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Guidelines for Those With Special Needs
By Dana Thornock as excerpted from Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme!
In my work with thousands of students of the LEAN & FREE LIFESTYLE, I have seen many physical and emotional health problems vastly improve and in many cases disappear completely, as these students incorporated the principles of the program into their daily lives. You can find many examples of these transformations in the Success Stories beginning on page 176 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book. Read them again and again as a source for your own confidence and inspiration. You'll also hear from many people with special needs on your support group video tape that can serve to greatly enhance your knowledge of your new lifestyle as well as your vision of yourself as a lean, healthy and happy individual.
Recently, a woman told me that she was having a hard time with the program because, she said, "I have such a difficult time actually believing that I can lose fat without abusing my body." As we talked further, I discovered that she didn't have any of the new video tapes and had only skimmed the book. Her understanding of the LEAN & FREE program, on a scale from one to ten, was only a "one." I see this problem repeatedly. People assume they already understand this program because they're familiar with all of the diet programs out there that scream that they aren't really diets. Yet hidden in the subtext of each is caloric and nutrient starvation. It's not unusual to see a so-called "health expert" whose hair has fallen out and whose skin looks like shoe leather--and isn't that a good indication that what they're teaching you is wrong!? You must study LEAN & FREE and live its principles every day if you want to establish faith in your own body and in its responses to nurturing, nourishment and lack of caloric and/or nutrient starvation. This program is light years ahead of "quick-fix" diet programs. Every element of it is vastly different! And even if you study those differences, if you don't continue studying and reinforcing this new information, you may threaten your progress. That little crevice of LEAN & FREE knowledge you're carving into your brain will be obscured and swallowed up by the Grand Canyon of diet falsehoods you've been learning all your life.
So give yourself the freedom to live, love and be happy by adequately preparing yourself--continue studying and reaffirming the LEAN & FREE principles until they are an integral part of your nature. You can then, finally get on with your life.
An important part of your self-affirmation lies in the ability to overcome obstacles, many of which are self-imposed, even though they may seem beyond your control. These obstacles often stem from fears and doubts based on physical handicaps or illnesses that people feel will interfere with their ability to follow the program. To help you overcome those doubts, I will briefly discuss some of the physical and emotional health problems that many LEAN & FREE students have brought to my attention. Many of these subjects are discussed much more fully in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book and on the tapes. Let me emphasize the fact that this information can in no way serve as a substitute for the advice you should be seeking from your physician for these special health needs and disorders. I am not a doctor. But I am a very informed woman who for many years has researched the most effective eating and exercise habits. When I could not find the answers to my own problems organized in a complete, sensible, livable way, I began to formulate them myself. I never planned to design a program for the public. It simply developed naturally because the need was so great and because so many people began asking me to share this knowledge with them.
My advice is simple: listen to your doctor; listen to this program; and then really learn to trust and listen to your body. It already knows what you need. All you have to learn to do is correctly interpret its signals to you; and LEAN & FREE, along with your personal physician, can teach you how.
Now let's briefly explore some of the special physical and emotional conditions to which this program can be adapted and which, in many cases, can be alleviated by its principles.
Learn more about your special need(s).....
Allergies, Amenorrhea, Anorexia, Arthritis, Back Problems, Bulimia, Cancer, Children, Chronic Dieting, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Sore Throats, Constipation, Depression, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Fibromyalgia, Foot Problems, Gastrointestinal Distress, Hair Problems, Headaches, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, High Resistance to Fat Loss, Hypoglycemia, Infertility, Knee Problems, Leg Problems, Menopause, Morbid Obesity, Muscular Disorders, Nursing, Osteoporosis, Physical Handicaps, PMS, Pregnancy, Premature Aging, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Esteem Problems, Senior Citizens, Skin Problems, Stomachaches, Stomach-Stapling Surgery, Stress Control and Weight Gain as a Goal.
