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The Townsend Letter, Adrianne Harun, May 1, 2010

Once upon a time, following a healthy diet involved seasonal adjustments and a sense of balance, both more the result of circumstance and necessity than any grand plan. In more recent times, a healthy diet involved government guidance given by way of a food pyramid divided into 'basic' food groups, heavily weighted (no pun intended) towards the Standard American Diet (SAD) ideal of meat and potatoes. The truth was, however, that only anxious mothers, institutional cooks, and those recently diagnosed with illness took much notice of the food pyramid. The rest of us ate pretty much as we pleased, and when we noticed that our clothes were getting tight, we went on another kind of diet altogether. Dieters might eat only grapefruits or a single pound of bacon a day or, if greatly sophisticated, pre-packaged, calorie-counted "meals,’ complete with faux cheesecake. Eat this way, diet guides and gurus proclaimed, and you will be slim. Health, of course, was not the first priority, despite occasional forays into justifications. And some of these slimming diets worked - for awhile. But restrictive, one-note diets or endless predetermined suppers proved difficult to maintain, and the majority of dieters rapidly gained back their vanquished weight. Questions about why the weight had been gained or whether the diet was good for overall health were beside the point. Gluttony, of course, must have caused the problem, which must be resolved at all costs. And nutrition, like Kix, was for kids.

Well, we've gotten smarter. In more recent years, a return to at least a desire for seasonal and balanced diets has taken place, and consumers are demanding more information, not simply about the sources of foodstuffs, but also about how dietary choices affect bodily systems on every level. Even the Food Pyramid has been knocked upside down. And with this awareness, the floodgates for a new mode of diet books, brandishing every imaginable nutritional philosophy, have opened.

I have to pause here and say I've never been a fan of diet books. Most seem far too rigid or oddly precious, and as a one-time vegan and current fish-eater, I've also found recommended meal plans remarkably narrow and unhelpful to my sort. And, too, I'm skeptical. If diets really worked, wouldn't everyone be skinny? That said, a couple of years ago, feeling lethargic and decidedly middle-aged, I came across Ann Louise Gittleman's Fat Flush Plan. Another boilerplate low-carb diet, I sighed. But wait. The central tenets of the plan were both more coherent and straightforward than those that I'd previously encountered. They made sense: eat to detoxify your liver and lymphatic systems, increase 'good fats’ in your diet, improve sleep, lower insulin levels, and learn to recognize ‘false fats.’ I'll confess that I skimmed a good bit during that first reading (a skeptic and diet book dilettante), but nonetheless the cogent argument for detoxification caught and held my attention, so I turned to the diet outline and suggested meals and decided that with a tiny bit of substitution (fish for meat), I could follow the plan. The results were remarkable. Not only did I lose weight, I felt renewed - and still do, two years later, as I continue to (mostly) follow Phase 3 of the plan. So, in many ways, I come now to Gittleman's latest entry in the Fat Flush series with the avidity of a true believer. This diet works; it really does.

In Fat Flush for Life, Gittleman reviews the commandment so of the Fat Flush program in detail before moving into an even more definitive guide to liver and lymph detoxification as a route to weight loss and health, citing 'newly uncovered concerns' that will be familiar discussion points to long-time Townsend Letter readers:

“In The Fat Flush Plan ... I suggested there are 'hidden' factors, beyond the control of diet, exercise, and your own willpower, that are making you fat. Research now confirms that weight loss is also about an array of newly uncovered concerns that are contributing to the obesity epidemic. When you address and correct seemingly unrelated factors such as your body's microbes, ornega-3 and iodine deficiency, and copper overload, you can drop those pounds for good. You'll restore your body's natural ability to regulate metabolism and detoxify. Controlling what is really weighing you down might just change your total outlook as well as your outfit.”

In addition to her earlier research, Gittleman found that including probiotics and fish oils as well as determining and correcting individual iodine deficiencies and copper overloads proved dramatically helpful in generating and maintaining weight loss. The original Fat Flush protocol has been revised here to make use of these connections, with a few additions and substitutions, including the following:

Chia seeds, because of their high omega-3, fiber, and rich, plant-based calcium content

Green Life Cocktail, rich in cleansing and healing chlorophyll, which helps oxygenate and purify the system

A probiotic sweetener, to increase beneficial gut bacteria and optimize weight loss

Fish oil, as an alternative to flaxseed oil because it reduces tummy fat

Iodine-rich sea veggies, and seasoning that help normalize thyroid function to increase metabolism

The Fat Flush Plan for Life is unique too in its seasonal approach to weight loss and improved overall health. The book is divided into seven parts. The first two present the protocol and describe the Pre-Fat Flush Week, a necessary period of cleansing and acclimating prior to the undertaking the diet itself. Parts 3 through 6 walk the reader through the year, paying special attention to the challenges and perks of each season (vegetarians, please note the Autumn Fat Flush):

Winter Fat Flush: jump-start your metabolism and protect your immunity.

Spring Fat Flush: Nourish the body while releasing liver toxins.

Summer Fat Flush: Accelerate your detox to burn fat faster.

Autumn Fat Flush: Go vegetarian for optimum cleansing.

Within each seasonal outline, Gittleman also offers a corresponding workout guide. (And here, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, I might mention another terrific side effect of this program: as you advance in the plan, your joints feel better, and exercise feels terrific.)

The final section of the book includes a plethora of menus and - I'll witness again! - delicious recipes. And Gittleman, ever-thoughtful, includes a "plateau-buster.' The 5-Day Hot Metabolism Booster highlights a daily "Hot Metabolism Booster Cocktail.' Lastly, a Resource section offers information on everything from online support (available through the Fat Flush website) to various testing kits to fitness equipment to home saunas. Whew.

My only quibble with the plan is the potential cost. Gittleman advises the addition of supplements, packaged as the Fat Flush Kit, and of course, the higher the quality of food one includes in the diet, the lower the potential toxicity. Yet, there's flexibility here, too, and the creative Fat Flusher will find ways to embrace the information and adjust when necessary rather than tossing away the diet because of difficulty following it to the letter.

Like any life change, embarking on The Fat Flush Plan for Life requires a commitment, but this one pays back huge dividends. In the final analysis, The Fat Flush Plan for Life is a highly thoughtful, all-inclusive, vastly useful guidebook for those who truly want to be slim and healthy year-round.