Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss [Hardcover]

Mark Hyman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 21, 2006

For many, losing weight is a never-ending struggle -- especially since our bodies are designed to keep weight on at all costs; it's a matter of survival. But a medical revolution is under way, showing us how to work with our bodies instead of against them to ignite the natural fat-burning furnaces that lie dormant within us. Drawing on the cutting-edge science of nutrigenomics -- how food talks to our genes -- Dr. Mark Hyman has created a way of losing weight by eating the right foods, which in turn sends the right messages to our bodies.

In this easy-to-follow eight-week plan based on each individual's unique genetic needs, Dr. Hyman explains how to customize your personal weight-loss program with menus, recipes, shopping lists, and recommendations for supplements and exercise. Ultimately, you will rebalance and stabilize your metabolism -- an UltraMetabolism -- to maintain weight loss and enjoy lifelong health.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Physician Hyman (Ultra-Prevention: The 6 Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life) delivers plenty of scientifically grounded information about weight loss myths, effective individualized strategies centered around the theme of stoking metabolism and a detailed six-week plan—complete with menus and recipes—that "will help you lose 11 to 21 pounds" in those first six weeks. The data and prescription the author provides are far from simple, and results, if attained, are not automatic. But dogged readers will come away from the book with a thorough understanding of dieting principles, such as the timing of meals, portion size, glycemic load, phytonutrient index, the weight loss benefits of relaxation and the optimized functioning of the thyroid. There are straightforward principles buried in the text, such as "eat fruits and vegetables" and "move your body," plus tips for eating out (e.g., "don't be afraid to ask for substitutions in a dish," "request a 'crudités platter'... instead of the breadbasket" and "order a light drink"); adhering to these tips alone should prove beneficial. The opportunity for readers to remember and apply any of the more involved information is a possible positive side effect. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Dr. Hyman, an expert's expert on healing, shares his secrets to harvesting your body's potential for weight loss. Reading this compelling book is the next best thing to entering a cutting-edge health program."
-- Mehmet Oz, MD, coauthor of the NY Times #1 Bestselling You: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger

"At long last, a clear and practical book by an internationally recognized clinician who creates a sound diet as the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. There are no gimmicks, quick fixes, or misleading before and after photos since this diet is based on the latest science which underlies all effective weight management. If you are going to read and use only one book on diet and lifestyle, this is the one!"
-- Dr. Kenneth Pelletier, author of Sound Mind, Sound Body: A New Model For Lifelong Health and Professor, University of Arizona School of Medicine

"Dr Hyman has worked at the interface of science, Western medicine and alternative health for over 20 years. In Ultrametabolism, he distills this experience into a provocative prescription for weight loss. I have no doubt that this book will make an important difference in the lives of many Americans seeking optimal health."
-- David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Obesity Program, Children's Hospital Boston

"Combining cutting edge science and clinical wisdom, Mark Hyman provides a clear, carefully individualized, blueprint for weight loss and good health. It is, quite simply, the best book I've seen on the subject."
-- James S. Gordon, M.D., Founder and Director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington DC, and author of Manifesto for a New Medicine

"Congratulations to Dr. Hyman for another masterpiece. This is the most comprehensive explanation of the underlying causes of weight gain I have seen."
-- Joseph E. Pizzorno, ND, Editor, Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, Coauthor, Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine

"Ultrametabolism is a gem. Scientific, practical, and user friendly, it gives you everything you need to know for creating a lean, healthy body."
-- Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Mother-Daughter Wisdom, The Wisdom of Menopause, and Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"UltraMetabolism delivers on its title with a real program that has been developed by one of America's leading nutrition and preventive medicine doctors who also knows how to communicate his successes in writing. The book is both educational and inspiring, and coaches the reader through an effective program for "tuning up metabolism" and improving functional health. This book will be the catalyst for many people accomplishing their goal of good health."
-- Jeffrey S. Bland, Ph.D., President and Chief Science Officer, Metagenics, Inc.

