Introduction: An Overview of the Integration of Biology and Psychology and Challenge Projects

Therefore, we need to further understand the biological reasons behind this. We want to explore why the participants were still able to lose weight even without exercise or calorie control. In Chapters Two and Three, I will reveal the secrets we have discovered. As you might guess, it has to do with a fundamental change in their bodies-a completely new and amazing mechanism for appetite control and rapid calorie burning.

We tested this weight loss program on various populations: men and women, young and old, healthy and those with illnesses, those needing significant weight loss and those needing only minor weight loss. We also tested the method on people who already had a healthy weight but wanted to eat healthier. Many participants had very little or no time to cook or exercise; however, the method still proved very effective for them.

We found that people not only became slimmer, but their cholesterol levels also dropped dramatically, and their blood pressure decreased. If they had diabetes, their symptoms often improved or even disappeared. Arthritis pain and migraines often vanished, and energy was quickly restored. They were no longer as listless as before. They looked radiant.

Quick changes, permanent effects

The most exciting thing about this challenge is that it's not a 5-year plan, a 3-year plan, or a 6-month plan. It only takes 3 weeks. Of course, for it to be effective, the dietary changes must be transformed into long-term good habits-that's absolutely true. Please allow me to put it from a slightly different perspective:

Although my current academic position is in the Department of Internal Medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine, I have pursued my medical career along a different path.

Initially, the question I wanted to investigate was: Why do we do this? Why do we go astray in our actions? So, after graduating from medical school, I completed my residency in psychiatry and then worked as a physician at St. Vincent's Hospital, a large medical center in downtown New York City. I not only managed a psychiatric ward but also provided counseling, treating patients with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other ailments, including depression, anxiety, and other problems. During my work, I began to notice that American medical practice was not good at prevention. We did virtually nothing to prevent heart disease before a patient was brought to the emergency room. Similarly, we rarely took preventative measures before diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and other serious illnesses would fully develop and even become life-threatening. Physicians then, like physicians today, tended to overlook the role of nutrition. Medical school offered virtually no nutrition courses. While food is crucial for many health issues, we were better at prescribing than providing nutritional information.

I founded the Physicians for Responsible Care Association with the aim of restoring the role of nutrition and disease prevention in medical practice. I also wanted to ensure that good research improved medical practice, research that was both logical and ethical. My research team began studying diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight, and other health problems.

In the process of working on this, I realized that the biological questions are only part of the problem. In other words, how and why a certain food satisfies the appetite and boosts metabolism is not the whole story. The other half of the problem is psychological: How do we get the motivation to start? How do we stick to a healthy diet? How do we avoid temptations? How do we motivate friends and family members? How do we get them to motivate us? Having an effective diet is important, but how to make that diet work in real life is equally important.

Therefore, we not only study which diet is best and most effective for weight loss and health, but also how to maintain healthy habits.

We've found that one of the most important factors is a focus on the short term. We've repeatedly found that once we make changes in the short term, we tend to change our long-term habits.

Therefore, the first step is to guide you out of your old eating habits and into a better eating pattern. By letting you enjoy the change and see the results along the way, you gain the motivation to stick with it long-term. Therefore, we will focus on fun and effective rapid change so you will enjoy following this program.

Imagine you start a motorcycle. It only takes a second or two to ignite the engine, and then you're off. Once on the highway, you can reach any destination. The same principle applies when you initiate a change in your life. Through a quick and easy activity, you inspire powerful changes that will benefit you in the long run.

The following are just some of the goals that can be achieved through this challenge:

• Improve your ability to control your appetite. Success in this activity isn't about willpower. Instead, it's about the power of food to change and determine your body shape and weight. Some foods trigger the appetite center, causing you to overeat. Other foods trigger the satiety center-the part of the brain that tells you to stop eating-so you eat less. This means that if you feel your appetite is greater than you should, it's likely due to nutritional reasons. By choosing the right foods-you will learn how to choose foods-you will easily solve this problem.

• Fast food increases metabolism-your calorie-burning rate will speed up. By choosing certain foods, your cells will be more capable of converting more food into energy rather than fat. I'll tell you which foods have this magic.

• Quickly activate your health mechanisms. Some rapid weight loss diets force you into a state of semi-starvation, while others allow you to "enjoy" unhealthy high-protein foods, which can harm you in the long run. In this program, we go beyond these short-sighted notions. Instead, our goal is to achieve the best results in both areas-a healthy weight and a healthy body. With a focus on heart protection-choosing foods that revitalize your heart and blood vessels-you will bring health deep into every tissue of your body, restoring energy and building strong resistance against the health problems that plague many.

