I think the intrinsic need for proper protein balance is the main reason why high-protein diets have been adopted by so many people around the world. And when you think about it, in just a few years, high-protein diets have accomplished what the government has blatantly refused to do for decades. And that is to convince us that grains — especially refined grains — are bad for us. Millions of people now shun unhealthy foods such as white bread, mega-muffins, giant bagels, pizza crusts, sweets, white rice, and white pasta.
Of course, the guidelines I laid out in The A-List Diet take all the guesswork out of deciding what you should and shouldn’t be eating. But I’ve found with my patients that when they know why they’re doing what they’re doing, it helps them stay on track. So if you want more information on the benefits of proper protein balance and the hazards of grains, all you need to do is a quick Google search. There is an enormous amount of literature out there, backed by real science, that will help you learn why protein balance is so important.
That said, even though protein balance has gained wider acceptance as an important part of a healthy diet, it hasn’t quite been the same for amino acids. They remain an unrecognized and overlooked aspect of health in general — but especially when it comes to weight loss and maintenance. And unfortunately, countless factors are working to prevent our bodies from receiving a full and balanced supply of the all-important amino acids.
Among these factors are the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels, the hormones fed to cattle, the intensive use of herbicides and fertilizers in agriculture, and even habits such as smoking and drinking — all of which can prevent our bodies from fully using what we eat or extracting all the nutritional value from a particular food. Worse still is the amount of nutrition that is lost from food through processing.
Science is now revealing amino acid balance and gut health to be the two cornerstones of optimal health and weight management. By providing the body with optimal nutrition that restores amino acid balance, you help replace those lost nutrients. Which promotes weight loss, well-being, and vitality.
Of course, as I say throughout The A-List Diet, the proportion of the different amino acids in what we eat or the supplements we take have to be just right in order to maximize your metabolism. That may be why some of the other higher-protein diets didn’t work for you…or didn’t get you to your goal…or didn’t help you stay that way — they didn’t focus on amino acid balancing.
It’s why The A-List Diet will succeed where others failed.
A-Listers’ Corner
Martha’s Diet Story
Martha P. recently wrote to me to share her experience reading The A-List Diet. Growing up as the daughter of a physician, knowledge of nutrition and health has been embedded in her since before she was even old enough to read. But even with her extensive background in health, she found The A-List book filled with information she never knew about before. Here’s what she had to say:
“This diet book teaches so much more than how to lose weight. I am learning what I never knew about the three groups of amino acids etc., and I’m finally going to have some variety in what I eat. This is great! Plus all the stuff about how to choose meat in a store. Luckily, living in the year 2017 I can get all organic, grass-fed, etc.
I have to say that this is much more than I expected. This is a layman’s medical education. It’s so important right now when many people not only are not getting results from their regular doctors, but our system simply does not pay attention to stopping or slowing disease before it gets to the acute care stage. This gives power to the patient to really make changes in their lives. It lets people take their healthcare into their own hands with more specifics about their individual genetics, age, etc. And consumers will be far better educated when they do have questions for their doctors.
My father (who was a physician) would be very impressed. You have taken diet and nutrition for diabetes to a new level. His intentions were the same as yours but he had much less to work with.”
Thank you for sharing your story, Martha! I love hearing from people putting The A-List Diet into action. If you’d like to send in your experiences — things you’ve learned from the book, aspects you’re excited to try, successes you’ve had so far, etc. — please send me an email to drfred@alistdietbook.com.
Recipe of the Week
This week’s A-List recipe spotlight is Fish and Seafood:
Halibut with Salsa Fresca (page 246 of The A-List Diet Book)
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 1/2 large white onion, minced
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- juice of 3 or 4 limes
- 1/4 habanero chili, seeded and minced
- 1/4 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- coarse sea salt
- 11/2 pounds halibut
- 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil (I may be biased, but my favorite is NuLogic Foods Macadamia Nut Oil! You can find it HERE.)
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and chilis. Season with salt and set aside.
- Rub the fish with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Allow the fish to rest for 2 minutes, then plate and serve with the salsa.