Wheat and dairy food allergies are very common in our culture. If you are allergic to a specific food, it's essential that you avoid it. It can threaten your health and signal your body that there is a threat to your survival, thus encouraging it to store fat. Specific allergy tips given on page 11 of Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme! (and throughout the menus and recipes) include good food substitutes for wheat and dairy products. You may also try Lactaid or acidophilus supplements (ask advice from your doctor or pharmacist) to help combat a lactase enzyme deficiency in the small intestine. Such deficiencies can create a milk-sugar (lactose) intolerance. If you are allergic to both the sugar and the protein in milk, you will need to completely avoid dairy products and take a calcium supplement. To provide yourself with protein at breakfast, choose protein foods from the lunch and dinner menus, in place of milk or yogurt.
Also check with your local bookstores for cookbooks that deal with your particular food intolerance. (Examples: Wheat-Free Cooking, Milk-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Cooking, etc.)
Work with your doctor when dealing with hay fever and any allergies. You may find that as you closely adhere to the LEAN & FREE optimum wellness lifestyle, your immune system becomes stronger and your allergies lessen and, in some cases, clear up completely. (See LaRane's story on page 205 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book.)
See Pregnancy/Infertility/Amenorrhea.
Anorexia, Bulimia and Chronic Dieting/Stomach-Stapling Surgery
Where Do You Start?
If you have an eating disorder, or have made the mistake of having your stomach stapled, your first essential step is to seek professional help. The second step is to begin recording your eating patterns. Write down exactly what you eat (or are unable to eat) on a typical day. If vomiting is one of the symptoms of your disorder, record how many times you vomit each day. The next step is to very gradually increase the amounts of good healthy food you eat. The key word here is gradually. If you increase these foods too rapidly they can place extreme physical stress on your body, which will trigger it to store fat. Too rapid an increase can also be very dangerous to your health. Remember that your goal is to get well physically and emotionally, and that goal is achieved through knowledge and gradual change. To obtain that knowledge you must study the LEAN & FREE program intensively every day. Then slowly begin to implement that new knowledge. Your body will begin talking to you again. It will send signals of hunger, fullness, energy and contentment. Just give it time.
The following is an example of how one woman very gradually changed her eating habits and began to enjoy good, healthy food again. We'll call this person "Jeanine." Jeanine was anorexic when she began the program, so anorexic that she even had trouble swallowing. Fear of fat interfered with every attempt she made to take a bite of food. Even plain water tasted bitter to her. Yet each time Jeanine looked at her withered hands, or found herself crying uncontrollable for hours at a time, she determined that she had to change. Her first step was to seek professional help for eating disorders and depression. Her next step was to begin eating very small, well-balanced meals throughout the day.
Jeanine's Starter Meals
Breakfast
Water: 3 to 8 ounces bottled water (if tap water tastes bitter)
Grain: 1/4 to 1/2 cup Cream of Wheat hot cereal with 1/2 teaspoon of honey
Protein: 1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk
Fruit: 1 to 2 slices of orange (1/2 inch thick each)
Snack
Water: 3 to 8 ounces
Veggie: 1 to 2 baby carrots (Or steamed or canned veggies if raw veggies upset your stomach.)
Lunch
Water: 3 to 8 ounces
Veggie: 1 to 2 baby carrots
Grain: 1/4 to 1/2 slice bread (part whole grain)
Protein: 1 to 2 tablespoons tuna in water mixed with fat free mayonnaise (Put tuna on bread.)
Fruit: 1 to 2 small slivers of apple
Snack
Water: 3 to 8 ounces
Veggie: 2 to 3 green beans
Dinner
Water: 3 to 8 ounces
Veggie: 2 to 3 green beans
Grain: 1/4 to 1/2 small blueberry muffin (part whole grain)
Protein: 1/4 to 1/2 cup nonfat fruit yogurt
Fruit: (blueberries in muffin)
Snack
Water: 3 to 8 ounces
Veggie: 1 to 2 celery sticks (Or steamed or canned veggies if raw veggies upset your stomach.)