What we don't do

There are three things we will not do in this project:

• Don't count calories. Theoretically, calories are important. However, when you focus on what you eat rather than how much you eat, the calorie issue will resolve itself.

• We don't force you to exercise. Exercise in this program is entirely optional. Strange? Well, let me clarify: As a doctor, I strongly recommend exercise for many reasons. However, some people cannot exercise effectively due to a weak heart, joint pain, extreme overweight, or other reasons. If you are in this situation, please note that our research shows that nutrition alone can have surprising effects. Therefore, exercise is great for consolidating the benefits of nutritional changes, but even if you never exercise, you can easily lose weight and gain significant health benefits.

• It won't make you feel guilty about carbohydrates. Many people feel anxious about bread, potatoes, and rice, fearing these foods will cause weight gain. What they don't realize is that once you know how to choose carbohydrates correctly-and how to avoid ruining them during cooking-you can enjoy carbohydrate-rich foods while losing weight.

In fact, we won't make you feel guilty about anything. Guilt and morality often raise their ugly heads when it comes to food, for various reasons. Sometimes, people treat delicious food as "sinful" and "depraved." If we eat something unhealthy, we are "bad"; if we resist the temptation, we are "good." If we get sick, we tend to blame ourselves, our parents, our genes, the government, the food industry, or others.

Of course, there are certain ethical issues surrounding food and health. However, in this book, we set aside all ethical concerns. Guilt, condemnation, and moralizing have no place here. Instead, you are participating in an enjoyable and effective activity. We will focus on using the power of food to serve health. In the unlikely event that you eat something that wasn't the best choice, all you need to do is start over and restart our project.

How was this challenge conducted?

You might be surprised to learn that the first thing you'll do at the start of this project isn't to change your diet. Instead, we'll examine your food options, identify your preferences, and determine which foods are best for you... all within a few days. Meanwhile, you won't need to alter your daily diet; you'll simply be trying new foods. I think you'll be amazed at how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be.

If you enjoy cooking, you'll find a wealth of recipes to choose from. These recipes are designed by one of the best chefs-Jason Wyrick. Jason's work has influenced many chefs who pursue both health and deliciousness. In a packed hall, he introduces his delicious and easy cooking methods to audiences, demonstrating how easy it is to cook truly delicious food. You'll understand what I mean when you flip through the menus and recipes in this book.

If you don't cook, we'll consider convenient foods and how to make the best choices at restaurants. Even if you don't eat out or at fast-food restaurants, you'll learn that enjoying a good meal while eating out without interrupting your health goals isn't as difficult as you might think.

I'll also share tips on shopping, how to modify your favorite recipes, and how to resist temptations. By the time you finish this trial period, you'll know exactly which foods are right for you-to suit your taste and your schedule.

Then, once you're ready and know which foods you like best, we'll get to work and make those foods work for you. Over 21 days, you'll enjoy the healthy foods you choose and see the benefits they bring. I'll be there to provide information and support at every step of this phase. I'll check on your progress and identify any challenges you might encounter. I'll offer new insights into health topics. I'll also encourage and motivate you.

You'll also have many friends cheering you on every day. Bestselling author Alicia Silverstone will tell you her secrets to youthful beauty. NBA champion John Salley and ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek will share their tips for having incredible energy. Bob Harper from *Biggest Loser* will help you develop the right mindset. Marilu Henner, Rory Freedman, Kathy Freston, Kris Carr, and many other celebrities will share their experiences as experts. They have gone through this life-changing transition, and so will you.

This book is divided into three parts. In the first part, I will share with you the easy-to-understand ABCs of this project:

A is appetite control

B is to increase energy consumption.

C protects the heart

You will learn how food affects your body-which foods can enhance your appetite control, help your metabolism, and keep you healthy.

The second part of this book is the challenge itself. I will tell you everything you need to prepare. Then, for each of the 21 days, I will provide you with a short reading passage.

The third part consists of tools to help you maintain lifelong health, including recipes, cooking tips, and more inspiration to help you continuously explore the wonders of your body and the foods you love.

Let's begin. I hope you enjoy every part of this exciting new journey and share what you learn with others. If you'd like to be more involved in our work of widely disseminating health information, you can find a wealth of resources on the website www.pcrm.org. I look forward to working alongside you.

[Part One]

excitation

Foods that promote metabolism