Appendix B:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Exercise
Q: What are effective forms of exercise?
A: All types of exercise are beneficial for overall health, but different types of exercise will deliver a different set of specific benefits. For example, aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming tend to provide health benefits for the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and muscular endurance. Strength training, also known as resistance training, tends to provide benefits for muscular strength, bone health, and related areas. Both types of exercise are beneficial for weight loss (via an improvement in insulin sensitivity).
Q: What kind of fitness program is best for a beginner?
A: For beginning exercisers, and for most people who exercise for general health reasons (including weight loss), the “best” fitness program is determined by two major factors. The first is that it should combine a variety of exercises, including aerobic and strength activities (to provide a range of health benefits to heart, lungs, muscles, and bones). The second factor is that the activities need to be enjoyable enough for you to do them on a regular basis (several times each week).
Q: What are the most important things to remember when beginning an exercise program?
A: Start slowly, progressively build your intensity and duration, and pay attention to your body for signs that you are adequately recovering and continuing to adapt to your program.
Q: What are important things to remember in maintaining an exercise program?
A: Stick with it, because the most dramatic results come with time. Also, be prepared at some point in your fitness program to experience a plateau in the results that you're achieving-and when this happens, be ready to alter your regimen slightly. For example, one of the most effective approaches to avoiding these plateaus is to “keep your body guessing” by changing your fitness program around on a regular basis (about every six weeks).
Q: Are different forms of exercise better for some people than others?
A: That depends on your fitness goals. If your primary fitness goal is to build muscle, then strength-training exercises will be your most important focus. Those people who are trying to enhance cardiovascular fitness, however, will benefit more from aerobic exercises. If you are trying to lose body fat, then a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise will provide the best overall effect.
Nutrition
Q: What are the side effects associated with the Atkins Diet (low carb/high protein)?
A: It depends on how the diet is approached. For example, an “Atkins” meal composed of salmon and green salad has no side effects (and obviously has many health benefits)-but an “Atkins” meal composed of a bacon-double-cheeseburger (hold the bun) is not good for your heart or for your waistline. Eating too much protein, which can be a problem with some versions of low-carb diets, can lead to dehydration (water loss that is often confused with weight/fat loss)-and dehydration can slow the metabolic rate and make weight maintenance more difficult. Too much protein in the diet can also displace other important food sources: if you've filled up on meat and cheese you may not have room left to eat your salad, so the diet may fail to provide enough of many vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Q: What are the side effects associated with the ephedra diet (herbal stimulants)?
A: Diet plans based on ephedra (ma huang) and related herbal stimulants, such as caffeine (guarana, kola nut), can certainly suppress appetite and result in short-term weight loss via reduced food intake. The problems with using these herbal stimulants as weight-loss agents are many-including heart palpitations, insomnia, and elevated blood pressure, among others. In addition, herbal stimulants are known to increase cortisol levels, so the long-term effects of ephedra-type regimens are to increase appetite and body fat (via cortisol elevation).
Q: What are the side effects associated with meal-replacement diets (liquid diets)?
A: When used appropriately to control portion sizes and caloric intake, meal replacements are one of the easiest, safest, and most effective approaches to weight loss. Unfortunately, some meal-replacement regimens are inappropriate for long-term use-such as those that provide insufficient calories for prolonged use, or those that may fail to deliver sufficient levels of important vitamins and minerals. Also, a prolonged adherence to a restrictive regimen of meal replacements (e.g., three liquid meals per day) is difficult to follow for a prolonged period of time.
Supplements
Q: What effects do typical appetite suppressants have on the heart, and why are they dangerous?
A: Typical appetite suppressants, such as ephedra and caffeine, can affect the heart in a number of adverse ways-including elevations in blood pressure and heart rate. The danger with this side effect is that people with any risk factor for cardiovascular disease are put at additional risk by using appetite suppressants that stimulate the heart.
Q: How does the thermogenic effect of green tea work? Can it keep you awake at night if you take it in the evening?
A: The thermogenic effect of green tea extract has been measured as an increase in basal metabolic rate-otherwise known as the body's basic caloric expenditure. The exact mechanism for this calorie-burning effect is unknown, but several clinical studies have shown a significant increase in metabolic rate that is clearly not due to a stimulation of the central nervous system. This means that although metabolic rate is increased when a person regularly supplements with green tea, there is no risk of stimulant-related side effects such as insomnia, heart palpitations, and elevated blood pressure.
Q: Do I have to add a daily multivitamin to the other targeted supplements in the Cortisol Connection Diet?
A: Adding a well-balanced multivitamin/mineral supplement will enhance the overall effects of the Cortisol Connection Diet through a variety of mechanisms. For example, a balanced multi will provide additional vitamins and minerals involved in optimal blood-sugar control (chromium, vanadium, alpha-lipoic acid, etc.). It will also provide important nutrients for optimal cortisol control (calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and B-complex vitamins). In addition, although they are not related to weight-loss issues, antioxidants are important for overall health and wellness (especially when thermogenesis is increased). As such, your multi should also provide an optimal “antioxidant network” formulation, with effective levels of ingredients in each major antioxidant category (vitamins C and E, thiols, flavonoids, and carotenoids).
Q: If a person wants to accelerate the system, is there anything they can do in terms of additional supplementation?
