The number of people writing to me with questions is phenomonal - I could fill a book with them. So I decided it maybe beneficial to show some of the more commonly asked questions and my responses to them. However, some of the recommendations may not be appropriate in all situations and are not intended as a substitute for treatment or services ordinarily provided by health care professionals for physiological or psychological complaints. Always review any information that you receive on-line with your personal medical care provider. Because of the complexity of medical situations, medical questions will not be addressed.
I've also selective resources relative to healing that I want to tell you about. FAQ Archives.
July 2002
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1:The detox of eating
apples for 2 days. How does this fit into the X Factor diet? 1 Firstly, thank you for writing such a brilliant book - the X Factor Diet. I was following the Atkins Diet but never felt 100% happy with all the saturated fats that it allows. I am really enjoying learning how to eat in the healthiest way possible and it has totally changed my way of eating, so thank you. I was looking at your 'eat for youth' section on your website and it suggests eating more wholegrains and fruit. You also suggest a detox of eating apples for 2 days. How does this fit into the X Factor diet as up until now I have been avoiding wholegrains and high-glycaemic index fruits? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Thanks so much for your kind words about the book. I have been delighted to see that it appears to have helped so many people. I must add here, however, that it is not for everyone. Human beings are biochemically unique and if anyone goes on the X Factor Diet and finds that after the first week they do not feel right, then it is definitely not for you, and I would suggest you get off it. You are absolutely right. The ‘eat for youth’ section was written before I knew about insulin resistance – a piece of knowledge that has literally changed my life. I would suggest ignoring advice to eat more wholegrains and fruit (except for low glycaemic fruit). The apple fast for two days can be enormously helpful just in clearing the body periodically. 2 I just adore your new book, it’s my bible. However I live in Brisbane and am having trouble finding microfiltered whey protein. Do you have anymore info on resources for some. Take a look at Resources on my website and in my book. A good source of microfiltered whey in Australia is produced by Solgar, and the best tasting flavors are chocolate and vanilla. They are available from good healthfood stores. The product is called "Whey to Go". If your local healthfood store does not have it, then ask them to order it direct from Solgar Australia. 3 Firstly, I love your book and I am doing well with eating the way you suggest. But I have a few questions. You state that we should get back to how our ancestors used to eat. Surely honey is a natural food and was also around back then, so why should we not eat it? Also potatoes are a natural food as well. Can we not eat them occasionally? Yes indeed, Paleolithic man ate honey, but only in very small quantities. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to even gather a tablespoon of honey from a hive of wild bees. It would be like Winnie the Pooh trying to fly up on a balloon to try and get honey from the bees. Potatoes are not a natural food as far as our genetic inheritance is concerned. They have only existed in the form we know them for the last few hundred years. Our bodies are not genetically adapted to be able to handle them easily. You do bring up a very important point however. It’s essential to understand that the X Factor diet in both of its forms does not mean you need never eat a plate of pasta or a piece of chocolate again in your life. In the beginning of using X Factor eating, the strictness is necessary in order to rebalance insulin and blood sugar and eliminate insulin resistance – Syndrome X. Once that happens, there is no reason why you can’t occasionally have honey, pasta, a piece of chocolate cake, a muffin, a glass of wine a day, so long as you continue to feel well on it, and provided your medical parameters such as cholesterol, triglycerides, lean body mass to fat ratio, and blood pressure are normal, then all is fine. If any of these things begin to go out of whack, I would certainly begin to be more strict about the way you are eating. 4 I have been doing the X-factor diet for a few weeks, and I'm feeling great (thanks Leslie!). I'm taking L-carnitine, chromium, psyllium husk capsules, my normal vitamin supplement (Menopace) and fish oil capsules. Next week I'm going to add ALA, then a couple of weeks later I'm going to add Magnesium. My question is - how long should I continue to take these supplements? Is there not a danger of overdosing on any of them? How do I know if I've had enough and need to take less or stop altogether? They are quite expensive as well (£20 for 30 x 500 mg of L-carnitine, which is only 15 days' supply on 1000mg/day), which is another consideration, particularly as I am unemployed at the moment. I should be grateful for some advice. Someone else was asking about suppliers of Stevia - I received some last week that I'd ordered from www.good4all.net in America. The postage was quite high ($12-50) but I thought it was worth it. There is no need for you to continue to take the supplements. Those supplements in the X Factor diet are all "added extras" if you want them. The diet works just as well without them. Personally, I would judge when to decrease them or to come off them altogether by how you feel. I personally take the omega-3 fats in the form of fish oil anyway, since I believe our diet is far too low in them. Thanks so much for the information about suppliers of stevia. I will put this in my Whats New section. 5 I've seen some soya flour in the health food shop. Is it ok to use this on the insulin balance diet and if so do you have any recipes? I've also seen a flour mill for sale for grinding your own flour which is then supposed to have a higher protein content. What is your opinion on the use of freshly milled flour? It makes no difference whether flour is freshly milled or not. It comes out exactly the same on the glycaemic index. There are a number of low carb cookbooks in which you will find recipes using Soya flour instead of grain flours for breads, muffins etc. I suggest you look in the Resources at the back of X Factor Diet for the names of good cookbooks. 