METABOLISM DISCOVERY
Live longer, stronger & slimmer Drop 21 lbs in 14 days
When you look in the mirror, chances are you see various traces of your family: your grandmother’s nose, your aunt’s bubble butt, your father’s long legs, your mother’s wavy hair… And you probably remember from your high-school biology class that genes are the initial blueprints for the body, determining how you look and even how you act. What your biology teacher likely didn’t tell you (but don’t blame her because scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School only figured it out about a decade ago) is that some of those genetic blueprints can actually be reprogrammed over the course of your life.
“You had a specific set of genes when you were conceived, but those genes are much more malleable than scientists once believed,” explains Harvard-educated weightloss specialist Sara Gottfried, M.D. “Your genes are constantly being turned on and turned off by environmental factors. In addition to that, lifestyle choices can reconfigure the way genes communicate with the body—and this can end up having a tremendous influence over body weight, physical appearance, mental acuity and more.”
For up to 90 percent of women over 40, though, genes have been reprogrammed in a way that drains energy and stalls weight loss. One key problem: The genes that control mitochondria (the body’s cellular energy engines) are extremely susceptible to free-radical damage caused by exposure to processed foods and environmental toxins. “Your mitochondria are responsible for converting fat into energy that your body can readily burn for fuel,” says Dr. Gottfried. But when the genes that control mitochondria aren’t working optimally, the body ends up storing fat instead. “If there’s a gap between the energy your body needs and your mitochondria’s ability to fulfill it, you will feel tired, achy and even gain weight.”
Hoping to help women (including herself!) break free from this fat trap, Dr. Gottfried dug deep into the latest genetic science—and zeroed in on three specific genes that have been shown to fast-track weight loss: SIRT1, which revs mitochondrial activity, and FOXO3 and SOD2, which heal and protect the mitochondria. “I started testing my own DNA, going through a process of trial and error in an effort to find the genetic switches that control metabolism, weight and aging,” explains Dr. Gottfried. “Over several years, I refined my findings with help from thousands of women, learning the best ways to reprogram these genes to positively impact the body.” The culmination of Dr. Gottfried’s work is a plan that addresses some of the most common root causes of weight concerns. And the payoff is huge: When she tested her gene-reprogramming nutrition and lifestyle strategies with 700 women, some lost as many as 15 pounds in 14 days. And women FIRST spoke with who have adopted such strategies have lost up to 10 pounds in a single week!
Speedy slimming is just the beginning. As stored fat is burned, energy soars, hormones come into balance and optimal health returns. “I feel great,” shares Natasha Monique Coleman, who lost 247 pounds, reversed prediabetes and improved her cholesterol levels. (See her story on page 29.) “I may break the curse of heart disease that’s been in my family for the past five generations!”
Reprogramming genes also reverses aging, helping women look and feel decades younger. According to Dr. Gottfried, activating genes that control mitochondria boosts collagen production, which works to firm sagging skin and erase wrinkles. “Whether you are 35 or 65, when you activate these genes and heal your mitochondria, you’ll begin to look and feel vibrant again, starting deep within your cells,” promises Dr. Gottfried. Read on to discover the easy strategies that will help you get slim, youthful and energized.
“Women in their 60s, 70s and 80s often ask me if it’s too late to age gracefully, but what cutting-edge age
researchers know is that it’s never too late to maximize your genes.”
—Sara Gottfried, M.D.