Phase Two is for those who want to see incredible results and are willing to make a greater commitment to achieving their weight loss goals. If you are targeting your high school weight or wedding weight or any transformational benchmark, this is the level for you. You’ll give up a little more, but you’ll get WAY more in return.
In the DDP Yoga Phase Two you’ll make an even stronger commitment to real foods in their natural state. We start with the principles of Phase One and walk up the ladder by also eliminating all wheat and dairy. I personally had no idea about my
own food intolerances to wheat, flour, gluten, and dairy products until I completely eliminated them. I’ve been eating gluten and dairy free for years now, and I can honestly say it’s changed my life more than I could have imagined. If you don’t believe me… try it for yourself and tell me how you feel on Facebook, Twitter or TeamDDPYoga.com!
DAIRY INTOLERANCE
Let’s start with the most common allergy in the nation…dairy (products made from cow’s milk). Would it surprise you to know that up to 80% of the population has some intolerance to lactose from dairy? It’s one of the top ten inflammatory foods for your body. Clinical studies from Johns Hopkins University date back 40 years on the subject. Think about it.. cow’s milk is meant for baby cows, not humans! I know, I know… I grew up on it too. But I’ve always been one to challenge traditional thinking.
After experiencing the benefits of going dairy-free myself (I never recommend anything I don’t do myself), I started to learn more about the subject. As it turns out, this intolerance to dairy gets worse as we age. Why?….Because the huge protein and sugar molecules in milk are very hard for humans to digest….even in its cleanest form. Then, the homogenization and pasteurization processes strip cow’s milk of most of it’s nutrients. Next, add all the synthetic hormones and genetically modified grains that are fed to the cows and you get an allergy cocktail that your body can’t even recognize as food! The Franken-Proteins that are present in the milk alert your body’s immune system to declare chemical warfare on this alien invader. Your body will scramble its army of white blood cells and use inflammatory chemicals as its weapons of mass destruction. The only problem is that your stomach and intestines serve as the battlefield for this epic showdown and that can get pretty uncomfortable! But what does this really mean? You may not realize it, but one of the causes of bloating, nausea, gas, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, joint pain or constipation could be from an intolerance to dairy products! Even the head of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, Walter Willett, MD, PhD states that there’s very little evidence that dairy products reduce bone fractures… so maybe it DOESN’T do the body good!
You won’t believe how much better you will feel and how much weight you will lose when you give it up. And the longer you go without it, the better you will feel!
WHEAT (OR GLUTEN) INTOLERANCE
Historians of early mankind indicate humans ate only what they could hunt and gather: fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish. Experts on gluten intolerance believe that human digestive systems were not ever meant to eat grain and that they have not developed enough to break down the complex part of the grain. Gluten is found in many grains: barley, kamut, oats, rye, and spelt.
I know, I didn’t buy it at first either. But I’ll tell you that when I removed gluten and wheat products from my diet completely, it took my fitness to another level. Because I’ve had so many wrestling-related injuries during the course of my career, I’m no stranger to joint pain. I was blown away at how much better my joints felt and how the little aches and pains disappeared. Although I’ve not (yet) done my own scientific study on it, countless others I have helped have reported nearly identical results. To tell you the truth, I never really did the research as to why, I just knew it worked for me. As I started reading more about the subject, it started to make a ton of sense…
Since the 1990’s, most grains have been grown from genetically altered seeds that are manufactured by chemical companies. Much like the dairy industry, these companies have taken a food product (grain) that is already difficult to digest in its more natural form and turned it into a patented, genetically modified “Freak-Food” that may be more resistant to pests but is also seen as an alien invader by nearly 75% of the people who ingest it! Your body typically endures the same type of inflammatory reaction as previously described in the Dairy Intolerance section above. This can lead to muscle aches, mood swings, itchy eyes, increased susceptibility to soft tissue and joint injuries, stubborn weight gain, lack of energy, gas, bloating, constipation, and a host of other digestive issues. In other words, most people don’t have any idea what they are eating when they consume normal wheat products!
The symptoms I described above don’t just happen overnight and you don’t become 50+lbs overweight in one week. In fact, the process happens slowly enough over time, that most of us can’t make the connection between the symptoms we are experiencing and the foods we are eating. But the more we ingest gluten, dairy products, heavily processed and genetically engineered foods… the more toxins build up in our body, which can lead to weight gain, chronic discomfort, and systemic disease. But don’t just take it from me… Dr. Mark Hyman, MD states “Gluten sensitivity is actually an autoimmune disease. It creates inflammation throughout the whole body with a wide-ranging set of effects on your heart, brain, joints, digestive tract, and more…gluten can be the single cause behind so many different diseases. These diseases are not treatable with better medication but simply by the 100% elimination of gluten in the diet.”
These grains will be eliminated in Phase Two. But not to worry — there are so many other good foods to eat! When you eliminate gluten, your life will change for the better! Your digestion will improve and those extra pounds will drop off much more easily! With DDP Yoga Phase Two, I’ll teach you how to create delicious, satisfying meals and snacks to fuel your body with energy and
slim you down to your goal… and keep you there for life! Between Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and your local health food store, there are so many gluten-free choices today! In fact, many mainstream grocery stores sell gluten-free products as well. But, don’t be fooled into thinking that gluten-free also means calorie-free. Eating 3 gluten-free doughnuts at 11 pm will not get you closer to your weight loss goal! And, just because it happens to say gluten-free on a package, that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. That product may have way too much sodium content or could be sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Always read the label! Two really tasty brands you can buy are Namaste and Pamela’s.
You can find a number of great choices that are wheat, flour, dairy and gluten-free at TeamDDPYoga.com.