 3) is also high, this special multi is indicated. It provides good nutritional repair for chronic dieters and helps eliminate the cravings caused by under-eating, skipping meals, and eating too many refined carbs. You'll find "True Balance" (by NOW Foods) in health-stores or on our shopping cart.
Is Low Blood Sugar the Problem?
Please read chapter 3 and 11 of "The Diet Cure". To quickly stop blood sugar drops and the cravings that follow, we always suggest two supplements: Is It Your Adrenals?
If you checked 2 or more symptoms in this area please: Is It Your Thyroid?
If your score here is high, read chapters 4 and 12. Ready for action steps? Start by testing your thyroid function. Is Allergy Addiction a Problem?
If so, study chapters 5 and 13 carefully. To quickly stop cravings for comfort foods like wheat (or white) flour or milk products that, unfortunately, you may be allergic to, use DLPA or DPA. (To see some suggestions regarding DLPA and DPA click the button your pointer is on to get to the Brain Type Questionnaire and have a look at section 4) Is It Sex Hormone Imbalance?
If your score here is high, turn to chapters 7 and 15 of The Diet Cure.
PMS cravings? Take your aminos so you can eat well and regularly and 75% of you will stop having any PMS symptoms, including cravings for chocolate, within two cycles!
Using the above suggestions for hormone testing: if you test low in testosterone, which can reduce your muscle mass (calories are burned in the muscle), you can also become depressed, unmotivated and experience a lowered libido. Males also need to test and support their adrenal function as per section four of The Quick Symptom Questionnaire. That's because the testes produce less testosterone after age 40 and the adrenals have to pick up the slack. Testosterone and estradiol are only available by prescription.
that your sex-hormone levels reach and maintain their
balance.
Is Yeast Overgrowth a Problem? Fatty Acids
Overcome fat phobia. Become your own fat expert. Click the button your pointer is on to read Julia's article - A New Perspective On Fat. Be sure to get rid of the rancid, weight promoting fats and oils made from: corn , soy, canola, safflower, etc and anything like margarine or vegetable shortening. Do it right away! Stock up on Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus butter (or ghee) and coconut oil for cooking (non-hydrogenated of course). The article will explain why.
THE
DIET CURE