You want to lose weight and get healthy but you can’t stick with any diet because…
- Eating helps your concentration, although you’ve wondered if that was just your imagination.
- You find yourself fighting food cravings too many times a day to resist, and eventually give in.
- You have hypoglycemia and need to eat frequently to regulate your blood sugar.
- You just don’t have the time and energy for meal planning.
- You’re totally drained after work, so the only way you can get a meal together for your family is the nearest take-out.
None of this represents a lack of self-control or a character flaw. What’s going on is your metabolism is changing your behavior, and making you crave the very foods that harm your health the most.
I’m Dr. Cate, Family Medicine Medical Doctor, and an expert in human nutrition and the biochemistry of processed food metabolism. For years, I’ve watched people succeed with every diet you’ve heard of, only to regain all the lost weight—and then some. At first, I was as mystified as my patients were.
But what helped everything come clear was looking at body fat as an independent organ with a job to do in the body. That job is supplying your cells with energy.
I’ve discovered that many people’s willpower struggles and excess weight are coming from a serious metabolic problem, one that’s depriving your brain of energy and hijacking your willpower. And this means that, if you’ve been unsuccessful in losing weight, there’s a strategy that just might make all the difference.
What you need is NOT more willpower. What you need is more ENERGY FOR YOUR BRAIN.
I call it the Energy First Method. And the first step to success is learning to build meals that energize you, naturally.
Unknown to most doctors, the US food supply is adulterated with a kind of fat that your body can’t use for energy. This fat is in 95% of grocery store products even if you shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. This fat is in every restaurant chain, whether fast food or sit down, including Chipotle.
What is this mysterious, unrecognized fat?
Vegetable oils. And they don’t come from vegetables. They come from factories where seeds, including corn, soy, canola, sunflower, and even tiny cottonseeds (the waste products of the clothing industry), are transformed from inedible garbage into a fluid that passes for human food. A component of these oils called polyunsaturated fat (PUFA for short) builds up in your body fat and, according to my research, at a certain tipping point will become too toxic to fuel your cells.
If your body fat becomes too toxic to fuel your cells, you have a problem because to lose weight you have to burn body fat. But your cells don’t want to use your body fat. And they do exactly what you do when you can’t get energy from your body fat—they go after sugar instead. Your cells become little sugar addicts. And when your cells are addicted to sugar, so are you.
At this point, you are stuck on what I call The Seed Oil Wheel of Misfortune. And most people never get off. Instead, they get more and more complications of modern obesity and more and more medications from well-meaning doctors who don’t learn about this in medical school and have no idea how to help you.
But, there is help available.
Start by getting the free checklists and resources. Simply enter your information below and I’ll send them to your inbox right away.
Then…
- Stop eating seed oils.
- Build meals that give you energy naturally.
- Learn how to track your brain energy and use that as the first measure of success (instead of just weight).
- When you’re ready, I will show you how you can accelerate your weight loss.
Love your book Fatburn Fix and would love to have an index for it. Any chance you could release one? Thanks!
Dr. Cate, what are your views on fiber? Not much mention about fiber in “Fatburn” and “Deep Nutrition”.
Hi Lisa. I got the link to work by NOT clicking on it. Instead I copied the text directly and pasted it in another browser tab. Hope that helps.
I eat fish, dairy, eggs and plants. What would be good substitutes for
organ meats and bone marrow broth? Would cod liver oil be good? What
else? Thanks!
I found an artichoke hummus that is made with olive oil, and I looked at about 10 hummus in Whole Foods before finding this one. I’m sure doctor Cate would recommend this. I love to dip my fresh veggies in some hummus. I add a few crushed walnuts on top of the hummus. That’s my addition to the great lunch menus that are easy via Dr Cate and the fat burn fix. Cheers.
I love granola and like to make my own by mixing rolled oats, raw: (almonds, cashews, pecans and sunflower seeds) with Virgin Coconut Oil, Honey, Maple Syrup, raisons, cinnamon and coconut flakes. Then I place it on a cookie pan and bake it in the oven (turning it every 5 minutes) until golden brown. My question is even though the sunflower seeds are raw, they of course contain sunflower oil…..Should I not include raw sunflower seeds in my recipe (note: there is no added sunflower oil in the raw sunflower seed package). And is this recipe a No-No because of the hight sugar and carbohydrate content? My wife and I are keeping away from all packaged goods that contain any of the bad oils you have listed. Thank you for your help! (we too saw you on Bill Maher-and only wish he had let you talk more.)
Dr. Cate, I saw you in Bill Maher a few short weeks ago. I bought your book and have started reading it. I bought several copies for my siblings and now buying a couple more for my step children. I have started buying the bone broth and other products without the bad oils. However, other than giving my husband broth, I’m not sure what else to do. Do you have any suggestions. My husband has had Parkinson’s for 22+ years; he aspirates his food and gets his food via a feeding tube. My concern is the formulas available out there. They give him a lot of gas and then it makes it difficult for him to breathe. Are you aware of any good brands? What else can I do to make him feel a bit better/eat better. He is 79 and has always been an athlete…skydiver until 3 years ago and an avid cyclist but recently has no energy to peddle the three wheeler.
Are you writing a recipe book and if so, when will it be released? Thanks you!
This link does not work! Love your books.
