Sexy Weight Loss



In reference to buying meat: It’s complicated. Here’s the rub.

Whatever the animal eats, you eat – when you eat the animal.

All vegetarian diet and grass fed are NOT the same thing. GRASS FED is what you will want to buy even with the added expense. Organic is something else.

I have a client who wanted me to check out her web links for cattle companies, when I told her to eat organic, grass fed beef. Here is some of what I researched for her.  (Her preference was to buy from the first company’s link. It was a lot cheaper).   Notice below, that although the ounces are less, the price is almost the same.  Usually there is a bigger gap in price. I will explain in detail. Please read on.

The difference in price with the first company goes like this:

8 ounce rib eye = 5.89

Organic 6 ounce rib eye = 5.64.

This is what I told my client:

“The organic is 2 ounces smaller and just a little less money. This smells funny to me because it is not enough money for farmers to profit. That’s right. I talk to famers!  Even though it is “organic” I wondered, “what” exactly is organic?”

So I called up the farm and asked what they feed the “organic” cattle. I think his name is Matt. I said, “Hi, Matt. I’m a nutritionist and I am calling for a client and I need to know EXACTLY what these “organic” cattle are fed.” He said, “grass during the day.”  I said, “what about at night?” He said, “grain.” I said, “you mean CORN!”  He got nervous and said, “yes.”  I said, “what about GMO’s? That’s a serious health problem.” He said, “yes.”  I said, “thank you for your time.”

This company sells organic AND vegetarian fed cattle.  This sounds good, right? Yes. But the words are confusing.  Vegetarian fed means they are not feeding them dead animals. That’s it. But corn is genetically modified (poisoned beyond comprehension!) Corn, soy, canola oil, beet sugar (to name a few), are GM crops. They are in most foods we eat.  A gene is injected into the seed making it resistant to pesticides. The only thing worse than eating all the poison is the changed DNA itself. It confuses the body and leads to MAJOR illnesses! Please read my section on GMOs!

The second more expensive company displayed on their website – Our cattle is ALWAYS grass fed. I couldn’t find a phone number but this seems to be their whole mission and pride.  The cost?  Double.

It is my humble opinion that people should not eat meat unless they eat organic AND grass fed! The world has changed. People who can’t pay for pure, clean meat should slow down. Ouch! I know!  It’s harsh; I wish it wasn’t like this.  And if I showed you the health risks and sickness from eating GMO’s you would cry. Children and older people are most at risk. Also, the “not good meat” will keep weight on over time.  Yup, you will gain more weight with the regular meat. Clean, organic GRASS- FED meat is the only way.

To be clear – A major distinction in buying meat is that it is, Organic AND Grass Fed. If you can only choose one, choose Grass Fed. Grass IS organic…for the time being.

Think of it as a treat.  This will also help the environment. Please get the best. Also, when you buy grass fed, you are supporting the honest farmers. It is not easy to nurture healthy cattle. Corn is cheap and filled with pesticides. Then the cows get sick and they give them antibiotics. Remember you eat what the cow eats, when you eat the cow! That is the shortest version I have.  I know this is probably more than you asked for but…it’s  sooooo important.

Eat Clean. Be Lean. Eating sick food is rude.

GMOs? OMG!

Kimberly Foster Branch

I first heard of GMOs while visiting a friend at her lake house in Upstate New York. Her friend and local farmer was there too, and selling food. I was thrilled to buy organic vegetables from a real farmer. I was also excited to be able to pick this farmer’s brain about why my zucchini were not bearing fruit. I read that my plant could be sterile and that there were no bees.

Farmer Linda Borghi and I became instant friends. We had dinner and we talked. Actually she talked and I listened. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to know I was eating with a very wise woman – so I zipped it.

I had to know more. Here are the broad strokes.

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms that have inserted DNA, which originated from a different species. GM, GMOs and GE are one in the same.

I got that off Wikipedia.

Here is the “easier” way to understand it; A bacteria gene is injected into the seed crops making them resistant to herbicides and pesticides. So no matter how much poison is sprayed, the corn will still be standing. This is because it is not really corn anymore.

This is a little different from the GM hormones injected into cows so they lactate at a sickening speed, perpetuating pus from infected udders, which then requires antibiotics!  The hormones, antibiotics and pus end up in your milk! Sometimes you will see dairy products that say, no rBGH or no Bovine Growth Hormone. You pay more for the good stuff. It’s worth it.

Another  GMO trait is a built-in pesticide, found in GMO corn and cotton. A gene from the soil bacterium called Bt (Bacillius thuringiensis) is inserted into the plants DNA, where it secretes the insect-killing Bt toxin in every cell. About 19% of GMO crops produce their own pesticide. Another 13% produces a pesticide and are herbicide tolerant. When you eat this, your intestines become a pesticide factory that continues churning poison long after dinner. Got gas? Stomach aches? IBS?

