Free The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy Page B

nutrients, making Phase 1 seductive and nurturing all at the same time.
    Biologically, the goal of this phase is to really flood the body with nutrients, which stimulates the activity of the five major players in digestion and metabolism that we talked about earlier: the liver, the adrenals, the thyroid, the pituitary, and the tissues of the body. The adrenals are particularly nourished by the high but steady rate of natural-sugar delivery, making everything calm down and start to work better. The adrenals respond toblood sugar peaks and valleys by creatingstress hormones that specialize in storing fat. But when blood sugar remains more stable (even if elevated at a healthy level), the adrenals calm down and begin to metabolize fat more efficiently. This balancing of the sugars is crucial in an individual who has becomediabetic,insulin resistant, hypoglycemic, has had aggressive weight gain, or has elevatedtriglycerides.
    Phase 1 foods are also designed to be rich in nutrients that stimulatethe metabolism. Specifically, they are rich inBvitamins and vitamin C. The B vitamins are found in beans, meats, and whole grains, and they stimulate the thyroid, igniting the thermogenic (fat-burn) effect that revs up the metabolism. Those B vitamins are crucial in the metabolism of fats,proteins, and carbohydrates. Vitamin C in fruits like oranges and strawberries, as well as in vegetables like broccoli and sweet potatoes, helps the body convertglucose into energy, one of the primary goals ofPhase 1. They help shuttle that glucose into themitochondria—your cells’ own littlefat furnaces—to be broken down and converted to energy instead of being stored as fat. The abundant B vitamins you’ll be getting during this phase also help support theadrenals in stimulating fat metabolism and lean muscle development.
    Phase 1, Unwind , gently persuades your metabolism that it is no longer in an emergency situation. It’s okay to actually digest thefood you are eating again, to use the energy and nutrients from that food, rather than storing it as fat to guard against future starvation or nutritional deprivation. For the first two days, we are reteaching your body how to turn the food you eat into energy rather than storing it as fat. We’re telling it, “Shh, shh, it’s going to be okay.” And with the foods you’ll eat here, your body will believe it.
    Your body starts to feel like everything really might be okay again. This is the first step in the three-step process.
    It’s the stimulation of digestive enzymes that helps accomplish this process in Phase 1. When you flood your body with so many nutrients and so much energy, it can actually start breaking down the foods you’re consuming and releasing the nutrients embedded in these nutrient-dense foods. We wantdigestion to be as effortless as possible, which is why we keep protein moderate and fat very low. Fat and protein are harder to digest than carbohydrates like grains and fruits, so by keeping these low, the body is soothed and encouraged. Digestive enzymes release the vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients from the food you eat, and the metabolism begins to recover from its starvation state. Phase 1 foods are specifically designed to be easy on your body. You’re ditching all those things that physically stress you, those metabolism crushers likewheat, dairy, andcaffeine, that cause irritation orinflammation in the GI tract and can slow your bowels and createinsulin resistance. Those things are all out ofthe game for now.Phase 1 will calm down youradrenal glands, reducing the release of stress hormones that are keeping you fat. Yourblood sugar stabilizes and your body suddenly feels like it’s out of the danger zone.
    Phase 1 is kind to your body and kind to you. The sweeter tastes and comfort foods ease you, physically and also emotionally, into the plan. A lot of dieters haven’t been able to touch these foods with a ten-foot pole for months, even years. It’s time to