Exercise
3 minutes/3 times a day
Drink 3 to 8 ounces cool water while exercising.
Jeanine's beginning exercise was this: She would sit, play gentle music on her recorder and perform simple arm movements. She would move her arms very slowly in and out, in and out; then up and down, up and down. The movements were very gentle; the arms were bent at the elbows.
As Jeanine's body and mind developed more strength, stamina and balance, she very gradually increased the amounts of food she was eating. She threw away her scale and monitored her progress instead by how she felt and looked.
Today Jeanine is a high-energy, vivacious and attractive woman who leads a happy, fulfilled life. She looks 15 years younger than she did in her anorexic state. Her menstrual cycle is once again regular. She eats like a normal person. Her entire life is back in balance.
If you suffer from an eating disorder, have been a chronic dieter or have had your stomach stapled, it's time to get excited! You've found the answers you've been seeking. Take advantage of the knowledge you're being offered: Study! Study! Study! And be gentle and kind to your body. Listen to its signals, for it will talk to you. You'll develop faith in it and in how it works with you, instead of against you. Take these steps and you too can have a lean, high-energy, beautiful body. And you'll be eating like a healthy, normal person for the rest of your life. You CAN do this--it will work for YOU!
See Charlene's, Karla's and Lisa's success stories on pages 184, 192, and 194 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book concerning eating disorders. Carefully study Carol Ann's and Janelle's stories on pages 179 and 181 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book if you've had stomach stapling or bypass surgery.
Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Muscular Disorders
As an arthritis sufferer, or as an individual suffering from fibromyalgia or muscular disorders, you may find that ideal gentle exercises* for you will include walking hip deep in water, gentle walking in place and the 20 minute extra-gentle or low-level movements on your Enjoying the Freedom aerobics tapes. Remember to work closely with your doctor and physical therapist. Counsel with them regularly concerning the type, intensity and amount of exercise you perform.
*Refer to pages 90 and 91 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book for more exercise suggestions for arthritic sufferers.
Stay with mainly "A" Choice desserts, "A" and "B" Choice main courses and follow the LEAN & FREE menus completely. The moderate fat, salt, and protein intake, increase in fiber, and precise nutrient balance will gradually improve your sense of well-being. As your body increases in health, strength and vitality, an optimal percentage of body fat may then follow.
Work closely with your doctor to monitor your need for pain medication. Many LEAN & FREE students have noticed a marked decrease in their need for medication. Some now require no medication at all and can move more freely and easily than they've been able to for years. (See Patty's story on page 193 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book.)
Remember you are nourishing, nurturing, and rebuilding your entire body. While caloric and nutrient starvation bears down and destroys muscles and other body tissues, LEAN & FREE rebuilds and strengthens muscle and body tissue. And since muscle "curves" and fat "hangs," which would you prefer? Curves of course!
Back, Leg, Knee and Foot Problems
Work closely with your doctor and physical therapist to monitor your need for pain medications, muscle-relaxants and exercises specifically designed for your needs. Then you may want to try the greatest muscle-relaxant I've ever discovered--a quality calcium supplement. Such supplements have enabled me to feel like a completely different person, and I've suffered severe lower-back and upper-back pain since I was eleven years old! Now I take between 800 and 1,500 milligrams of quality calcium every day--the recommended dosage for women. I generally take the lower dose, because I get some calcium from my food. But if I'm feeling added tension in my back, I increase the dosage of my supplement with no fear of developing kidney stones or calcium deposits, because I drink 8 to 12 glasses of water every day and take a quality supplement.
I have had many students who received marked relief from back, leg, knee, ankle and foot problems by adhering to the following three steps:
Remember, this program is not a quick solution for annoying symptoms--you're building a new healthier, fat-burning body for life!
See Anorexia, Bulimia and Chronic Dieting/Stomach-Stapling Surgery.
As you study the American Cancer Society guidelines, you will recognize immediately that they are based on plain common sense. They include:
Increase fiber in your diet.
