This past week at my Open House we discussed Ann Louise Gittleman’s latest masterpiece Radical Metabolism. We were blessed to have Ann Louise join us live via Skype. She reviewed the key concepts which make her new approach to healthy eating “radical” and then we were treated to a thirty-minute Q & A session. Ann Louise offered a few pearls of wisdom which I will share below.
Let’s start with what makes Radical Metabolism so radical. As usual, Ann Louise is rewriting the rules of nutrition. Even with all the efforts to eat clean, avoid gluten, and drinking lots of bone broth and Kombucha, we still struggle with our overall health. The book discusses the use of specific foods to drive digestion and metabolism, support the gall bladder and thyroid, burn fat and strengthen muscles. You learn how to reduce exposure to toxins that are in some of the popular “healing” foods and to clean up your kitchen. If you are interested in nutrition and care about your long-term health, I urge you to read this book! To order your own copy click here: RADICAL METABOLISM
Pearl #1 – Iron and Ferritin
Ann Louise discussed how excess iron may be at the root of a variety of health problems. Her advice is to get your ferritin level checked. Ferritin is a measure of stored iron in your blood. It is different than the basic iron level that is typically done in a blood test. “Normal” ranges for men are 20 to 500 nanograms per milliliter and for women 20 to 200 nanograms per milliliter. As you well know, “normal” does not mean “healthy.” Ann Louise recommends ferritin levels less than 100. Where do we get excess iron and ferritin from? We get excess iron from meat, cookware, and iron fortified foods. Coffee, wine, and dairy BLOCK iron absorption furthering the problem.
Pearl #2 – The Importance of Cookware
Ann Louise stressed while what we eat is very important, just as critical is how we cook our food! She advises to avoid aluminum in all forms. Do not use aluminum foil in cooking, use parchment paper instead. Do not use aluminum in cookware and you need to be aware that aluminum is often hidden in cookware such as stainless steel. Pure stainless steel is fine. She explained a simple test to check your cookware. Use a magnet – if the magnet sticks it is pure. Aluminum is non-magnetic, so the magnet will not stick if aluminum is in the pot.
Here’s some brands and types of cookware she recommended: Saladmaster for stainless steel; Romertopf for glazed clay; and Le Creuset for enameled covered cast iron.
Pearl #3 – Tea and Coffee
One of the biggest surprises of the night was Ann Louise’s response concerning green tea! She stated that it and other conventional teas, such as black, white, and green (non-herbal) accumulate fluoride. The only form of tea she liked was Oolong.
Coffee was also discussed. This is another topic where you get a variety of opinions from nutrition experts. Ann Louise believes there are many health benefits to coffee, particularly to charge the metabolism. It is important to recognize that some people cannot handle caffeine. You may be one of them, such as I am. She does place limits on daily consumption and the sources. Coffee must be organic, and she recommended Purity Coffee as the cleanest available.
Pearl #4 – Bitters
A key part of charging your metabolism is the use of bitters to aid digestion. She advised they be consumed 20 minutes before a meal. To learn more about bitters please read the book.
Pearl #5 – Grapefruit
To charge metabolism and fuel weight loss Ann Louise recommended to each ½ of a pink grapefruit before each meal.
