fbpx Skip to main content

TESTIMONY OF THE DAY

“Maria, I had tried so many diets in the past. I will admit I was one to be fooled into thinking that the popular “low fat” diet was the way to go. I can CERTAINLY agree with you and say, IT’S NOT!!!! After cutting fat and calories I found myself losing weight (1 pound a week if i worked out a lot) but then I would feel deprived and depressed and gain it all back. In addition I was noticing my hair thinning a ton!! I started seeing my doctor about my hair thinning over a year ago. She did a blood panel and then sent me to see multiple other specialists. I’v probably had one appointment every couple months for a year and still I have no answers, nor have I been directed to take action in any way. That is what really tipped me over the edge to contact you, Maria. I figured I’v already spent so much time and money NOT getting any answers. Why not try this, what have I got to lose?

From our first email I could tell that Maria cared to help me. As soon as I booked we took action (unlike the doctors office) I listened to everything she said and well, she helped me change my life. Everything she teaches just made sense to me and really “clicked.”  I started the “maria way” in October 2012 and it is now January 2013. Since then I’v lost over 30 pounds and I’m still losing!!

The more important part for me is that all of the symptoms I had when I came to Maria are gone or very close to gone. Anxiety = gone. Hunger spikes = gone. Stress levels = GREATLY reduced. Not to mention my hair is growing in thicker, healthier and much FASTER. My skin looks amazing too and I’v been getting so many compliments about it 🙂 Overall I feel like a million bucks!

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!!!”

Click HERE to get started like Molly!

weight loss

Why Weight Loss Gets Harder Each Time

Losing weight gets harder each time! Why you ask? Well, a healthy liver is the main organ that governs fat loss. It processes hormones, cleanses the cells of toxins, makes cholesterol, breaks down fats, metabolizes carbohydrates and proteins, as well as many other bodily functions. When a liver is constantly stressed by dieting, it gets tired and toxic, which makes it unable to assist you in your weight loss journey. Not only that, but in Chinese medicine, they consider the liver function to govern our emotions. When the liver is stressed by poor food, alcohol, fructose and sugar, lack of sleep, or pollution, you are most likely to be depressed, anxious or angry. Low liver function causes food cravings, binge eating and excretion of too much cortisol…. Causing more liver stress… It is a vicious cycle! Not to mention, if you go on antidepressants because your liver is causing low moods, the anti depressant causes more toxicity to your liver, which causes more depression and inability to lose weight.

The term “leaky gut” refers to when waste and partially digested foods are allowed into the blood stream due to perforations in the intestinal wall. People who are very sensitive to food poisoning have weak intestinal walls which allow bacteria to enter the blood easily. People who take antacids allow food particles to sit in their digestive system too long causing stress on the intestinal wall and are subject to leaky gut. This all causes water retention and stress on the liver. Some clients gain about 10-15 pounds of extra fluids. A healthy body is about 2/3rds water (hydrated cells are happy cells!) but when you have a leaky gut, water gets trapped and is unable to filter out toxins and waste; this also inhibits cell functions including the movement of fat. This is where cellulite comes into play. Your lymphatic system gets overwhelmed which causes the undesired effect of cellulite.

Also, our body and fat cells want to stay at “homeostasis”… when you lose weight, your fat cells shrink. When this happens, one of the 25 messengers in the fat cells sends powerful messages to the brain to eat. This message often sends people into an over-feeding binge, making the fat cells even larger and makes your set point even higher. Yo-yo dieting is very detrimental to fat cell growth.

Another important role is the liver ensures proper hormone balance. Estrogen dominance is a very common issue I see with many clients. First off it is because we are exposed to unhealthy external estrogen (such as non-organic meat and milk, alcohol, fructose, microwaving in plastics, drinking from plastic water bottles, and even soap leaches estrogens into the blood). But estrogens are detoxed by a healthy liver. Disruptions of the liver detoxification contributes to estrogen dominance; this causes difficulty in losing belly fat. Too often we are told to calculate calories in and calories out for weight loss. I believe it is all about hormone regulation. Insulin, estrogen, testosterone, leptin, ghrelin, glucagon, thyroid, progesterone, cortisol, human growth hormone as well as others determine our rate of fat metabolism, cravings, energy, sleep…if we fail to support our hormones, you can run all day and eat 500 calories and you will be frustrated at the conventional wisdom of the calorie lies.