The LEAN & FREE program shows you specifically how to incorporate each of these guidelines into your everyday life and how to avoid over doing it by introducing too much fiber too fast, or too much exercise too suddenly. In addition it offers you food that truly tastes wonderful because you haven't completely eliminated good, essential fats. Finally you won't crave fats and sweets because you're neither calorically nor nutritionally deprived. You are free to eat and enjoy life!
The health and leanness rules are basically the same if you are two or 92 years old, 100 pounds overweight or anxious to gain a little weight. Study the "A" and "B" main course, side dish and dessert recipes in Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme!. Unless your children are resistant to excess body-fat loss, you may want to keep their fat in the 20 to 30% range (mostly from "good" fat choices). You may, if you like, provide good "B" Choice desserts for them more often than you do for yourself if you're resistant to excess fat loss. (However, have your child stay exclusively with "A" Choice, fruit-juice-sweetened desserts if he or she has a tendency towards hyperactivity. Have them avoid sugar and, of course, all artificial sweeteners!) It is easy to design meals that suit the specific needs of both you and your children. For instance, if we have homemade pizza at our house, I might put a little more cheese on the children's side of the pizza and even a few slices of pepperoni. On my side of the pizza, I would be more moderate with cheese, leave off the pepperoni, and load on the veggie toppings. Once in a while I buy the children regular tortilla chips while I buy the baked variety for my husband and myself. And sometimes I will fix the children ice-milk shakes and my husband and myself Instant Ice Cream shakes made with fruit juice concentrate and fruit. Have fun with your family meals, be flexible and enjoy the freedom LEAN & FREE offers! (See Corine's story on page 187 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book. Also notice the pictures pages 55 and 132 of this same book.)
See Anorexia, Bulimia and Chronic Dieting/Stomach-Stapling Surgery.
Chronic Fatigue/Depression/Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Chronic fatigue, depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder are three ailments that require the advice of your doctor. As you read through the Success Stories beginning on page 176 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book, you will be introduced to numerous individuals who have seen marked improvements in these areas as they followed the program's guidelines. The increase in endorphins (the "feel good" hormones) along with the general increase in health, energy and lean muscle tissue that occurs with LEAN & FREE contributes greatly to relief from these ailments. Furthermore, a sense of service to others and a renewed sense of purpose in life--focus of LEAN & FREE--can make a tremendous difference to your state of mind and emotional well-being.
Seasonal Affective Disorder can also be treated with special full-spectrum lights. (Ask your doctor which are best.) These can be installed throughout your home. In severe cases, a change in location to a place with a year-round sunny climate may be very helpful. For immediate relief when you start to feel that cloudy, dark mood descending, make certain to exercise (gentle aerobics) for at least 20 minutes; if you don't feel like cooking, eat three balanced Grab 'n' Go meals each day; and take life one day at a time or even each hour at a time. Being happy for one hour at a time is a realistic, attainable goal for almost everyone. (Watch your support group video tapes weekly to help boost your mood, strengthen your understanding of LEAN & FREE principles and renew your own faith in yourself!)
When I have been completely overwhelmed by life or overcome with grief or frustration, I take the following five steps every day:
1. Eat three Water/Veggie/Grain/Protein/Fruit
meals.
2. Exercise gently and aerobically for 20 minutes.
3. Practice Positive Body Talk (See page 51 in your LEAN
& FREE 2000 PLUS book.)
4. Lose myself in service to others.
5. Take life one day or one hour at a time!
There is one more element that, in good conscience, I can't omit. I keep a prayer in my heart at all times.
If you suffer from sore throats, see your doctor and get your sore throat treated. Then ask him or her about the following approach for keeping well:
I was once a "walking sore throat" until I learned to follow these six steps. I find if I don't include vitamin C in my routine I get sick much more often, as do many of the people I work with. But don't overdo it! Even though vitamin C is water soluble, excesses of any vitamin or mineral are not advisable. Be moderate and consult your physician.
