One of the great joys of presenting my research at scientific conferences around the world is the opportunity to meet intriguing people from all walks of life. I first met Ava in Monaco, where I was delivering a keynote address at an international anti-aging conference. Ava was covering the conference for a major US based news weekly and approached me as I left the podium following my presentation.
"Excuse me, Dr. Perricone," she said. "I was fascinated by your talk and wonder if I might get a few quotes for my magazine." I was delighted to oblige, and we made plans to meet later at the Panorama Terrasse overlooking the spectacular Mediterranean.
After a delightful lunch, we were enjoying our aperitifs and the dazzling view of the sea from our cliff side terrace. "Dr. Perricone, I wonder if I might ask you for your professional advice," Ava asked rather timidly. As I nodded my acquiescence she began her story.
"I realize that your field of expertise is dermatology and anti-aging, however, during your lecture you mentioned something called the 'anti-inflammatory diet,' and how if one followed it, many of the conditions associated with aging, including unwanted weight gain, would be preventable. As I continued to listen to you, I realized that I have been doing EVERYTHING wrong in the diet and nutrition department. I started dieting in my twenties to lose an extra ten pounds. Over the years my weight has yo-yoed up and down until now at 40, I am saddled not only with the original ten pounds but another ten as well."
I asked Ava to outline a typical day's meal plan. "For breakfast I usually have a glass of orange juice, a cup of black coffee and a toasted bagel with fat-free cream cheese. Lunch is usually a baked potato topped with non-fat sour cream. I like to snack on rice or corn cakes in the afternoon because they only have 40 calories each. For dinner I usually have a large salad with non-fat dressing and a skinless, boneless chicken breast. Truthfully, I am mystified by my difficulty in taking off weight because I NEVER eat fats or sweets of any kind," she added with a hint of desperation.
Ava's dilemma is not out of the ordinary. In fact, many of my female patients over the years have found themselves in the same difficult situation. In addition to the unwanted weight gain and great difficulty in taking off the weight, a diet centered on these types of foods accelerates the aging process and is highly damaging to the skin. I could see the protein deprivation in Ava's face; she looked exhausted and older than her years. I explained to Ava that she was committing three cardinal sins:
• First, failure to eat enough protein
• Second, avoiding the good fats as well as the bad,
• And finally, choosing carbohydrates that have a high-glycemic index, such as bagels, potatoes, rice and corn cakes, in place of fresh fruits and vegetables
I outlined a simple regimen for Ava to follow consisting of three meals a day and two snacks. I also told her she needed to start taking 3,000 mg per day of omega 3 fish oil-- (one 1000 mg capsule with each meal) per day as well 3 packets per day with meals of a specially formulated weight management supplement containing all the nutrients she would need to facilitate weight loss. I promised to send her a list of recommended foods. She could mix and match her food choices from the list's quality protein sources, low-glycemic carbohydrates and the right types of fats - with the basic admonition that she must include one of each of the food groups in every meal and snack. Also, to drink 6 - 8 glasses of water per day.
Ava and I made plans to meet in New York a few weeks later, however our busy schedules interfered and it wasn't until almost eight weeks later that we finally got together. As I entered the Tea Room I noticed a stunning brunette sitting at my favorite corner table. As I walked away to look for an empty table, I heard my name being called. "Dr. Perricone, over here." Imagine my surprise (and embarrassment) when I turned around and realized that I had walked right past Ava! The transformation was so dramatic that I had failed to recognize her. She was dressed in a stylish black wool suit with a form-fitting jacket that emphasized her beautiful figure and small waist. Her shoulder length hair gleamed in the soft light of the tea room, while her beautiful skin glowed with the radiance of youth and health. Gone was the slightly overweight, harried and tired-looked journalist I had met in Monaco.
"Ava," I stammered, you look fantastic!" "Thank you Dr. Perricone, she said. "Little did I know how fortuitous our first meeting would turn out to be. I quickly learned to love salmon, salads and all of your recommended foods, because I noticed an immediate improvement in my skin, including a major decrease in puffiness. And, I have so much more mental and physical energy!"
Ava had lost close to twenty pounds since our encounter in Monaco. It helped that she was very physically active thanks to the demands of her career, because exercise is critical to a successful weight loss program. However, the key for Ava was reducing micro-inflammation by adding the right kind of fats to metabolize fat, while eliminating the wrong carbohydrates, which were causing her to store fat. The omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil capsules and plenty of seafood (especially the salmon), helped to rapidly facilitate her weight loss.
Later over dinner, Ava shared with me what had gone through her mind during my lecture in Monaco. "I made up my mind that it was 'now or never. I felt like you were tossing me a lifeline when you sent me that list of the right foods!" she confided.
As I sat contemplating her remarkable physical rejuvenation, I thought of the old proverb "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." Now that Ava had learned how to "fish" for the right foods, her problems with weight would forever be a thing of the past.
Reprinted from The Perricone Weight Loss Diet
