One of the often-unexpected yet welcome benefits of following the dietary guidelines in The Perricone Prescription is a loss of excess weight. Many men and women discover (often for the first time) that they lose weight and gain energy without self-denial, hunger or feelings of deprivation. In fact, they often report that they are actually eating more food and at more frequent intervals.

What’s the secret? Keep your blood sugar levels even while keeping your metabolism stimulated. Sudden upward spikes in blood sugar levels—caused by eating sweet or starchy foods (e.g., pasta, potatoes, pastries, candy, soda, juice)—actually prevent us from burning fat because they place a "lock" on our cell’s fat-burning mechanism. Also, when we go for long periods without eating, our metabolisms all but shut down to conserve fat stores and energy. Thus, skipping meals can have the opposite effect if we are looking to take off a few (or more than a few) pounds.

The foods and supplements recommended in The Perricone Prescription were selected for a number of reasons, including optimum nutrition, their ability to improve and enhance cognitive (thinking) ability, and last, but not least, their power to help keep skin radiant and supple. They also work synergistically with topical antioxidants to help stave off many of the unnecessary ravages of time.

At a recent lecture, I met Caroline, a tall, slim, and very attractive journalist and mother of three young children. After being introduced, Caroline admitted that she had traveled over 100 miles for the opportunity to meet me in person and share her story. "As a freelance journalist, I am lucky enough to be able to work out of my home and also be there for my children." Caroline said. "However, after the birth of my last child in August of last year, I had great difficulty in losing the 45 pounds that I had gained. I saw you on PBS-TV that September and decided to try your program."

Now, five months later, Caroline had lost an impressive 53 pounds. But what particularly delighted Caroline was her skin tone. "Many of my friends have lost weight only to find that their skin becomes flabby. They lose tone in places like the face, jaw line, stomach, and upper arms." Caroline, on the other hand, looked fit and toned.

"I followed the program from A to Z," Caroline confided. "I took all of the supplements, ate wild Alaskan salmon at least four times a week and avoided the high-glycemic carbs. I started on the Weight Management Supplements and feel that they helped to jump start the program and keep it going. Twice each day I applied the Alpha Lipoic Acid Face Firming Activator with DMAE products to my face, neck, and jaw line, and used the Body Toning Lotion with DMAE on my upper arms, stomach area and thighs." She continued, "And I am delighted to report that my skin has maintained its tone during the weight loss. This has helped me really feel motivated to be good to myself. I am 37 years old and have never felt better. I even started a Pilates class!"

Caroline’s story is an excellent example of how my three-tiered program—diet, supplements, and topical antioxidants—works. Each tier is important, providing specific benefits while acting to enhance the other tiers. Exercise is also extremely critical to maintain muscle mass and youthful skin tone. With each passing decade, women typically add ten pounds of fat while losing five pounds of muscle. This is a staggering and frightening statistic. Without good muscle tone skin will sag throughout the face and body. Used in conjunction with a regular program of resistance (strength) exercises, certain critical amino acids, such as glutamine, help us to stop losing and actually add muscle—regardless of age.

We have all seen people who look haggard after losing large amounts of weight. As we age, this becomes even more problematical. Topical DMAE is indispensable in helping to retain the appearance of skin tone. With proper care and the holistic approach we can help avoid these problems. As always, I welcome your personal stories and photos.

Warm regards,
Nicholas V. Perricone, MD