Medical Weblog

(Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese): 2-3 servings (I prefer the nonfat varieties)—This group provides calcium, protein, vitamin D, and other nutrients that are needed for the growth and maintenance of strong bones and connective tissues. A lack of either calcium or vitamin D, which is needed for the proper absorption of calcium, leads to rickets (soft, malformed bones) in children and osteoporosis (hollow bones) in adults.

In recent years, the dairy group has received a lot of undeserved bad press. It’s been called everything from mucous producing to unnatural to health threatening. I’ve found none of these claims to be scientifically substantiated. In fact, the lack of dairy products (and resulting lack of calcium) seems to be a lot more threatening to the health. Adequate amounts of calcium are vital for children and adolescents who are actively building bones and for pregnant women who are supporting the growth of the fetal skeleton. Without it, the quality of the bone suffers, paving the way for osteoporosis later in life. In my 40 years of medical practice, I’ve seen many patients suffering from this disease. Their brittle, easily broken bones are constantly wracked with pain, making it extremely difficult to get around. Eventually, the victim is confined to bed. The confinement, in turn, brings on complications such as pneumonia and other diseases that prey on the inactive. Not only do osteoporosis sufferers tend to die more quickly than their peers, the quality of their lives is severely lessened by the disease. So remember what your mother used to tell you: “Drink your milk!”

One serving of the dairy group is equal to 1 cup of milk, 1 ½ ounces of natural cheese, or 1 cup of yogurt. Of course, dairy products all suffer one disadvantage for dieters; they contain a lot of fat. For example, most cheese gets as much as 80 percent of its calories from fat, and cream cheese gets 91 percent. You can always try nonfat cheese, and for certain purposes (such as very spicy pizza where the taste and consistency of the cheese is largely masked), nonfat cheese can be quite acceptable. But to eat a chunk of the stuff plain may seem to you like eating soft plastic or candle wax. So, instead, eat a small amount of the cheese you really like, a little less than you usually eat, and pull out the excess fat with an extra gram or 2 of Chitosan.

The same approach applies to skim milk, which is my favorite, the only kind I drink. If you really dislike it, and even the low-fat 1 percent milk is too watery for your taste, try 2 percent and a little Chitosan.

I do recommend nonfat yogurt. It tastes almost as delicious as ice cream, and it lets you save Chitosan for when you really need it.

Average calorie amount per dairy serving. Nonfat: 90; Low fat: 120.

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I’ve had a great many positive experiences treating patients with the program I describe in this book. But even the most exciting clinical experience is stronger if it’s backed up by scientific studies. Let’s take a look at just a few of the many studies showing how fat reduction and the other elements included in my program reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, kidney stones, hypertension, arthritis, and ulcers.

You can do it!
This program has worked for many of my patients, whether they’ve been chubby, rotund, obese, or just plain big. It can work for you, too! The beauty of this program is that it never seems overwhelming. Unlike other weight reduction plans, I am not asking you to develop whole new eating and exercise regimens overnight. If you find that you can adopt the entire program all at once, begin simply by making a minor reduction in your fat intake. Gradually add in the other elements of the program as you feel comfortable. And remember, Chitosan can help you achieve your weight-loss goals. In no time at all, you’ll find yourself on the road to losing weight and gaining health!

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Not according to the studies, to my clinical experience, and the experience of countless, delighted dieters. Here is a summary of the dietary facts:

♦ Chitosan is a completely natural fiber derived from the shells of shrimp and other crustaceans.

♦ Chitosan acts like a magnet, its positive charge attracting and holding onto negatively charged fat from the food you just ate.

♦ The indigestible Chitosan/fat gel passes through the intestines and is eliminated from the body.

♦ By pulling fats and bile acids out of the body, Chitosan also helps to reduce your blood fats, total cholesterol, and bad LDL cholesterol, while increasing the good HDL cholesterol that can protect against heart disease.

♦ Chitosan has been tested and found to be safe and effective in scientific studies.

By taking Chitosan before a meal, you can block the absorption of at least 3—and up to

6—grams of saturated fat for every gram of Chitosan consumed. I’ve been using it as part of my Fat Blocker Program for years. When combined with a healthful diet and a program of regular exercise, Chitosan is a safe and effective key to opening the door to successful dieting. You can immediately and easily cut back on your fat intake without drastically changing your diet, thanks to Chitosan, the fat magnet. Even better, you can use Chitosan as part of the Fat Blocker Program to lose weight, improve your health, and maintain lifelong eating and lifestyle habits that will keep you in vibrant health. Chitosan is found under a number of brand names in health food stores.Program to lose weight, improve your health, and maintain lifelong eating and lifestyle habits that will keep you in vibrant health. Chitosan is found under a number of brand names in health food stores.

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Arthritis is a very common ailment, afflicting tens of millions of Americans. There are many types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, bursitis, systemic infections arthritis, and osteoarthritis. The most common form of the disease, osteoarthritis results from a breakdown of the cartilage that normally cushions the ends of the bones and prevents them from rubbing against each other and wearing away. If the cartilage does wear away, the result can be stiffness, pain, loss of joint mobility, and deformation of the joint.

There are many painkillers used to treat arthritis, though none are completely effective. These medicines can help with pain and inflammation, but many of them have side effects. A much simpler approach that I’ve prescribed with a great deal of success is to slim down. Although obesity does not necessarily cause osteoarthritis, the two often go hand in hand. There is a definite link between gaining weight and developing osteoarthritis, especially in the knees and ankles, which bear the brunt of the extra weight with each step. A large percentage of patients had gained weight shortly before the osteoarthritis began, and some 50 percent of those with the disease had been overweight for 3-10 years before the disease struck.¹¹

The Fat Blocker Program has helped many of my arthritis patients get off their medicines while relieving pain and stiffness in their knee, hip, and ankle joints (as have the new

developments in arthritis treatment as described in The Arthritis Cure, cowritten by Brenda Adderly).

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As Bob’s belly expanded, his life contracted. By his early thirties he was spending most of his time either working, playing with his computer, or lying on the couch watching television. “I really don’t mind being fat, Dr. Fox,” he explained when he first came to my office. “That’s just me. But when these chest pains started, I knew I had to do something. I’m really afraid I’m going to have a heart attack and die, because that’s what happened to
both my father and grandfather. They got fat and died of heart attacks before they were 50.”

Bob made the rounds of doctors’ offices, trying one medicine after another for his chest pains and elevated blood pressure. Both of these conditions were caused by his high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, his completely sedentary lifestyle, and the 150 extra pounds he carried in his “belly bib,” chest, and rear end. Meanwhile, he continued gaining weight. “The medicines aren’t doing it for me, Doctor. I don’t want to die, so I’ve got to lose
weight.”

I put him on the Fat Blocker Program, not sure if it would really work for someone that morbidly obese. To be on the safe side I also had him continue with the medicines for his heart and blood pressure. But as the weeks passed and Bob steadily lost weight, I began to relax. The pounds seemed to melt away, his chest pains disappeared, and both his cholesterol and blood pressure dropped back down toward safe levels. As his health improved, I gradually began phasing out his medicines. Finally, even his belly bib disappeared and we could actually see his belt again! He had lost 130 of that excess 150 pounds, bringing his weight down to a relatively safe (if slightly pudgy) 190.

Two years later, Bob was still at a normal weight and still healthy. “I think I ate because I was scared of dying, like my father and grandfather,” he told me. “Now that I’m at a normal weight, I’m not afraid of dying anymore so I’m not scarfing everything in sight. And I feel like grabbing a candy bar occasionally, but well, the Chitosan helps take care of that”^.

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