The liver also produces over half of your bodies cholesterol production. Most of this is used to produce bile which breaks down fat. Bile gets stored in the gallbladder and is used to digest food and bile salts stimulate the secretion of water into the large intestine which helps us with proper bowel movements. One sign of a tired liver is that you don’t have a daily bowel movement. Other signs are excess belly fat, fatty cysts, and age spots.

Signs of liver stress:

1. Chronic indigestion

2. Constipation

3. Cellulite

4. Hot feet at night

5. PMS or menopausal symptoms

6. Low moods: depression/anxious/irritable

7. You are negative or resentful

8. Muscle or joint pain

9. Headaches or migraines

10. Fatigued

The good news is, the liver can heal very rapidly when provided the right food and nutrients! I have a whole chapter on Liver Cleansing foods in my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. 

weight loss

You do not have to live off of salads! Instead of feeling deprived… try my recipe ideas that are very low in carbohydrates and help you stay satisfied while losing weight! Happy Eating!

Find recipes and weekly meetings at Keto-Adapted.com for more support!

weight loss

Maria Emmerich

Maria is a wellness expert who has helped clients follow a Ketogenic lifestyle to heal and lose weight for over 20 years. She has helped thousands of clients get healthy, get off medications and heal their bodies; losing weight is just a bonus. She is the international best selling author of several books including "Keto: The Complete Guide to Success on the Ketogenic Diet.".

40 Comments

  • France says:

    She’s so inspiring!!! 🙂
    That article is great, I love seeing all the comparisons side by side like that!!!

  • Ahhh! Its Molly! <3 my MoMo

  • Anonymous says:

    Hi Maria, this is a great post!
    I wanted to share this with you, but was unsure where to post it.
    I’m amased at the information on the internet it’s like a food revolution!
    http://urbanposer.blogspot.ca/2012/12/grain-free-sourdough-bread.html
    Check this out, am thinking it might be awsome.
    Sula

  • katiemomma says:

    thanks, good information! Thank liver detoxifying is what I need….. why didn’t you say that when I paid for your consultation?

  • ashley mae says:

    whats your take on NOW foods Protein powders?

  • eMedOutlet says:

    The only reason is we do not understand our body.Each body id different and had different requirements to be healthy. What we need to do is to understand our body and requirements of our body. We should eat and we should do what our body needs, not we want or we wish.

  • Maria, you rock. Thanks so much for concocting and sharing all these amazing recipes and health insights. As a recent convert to a low-carb/no-carb lifestyle (and a recovering bread addict), this kind of information is heaven sent. I haven’t tried your pancakes yet, but I just used another recipe that uses almond flour and they were Awe.Some. Better than the real thing. I never thought it could be possible.

    I’m curious where you might suggest I begin in stocking my pantry for baking. So far I have almond meal, almond flour, coconut oil, and erythritol. I noticed a lot of your recipes call for various sweeteners – is there a particular one that would suit most uses? I guess what I’m looking for is a suggested shopping list for beginners!

    Thanks for your help.

  • Anonymous says:

    Maria,

    I was reading your health metabolism book on the supplements. I am trying to find the digestive enzyme blend you were talking about but I’m seeing so many supplements with all kinds of enzymes in addition to the lipase, amylase, and protease and then also ones that have something talking about amylase 1 and 2 and such. Do you have any brands you recommend? I didn’t think it would be so complicated with trying to find some.

  • Anonymous says:

    I just found your blog and the recipes look so good. I would like go try some of them. I have xylitol and stevia. Can I use either or both of these instead of swerve?

  • Suzie says:

    I purchased your metabolism book and have purchased several of the supplements you recommend – I was already taking a raw vitamin, vitamin D, krill oil and magnesium. Realistically, how long before I should see some signs of change???? Also, is there never a time to count calories?
    I am 57 and I feel like my metabolism has ceased to exist!

  • Suzie says:

    I have been working at wheat free, sugar-free, healthy eating and exercise for several weeks and have not seen any changes.I was hoping the supplements might be the boost I needed. I am not ready to give up yet… Should I limit calories more intently? Thanks for your great recipes!

    • Hi, you may need to limit all grains (sugar and starch). Many gluten free products have more carbs than the gluten ones. Supplements could help too, try l-carnitine in the morning (2 grams) when you wake up. 🙂
      http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20/detail/B001E6Q6YS

    • Suzie says:

      Thanks, Maria. That is the path I had already decided on. I don’t know exactly what you would consider a low carb diet, but I have been trying to stay below 100 grams per day. Usually, I average 70 or less, and that number still includes fiber. I have added the l-carnatine to my plan! I am not giving up!

