I based the Nutrition Challenge program on a few main aspects. Once your glycogen storage sites are full, your body will convert the rest to fat.

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1 The Healthier You Nutrition Challenge Explained I based the Nutrition Challenge program on a few main aspects. 1. Carbs & the effect they have on our blood sugar levels & insulin release. We live in a Carb obsessed world bread, bagels, donuts, muffins, cookies, pastries, pasta, rice, pizza, fries, chips, crackers, cereals the list goes on. But, we must remember that All CARBS = SUGAR. All Carbs also trigger the release of Insulin. Insulin is a hormone, produced by the pancreas, which is central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Once Insulin is released it will do one of the following: 1) Direct the glucose in your blood for immediate use as fuel 2) Store glucose as glycogen in the liver or muscles for later use as an energy source. 3) Store remaining glucose as FAT. Once your glycogen storage sites are full, your body will convert the rest to fat. The good news is, not all Carbs are created equal. What differentiates them is the rate at which the body coverts them into glucose (sugar). Bad Carbs such as breads, potatoes, baked goods, chips, candies, pop, syrups, sauces etc. initiate a fast rush of sugar into the bloodstream & can result in mood swings, cravings, fatigue and headaches. Good Carbs such as fibrous vegetables & berries are broken down slowly releasing sugar gradually into the bloodstream and reducing insulin release. Therefore, Insulin is released in proportion to the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Excess insulin can, over time, predispose you to a condition called insulin resistance, which can eventually lead to diabetes and a whole host of health concerns. Not only can it impact your ability to lose weight and keep it off, but it can literally cause the slow destruction of bodily tissues and organs. Short Term Impacts May Include: Fatigue Irritability Anxiety Weakness Sweating Poor concentration Heart palpitations Fogginess

2 Water retention, bloating, inflammation More cravings Poor sleep Long Term Impacts may include: Elevated blood sugar Increased abdominal fat & excessive weight gain Hypertension (high Blood Pressure) Diabetes Alzheimer s Heart Attack & Stroke Osteoporosis Cancer Sleep Apnea In Dr. Natasha Turner s book The Carb Sensitivity Progam she explains that we each possess a tolerance for metabolizing carbohydrates that are unique to our physiology. If you take a group of people and give them the exact same plate of food, each person may respond differently depending on their individual sensitivity to carbs. In my clinical practice, patients on this program have seen extraordinary improvements in their body composition, their overall mood and their digestion, and their blood work. The average weightloss in the first 2 weeks is 512 pounds, with most patients losing anywhere from pounds in total, depending on their initial start point. Incredibly, patients consistently report that their food cravings disappear within days! Dr. Natasha Turner 2. Wheat & Gluten containing foods Specifically and the Adverse effects they can have on our bodies. Within this realm of carbohydrates are wheat & gluten products. You re probably wondering how wheat, which has been a staple in our cupboards for hundreds of years could possibly be eliminated from our diet? Especially since the government and groups such as the Heart & Stoke Foundation promote foods & meals with healthy whole grains. However, the wheat of our ancestors is not the same as modern day commercial wheat. There are now over 25,000 varieties virtually all of them the result of human intervention. Modern day wheat has been hybridized, cross bred, genetically modified and drastically transformed from its original form. Why? To meet the demands of increasing yield, decreasing production costs and creating large scale production. Unfortunately no human safety testing was done on these new hybrids it was just assumed there would be no consequences. Unfortunately, modern wheat structure has changed considerably. In particular expressing a much higher percentage of gluten protein. Gluten is what damages the small intestines of those with Celiac disease. Researchers are also saying that gluten intolerance or people who suffer from gluten sensitivity is becoming a hidden epidemic.

3 Cardiologist Dr. William Davis, author of Wheat Belly explains that there are many dangers associated with a diet containing wheat. He states that wheat has a unique composition of complex carbohydrates that have an especially negative effect on the regulation of blood sugar. While all carbohydrate foods have an influence on our blood sugar levels, our response to wheat is more severe due to its composition. That is why wheat products can elevate blood sugar levels more than virtually any other carbohydrate from beans to candy bars. As mentioned earlier, the higher the blood glucose levels, the more insulin is released and the more fat is deposited. Dr. Davis also says that when we eat wheat it not only triggers an insulin response that promotes the storage of fat especially belly fat but due to the presence of compounds called endorphins, it also increases your appetite so that you eat more calories. Wheat, he explains, has extremely addictive properties and is linked to dozens of debilitating ailments beyond those associated with overweight & obesity. Documented effects that wheat and gluten can have on health include: Celiac Disease Diabetes Heart Disease Neurological disorders Arthritis Rashes Appetite stimulation Exaggerated blood sugar levels Inflammatory & Ph effects Disordered immune responses the list goes on. Identifying gluten intolerance can be difficult for many individuals because of the plethora of symptoms that are associated with the condition. The effects of gluten sensitivity on any one individual can be vastly different from those experienced by someone else. Some of the many symptoms of gluten sensitivity may include: Bloating & intestinal gas Abdominal discomfort/pain Diarrhea Constipation Headaches and migraines Lethargy and fatigue Attentiondeficit disorder and hyperactivity Depression, irritability, and mood disorders Muscular disturbances Bone and joint pain