"Finally, a program that makes weight loss a part of your healthy lifestyle. Dr. Hyman's UltraMetabolism isn't a diet, it's a way of life. If you want to lose weight and reduce factors that lead to certain diseases, buy this book."
-- Susan Piver, Author, The Hard Questions

"A healthy lifestyle holds the key to maintaining optimal health as we age. Dr. Hyman provides some sensible signposts for those ready to embrace healthy living, and lower their risk of developing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases."
-- Peter Libby, M.D., Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine, Harvard Medical School

"Dr. Hyman, an expert's expert on healing, shares his secrets to harvesting your body's potential for weight loss. Reading this compelling book is the next best thing to entering a cutting-edge health program."
-- Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., coauthor of the New York Times #1 bestseller You: The Owner's Manual

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (March 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743272552
• ISBN-13: 978-0743272551
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (256 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

An internationally respected physician, researcher, educator, activist, and five-time New York Times best-selling author, including The Blood Sugar Solution (also a PBS special), The UltraMind Solution (also a PBS special), The UltraSimple Diet, UltraMetabolism, and UltraPrevention (winner of the Books for a Better Life Award), Dr. Hyman has dedicated his life and career to ensuring optimal health - UltraWellness - for all individuals. His new book and PBS special, The Blood Sugar Solution, will be released March 2012 to address the global epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular and other related diseases.
His revolutionary "secret" to achieving UltraWellness? Dr. Hyman is the world's leading pioneer and practitioner of a ground-breaking and emerging approach to medicine that treats our system, not our symptoms. This new health paradigm is a systems-based, patient-centered method (called Functional Medicine) to preventing and treating disease and promoting health that works on two intertwined platforms: identifying and addressing the underlying causes of disease instead of just managing and masking symptoms and employing emerging trends in science and medicine, and integrative medicine.
Dr. Hyman teaches that there are seven keys to achieving UltraWellness, centering on Optimizing Nutrition, Cooling Off Inflammation, Balancing Hormones, Optimizing Digestive Health, Enhancing Detoxification, Boosting Energy and Metabolism and Calming the Mind. By connecting these dots, he provides a way of get our bodies to work the way they were designed. We come to understand all the influences on our biology which are at the root of illness, and how our lifestyle and environment interact with our genes to create the imbalances or balances that are the real determinants of disease or poor health.
Practicing what he preaches, Dr. Hyman is the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he directs a team of physicians, nutritionists and nurses who utilize this comprehensive, life-changing approach to health, involving diet and lifestyle modifications, in combination with nutritional and specialized testing, nutritional supplementation, and medications to address individual needs, from creating wellness to treating chronic, complex medical problems. The overarching goal is to bring about harmony of body, mind and soul while empowering us to take back our own health.

At its core, Dr. Hyman's transformative approach is centered on diet and lifestyle modifications. He maintains that our grocery store should be our drug store: "What is at the end of our fork," he declares, "is more essential and important than what it at the bottom of our pill bottles." And, "each meal is a chance to heal." In short, healthy food equals healthy relationships equals healthy world.

Innovative, empowering, a catalyst, advocate, the experts' expert, healer...Dr. Mark Hyman is re-defining health, re-defining disease, re-defining medicine so that we can feel as good as we've ever felt.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#31 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#46 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#31 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#46 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

281 of 290 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed my life March 30, 2007

By KB

Format:Hardcover

I respectfully disagree with those reviewers who claim there is nothing new in this book. They must have skipped to the last chapters and simply read the dietary recommendation at the end - and even those are different in both form and function. I have read, and been on, about every diet out there -- atkins, south beach, california, grapefruit - you name it. I have been on the Ultra Metabolism Phase 1 plan for 3 weeks, have lost 7 lbs - never feel hungry at all - but more importantly - I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER! I didn't even know I felt that bad!

You must read this book from the beginning and then all the way through - taking each of the tests and determining the areas where your body is not functioning properly. I had no idea so many of my symptoms were tied to stress and cortisol release. I have a friend who had no idea she had hormone imballances but identified them and sought a functional medicine physician to correct them - and is ecstatic - and she was a vegetarian before she even read the book. I have another friend whose breast cancer physician had her read this book and go on the diet as part of her treatment! All three of us feel transformed.

I can't recommend this book enough. I was exercising 4 days a week ,hardly eating ANYTHING, and still gaining weight, and now I know WHY and what do to about it. If you will strictly adhere to the phase 1 guidelines ( which will require shopping at your local Whole Foods or natural foods market ), I bet you will lose weight and feel great doing it too.

201 of 215 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars more than I ever imagined! March 20, 2006

By H. Marker

Format:Hardcover

When I first read Ultra Metabolism, I had the simple intention of loosing a couple of pounds. After I read and re-read the book, I was changed forever! The information and guidance given by Dr. Hyman has already made profound differences in my family's life. In just one week my skin was smooth and glowing. My daily headaches were gone after eliminating aspartame filled gum. I no longer crash at 3:00pm in need of a coffee fix. Just three days into the detox, my husband stopped snoring, after a week the dark bags under his eyes were gone, and in just two weeks, he has already lost 9lbs.

