October 2009 Club Email
So sorry this is a bit later than usual – I’ve had a wee holiday with Andy! Here is the most interesting diet news that I’ve come across in the last month and an update on what I’m up to…
Three particularly interesting stories in September, from around the world:
1. LighterLife was in the news a great deal in the UK in September.
First, the tragic story of a 34 year old bride-to-be who died just 11 weeks after starting LighterLife. There is more comment on this terribly sad story on my blog:
Following this tragedy, the papers looked into the LighterLife diet in more detail and one of the most interesting stories to emerge was in the Daily Mail (12 September 2009) – not least as it has an incredible photo of Jackie Cox, the woman behind the multi million pound LighterLife company. You would think that this photo is the before – but it’s not! It’s a very recent photo. Search the internet for Jackie Cox images and you’ll see a number of pictures of her taken this year. If anyone asks you if these diets work, or if you will regain the weight – just take a look at the founder! If it worked, I think she’d be half the size she is.
2) Off to America for the second story: a completely mad story about “How a hamburger on Friday can make you hungry on Monday” …
Researchers at the University of Texas claim to have shown that saturated fats trick the body into switching off the system that tells us how hungry we are and whether we’ve eaten enough. And how did they ‘prove’ this? By feeding mice and rats burgers, ice cream and chocolate. Burgers are primarily processed meat (which will have wheat and sugar and other rubbish in it) and, if the bun is included, the primary ingredient will likely be carbohydrate (white flour and more sugar). Ice cream and chocolate contain approximately twice as much carbohydrate than fat and the vast majority of this carbohydrate is sugar. (I don’t suppose for one minute that Mickey Mouse and Roland Rat got decent 85% cocoa chocolate!)
So any conclusions that these researchers may have reached may tell us something about rodents and junk food/carbohydrates, but they certainly tell us nothing about humans and real fat (saturated or otherwise).
You can only laugh or cry when you see these articles and I had to laugh when I saw the other ‘discovery’: “the fats found in olive oil were given a clean bill of health”. The main fat in olive oil is monounsaturated fat (73%), the secondary fat is saturated (14%) (surprised?!) and the third fat is poly unsaturated (11%). Essential Fatty Acids make up the remainder. So, saturated fat was given a clean bill of health in olive oil, but it is the route of all evil elsewhere?
It is outrageous that people we look to for guidance are misleading us at best and lying to us at worst. Don’t get confused or worse scared by all these scandalous headlines. The only thing you need to hold on to is that nature knows best. Trust nature every time i.e. eat food in the form that nature delivers it and ignore the other nonsense.
3) The third story is about one of the most serious nutritional errors ever made and one of the most unnecessary and dangerous health scares ever to have been put before humans world-wide. I am about to do a You Tube video on this – to explain as simply as possible where all the nonsense about fat being bad for us has come from and how serious this advice is (not least because it drives us down the route of avoiding fat and eating more carbs and this is why we have an obesity epidemic.) The only fat that is bad for us is man made, hydrogenated, trans fats or anything (e.g. margarine) that humans have messed around with. Olive oil is naturally liquid at room temperature, so manufacturers have done something pretty unnatural to margarine! Here is a great introduction to some of the
heart, cholesterol themes, if you fancy a little blog. If not – just keep eating food in the form that nature delivers it, don’t eat any food in the form that manufacturers deliver it, and you can’t go far wrong.
Quick headlines on what I’m up to:
1) After an incredible level of coverage in the UK magazine industry in August and early September, the rest of September went a bit quiet. We are gearing up now for the little black dress diets before Christmas and, of course, the major New Year resolutions – hopefully no one reading this will ever start a calorie controlled diet again.
2) I’ve been doing a weighing experiment – results will be out on my blog any day now. I’ve been weighing myself every day for a month to show how much even a ‘constant’ weight person fluctuates – all to help people who tell me they have gained or lost a pound overnight and you haven’t! Your weight fluctuates every day of the month and I’ll demonstrate by how much…
3) We had a new web site launched – we hope you like the more modern look. I also now have www.zoeharcombe.com running and we are doing international sister sites for www.theharcombediet.com – USA and Australia will be the first ones up. I also have another site www.theobesityepidemic.org where I will start posting some of the more serious research I’ve been doing. I’m delighted to say that there may be some TV interest in some of the discoveries, so I’ll let you know if anything comes from this.
Thank you to all of the wonderful people on Facebook chatting away to each other and helping each other out in the discussion rooms. If any of you are not fans – we’re on www.facebook.com/theharcombediet and the chat rooms are pretty active! Melissa has posted an awesome before and after pic – she is a stunner!
Don’t forget – if any of you have any before and after pictures – we’re really happy to get you payments from magazines for them (the bigger the difference, the more they pay)!
Thank you so much to those of you who have left book reviews on Amazon – you are so kind and it is much appreciated.
In the UK we’re heading into the soup season, so here’s a tip for saving £’s and lbs: One of the major energy needs for the body is heat (the body needs to be kept at a constant 98.6′f all the time). When the weather gets cold, your body needs more fuel (calories) to stay warm and so you will be using up more energy without doing any more activity. Turn the thermostat down 1′c and you will save money and use up your body’s fuel instead! Don’t ever try to eat less, or your metabolism will slow and you get into a eat less/do less/constantly hungry cycle. Always eat better and the winter weather will use up that good fuel nicely.
