Dr. Mindy Pelz: #1 Question to Ask Yourself if You Want to Get Rid of Your Belly Fat & The ONE ingredient to Add to Your Diet that Will Suppress Your Appetite

Experts Mindy Pelz and Jay Shetty provide insights on how individuals can use fasting and meal timing strategically to support their health and weight management goals.

Vary fasting windows and eating patterns to avoid metabolic adaptation

Mindy Pelz explains the body's adaptation to fasting, emphasizing the importance of varying eating windows to prevent metabolic slowdown. She encourages alternating fasting and feeding periods for continued metabolic activity, using the term "feast, famine cycling" to describe the practice. Pelz notes that doing the same fast every day can lead to weight gain, as the body becomes metabolically immune to the pattern.

Doing the same fast every day leads the body to adapt and slow down metabolism; alternating fasting and feeding periods is more effective

Pelz suggests varying the eating window based on your lifestyle, such as a "soccer mom" who might skip breakfast during the week and then have brunch earlier on weekends. She also advises not fasting every day and eating in the light, as melatonin production at night can make us more [restricted term] resistant.

Time meals and nutrients strategically to support hormones and energy levels

Strategic timing of nutrients can fuel workout performance and facilitate recovery, according to Pelz. For instance, eating protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods before workouts can enhance energy. Pelz also recommends having more fat with dinner to prevent energy dips at night and adding olive oil to meals to suppress hunger.

Eating protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods before workouts can fuel performance and recovery

For those who work out in the morning, Pelz suggests a pre-workout meal to aid in muscle building and to boost energy levels. After exercising, refueling is essential. The importance of meal composition is highlighted by monitoring blood sugar rather than calories. Pelz recounts a patient's experience who adjusted meal composition by adding fats and fibers and being selective about processed ingredients like oat milk, successfully reducing the number of daily blood sugar spikes.

Eating earlier in the day and avoiding late-night snacking helps maintain steady blood sugar and energy

Pelz details her routine, where she had her first meal around 11 o'clock after working out on an empty stomach, incorporating protein and fat to prevent glucose spikes, which helps maintain focus and energy levels throughout the day.

Customize fasting protocols based on individual needs and goals

Customization of fasting is key to its success. Whether the goal is to build muscle or lose weight, different fasting and eating schedules may be applied. Pelz also notes that though fasting can be a powerful tool for quick weight loss observed in women at her clinic, it is not suitable for everyone. She advises that pregnant or nursing women, those with eating disorders, or specific cancers should approach fasting with professional guid ...

Mindy Pelz discusses how common toxins, including obesogens from various sources, contribute to obesity, disrupt hormones, and lead to hormonal imbalances and weight gain.

Processed foods, plastics, and synthetic chemicals disrupt hormones and reprogram stem cells to create fat cells

Obesogenic chemicals in food packaging, additives, and even personal care products can contribute to unexplained weight gain

Pelz criticizes the FDA’s approach to regulating food and drugs, suggesting that they should be regulated by separate administrations. She mentions the GRAS category which assumes new food products are safe despite the lack of research. This assumption has led to delayed action on dangerous substances, exemplified by partially hydrogenated oils, which were linked to heart disease but took time to be removed from the food industry.

Pelz expresses that the chemicals in processed foods affect gut microbes, which influence brain signals and dietary choices contributing to food cravings and addiction. These cravings are often for chemical-laden foods that spur a [restricted term] response, fueling a cycle of overeating.

She also explains that we live in a highly toxic era where every day women apply over 200 toxic carcinogenic chemicals on their skin which, when not processed by the body, are stored in areas like the belly and chest.

Pelz focuses on obesogens, which are chemicals found in items like BPA plastics and pesticides. These chemicals have the power to reprogram stem cells toward creating more fat cells, which can be particularly impactful on children whose stem cells are meant to create other tissues like bone.

To combat exposure to these chemicals, Pelz suggests eating foods without labels, such as those from farmers' markets, and being conscious of meat sources to ensure they aren't laden with chemicals. She explains that food companies utilize chemicals to extend shelf life and enhance flavors, which leads to an addiction to their products without providing satiety, thus contributing to overeating.

Reducing toxic load through diet, detoxification, and lifestyle changes can support healthy metabolism

Eating whole, unprocessed foods and avoiding synthetic ingredients can help minimize exposure to hormone-disrupting toxins

Pelz discusses how Western processed foods are designed to make consumers crave and eat more with the help of obesogenic chemicals. She indicates that many diet foods advertised as low fat or low sugar contain these chemicals, leading to the production of more fat cells and making weight loss more difficult, and causing women to blame themselves for their challenges in losing weight.

She also mentions that despite initiatives li ...

Mindy Pelz advises women to consider the important role food plays in hormone production before turning to external hormones for imbalances. She emphasizes a variety of nutrients as key to hormone production and challenges the idea of food as solely for pleasure or energy, suggesting that it should be valued for its role in creating hormones.

Align food and fasting patterns with the natural rhythms of the menstrual cycle

Pelz indicates that women should adopt a rhythmic lifestyle, tailoring food intake and exercise to their hormonal cycles. She suggests alternating between periods of intense workouts and recovery, and low-carb eating followed by feasting on healthy foods.

In the first half of the cycle, keeping blood sugar stable through low-carb eating supports estrogen balance

Estrogen is supported by lower glucose levels. Therefore, in the first half of a woman's menstrual cycle, Pelz advises low-carb diets like keto to cater to estrogen’s needs. She names a 'keto biotic' diet as beneficial for keeping carbohydrates low while still maintaining enough fiber.

In the second half, allowing more carbohydrates can help meet increased progesterone needs

As progesterone needs increase during the second half of the cycle, assigning specific periods for higher carbohydrate intake, which Pelz refers to as 'hormone feasting,' can be beneficial. It aligns with the body’s natural hormonal fluctuations and aids in supporting progesterone production.

Address hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause with lifestyle modifications

As estrogen levels decline and menopause symptoms arise, Pelz advocates for lifestyle changes as the first line of treatment, rather than immediately resorting to hormone replacement or medications.

As estrogen declines, increasing [restricted term] sensitivity through fasting and low-carb/high-fiber eating becomes more important

Pelz mentions that around age 43, women begin to lose the estrogen that maintained their [restricted term] sensitivity. To counteract this, she recommends fasting and a lower carbohydrate diet interspersed with periods of higher carbohydrate intake to maintain [restricted term] sensitivity.

Reducing stress, improving sleep, and supporting detoxification can also help manage menopausal symptoms

Addressing hormonal changes also includes improving sleep quality, reducing stress, and undergoing detoxification. Pelz undertook a massive detox of her house and herself throughout her 40s to manage menopausal symptoms.

Empower women to reconnect with and nourish their bodies

Pelz's mission is to help women reconnect with their bodies and have a positive relations ...