      I totally agree on the high carb content on gluten free foods! My elderly mom has been on a gluten free diet for several years now and she eats a LOT of carbs. I have been trying to switch her to almond flour based alternatives, but it is tough. She has made such a dramatic switch from wheat to gluten free, she is quite resistant to further change.

    • I try to stay under 30g of total carbs per day to stay a fat burner (instead of a sugar burner). 🙂

      • Michele says:

        Hey Maria –
        I’m sort of new at this and confused. So 30g of effective carbs per day to stay a fat burner. Where do I find how to calculate total protein needs for my weight and height? If that’s detailed out in one of your books, could you give me the name of it? And would I calculate this off my current weight or what I would like to weigh. I think my biggest hurdle is going to get the right ratio of fat, protein and carb. Thank you so much for the wealth of information you share so freely. It is very helpful.

        • Maria Emmerich says:

          It is actually 30g total carbs. I fixed my comment. For protein you can use 0.7 times your lean body mass (total weight minus body fat %). 🙂

  • Anonymous says:

    OMG this is me!

    I need to try HARDER to eat better, sugar is my downfall 🙁 I know what I should be doing but I don’t do it 🙁

    • Baby steps. Change one thing this week and another next week. You will get there. The first 1-2 weeks off sugar is the hardest (withdrawal effects) but it gets much better after that. 😉

  • Jamie Rebecca says:

    Great article. I have gotten off track lately with grabbing convenience food since my kids and I have been nonstop sick this month. This inspires me to kick it back in gear. I want to buy one of your books but I can only get one at this time. Anyone have a recommendation as to which to buy first?

  • Suzanne says:

    I have hot tingly feet at night also bowel movement every other day. Also lots of fatty lumps all over both thighs. Developed recently heart palpitations I don’t eat grains. Just grass fed meats butter and vegetables It’s hard to lose that last 13 lbs. I’m 59 years Can you help or know what could cause all this? I do do topical magnesium. Thanks.

  • Alyssa says:

    Hi Maria,

    I just finished reading Keto Adapted, and while what I read makes sense, I’m still feel like I don’t know what is and isn’t allowed. Sugar, starch, vegetable oils, soy and other junk appear in places I wouldn’t expect it. Do you have a comprehensive list of items that are always on or off limits? Also, is there a way to be keto-adapted and be vegan? Thank you!

    • cemmerich says:

      You want to try to get 70-80% of calories from fat, 15-20% from protein and 5% or less from carbs. I have a pretty comprehensive list of things in my 30 day meal plans. 🙂
      http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/my-services/

      It is possible to be vegan and be keto. It is much harder (especially without eggs), but it is doable. I have vegetarian with eggs meal plans in my intro packages. 🙂

  • Ashley says:

    Hi Maria, I just found out that I have several gallstones. They have been there at least a year and I have no symptoms or pain associated with them, but I have been referred to a doctor to discuss some options. I am concerned that if I need to have my gallbladder out, how will my body process all the fat that comes with a Keto adapted diet? I just started doing Keto 5 weeks ago and have already lost 10lbs so I would love to keep this up, but have concerns what would follow with surgery or other options doctors may have. Any suggestions or opinions?

    • cemmerich says:

      The common bile duct, which still remains after the gallbladder is removed, takes over a lot of the function of the gallbladder when it is taken out. That is why you can have your gallbladder removed and not totally fall apart by not being able to digest any fats. Coconut oil is very good for someone without a gallbladder because it doesn’t require bile acids for absorption. All MCT (medium chain tryglicerides) are like this. You can also use dandelion and ox bile to increase bile production. So eating this way is great for someone without a gallbladder. It is always best to not have it removed and use this lifestyle to help heal if you can. 🙂

  • Mary says:

    Oh my gosh, I have had hot feet at night my whole life. Do you have links to info on this being connected to my liver??

  • Miranda says:

    Hello Maria. I have been using your blog to help my health and weight loss for years. Thank you so much! But right now I am writing about my Husband because this post has caught my attention. My husband has many of these symptoms, has been on acid reflux medication for years. And his father died of non-alcoholic liver disease OCT 2015 at the age of 52. I’m worried he is pre-disposed to liver disease, especially since he is overweight, suffers from chronic stomach problems, always is fatigued and has a headache, and is only 29 years old. I have tried putting him on Ketogenic diet several times, but his sugar cravings always are so intense, and he never seems to get full. Where do you suggest we start? I really am committed and I know he will try anything to feel better.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Free Email Updates

Don't miss any of our free content or sales!

We respect your privacy. We never share your information with anyone.