Heal your brain to drop 15 pounds in 7 days

Discover the easy twist on keto that MDs from top medical centers are prescribing to end cravings and turn off hunger—plus boost brainpower, improve mood and even help prevent Alzheimer’s disease

Kathy Lugavere was a “fasttalking, fast-walking” business owner and mom of three when, at 58, she became foggy…more than where-did-I-leave-my-keys foggy. Her memory had gotten so spotty that she didn’t even know what year it was.

At a holiday gathering, Kathy confessed how bad it was. Her adult son Max, a science journalist visiting from Los Angeles, was shocked. “It was the moment I learned one of life’s hardest lessons,” he says. “Nothing else means a thing when a loved one gets sick.”

Max accompanied his mother as she made the rounds to all the top doctors at New York University, Columbia and Johns Hopkins. Her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s terrified him; the many treatments prescribed frustrated him—they didn’t seem to help. Often, Max recalls, the doctors were interested only in “diagnose and adios.”

An avid researcher, Max delved into the latest science on Alzheimer’s and uncovered reams of studies connecting the food we eat to the health of our brain. Feeling encouraged, he partnered with Paul Grewal, M.D., a Johns Hopkins–trained internist, to develop a diet based on the findings. Science suggested their plan would deliver amazing benefits, including boosting brainpower by 69% and energy by 180%, plus cutting sick days by 56%. Studies indicated it could even rival antidepressants to lift mood. And when they “tested” the plan on themselves, they made a happy discovery: Dr. Grewal, who had battled obesity since childhood, lost 100 pounds!

Healing the brain & body

The plan, which Max and Dr. Grewal outline in their bestselling book

Genius Foods, is a relaxed twist on keto-style eating combined with intermittent fasting. The goal: to increase the availability of ketones to the brain.

In the weight-loss world, there’s a lot of buzz about ketones. This “super fuel” is produced from fat and used by cells to generate energy. As Dr. Grewal explains, “Burning ketones is simply a fancy way of saying ‘burning fat for energy’—there are a few different ways to get there, but severely restricting or eliminating food intake for a short period of time is the fastest way to do it.” Indeed, subjects in a University of California at San Diego study who consumed all their meals in an eight-hour window lost 77% more weight than those who ate at any time. Follow-up studies showed participants saw results even when they indulged during their eating window. And women report losing up to 10 pounds a week.

Ketones aren’t just a slimming superstar, though—what interested Max and Dr. Grewal most is the impact ketones have on cognition. “Ketones act as a signaling molecule, flipping switches in the brain that have a range of beneficial effects,” says Dr. Grewal. And studies link ketones to improved brain function for people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s.

Keto made easy!

While most of the intermittent fasting keto diets that are so popular right now call for 16 hours of fasting, Max says that it’s just not necessary—or even ideal—for women. The reason: Female hormone systems are more sensitive to signals of food scarcity, so women can get the slimming and brain-boosting benefits in just 12 hours. That makes the plan easier to maintain—we’re mostly asleep while our body diets.

Just because this plan is easier, though, doesn’t mean it’s less effective. “A 12- to 14-hour fast for women empties out stored sugar from the liver overnight so the carbs from your first meal have somewhere to go without jump-starting fat storage,” says Dr. Grewal. “It also reduces the number of meals consumed over the course of a day, which is associated with lower weight.” And by ending the fast earlier, women don’t face the no-food-untillunch struggles that cause many to quit keto before seeing real results. Adds

Dr. Grewal, “Most of us can go 12 to 14 hours without getting ‘hangry.’ ”

Real-world wow!

Women following the plan report a brain boost and fat loss! Lynda Pattison, 69, lost 62 pounds and saw “a big difference memory-wise. If I got into a funk, I knew it was not my age but my food choices.” And mom-of-two Amber Gilstrap says, “I lost 30 pounds, and I’m thinking clearer than ever.”

Top M.D.s are also on board: “Eating more brain-boosting nutrients was a major stepping-stone for me to consistently feel sharp, joyful and energized,” shares Mark Hyman, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Center of Functional Medicine. He’s such a believer that he recommends the book to his own loved ones and patients. Read on for the superfoods that will work wonders for you!

“Ketones flip switches in the brain that stall cognitive

decline”

—Paul Grewal, M.D.