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Friday, January 23, 2015

Does your Metabolism Need correcting? MD Factor Book Review

Happy Friday Friends. I'm not sure how the weather is where you are but, here it is chilly and rainy.

One of the silliest lines in this movie...

Let me get to the goods of this post. I received a copy of The MD Factor Diet by Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. complimentary of Ben Bella Books. I was not compensated in any way and the thoughts and opinions are completely my own. 


As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I am always skeptical when I'm asked to review a book or product. I accepted the invitation to review this book simply because the name of the book was intriguing and I could see many questions coming my way about "metabolism correction". So, let's start with the title, The MD Factor Diet. MD stands for Metabolism Dysfunction and as far as I know this is not a medical diagnosis and not to be confused with inborn error of metabolism.  Chapter 1 begins with letting you know, "It's not your fault" that your metabolism stinks, keeping you from reaching your weight loss goals. Well....to an extent this can be true but, you have the power to change by choosing the right foods and getting active. I touched on this in a couple of posts a few years ago:



I believe this was best said in the 90's with a catchy rap song. 


Yes, genetics play a role and you may have of ended up with you grandmas crappy metabolism but, this isn't the end. Dr. Cederquist opens by explaining: 
✔ When you gain belly weight for any reason, your metabolism changes.
✔ When you have hormonal changes, your metabolism changes.
✔ As you age, your metabolism changes.
I just finished taking a course called Nutrition for the Elderly and I have to say this was the most depressing class because getting old sucks! Sorry for the language but, there is no better way to say it. 
  • Getting older means you begin to lose lean body mass while increasing fat mass---great huh? 
  • Resting Metabolic Rate (the rate at which your body burns energy while you are at rest) begins to decrease by approximately 2-3% every decade after 20!!! (Villareal 2005). I don't make this stuff up guys!
My resting metabolic rate is ~1245 calories. Get yours here. This means in order for my body to function at rest I need to consume at least 1245 calories per day. If I'm active this number will obviously go up->This is where a dietitian can help!! 


She then takes you through a quiz to assess if you have the "MD factor". The quiz gets you thinking about your eating habits and hunger cues. Her "diagnosis" of the MD factor is assessing whether you are insulin resistant. 

Let's take a trip back to science class!! 

Glucose (sugar) is ingested---you ate some carbohydrates. This sends a signal to the hormone Insulin. Insulin then enters the blood stream the help get glucose into the cells (where energy is produced). When you are insulin resistant this process is not as efficient, leaving you cells saying "Feed me, Feed me!!" Which is possibly the reason you crave sweets all of the time and can never get a hold of your hunger. 

Dr. Cederquist does an excellent job explaining this process and putting it into words we all can understand. You get that "Aha" moment after you read through the first few chapters. The remainder of the book takes you through a nutrition lesson (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). After a pretty thorough nutrition lesson you are then taken through her plan to correct your metabolism.  

What I like about this book:
  1. It's an easy read
  2. Evidence is provided 
  3. She makes the point that diet should be assessed for each individual person and there is no "One Size Fits All". 
  4. She uses the term "Magic Number" which is how I explain carbohydrate counting!! #GreatMinds, right? But, to know that magic number you must read the book or come talk to me!
  5. She lets you know that you MUST EAT MORE TO LOSE WEIGHT!! So true. It's just eating more of the right foods. 
  6. Realistic goals are suggested
  7. The emphasis is on what you need to add to your plate instead of bashing "bad foods". 

Take a read and you will learn a lot and if you think you are a victim of "the MD factor" let your doctor know and the ask for a referral to a dietitian so s/he can help you along your weight loss journey. 
#MDFactor

A recipe excerpt from the book! Enjoy!! Let me know what you think.


Edamame and Artichoke Salad
Serves about 9 | 7 grams of protein
6 grams of net carbohydrate per 1/2 cup serving

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) package frozen edamame, shelled
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts, packed in water
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the shelled edamame in the microwave for about 2 minutes, until heated through.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook until slightly brown and soft.
  3. Chop the artichoke hearts in half and place in a medium-size bowl. Add the cooked edamame, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon juice. Stir to evenly combine all ingredients and serve.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for this nice and informative blog, Glad to come on this blog..

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    ReplyDelete
  2. Would this book be suitable for people with coeliac disease?

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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