Radical Metabolism: boosting energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and blasting fat

Ann Louise Gittleman has a new book called “Radical Metabolism: A Powerful New Plan to Blast Fat and Reignite Your Energy in Just 21 Days.”

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to interview her! The book is primarily about weight-loss but I chose to focus on other aspects in our interview. We talked about so many valuable topics for boosting metabolism and energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and reducing anxiety.

She shares that no disease can be healed if your cell membranes – which direct nutrients in and poisons out – are weak and unstable:

Radical Metabolism is all about what to eat to rebuild and fortify those lipid (fat)-based cell membranes, so that toxins are prevented from moving up the chain and gunking up the function of every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, from your brain to your thyroid, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, and skin. This is where omega-6 fats really shine.

Here are some of the highlights of what we covered, together with some related snippets from the book:

– our gallbladders and thyroid health

a study out of Finland found that people with decreased bile production are nearly ten times more apt to experience hypothyroidism. With low thyroid on the rise, this provides great hope to the millions of hypothyroid sufferers who experience metabolic slowdown as well as fatigue, dry skin, and constipation. Besides hypothyroidism, studies have also connected poor quality bile with chronic fatigue, migraines, depression, and autoimmune disorders.

– the importance of bile for digesting fat and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins

Bile is stored in the gallbladder to break down dietary fat and remove toxins from the body. Harvard Medical School research has revealed that subjects with improved bile health showed a remarkable spike in metabolism.

– the metabolic benefits of omega-6 fats – hemp seed oil, sesame seed oil, pine nut oil and ghee

Hemp seeds are one of nature’s greatest gifts, perfect little bundles of benefits for your entire body. You can reap the hemp’s benefits by consuming the oil, seeds (typically these are “hemp hearts” which have had their hulls removed), or by blending them into hemp milk. Hemp seeds are about one third healthful fats and one quarter protein, as well as a magnificent source of natural GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). It’s hard to find a food with a better essential fat profile – hemp boasts a 3:1 omega-6–to–omega-3 ratio.

– omega-6s and pyroluria/zinc absorption (my addition)

– why to include these oils if you’re eating a keto or paleo diet

– why bitters are beautiful – the big one is improving digestion and stimulating bile production!

Studies suggest bitters “get your juices flowing” (literally) by stimulating the release of bile, as well as saliva, HCl, pepsin, gastrin, and pancreatic enzymes.

– watercress as a great bitter food bile booster

Watercress is kind of the forgotten stepchild of the cruciferous family – a peppery-flavored cousin to cabbage, arugula, and mustard greens. Recent studies have put watercress back on the menu thanks to its powerful health-stimulating benefits, which is why it deserves a starring role in the Radical Metabolism plan

Besides being a bitter food bile-booster, in a study led by nutritionist Sarah Schenker a small group of women lost an average of 17 pounds in six weeks on a watercress soup diet. The exceptional antioxidants in watercress pump up your energy while exercising, while at the same time protecting you from exertion-related DNA damage. According to head researcher Dr. Mark Fogarty, watercress contains ten times as many beneficial chemicals as any other fruit or vegetable.

– how coffee and cacao work as bitters and dandelion tea as a good alternative (also bitter) if you can’t tolerate coffee

– and grapefruit as a bitter fruit (and one of the reasons why the grapefruit diet worked!)

– why testing ferritin is so important (and why to avoid cast iron pots)

Here is the audio of our interview. Enjoy!

And here is the recipe for: Creamy Dreamy Watercress Soup

This soup is not only fat-burning, but filling and flavorful. The recipe makes about one day’s worth of soup on the 4-Day Radical Intensive. You can either prepare it daily or cook up four batches in advance—whatever works best with your schedule.

Makes 6 cups

4 cups bone broth, either homemade (page 216) or Kettle & Fire

1/2 large bulb celeriac (celery root), (about one 5-inch bulb), brown exterior removed (do not to remove too much); cauliflower works as substitute

1 bunch leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 daikon radish, roughly chopped

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste

1 Radical Lemon Cube

1 large bunch watercress, roughly chopped

Optional: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon miso to each warm bowl of soup

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the celeriac, leeks, daikon, and ginger. Add enough water to the pot to just submerge the vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy. If too thick, you can always add a bit more water. Stir in the salt, lemon cube, and watercress. Simmer for 5 minutes, then blend again with your immersion blender.

Serve in a mug or bowl with or without the miso.

Note: To make Radical Lemon Cubes: 3 lemons quartered, 1 cup filtered water

Place the lemons and water in a blender or food processor and puree. Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and freeze.

Ann Louise Gittleman, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and Before the Change, has been revolutionizing the rules of health and nutrition for more than three decades. She holds an MS in Nutrition Education from Columbia University, the title of Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) from the American College of Nutrition, and a PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Gittleman has also served as the Chief Nutritionist of the Pediatric Clinic at Bellevue Hospital and is the former Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, CA. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for the International Institute for Building-Biology & Ecology, the Nutritional Therapy Association, Inc. and Clear Passage, Inc. Read more about her at www.annlouise.com.

Grab your copy of Radical Metabolism on Amazon here (my Amazon link). Grab bonus ebooks and details about the private Facebook group here

Enjoy! And do let us know what you think of these tips and the watercress soup recipe. And be sure to leave a review for Ann Louise.