processed “diet” foods that are stripped of their natural ingredients and reconfigured with fake substitutions. I’d rather have you eat a small amount of real cheese, for example, than abig chunk of that horrible, chemical-filled, fat-free “cheese food” that so many diets call for.
Resets your taste buds by weaning you off junky, sugary, artificial foods and reintroducing you to the delicious, natural flavors in whole, unadulterated foods.
Advises you on smart snacking, choosing filling foods, and finding other ways to cut back on calories without feeling hungry all the time.
Gives you loads and loads of choices—because I don’t like being told exactly what to eat every day, and I doubt you do, either.
Trades deprivation for moderation—because sometimes it’s nice to have a treat.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BELLY FAT
Burning away excess belly fat is a major goal of The Doctor’s Diet. That’s not because it’s unattractive—although let’s face it, we all care about how we look. As a doctor, I care about belly fat because having excess fat around your middle is dangerous for your overall health.
Also known as “visceral fat,” belly fat is not just a benign bulge around your waist. In fact, it’s very metabolically active—which means it contributes to how your body functions every day. Belly fat can harm you by releasing fatty acids into your blood, pumping out inflammatory agents, and producing hormones that wreak havoc on your body.
What’s more, belly fat puts demands on your heart because it requires a constant infusion of oxygenated blood pumped by your heart. The more fat you have stored (in your belly and throughout your body), the harder your heart has to pump. Over time, this can dangerously strain your heart. Belly fat also threatens your heart by raising LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
You CAN banish your belly fat! The Doctor’s Diet gives you all the tools you need to burn it off and keep it off.
The good news is overweight and obese people often find that once they start to shed pounds, the fat around their belly is some of the first to disappear. Science tells us that specific foods such as yogurt, as well as calcium-rich foods, omega-3 fats in fish, and whole grains truly do trim your belly fat, thanks to their effect on hormones and metabolism. As soon as you start following The Doctor’s Diet, the fat around your middle will begin burning away.
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START FEELING BETTER IMMEDIATELY
Following The Doctor’s Diet can do incredible things for your long-term health, like lowering your risk of developing the kinds of chronic diseases that send people to the emergency room. As a doctor, that makes me ecstatic. But The Doctor’s Diet isn’t just about long-term benefits. Once you begin eating The Doctor’s Diet way, you’ll start noticing changes in how you feel
immediately
.
I know that sounds like a promise that can’t be kept. You may be thinking, “Dr. Travis, how is it possible to start feeling better
right away
?”
Here’s how: As soon as you commit to a healthier way of living, and as soon as you eat your first Doctor’s Diet meal, you’re going to begin feeling great about yourself.
Let me give you an example of this. Recently I chatted with someone who ate her first STAT Plan breakfast: a cup of blueberries, a scrambled egg, and half a cup of oatmeal sprinkled with chopped walnuts. (More on the STAT Plan soon.) It was the first time in years she’d eaten such a nutritious breakfast—usually her go-to was a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast biscuit and a sweetened coffee drink from her local drive-thru donut shop.
Even before she finished her berries, she started feeling better about herself—not because her weight had suddenly dropped or her heart disease risk disappeared, but because she realized that she had taken such a big first step on the road to good health.
Listen, one cup of berries and a bowl of oatmeal with nuts