A: No-this is as good as it gets with a natural approach to metabolic control. An additional way to “accelerate” the overall weight-loss effects of the Cortisol Connection Diet would be to adhere to a regimen of balanced and scientifically validated meal replacements-and there are several examples of products that have been shown (without any changes in diet/exercise) to help control appetite, modulate blood-sugar levels, reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reduce body fat (by two to four pounds per week).
Q: Would it be harmful to double the dosages of recommended supplements? Would doing so accelerate the weight-loss effects of the Cortisol Connection Diet?
A: It is unnecessary to increase the recommended amounts of supplements. Adding more will not improve or accelerate the plan's weight-loss effects or metabolic control. With any natural product, it is important to take the products as directed-so one of the most important aspects of the Cortisol Connection Diet will be for people to take their supplements as recommended and not to randomly start popping pills at different doses and in different combinations. Refer to Chapter 5 for a sample regimen for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and supplements.
General
Q: How does the Cortisol Connection Diet affect the body's metabolism?
A: The Cortisol Connection Diet helps to modulate six of the most important metabolic factors related to weight maintenance: thermogenesis (by boosting calorie expenditure), blood sugar (by controlling appetite and carb cravings), cortisol (by alleviating the detrimental effects of elevated cortisol levels, which include increased appetite, enhanced fat storage, and disrupted blood-sugar control), serotonin (by modulating mood and appetite), thyroid (by stimulating overall metabolic rate), and norepinephrine (by enhancing cellular energy levels).
Q: Is the effect the same if I don't follow one of the steps (say, cortisol control)? In other words, if I just want to stimulate the metabolism, is it enough to just take the green tea, or should I follow the other steps as well? Is there really a synergistic effect?
A: The combined effect of each piece of the Cortisol Connection Diet will be optimal when followed simultaneously. There are certainly beneficial effects delivered by each individual part of the program, but the optimal approach for weight loss is to simultaneously target multiple aspects of metabolism to deliver a true synergistic effect.
As such, cortisol control is the first step because it removes the “cortisol blockade” of optimal insulin function-which leads to better blood-sugar control (more fat burning), appetite modulation (control of carbohydrate cravings), and mobilization of fat stores.
Even with better control of insulin function and blood-sugar metabolism (through cortisol control), many people will still need additional blood-sugar control at mealtimes. This is where sugar modulation comes in-to help keep blood-sugar levels within normal ranges in the minutes to hours following meals. By keeping blood sugar within normal ranges, scientific research tells us that hunger is better managed and fat loss is optimized.
Finally, even with optimal cortisol control and optimal blood-sugar control, many people will also benefit from an increase in thermogenesis and a balancing of serotonin, thyroid, and norepinephrine-so additional calories will be expended throughout the day and weight-loss efforts enhanced.
Q: After I lose what I need to lose, what is the maintenance program? Do I need to continue the system, or is there a modified program?
A: Continue with the program-but modify it according to your specific needs. For example, upon reaching your ideal body weight or your target weight, you can continue using the Balance-Factor and Helping Hand approach to eating in a modified fashion. For some people, this may mean a continued regimen directed toward managing stress and cortisol levels. For others, the focus may be to control blood-sugar levels within a normal range and manage carbohydrate cravings following mealtimes. These modifications will very much depend on the specific needs of the individual.
Q: So how do I determine what my specific needs are?
A: Ask yourself a few simple questions about your current lifestyle as it relates to control of cortisol, blood sugar, and the other MCPs. For example, if you are experiencing a heightened level of emotional stress, any lack of sleep, or any concern about your diet, then you may want to focus on cortisol control. If you find yourself craving carbohydrates or getting sleepy in the afternoon, then you may want to focus on blood-sugar control. If you find that you tend to feel cold during the day (a low body temperature) or feel mentally or physically sluggish, then you may want to focus on boosting thermogenesis and balancing thyroid and norepinephrine. If you feel that your mood is lower than it should be, then you may consider focusing on serotonin balance.
Q: How about the person who eats right and exercises regularly, but still can't seem to lose those “last twenty pounds” he or she has been carrying for years? Will this help?
A: This is the perfect person for the Cortisol Connection Diet! The last twenty pounds tend to be the hardest to lose because they result from simultaneous metabolic changes in the areas of blood sugar and cortisol metabolism. Only by simultaneously optimizing these aspects of metabolism can people realistically hope to achieve their ultimate weight-loss goals. For example, a person could be following the “perfect” diet and exercise regimen, but because of metabolic dysregulation of blood sugar, insulin, and cortisol, they are unable to lose those last few pounds. Upon optimizing these metabolic parameters, their “perfect” diet and exercise regimen can now have its desired effects.
Q: Is there a benefit of the Cortisol Connection Diet for people with Syndrome X?
A: Absolutely. Numerous scientific publications show that cortisol overexposure is directly related to Syndrome X, that most aspects of the Cortisol Connection Diet are effective in controlling many of the metabolic aspects and reducing the progression of side effects associated with Syndrome X.
Q: What can I expect to see, feel, and notice after I have been following the Cortisol Connection Diet for a few weeks?
A:
- Less tension
- Better mental focus
- More restful sleep
- Fewer/reduced cravings
- No hunger
- Enhanced stamina
- General feelings of well-being
- Weight loss
Q: What kind of timetable can I expect for results?
A: Results will vary from one individual to another. Some people will lose substantial amounts of weight and body fat in a short period of time, while others will require several weeks or months to notice substantial benefits. In most cases, however, normal healthy people who have been following the Cortisol Connection Diet have reported noticeable benefits in tension, appetite, and weight control within a few days.
by Shawn M Talbott, PhD