All the best – Zoë x
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I am reading your “Why do you overeat…” book.I am desperate for ideas so that I can get started.
I am struggling with what to eat when I am in a rush in the morning to go to work. I can’t see any phase 1 receipes (particularly for mornings)
At the weekend I have more time but weekdays are a problem.
Thank you
Hi Mary – Since Why do you overeat came out in 2004, two more books have come out – The Harcombe Diet book (Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight) and The Harcombe Diet Recipe Book. Sounds like the recipe book could be of help to you. The diet book does have menu plans, but the recipe book has the most options
Hope this helps
Best wishes – Zoe
Hi Zoe,
I have bought your book, but whilst I am waiting for it to arrive can I ask if I can eat nuts?
Kindest regards
Caroline
Hi Caroline – many thanks for buying the book! Here is the nuts question, which you will find on p257
Best wishes – Zoe
Q) Are nuts allowed?
A) Nuts (and full fat milk) are the two rare foods that are protein, fat and carbohydrate in high quantities. Most foods are mainly one or two of these, but not all three. Nuts are natural foods (especially in shells) but I advise not eating them in Phase 1 or 2 because of the mixing of fat and carbohydrate (high in both). They can be eaten in Phase 3 and indeed nut roast is one of the best carb meals that veggies can enjoy when they start to cheat a bit, but still have real food.
I do advise people to think of food on a spectrum, rather than being black and white. On the spectrum of ‘sugar is about as bad as you can get’ and ‘Salade Niçoise is about as good as you can get’, nuts are definitely on the good side of the line, but they are best avoided while you are trying to lose weight. If you want to cheat or snack, however, nuts are much better than sweets or crisps.
I have been following your plan faithfully since mid September, but to date have only lost 6lbs – I have about 7lbs to go. I have been a dieter for the best part of 40 yrs, always losing weight through calorie counting and having to watch everything I eat. I have never lost weight so slowly, but the reason I stay with it is I enjoy eating this way & find no hardship in separating fats & carbs. to have to weigh. I have bought all your books & enjoy the recipes. I sleep so much better and even at a rate of 1lb per month feel that by next summer I will reach my target. Of course I’m still in Phase 2 & have the odd glass of wine but have not cheated with cake, crisps or other goodies. What really gets me is my husband, who started at the same time has lost 12 lbs to date & DOES CHEAT!! He feels entitled as he is practically at his goal weight. Is there any way I can speed up my weight loss without going hungry?
Hi! I bought the book and plan to start phase 1 soon, but there’s a problem – I am lactose intolerant so I can’t eat that low-fat natural yoghurt that seems to be an important part of the phase 1. Can I substitute it with plain soya yogurt? (I have no soya cravings so I don’t think I am intoleratnt.
Hi KH – just leave out anything to which you are intolerant but do check this blog first, as many people can tolerate NLY even if lactose intolerant: http://theharcombediet.com/2009/11/phase-1-no-dairy-but-nly/
There is no point having plain soya yoghurt instead – the reason for trying to integrate natural LIVE/BIO yoghurt into Phase 1 is because it helps kill off Candida by feeding the good bacteria in the gut. You’ll still launch a major attack on Candida without this by eating meat/fish/eggs/veg/salad and a bit of brown rice – the staples of Phase 1
Good luck
Very best wishes – Zoe
Hi Zoe
I’ve looked everywhere and can’t work out what to do with coconut milk! I love making thai curries etc., and coconut milk is one of the main essential ingredients. What stage would it be in? I see it is high in fat – what stage(s) could I have it in?
thanks
Sonya
I read about your diet in Best magazine in Oct 09 and decided to give it a go. In the past i have done Slimming World , Weight Watchers , Lighter life etc etc etc and have struggled like so many others before me. However there appears to have been a light bulb switching on moment and it is really suiting me and making so much sense. Since Day 1 on Phase 1 which was Nov 11th 09 I have lost 23lb and am thrilled. there is still away to go but i feel so positive and my family and friends are all noticing the differance in me.Thank you Zoe you are changing my life for the better
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PS Just one thing i sometimes get a strange taste in my moth andit feels dry even though i am drinking plenty of fluids (prob more decaf coffee than anything else) is this connected with the diet plan do you think?
I started the 5 day kick start plan last monday & finished it on friday and lost 1/2 lb. The week before I completed a healthy eating diet and lost 2 lbs so am disappointed that I did not lose more weight on the kick start diet.
I am pondering as to whether to start the phase 2 diet as I dont know if I will lose weight or not…..
Colette.
Hi there i am on day two of phase 1 and i am doing okay but i get the cravings at around 8pm after the kids go to bed. I beat them last night and i am hoping to do the same tonight!!! i was wondering whether your allowed chewing gum on this diet as i am the kinda girl who likes to chew or has a habit of it anyway…. if there was anything like chewing gum or sugar free things i could eat please could you advise me??
i feel great on this phase, and i am more energetic which is goos considering i have five stone to lose to get to ideal weight.
thanks moll
Hi Moll – sugar free gum is in the index at the back of the book. Please join us in a new club we’ve set up where lots of super fans help with questions like this! http://www.theharcombedietclub.com
Good to hear you feel great!
Very best wishes – Zoe