Page 29 - Scene Magazine November 2023 47-11

Nutrition Scene
BY BRIAN NES
SEL
but feel really old, who wish they could just get their youth back. Well, I don’t know how to do that – man would I be rich if I could. But I am going to share with you examples of what simple changes in your diet can do to help you find the fountain of youth.
For Gary, it took one week. He lost nearly 20 pounds that first week (half
of that probably from just ditching pop), and he said he literally had more energy than he’d felt since his 20’s in the service. Three weeks later, and Gary is talking to his doctor about getting off his depression medication completely. Regardless of if that happens or not, the fact that he feels good enough to want to be off of them is a huge win for Gary.
My first example is Brian – not me, another Brian. Brian came to me about 60 pounds over weight, but more impor- tantly he was a severe Type 2 diabetic, whose A1C was over 12. Brian was a hard working guy, who didn’t have time for food preparation, so most of his lunches were fast food, or through his work’s cafeteria line. Every morning he had granola and a fruity yogurt (what
he imagined was his healthiest meal of the day). Then, honestly, he and his wife would eat pretty healthy dinners most
of the time. But, he would finish most nights with some chips or popcorn.
Lastly, we have Michelle. Michelle
is nearly 60 and has been overweight
for as long as she could remember. Her starting weight with me was 240 pounds, at just under 5 feet 4 inches tall. Michelle had arthritis in her hips, shoulder, knees, hands, and feet – she struggled to get up and down from my couches. She told me that she felt like a ninety year old wom- an, and she didn’t want to be that way for her grand children.
The fountain of youth doesn’t exist, but the feeling of it does. The key isn’t just in eating good foods, it’s in what foods you need to give up. Number one, is pop. Don’t drink your calories! Then give up other forms of sugar and carbs that your body easily stores as
fat – breads, pastas, sugary yogurts, and boxed cereals. Try it for a week, and I guarantee you that you will want to try it for longer. Youth may be wasted on the young, but when us old folks get
a second chance at feeling young, we know not to let it go.
We changed his breakfast right away, getting rid of ALL of what he was eat- ing. I showed him that each morning, he averaged about 40 grams of sugar with his yogurt and granola (and grown adult shouldn’t have more than 20 grams of additive sugar in a whole day). Then we changed his lunches to be made of some simple protein recipes, with a little salad. In four months, Brian lost all 60+ pounds, and his A1C is UNDER six. He’s no longer considered Type 2, and is off all his medication for the first time in 15 years.
Michelle gave up pop, beer, bread, and milk. We introduced her to something
Youth is wasted on the young – I didn’t come up with that, I just agree that it’s right. As a nutritionist,
I see it every day: people who are really not that old,
reason he came to see me was that he was recently diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease. Gary was a fast food junkie, and a pop drinker. I told Gary that we could change his future, his life, and his attitude if he would give me four weeks, and follow the plan.
brand new – green leafy vegetables (she had only eaten corn or potatoes as a “veggie” since she could remem- ber). We also introduced Michelle to exercise bands, and she wasn’t too keen on meeting them. But, fast for- warding 18 weeks, Michelle has lost 80 pounds. She doesn’t take a single arthritis medication anymore, nor does she take her antiacids, cholesterol medication, or basketfull of vitamins and supplements. She just eats – good, real, whole foods. And, she discov- ered she loves cooking. Five months ago Michelle felt like an extremely old grandma – today she’s outrunning her grand children.
Diet Changes to Find the Fountain of Youth
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Then, there’s Gary. Gary actually tugs at my heart. When we first met,
we didn’t get along very well. He was resistant to change, and I was resistant to resistance – so it was a challenge for both of us. As a war Veteran, Gary ex- perienced depression and anxiety issues that he took several different medica- tions for. He was always tired. But the
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