Change Your Body Set-point.

If you've reached a weight-loss plateau, or even having difficulty losing any weight in spite of monitoring every morsel that passes your lips, you need to change your metabolism and brain chemistry, as these two factors are what will ultimately determine if you are able to keep your body-fat down, get ripped abs and no longer struggle with the munchies. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again: fat-burning has NOTHING to do with willpower, but everything to do with brainpower, and understanding how to harness the power of your brain chemistry and genotype - matching it with the right supplements, amino therapy and dietary strategies for your unique genetic blueprint and brain chemistry wiring.

There are, however, a couple factors that you may not be aware of that are crucial in order to kickstart your body into fat-burning gear:

You can change your metabolism:  A study of sets of twins where one was fat and the other thin found that fat cells in heavier twins underwent metabolic changes that make it more difficult to burn fat.  Physical activity can reverse the effect.

Stress can make you fat: Stressful circumstances can cause cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. Stress hormones also increase fat storage.

Zac Efron- His physique is not a matter of willpower:
He doesn't stick to a fanatic diet or exercise regime;
it simply flows - because what he is doing,
whether conscious or not about it,
matches his genetic blueprint!

Sleep more to promote weight loss:  Sleep deprivation upsets your hormone balance, triggering a decrease in leptin (a hormone that helps you feel full) and an increase of ghrelin (a hormone that triggers hunger).

Sugar is addictive:  Research has determined that foods people like excite the same parts of the brain that are activated in drug addicts.

Antioxidants are also anti-fat:  Free radicals damage the cells that tell you that you're full. Get rid of them by eating colorful, antioxidant-rich vegetables.

Pine Nut Oil Suppress Appetite: In a paper being presented in an American Physiological Society session at Experimental Biology 2006, "the greatest effect was observed after just 30 minutes, with the 18 women reporting a 29% reduction in "desire to eat" and a 36% drop in "prospective food intake" scores. The experiment found a parallel and significant increase in cholecystokinin (CCK) of 60% and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) of 25% that remained as long as four hours after ingestion. CCK and GLP1 are appetite suppressors, which "send signals of satiation to the brain diminishing the desire to eat and food intake usually significantly


To determine your genetic blueprint you can sign up online for a metabolic typing session with The Nutrition Doctor here - the web portal will be online in September.

I Scream, You Scream... We All Scream For Ice Cream!

The Amaretto and the protein density 

in the Greek yogurt is the secret 

to the smooth silkiness that out-rivals 

any Italian gelato.

I love Haagen Dazs, but admittedly it is not something that I would ever eat for breakfast. In the heat of summer I do crave that rich, cool, creamy sensation that just seduces your taste-buds from the first lick more than anything. So, I figured I'd make my own makeover using a stable I always have in my fridge: Greek yogurt. This is actually something that you can savor for breakfast - high in protein, probiotics and clean of junk, it is truly a delicious and satisfying treat for all your senses.

And yes, so much so, that I lick my bowl clean when no one is looking.

So, what's in it?
(Makes approx. 4 servngs)

• 3 cups 2% Greek plain yogurt
• 1 cup raw buckwheat or wildflower honey, liquid 
• 2 tbsp. Amaretto

So, what to do?

Mix ingredients in food-processor and freeze according to instructions in an ice-cream machine (alternatively, you can freeze in an ice cube tray and then blend 6 cubes per serving, when you want to dish it, but you really do need an ice-cream machine to get that smooth seductive silkiness going.

I like to serve it with chopped figs and shaved, dark chocolate or banana slices and coconut flakes. Sometimes I'll drizzle some raw medical-grade Manuka honey over... Give in to temptation.

Eating breakfast shown to reduce brain signals that when active, lead to reward driven eating behavior.

Check out the texture!
There is nothing better than starting off the day 

licking a bowl clean of ice cream...

 slightly naughty, but it really is good for you! Depending on what I crave, 

I'll top it with berries, shaved dark chocolate, chopped nuts 

or simply drizzle some raw honey over it. 

So. Unbelievably. Good.

New study explains the brain chemical science of what we already know: Eating breakfast in the morning reduced brain activity in the regions associated with motivation and reward, which is also where dopamine is released – a hormone that plays a role in emotional well-being and pleasure. Skipping the most important meal of the day is associated with more snacking and food cravings.

More protein in the morning reduces snacking

Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to look at brain activity related to food motivation and reward. The researchers also measured appetite perceived by the teens, hormonal markers and psychological motivation related to desire to eat.

The adolescents who ate breakfast reported greater satisfaction and less hunger throughout the morning, compared to those who skipped breakfast.

The Nutrition Doctor in The Kitchen is right now making frozen yogurt with just 3 ingredients: Greek yogurt, raw honey and a tiny drop of Amaretto.
When making your own fro-yo, the secret to amazing rich creaminess that just wraps around your tongue like silk is to use 2% Greek yogurt and adding just a drop of liqueur to lower the freezing point and avoid ice crystals. Greek yogurt is a great breakfast choice as it has triple the protein contents of regular, so it satisfies you longer than regular plain yogurt. In the heat of the summer this is one of my breakfast favourites - yes ice cream for breakfast. Rich, creamy... so decadent yet oh-so-good-for you. Lick it, baby!

Reference: Heather J. Leidy et al. "Neural Responses to Visual Food Stimuli After a Normal vs. Higher Protein Breakfast in Breakfast-Skipping Teens: A Pilot fMRI Study”. Obesity (2011) doi:10.1038/oby.2011.108