Here is the list of GM foods that are sold at a store near you: soy, corn, canola, cotton, and sugar beets. And in case you didn’t know, “everything” is made out of one or all of these, particularly in processed foods. Also some Hawaiian papaya and zucchini are on the hit list.

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine states, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GMO food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.

Certainly by now, all parents and teachers know it is not healthy to give children pop-tarts, pudding and soda. That level of unconsciousness is another subject. But to give your child corn on the cob and soy milk and think it is part of a healthy meal?! OMG, pure GMOs instead?

The distinction is that we need to have a choice. Parents might drive though McDonald’s and maybe feel a little bad. That is a choice. It is the lack of information that I am talking about.

To think you are doing something good when in fact you are part of a plan that hurts your child and yourself. There are actually mothers feeding their babies soy formula. It seems like a good idea. Vegetarians are eating tofu and thinking they are making a healthy choice. A buffalo burger in most cases is much healthier!

Personally, I used to buy organic because I didn’t want the overload of pesticides. I thought it was as simple as that. Not anymore. But don’t feel bad if you nibbled on a corn chip that wasn’t blue organic or ate Chinese food. (They all cook with vegetable oil!) I know because I personally called each one on the Upper West Side of Manhattan – you know, all the fine dining out here, and I asked them!

There are many directions to take regarding GMOs. The main thing is to avoid them. Please follow the list above and remember that packaged food in general is made with GMO ingredients. Your healthiest choice is to eat fresh organic food.

I was asked by a dieter what to do when out with the men for the out-of-town company dinner meetings. He confessed he was didn’t want to explain he was on this diet. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but there might be a time or two when you choose not to lose that pound and gain instead – Grandma’s house on Christmas day – when your in-laws show up with a bottle of Dom Perignon for your wedding anniversary, or a company business dinner where you must save face.

I get it!

It is my advice that if cornered with a $300 bottle of brandy bought by the boss – Have a sip! Have a glass! You will gain weight. So what? You weigh your decision. Oh, I hope Dr. Branch doesn’t read this. He might not agree. I say, blow it if you must. Then go back to calorie restriction the next day and take your punishment. BUT if you have the sip, that doesn’t mean you should order the Fettucini Alfredo to go with it. Even just the sip could set you back 3 days. Do what you must. Then take it like a man!

P.S. When you order your steak or fish out – Some dieters have reported success when they told the server they are allergic to oil. This way they will clean the grill for you and take you seriously when you say, “NO OIL”… pleeeeese!

It was a Saturday (many moons ago), and it was about 10am. I busted out the front door and hit the streets of New York for my favorite Mexican food: two double deep fried shredded beef tacos, (hard shell), rice and beans, (black beans) with a side of sour cream, and a basket of taco chips that I dipped into my own concoction of salsa and sour cream; a sort of a pink sauce salsa!

Of course, we can’t forget the guacamole  and a MAMA MARGARITAAAAAA!!! Oh, I have to wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead from the excitement just picturing this event.

WHAT? You don’t binge? You never binged? Ever? Ok, now you are on this Dr. Branch Diet thing, and what? You binge for ONE day but not day two.. or some silly half-baked thing? Someone PLEASE EXPLAIN this to me! You were really too busy to find a little junk food?

I never felt so joyous as to EAT not only guilt-free, but also knowing that this is a doctor recommended–no, required step–and I can’t believe you don’t wanna or couldn’t?!

Let me tell you, you won’t feel good if you don’t do this, so why not have fun?

Anyway…

I went shopping and bought my favorites for home base:

• Pringles
• Sour Cream*
• Entemmen’s chocolate donuts. The big ones.*
• Lipton onion soup mix*

Before I made it home around lunch time, I stopped at the Cold Stone Ice Cream place. For the whitest ice cream I could find (I’m a vanilla person) with crumpled Heath all in it. I sat on the curb and ate the whole thing. I think it cooled me off after my Mexican feast. FYI, Ice Cream is one of the worst things you can eat, especially during winter. Lucky for me it was July in Manhattan!

I pounced through the front door with my bag of goodies, ready to prepare the onion soup mix (onion dip, you know, the kind they have at cheap home holiday parties) and ate it with ALL the PRINGLES–all by myself.

I was delighted!

It was like Thanksgiving without the family! Then I ate about 4 donuts and shoved the rest in my purse for later. My husband and I watched a movie this day and I ate another dozen, in the dark (Ok, I was a little embarrassed that I was so good at this). In case you are wondering where he was during this shameful scene, I seem to recall he was on an 8-hour juice fast that day. Bummer.

I really think I’ve found my calling! Later that night a friend was in a live theatre show in Brooklyn. Around midnight a large group of us went out. This is where I devoured a cheeseburger, french fries, AND a milk shake.

So why is eating too much a problem for so many? I do worry that if you don’t binge like a pig during Binge phase, you will feel like a sloth the first day or two during the Reduction phase. Please follow the rules. It doesn’t get any better than this!