6 In your book, talking about artificial sweeteners, you mention they may cause a placebo effect that may stimulate insulin secretion. I am wondering if stevia may cause the same placebo reaction, as it is associated with sweetness as well. Stevia is excellent. It causes no insulin reaction and does not affect blood sugar. 7 Hi Leslie ! As fellow Kiwi's can you let me know if you will be having any workshops in the Auckland Region in the near future. I have nothing currently planned in New Zealand, but keep an eye on my website. It will all be posted there when anything is happening. 8 I have successfully lost 17 kilos after the birth of my second son, using techniques described in X factor book. I now find myself pregnant again and would really like to keep my weight gain down to a minimum over the next 7 months. Can I adhere to ketogenics or insulin balance even though my body is crying out for the odd "after eight" and baked potatoes in the early evening? So far have been struggling with morning sickness which has been kept at bay with hot lemon juice, walnuts, fresh basil and roquette. Ketogenics is definitely NOT for anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding. The Insulin Balance diet, on the other hand, is excellent for pregnancy but remember that when you are pregnant, your body has certain needs and demands that you might not have otherwise, so pay attention to them. If you need a baked potato in the early evening, don’t hesitate to have it. (I would be highly suspicious of needs for chocolate, sugar, breakfast cereal, muffins etc, however). I love your way of coping with morning sickness by the way; I wish I’d known that when I was pregnant. 9 Recipe for making my own Soya milk please? and any solutions to take away the desire for alcohol without AA talks I was recently asked for a recipe for Soya milk. This recipe is very inexpensive. Recipe 2 cups of Soya beans (this means 1 cup of dried Soya beans)
soaked until they soften Here's How Soak one cup of dried Soya beans in the refrigerator for 48 hours, pouring off the water periodically and covering with fresh water. Liquify two cups of soaked beans with two liters of water.Strain through two layers of cheesecloth to remove extra liquid. Heat in a bain marie for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and pour through a fine wire strainer into a blender. Blend well, adding half a teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of flaxseed oil or lecithin, a teaspoon of pure vanilla essence and stevia or Splenda to taste. Pour into liter jars and cool in the refrigerator. This will keep up to 6 days in the refrigerator. I strongly suspect that you are suffering from an overgrowth of candida albicans – see On the Move with Leslie this month. For further information, pick up a copy of Age Power which is published in the UK at the end of August and in other countries soon after. 10 I'm enquiring after any books written by DR Philip Kilsby, you mentioned him in relation to Migraine in one of your books and I would like to follow it up further…can you help? Sadly, Philip Kilsby never wrote a book. I wish he had. He was a man with enormous wisdom and practical skills. 11 When explaining to someone the basics of ketogenics she commented that she did not believe that there were enough complex carbohydrates included in the diet to maintain all of the body's requirements. I didn't have an answer for her. What should have I said? Whoever suggested to you that there are not enough complex carbohydrates in X Factor eating I think does not really understand what a carbohydrate is. It is important to realize that the best complex carbohydrates in the world are the low glycaemic vegetables and fruits. How many of these you eat on Ketogenics depends upon your own biochemical individuality – how many grams of carbohydrate in effect you can eat and still maintain ketosis. On Insulin Balance eating there are virtually no restrictions whatsoever on the amount of wonderful complex carbohydrates from fresh vegetables and low glycaemic fruits that you can eat. 12 Firstly, I'm thoroughly enjoying your ketogenic program but I have a query regarding exercise..... I cannot afford to buy the Michael Colgan videos you recommend or to join a gym, however I have bought some hand and ankle weights to use at home. How important is it not to repeat exercise for a particular part of the body (eg. arms) until the following week? I am having trouble coming up with (and distinguishing) exercises that focus on my back, shoulders, and chest solely - without "crossing over" to other parts (if that makes sense!). Can you give me some suggestions, or direct me to a website? Many thanks! I suggest you join a local gym and find someone who really understands weight training, following the principles on X Factor Diet i.e. a different body part needs to be exercised each day, and 48 hours is needed in between exercising that body part and then exercising it again. This gives time for the body to build muscle. Remember that the weight training itself breaks down muscle and it is only through the body’s reaction to the tiny tears that take place in the muscle that it builds itself the way it’s meant to. So question any trainer at a local gym as to whether he really understands this or not, and then follow what he says. There are also a few books on the market that are worthwhile. One of them is called Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam E . Nelson. 13 I am not overweight but when I weigh myself on some scales that monitor fat levels, they say that I am 32% fat which is high. Do you know if these scales give accurate readings and if I follow the X factor diet will this help lower my body fat without reducing my weight which I believe is o.k. for my height. I am 5ft 4. I think it’s important not to become obsessed with measurements. The most important thing is how you feel about yourself and how you look. Generally speaking, the only absolutely accurate form of measuring lean body mass to fat ratio is by immersion (see X Factor Diet for a complete description). What I would do is simply shift your way of eating towards Insulin Balance. You will feel so much better soon, that you will have a lot more energy to exercise. But follow your own instincts. They are the most important indication of all. 14 Would you advise using Natural Progesterone Cream for women in menopause and do you know someone qualified to guide one in its use? Thanks! Yes, I certainly would advise a good natural progesterone cream if you are having menopausal problems. Take a look at my book Passage to Power. Take a look also at previous FAQ’s in relation to progesterone and check out the Resource section on where to buy it. There is a lot of nonsense spread about people who do not know the difference between natural progesterone cream and wild yam cream. They are not at all the same thing. I do not recommend wild yam cream for anyone. 