4 Over 80% of the people I meet today are prediabetic or diabetic. In an effort to reduce blood sugar, I asked patients to remove all wheat products from their diet based on the simple fact that, with few exceptions, foods made of wheat flour raise blood sugar higher than nearly all other foods. People returned several months later and did indeed show lower blood sugar, often sufficient for prediabetics to be nonprediabetics. But it was the other results they described that took me by surprise: weight loss of 25 to 30 lbs over several months, marked improvement or total relief from arthritis, improvement in asthma sufficient to chuck 2 or 3 inhalers, complete relief from acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, disappearance of leg swelling and numbness. Most reported increased mental clarity, deeper sleep, and more stable moods and emotions. Dr William Davis, Cardiologist 3. Dairy Products & the Multiple Problems they may produce in the Body Many people find that they are sensitive to dairy products, experiencing a host of symptoms including flatulence (gas), diarrhea, skin rash and fatigue when they consume milk and other dairy products. Yet, because adverse reactions to foods don't necessarily occur right after the consumption of these foods, sometimes occurring hours or even days after the food has been eaten, many people are uncertain as to which specific food may have triggered the unforeseen and unwanted symptoms. Unlike allergies, some adverse reactions to food do not involve the immune system. These types of responses are called food intolerances. Individuals who have lactose intolerance are sensitive to the milk sugar lactose that is found in dairy products. This intolerance may occur because they do not produce enough of the digestive enzyme lactase, which functions to break down lactose in the small intestines. If the lactose does not get digested it makes its way into the large intestine, causing a host of symptoms. The majority of humans naturally stop producing significant amounts of lactase sometime between the ages of two and five. About 75 percent of the world s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products (lactose intolerance). Our bodies just weren t made to digest dairy on a regular basis. Depending on the speed of a person's digestion, an allergic or intolerance reaction could take place anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 days after eating the dairy product. By that time of course, most people have eaten a variety of other foods, which is one of the reasons that it is oftentimes not that simple to identify foods to which we are sensitive. Common signs and symptoms of milk protein or lactose intolerance include: Digestive problems: bloating, gas or diarrhea, IBS Depression, feeling the Blues, Anxiety Weight Gain Sinus Pain and headache Chronic Fatigue or lethargy or lack of motivation Skin disorders like eczema, Hives or unexplained rashes Stressed immune system ear infections, colds, flu, bronchitis

5 So, not only are Dairy products extremely hard to digest, there a several other problems as well. Dairy products are extremely Acidic. Our bodies are constantly striving for biochemical balance to keep our blood at proper ph level. Eating excessive acidforming foods like dairy cause you to actually lose calcium from your bones, since calcium is an alkaline mineral and neutralizes the acidity. Dairy Products are filled with Hormones. Not only are the naturallypresent hormones in cow s milk stronger than human hormones, the animals are routinely given steroids and other hormones to plump them up and increase milk production. These hormones can negatively impact humans delicate hormonal balance. Dairy Products are one of the most mucus forming foods. Excessive mucus can begin to harden and build up along the walls of your intestines, adding sludge and making it hard to move matter through the intestinal tract. So, in conclusion, I have taken ideas from different programs & books (specifically, Dr. Natasha Turner s Carb Sensitivity Program & Dr. William Davis s Wheat Belly) and adapted them into my own nutrition plan. I just personally wanted to make some adjustments and to, more importantly, take into account wheat /gluten and dairy allergies/sensitivities. I have also made it to be more functional for a large group. If you would like more information for your own personal use I suggest buying the books I used as my two main sources: The Carb Sensitivity Program By Dr. Natasha Turner Wheat Belly By Dr. William Davis Other Sources: adults/ allcosts2/#close