I feel healthy, educated and informed.

H. Marker, California

328 of 356 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening :-() March 21, 2006

By Little Miss Cutey

Format:Hardcover

This is a great book. If you can put this into practice, you WILL see results. To get any great result with your weight loss, you do need to do work and this is a helpful tool in that area. It opens your eyes to ways to lift your metabolism that you may not have thought of before or known about - but now that you do, you can start to change. While it's ultimately aiming at a 'diet' it's focusing on raising your metabolism which helps you burn calories at a high rate - so not only will you loose weight from eating the right foods etc, but the weight lose will happen faster and in a more healthy way because your metabolism is now boosted and is working for you even when you are resting. Not that I have much to loose, but I've tried this now for one week and have noticed a big difference not only in my physical appearance but in my day to day health (with a weight loss of 8lbs already). I'm not as reliant on Coca Cola to give me my caffiene fix and I'm sleeping better at night.
This is an 8 week plan that if you put your mind to it, you can do, and it's so worth it, because not only are you going to look better, but you are going to feel better. I do already and I'm only on week one. Give it a try. It is so worth it.

72 of 75 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, bad title November 5, 2006

By S. Ferguson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I never would have read this book, except for a very effective promotion by AOL, because the title sounds to me like the name of a fen-phen drug. "Ultrametabolism -- your weight-loss miracle!"

But it's not. It's quite the opposite. This is only a diet book because in the course of finding the causes of his patients' multiple maladies, Dr. Hyman had them alter their diets, and found that as a side-effect, they lost weight.

Dr. Hyman cites sound research (there are end notes so you can check out the research yourself), and then, based on reason and his own practice, puts these bits of information together to show how those little bothersome ailments -- itchy feet, dandruff, itchy eyes, fatigue, reluctance to get out of bed in the morning -- as well as some more serious problems like eczema, high blood pressure, and extra weight -- can often be tracked to what we eat.

Based on this book, I put my family on a no-gluten and no-dairy diet, with the result that one daughter had great improvements in her eczema as well as a decrease in anxiety, and my two other children had improvements in their ADD symptoms, one drastically so. My fatigue has gone away, and I'm now tired of tolerating "band-aids" for problems. I'm pushing to get to root causes so that we can be as healthy as we are meant to be. I've bought this book for one friend and recommended it to many more. I also recommend it to you.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-rounded, reasonable, easy to follow advice February 27, 2009

By Deanna in Cali

Format:Hardcover

I'm shocked that anyone would give this book 2 or 3 stars. I've been dieting since the age of 9, and have read more books on the subject of health, weight loss, and fitness than I can count. "Ultrametabolism" offers great advice on how to "reboot" you body if you haven't been eating so well. There's no counting calories, protein, or fat grams, and you don't have to cut out enitre food groups, like carbs. The first two weeks on the plan, you have to refrain from all potentially allergenic foods [peanuts, dairy, wheat, etc.] to give your body a break from anything that may be hard on your body; that you may be allergic to. He also recommends drinking a few cups of his "detox broth", which you make yourself using a variety of fresh organic veggies of your choosing.

The plan is essentially a whole foods lifestyle. After the first two weeks of detox, you can slowly add things like organic dairy and whole wheat into your diet. There are lots of tasty recipes included, like coconut dal, cashew chicken, and lemon salmon. They're all pretty simple to prepare for anyone who cooks even a little. Not to sound like some crazy informercial, but during the two week detox part, I lost 14 pounds. The author says you can expect to lose 9 to 11 pounds in the detox phase (mostly water weight, likely). I started the plan right after the holidays though, so I'm sure it was a shock to my body to go from egg nog and pecan pie to fresh fruits and veggies, plus I'm very obese [240 lbs], hence the dramatic weight loss. After that, I lost the typical 1 to 2 pounds a week.

With all the health and diet books I own, this is the one I always recommend when friends and family ask what i suggest to help them eat better without the fad diets. A sample day on Dr.... Hyman's plan would be quinoa with peaches for breakfast, lunch would be black bean and avocado tacos on corn tortillas, salmon with spinach, brown rice, and vinegarette for dinner, and snacks are fresh fruit and raw nuts. As you can see, the focus is on unprocessed foods, without refined sugar and saturated fat. Every time I start to veer away from healthy eating and get distracted by holidays, parties, etc., I always go back to this book to help me refocus and remind me of the basics of good eating. Read more ›