I started the Dr. Branch Diet menu on the Monday after another fun-food-filled day, and I felt GREAT! So please, please do binge for TWO WHOLE days – but only if you have a healthy helping of Dr. Branch’s Reduction Formula!

* This was written before I understood the dangers of GMOs!

There is hunger, and there is the feeling that you want to eat.

When I was going through the calorie restriction, I sometimes felt a twinge of hunger but more likely, I simply wanted to eat. The distinction between the two is surprisingly hard to identify.

As for real hunger that makes you feel sick and tired, I didn’t feel that. I did however, feel so in the mood to eat that I just got busy doing something else. Cooking food, shopping for food, and watching my husband eat helped my “hunger.”

Small bites of food throughout the day might be a good idea. Or it might be frustrating when meal-time is even smaller. You will have to try things out and find what works best for you.

Sorry you have to go through the “stuck” phase. I went through it for about 5 days when I did the Dr. Branch Diet.

Then I was very excited when it “magically” got unstuck and I went back to loosing a pound a day. Twill happen. Yeah I had a hard time with the poopy tea. What’s that called? Smooth Move! That’s right! It was very intense for me too. Major cramps! Hope you might be luckier. I always thought tea couldn’t do much until this tea. I have a new respect for tea in general.

You might want to look through the manual again. I was surprised to find some very “insignificant” items can throw the whole thing off like one cracker–the wrong cracker, an orange, too much apple, eating the same protein for lunch and dinner, garlic salt, orange peel, mixing the tiniest of vegetables, not enough water, sparkling water…the weirdest things.

Good luck with that. It’s so strange.

Are you weepy?  I was during the first week of The Dr. Branch Diet! Again, Detox!

No booze or food to hide the feelings? Who knows exactly? I found I had to do something else to entertain myself. I was amazed at how much my life centered around food and cocktails. I started reading about food if I couldn’t eat it. I cooked even more for my husband – all the things I wanted. Bought him silly things that I wanted. That helped for a while until I got pissed off at the whole thing.

Sometimes I swear I thought I was hungry when it was just that I felt emptiness and emotional about feeling deprived. Maybe start a new book. Write a new book? Buy magazines. Watch movies… sex… anything….shopping?

If you are living with another person, it is important to ask that they support you as much as they can. Maybe hold off on the beer and pizza while you are eating chicken and spinach. I suggest when I am coaching couples, that they eat the same thing at home, just add the cream sauce or whatever for the skinny person and increase the portion size.

Then do something else as I suggested above. Take a walk, order all your netflix movies in advance. This will give you something to do and get excited about besides dinner.  Join a new class? Just make sure it’s not a cooking class! – Unless I am teaching it.

We get to the point where we actually think this is unfair. I don’t mean to laugh but please get back to reality for just a quick minute: Nobody losses a pound a day for days at a time unless they have the flu or are stuck under an avalanche or are on the popcorn diet.

You, on the other hand, have the good fortune to have access to knowledge and the hCG Remedy without having to give birth. And, yes, I was “stuck” for about 5 days. Honestly my husband will tell you I was pre-menstrual and wasn’t exactly counting every bread stick anymore. Maybe I mixed too many vegetables. I forget.

So here’s the deal: go back and read the instructions. If you flubbed something up, great! That is great news and easy to stop.  If it is humid or there is something else going on, well that is a little harder to explain but please, if it’s been a day or two without losing a pound, again I remind you to acknowledge what you have already lost in no time at all. I have no doubt you will continue losing at this ridiculously fast rate soon enough. Just tighten up your ship and hold on to your hat! You will continue to lose fat! And sorry if I was patronizing before but give me a break! You are doing great!

Please don’t let your “friends”, or husbands (wink, wink) order the sauce on the side!

This is a miserable mistake when you have been so good– if you don’t blow it today.

We’re on our way to a holiday dinner with friends tonight. I negotiated with my husband: “…maybe if you order scotch, then I can have a sip?  Not the red wine, OK?” (I feel the panic welling up) ”Seeing you all drinking a bottle of red wine will be hard, so let’s just get our own drinks.“

Great! Thanks!

Cut to: my husband ordering a bottle of wine for the table and telling the waiter he will take my hollandaise sauce for my steak!

WHAT?!? (I only screamed inside my head – I am a lady)

I knew I was in trouble here–I’m not talking about my marriage–this was AFTER I recovered from the hot bread passing under my nose (a double order, evidently because it was so good). Really, I was in my own horror show spoof, playing loudly in my head. When will this night end??

I think I had one sip of wine. No bread. Lots of meat and all the sauce I could scoop on my fork!  No weight loss for me. In fact, I didn’t jump on the scale. I was pushed. By the same man who ordered my favorite wine.

To this day, I wonder if I could have partaken of the bread. I mean, I didn’t lose because of the sauce. Would I have gained with the bread? Who knows. I wasn’t willing to find out.

The moral of the story: If you are going to stoop so low as to ask the people you love to suffer with you, then get it in writing! Strength comes from having a plan and sticking to it. This is always easiest between you and yourself.