Relief from constipation and even some forms of diarrhea may be a benefit enjoyed from the optimum nutrition outlined in Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme!. If the problem persists, see your doctor and continue working with him or her until the problem is alleviated. (Read John's story on page 196 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book.)
See Chronic Fatigue/Depression/Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Throughout Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme!, there are specific instructions and information for individuals suffering from diabetes. If this applies to you, read each page of Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme! very carefully and highlight the sections that pertain to diabetes.
Depending on the severity of hypoglycemia, an individual with this malady should follow the same basic guidelines as a diabetic:
1. Eat smaller meals often. Eat six or more a day, never allowing more than two or three hours between meals. This maintains an even blood-sugar level and a high fat-burning metabolism. Veggie-based leftovers make excellent small meals and snacks (for example, vegetable beef soup, chicken veggie stir-fry, chicken broccoli casserole and veggie-stuffed sandwiches, pita, or tortillas--with a little meat.)
2. Eat fruit with your meals, but not on an empty stomach, as fruit has a high natural sugar content. Eat the whole fruit with all of its fiber; it's more nutritious and has less impact on your blood-sugar level than fruit juice.
3. Save the fruit-juice concentrate for sweetening your desserts. Always eat dessert after a full Water/Veggie/Grain/Protein/Fruit meal, and never on an empty stomach. Choose the "A" Choice fruit-juice-sweetened desserts in Dana's Cookbook: Cooking Lean - Not Extreme!. They are delicious! Avoid concentrated sugars and completely avoid all artificial sweeteners! (Refer to the artificial sweetener information on page 27 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book).
4. Eat to comfortable satisfaction. Don't starve and don't stuff.
5. Exercise gently and aerobically 20 to 60 minutes, three to six days per week.
If you are interested in excellent health, steady blood-sugar levels and a strong immune system, but do not need to lose excess body fat, an excellent exercise regimen would be as follows. Every other day do one of the following:
*See page 90 in your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book for recommendations.
If you desire excess body fat loss, do one of the following six days a week:
6. Avoid getting over-tired. Retire and arise early, to provide yourself with seven to nine hours of sleep a night (the optimum hours for most people).
By following these six easy guidelines, many LEAN & FREE students, working closely with their doctors and dieticians, have been able to decrease markedly their insulin intake. Doctors and dieticians support this program and recommend LEAN & FREE for their patients every day.
Finally, refer to your first Dana, I Need to Know support group video. Steve very gradually increased his calories until they were almost triple those of the initial diet he'd been put on. His energy level also tripled, and his need for insulin was reduced by half.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the fewer calories you ingest the less insulin you'll need. This may be true in the short-run. However, in the long-run, the major factor in minimizing your need for added insulin is the overall good health of your body. I've worked with women who never had a problem with excess body fat in their lives until they got stuck on a 1,200 calorie diet to control their adult-onset diabetes. Then almost immediately, their energy levels were cut in half, their skin began to age rapidly and their hips expanded. Don't starve yourself! Work with your doctor and listen to your body. It knows what you need. (Carefully study Joseph's, Clarise's and Marsha's success stories on pages 187, 191 and 202 of your LEAN & FREE 2000 PLUS book.)
See Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and Muscular Disorders.
See Back, Leg, Knee and Foot Problems.
See Stomachaches/Gastrointestinal Distress.
Learn more about your special need(s).....
Allergies, Amenorrhea, Anorexia, Arthritis, Back Problems, Bulimia, Cancer, Children, Chronic Dieting, Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Sore Throats, Constipation, Depression, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Fibromyalgia, Foot Problems, Gastrointestinal Distress, Hair Problems, Headaches, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, High Resistance to Fat Loss, Hypoglycemia, Infertility, Knee Problems, Leg Problems, Menopause, Morbid Obesity, Muscular Disorders, Nursing, Osteoporosis, Physical Handicaps, PMS, Pregnancy, Premature Aging, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Esteem Problems, Senior Citizens, Skin Problems, Stomachaches, Stomach-Stapling Surgery, Stress Control and Weight Gain as a Goal.
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