15 Can you tell me how to get in touch with the Dr. Robert Jacobs who you mentioned in Passage to Power, Chapter 13 regarding Electro magnetic therapy. I would like to either go and see him in England or someone who has trained under him. I have tried to find this information on the Internet but so far have not been successful. Dr. Robert Jacobs is at the Society for Complimentary Medicine, 3 Spanish Place, London W1M5AN Telephone 02074874334. 16 Hi Leslie could you please tell me where I can buy Skin Matrix serum as I am having difficulty finding it and the web address you gave me doesn't have it for sale. Also do you know of a fake tan product that actually works and looks natural? Thank you. Skin Matrix is still in its developmental stages. I was hoping it would be launched in Britain by the end of August but alas it is not yet on the market. There are so many good fake tan products these day that look natural. They have improved tremendously in the last 3 or 4 years. I would look at the products made by Lancôme. 17 As you are doing research all the time, have you found out any more about progesterone cream? I have used it since I read your book 'Passage to Power'. A friend loaned me a book by a Dr. Marianne Granville (?) where she stated that progesterone cream might not be the answer:- 1. Oestrogen was hailed as wonderful originally, but years later it is not - could the same happen to progesterone. 2. If our body needed progesterone after the menopause, then nature would provide it within ourselves. 3. Progesterone cream is now made from Soya beans, not wild yam, and is not natural. As my recent bone density scan is not good, I have spent many hours researching, and am now exercising more, sprouting alfalfa seeds, taking natural supplements, homeopathic calc. carb, and want to continue with the progesterone cream, if you still think it is a good idea. I look forward to your comments. Yes, I am aware of Marian Grenville’s attitude towards natural progesterone cream. I certainly agree with her that natural progesterone cream is not the answer for everyone. However, I do not agree with her in treating it as you would another kind of artificial hormone. My experience with it over the last 10 years with hundreds of women is that it has been tremendously helpful for them, and in cream form there is absolutely no worry whatsoever about side effects, because it is molecularly the same hormone as the one found in your own body. Marian is absolutely right, natural progesterone cream is not natural. It is nature identical. This means it is exactly the same molecule that is found in your body. Natural progesterone cannot in any way be classified with oestrogen. As the mounting levels of the xenoestrogens in the environment get higher and higher, there is a greater and greater need for it. In a few years we are not suddenly going to find that it is not necessary. The idea that if we needed progesterone after menopause the body would provide it, is in principle a very good one. The problem is that there are so many unnatural oestrogen’s in our environment to unbalance that delicate oestrogen/progesterone balance on which a woman’s reproductive health depends, that now in the 21st century, we most certainly need it. 18 Where can I buy the plastic mandolin recommended in X Factor? You find plastic mandolins at natural food exhibitions, and sometimes at stores like John Lewis in London. I bought my last two outside Gallery Lafayette in Paris from a street market. I have never been able to find out why they are not widely available in most homeware stores. To me, they are the most important device that you can have in your kitchen. 19 I have a wheat allergy which causes me to crave wheat containing foods, high density high glycaemic index carbohydrates. I have tried to start the Insulin Balance way of life but find the wheat cravings too hard to beat. I feel that I would benefit greatly from the X Factor Diet having purchased and read the book and would appreciate any advice you can give me about kicking the craving. Take a look at On the Move with Leslie this month. I strongly suspect that you, like more than 75% of the people in the Western world these days, may be experiencing an overgrowth of the yeast/fungis candida albicans. (See Age Power for further information about how to clear it). 20 Is your book translated into Dutch? and where in Holland can I buy the progesterone-cream? If you mean the X Factor Diet, it has not been translated into Dutch. You can order natural progesterone cream from Holland – see Resources on this website. 21 I have a six year old daughter who really struggles to concentrate at school and fidgets a lot! I am trying to support her by making sure her diet is good, but it is a battle! Is allergy testing a good idea? I feel confused about the best way to help her. I personally would get your daughter off all convenience foods as well as all of the grains and manufactured products such as breakfast cereals, biscuits and sweets. Grains, sugars and milk products, along with artificial chemicals put into convenience foods, are the major causes for attention deficit disorder. I think you probably need to work with a good practitioner who understands this (see Resources). 22 You listed the GI for a number of food items in your X factor book. Can you please tell me where I can get a document that has the GI level for all foods (as you do with calorie books etc). I don’t know of a single book that has a complete glycaemic index in it. I would suggest you look on the world wide web for as long a list as you can find. 23 I recently heard you should not take dolomite as it contains lead - is this right? Yes, dolomite tends to be high in lead. It is not considered a very good source of calcium. |
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