<B><SPAN class=text>It's time for the two week test!</SPAN></B><B><SPAN class=text>By Dr. Phil Maffetone</SPAN></B>
<P class=text>It's a simple fact: Many people are overweight simply because they eat too much dietary carbohydrate. And there's also a simple method for determining if this is the case. It's called the Two-Week Test.
<P class=text>First note if you have any of the following and write them down: physical or mental fatigue, blood-sugar handling problems, intestinal bloating, sleepiness after meals, increased fat storage and weight, increased triglycerides, increased blood pressure, depression, or addiction. In addition, if you are concerned about your weight, weigh yourself before starting the test. After the test, you will ask yourself again how you feel regarding these complaints, and also check your weight on the scale.
<SPAN class=text>During the Two-Week Test you will radically decrease your intake of carbohydrates. It is important that you do not go hungry. Eat as much as you want but stick strictly to the recommended foods. Before you start the test, make sure you have enough of the foods you'll be eating during the test. Go shopping and stock up on these items. In addition, go through your cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of any sweets in your house, or you'll be tempted. </SPAN>
<SPAN class=text>As for the test itself, you merely want to eat using the following guidelines for a period of no less than two weeks. Remember, this is only for two weeks.</SPAN><SPAN class=text>
<P class=subheads>Foods to avoid:
<P class=text>After the Two-Week Test, re-evaluate your list of complaints. If you feel better now than you did before the test, or if you lost weight, chances are you have been eating too much carbohydrate and would benefit by lowering your intake. Any weight loss during the test is not due to reduced calories, as many people eat more calories than usual during this two-week period. It's due to the increased fat-burning resulting from reduced insulin. While there may be some water loss, especially if you are sodium sensitive, there is real fat loss.
If your blood pressure has been high, and especially if you are on medication, ask your health-care professional to check it several times during the test. Sometimes blood pressure drops significantly and your medication may need to be adjusted, which should only be done upon recommendation of your health-care professional.
<P class=text>If the Two-Week Test improved your signs and symptoms, the next step is to determine how much carbohydrate you can tolerate, without a return of these problems. This is done in the following manner.
<P class=text>Begin adding small amounts of carbohydrates to your diet with every other meal or snack. This may be a slice of bread at lunch, or a half of potato with dinner. Whatever you add, make sure it's not a refined carbohydrate: no foods containing sugar, no refined-flour products (like white bread, rolls or pasta), brown rice instead of white, etc. Don't add a carbohydrate to back-to-back meals, as insulin production is partly influenced by your previous meal.
<P class=text>With each addition of carbohydrate, watch for any of the symptoms you had previously that were eliminated by the test. Look especially for symptoms that develop immediately after eating, such as intestinal bloating, sleepiness or feelings of depression. If your hunger or cravings disappeared during the two weeks and now have returned, you've probably eaten too many carbohydrates. If you lost 8 pounds during the test, and gained back 5 pounds after adding some carbohydrates for a week or two, you've probably eaten too many carbohydrates.</SPAN>
<P class=text>It's a simple fact: Many people are overweight simply because they eat too much dietary carbohydrate. And there's also a simple method for determining if this is the case. It's called the Two-Week Test.
<P class=text>First note if you have any of the following and write them down: physical or mental fatigue, blood-sugar handling problems, intestinal bloating, sleepiness after meals, increased fat storage and weight, increased triglycerides, increased blood pressure, depression, or addiction. In addition, if you are concerned about your weight, weigh yourself before starting the test. After the test, you will ask yourself again how you feel regarding these complaints, and also check your weight on the scale.
<SPAN class=text>During the Two-Week Test you will radically decrease your intake of carbohydrates. It is important that you do not go hungry. Eat as much as you want but stick strictly to the recommended foods. Before you start the test, make sure you have enough of the foods you'll be eating during the test. Go shopping and stock up on these items. In addition, go through your cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of any sweets in your house, or you'll be tempted. </SPAN>
<SPAN class=text>As for the test itself, you merely want to eat using the following guidelines for a period of no less than two weeks. Remember, this is only for two weeks.</SPAN><SPAN class=text>
<P class=subheads>Foods to avoid:
- <SPAN class=text>Bread, rolls, pasta, pancakes, cereal, muffins, chips, crackers and rice cakes.
</SPAN> - <SPAN class=text>Sweets, including products that contain sugar such as ketchup, honey, and many other prepared foods (read the labels).
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>Fruits and fruit juice.
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>Highly processed meats such cold cuts, which often contain sugar.
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>Potatoes (all types), corn, rice and beans.
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>Milk, half-and-half and yogurt.
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>So-called healthy snacks, including all energy bars and drinks.
</SPAN>
- <SPAN class=text>Alcoholic beverages and all soda, including diet.</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>Whole eggs, all real cheeses, cream.
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>All unprocessed meats including beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, fish, shellfish and others.
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>Tomato, V-8 or other vegetable juices such as carrot juice.
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>All cooked or raw vegetables except potatoes and corn.
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>Nuts, seeds, nut butters.
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>Oils, vinegar, mayonnaise salsa and mustard (read the label to make sure there are no added sugars or hydrogenated oils).
</SPAN>
<LI class=text><SPAN class=text>Sea salt, unless you are sodium sensitive.
</SPAN>- <SPAN class=text>Water! During the Two-Week Test and forever after, be sure to drink plenty of water. Most people need at least six to 10 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Generally, the more protein you consume, the more water you will need between meals.</SPAN>
<P class=text>After the Two-Week Test, re-evaluate your list of complaints. If you feel better now than you did before the test, or if you lost weight, chances are you have been eating too much carbohydrate and would benefit by lowering your intake. Any weight loss during the test is not due to reduced calories, as many people eat more calories than usual during this two-week period. It's due to the increased fat-burning resulting from reduced insulin. While there may be some water loss, especially if you are sodium sensitive, there is real fat loss.
If your blood pressure has been high, and especially if you are on medication, ask your health-care professional to check it several times during the test. Sometimes blood pressure drops significantly and your medication may need to be adjusted, which should only be done upon recommendation of your health-care professional.
<P class=text>If the Two-Week Test improved your signs and symptoms, the next step is to determine how much carbohydrate you can tolerate, without a return of these problems. This is done in the following manner.
<P class=text>Begin adding small amounts of carbohydrates to your diet with every other meal or snack. This may be a slice of bread at lunch, or a half of potato with dinner. Whatever you add, make sure it's not a refined carbohydrate: no foods containing sugar, no refined-flour products (like white bread, rolls or pasta), brown rice instead of white, etc. Don't add a carbohydrate to back-to-back meals, as insulin production is partly influenced by your previous meal.
<P class=text>With each addition of carbohydrate, watch for any of the symptoms you had previously that were eliminated by the test. Look especially for symptoms that develop immediately after eating, such as intestinal bloating, sleepiness or feelings of depression. If your hunger or cravings disappeared during the two weeks and now have returned, you've probably eaten too many carbohydrates. If you lost 8 pounds during the test, and gained back 5 pounds after adding some carbohydrates for a week or two, you've probably eaten too many carbohydrates.</SPAN>