Butter is better. Cholesterol is not what clogs arteries. PUFAs oxidize LDL and that’s what leads to plaques. I discuss what really causes heart disease in Chapter 7 of Deep Nutrition and Section 2 of The FATBURN Fix. Plus, even more info focusing on heart disease here: https://bit.ly/DrCateABCReferences
Yes. It’s a forest for the trees situation. Too many trees, we can’t see how they become a forest–to attempt to use an analogy. Here’s my shopping list of seed oil free products, I hope it helps. http://bit.ly/DrCatesShoppingList
Type 1 diabetics should be well educated on how to adjust insulin down if carb intake goes down. His doctor should be able to guide him if he is not sure how to adjust his insulin. Make sure to get that information before any significant carb reduction occurs.
Diet coke is non caloric, so not a snack. Neither is black coffee or tea. If you add more than 10 calories worth of fat or add any sugar then beverages become snacks.
Dr Cate, saw you on Bill Maher and bought your book…..1/2 way through and very excited. I have a few questions. My husband is a Type I diabetic, so I’m not sure how to handle this with your Fat Fix plan. Can you offer any advice? Also, so far you haven’t talked about diet coke….is that ok to drink or is it also considered a snack. I’m a bit confused on the tea/coffee things as well.
I also saw you on the Bill Maher show. I am 59 and have been active my entire life (marathon runner, etc.) even with the quarantine over the last three months, I still exercise vigorously every day for 1.5 hours and yet cannot shed those last 15 pounds I gained after going through menopause 5 years ago and quitting smoking 2 years ago. My muscles are in great shape, but that stubborn fat is still there. I started eating a healthier diet, but after reading your book, I decided to really watch the ingredients in my food. So, today when I was at the supermarket looking for mayonnaise which had only good fat… every single label listed the primary ingredient as either canola oil, or sunflower. Even the one I usually buy, “Hellman’s with olive oil” , had the first ingredient as canola!! Unbelievable, that virtually everything label I read had a vegetable oil as either the main ingredient, or somewhere else in the list.
Hello Dr Cate
Saw you on Bill Maher show, and found what you had to say very interesting. Am going to eliminate some of things you say are bad, such as canola oil. My doctors over the years ( I am 66), have wanted to put me on statins. My gut tells me not to take them so I refused. You say stay away from fake butter, I use Smart Balance. What do you think of that product? John Kohl
I just watched your presentation on dietdoctor.com and found it very interesting.
Hello Dr. Cate.
Your books are culture and knowledge that has improved my life.
Can you explain to me why products like Splenda, and other artificial sweeteners works the same as suggar once you consume them. It was hard for me to understand the process, since those products are 0 calories.
Thank you and congratulations for all your work.
Sweetness receptors in you digestive tract are stimulated, with the resulting release of insulin. The caloric and glycation effects are not an issue, however, with splenda and other artificial sweetners.
Maybe I’m extraordinarily dense, but I landed on this page by clicking a link in an email from you to resubscribe to your email newsletter, because you are changing your email provider. The title of this page is “Subscribe to Dr. Cate Email Updates” and I do see the subscribe email icon at the top right of this page, but when I click on it the page refreshes and then nothing else happens.
I’m using Firefox with NoScript, but I have javascript for all sources enabled (just for this page), and I’m not having any functional problems on other websites. Please help because I’d really miss your email updates!
Hi Dr. Cate and readers. First…Thank you Dr. Cate for your helping hand to humanity by informing the masses about certain dangers in certain commonly taken drugs. Good job too, BTW.
Second…EVERYONE should read about Cayenne Pepper and how it can stop a stroke or heart attack in 10 seconds.
This would be my #1 tool I would want (need) in case of having a heart attack or a stroke.
What DO ALL OF YOU THINK or actually know ABOUT CAYENNE PEPPER STOPPING STROKES and heart attacks IN 10 seconds?
Will watch for your responses daily.
Clazi
Hi Dr. Cate,
I am writing with the hopes that you will consider a visit out to the Canadian Prairies. Do you do speaking engagements? Do you have a pricing list?
We are a small, community focused gym. We raise our own pastured cattle, grow our own vegetables, teach seminars on how to can and make good quality bone broth. We would love to have you to Saskatchewan! Please consider!
What holistic recommendations do you have for managing fibromyalgia? I searched your site and nothing came up.
Fibromyalgia is one manifestation of a stressed metabolism. I focus on getting your metabolism righted by eliminating the worst foods and adding back missing elements as summarized here and more detail supplied throughout the site and in our books.
I am a CRNA and a celiac. I have been eating very strict Paleo for 3 years. I presently am helping a few people who have me stumped. They too are eating very low carb due to blood sugar issues, but even when eating protein, they still have blood sugars over 100.
I’m working with a naturopathic kin esthetic chiropractor who helped me more through my illness than anyone and am tweaking thyroid and trying to turn on the pancreas again. Moderate excercise is happening as well, but glucose 2 hours postprandial are still above 100 and morning glucose is over 120.
Suggestions?
Thanks
please help me to keep the comments organized by posting your questions on one of these posts that relates more to your question
https://drcate.com/tag/paleo-diet/
Please repost your question here https://drcate.com/heres-how-to-cook-grass-fed-aka-pasture-raised-steak/
I like to try to keep questions placed where others with similar interests might run into them.
Thanks!