Nagina Abdullah, a health coach, shares her journey of struggling with weight and sugar cravings and how she discovered a new approach to boost metabolism and lose weight sustainably. She introduces her fat-burning food framework, which includes protein, tasty veggies, healthy carbs, and healthy fats, and emphasizes the importance of nutrient density and spices in enhancing metabolism.
Highlights:
Nagina Abdullah shares her struggle with weight and sugar cravings.
She studied scientific literature to find a sustainable approach to weight loss and discovered the fat-burning food framework.
The fat-burning food framework includes protein, tasty veggies, healthy carbs, and healthy fats.
Abdullah emphasizes the importance of nutrient density and spices in enhancing metabolism.
She advises reducing or eliminating gluten to minimize inflammation and sensitivity.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Hey guys, it's Dr. Justin Marchegiani. Welcome to the Beyond Wellness Radio podcast. Feel free and head over to justinhealth. com. We have all of our podcast transcriptions there, as well as video series on different health topics ranging from thyroid to hormones, ketogenic diets, and gluten. While you're there, you can also schedule a consult with myself, Dr.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: J, and or our colleagues and staff to help dive into any pressing health issues you really want to get to the root cause on. Again, if you enjoy the podcast, feel free and share the information with friends or family. Hey guys, Dr. Justin Marchegiani here. Welcome back to the podcast today. I have Nagina Abdullah here.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: We're going to be talking about secrets to boost your metabolism. We'll talk about spices, foods, other natural modalities we can use to give yourself a jumpstart, especially come the new year coming up. So Nagina, welcome to today's podcast. How you doing?
Nagina Abdullah: I'm doing well, Dr. Justin. So excited to be here with you.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Awesome. Well, tell me a little bit about you. You're a health coach. We have your information and some links down below just for listeners here. If you're driving, don't worry. We'll put in the description Nagina's Metabolic Bootcamp that's coming up as well as our website. Her pdf on the top spice to help improve your metabolism.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So a couple of little free gifts for you guys in the description, feel free and check that out later. But how did you get into health coaching and kind of specializing in the metabolism and boosting the metabolism?
Nagina Abdullah: Absolutely. Well, I personally had struggled with my weight and my sugar cravings for my entire life.
Nagina Abdullah: And it was something where I tried every diet out there from Weight Watchers to Atkins to South Beach to just eating less and exercising a lot. And nothing really worked to permanently keep my weight off or get me to the goal that was really what I was looking to achieve. And so what happened is that I had actually studied molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley and as an adult after that, I I was working a very demanding job and then had two children and I'm at the heaviest weight of my life then, but I had never been at a place where I was really satisfied.
Nagina Abdullah: It just got out of control. Control for me. I did not feel good about myself. And so I went back to my studies at UC Berkeley. I started looking at scientific journals, and I started trying to figure out if I tried every diet out there that hadn't worked, there had to be a way. I was not satisfied that I was going to have to live with low energy, not confident about how I looked, and nothing that I wanted to wear.
Nagina Abdullah: Looked the way I wanted it to and, and as a mom, I also wanted to have energy to do things with my children. So I had another purpose that added on to my, my, my previous reasons. So, I started studying all of the, the scientific literature and I found out that all of the diets that are out there are really good for you.
Nagina Abdullah: they're, they're mistakenly based on restriction on deprivation on eating hardly anything and creating more cravings than we actually have to have. And so I started learning that there's foods that you can add to your diet. There's ways that you can combine your food that actually burn fat faster without even needing to exercise yet.
Nagina Abdullah: And so I started implementing those methods. I started making my foods taste amazing with metabolism boosting spices and magically is how it felt. I lost 40 pounds in nine months and got that got me to 20 pounds below where I was pre pregnancy. So I was, The ultimate, like I was ultimately in shape, more in shape than I had ever been.
Nagina Abdullah: Now it's been 12 years since then. And I've only gotten more toned, more strong, kept the weight off. And so many women had asked me what I did that I started coaching women and am now a weight loss coach for women and especially women that are in midlife, whether you're facing perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause, this is the key lifestyle to achieve that works for decades without deprivation.
Nagina Abdullah: And now I coach, I've coached over 1300 women now to help them lose the weight sustainably.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Okay, cool. So let's talk about kind of some of the general dietary templates you recommend. I like templates better because it just kind of gives you a framework. You, you know, obviously part of the template is food quality.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: We want to make sure we're not getting a whole bunch of pesticides and chemicals and, and things that may be leftover residue wise in the food. We want to make sure the food's ideally as organic as possible so nutrient density is good. We want to make sure we're eating protein, we're not getting a whole bunch of hormones and, and junk that way.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So what is your dietary template look like in regards to foods? And then what about, is there a certain macro nutrient kind of Bent that you stick to out of the gate. You try to go lower carb. Do you worry about carbs? Obviously calories is a big one, but we know calories in the end if you go too low calorie Eventually your appetite and your willpower will win out over you.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So what's your initial strategy coming in out of the gates?
Nagina Abdullah: Okay, absolutely. So I actually have this very, very powerful template and I call it the, the tested and perfected fat burning food framework. And it's all about a framework of how to pair your foods and combine your foods so that you're burning more fat.
Nagina Abdullah: You're boosting your metabolism and you're actually feeling so full and satisfied. And what happens is that you are actually eating at a lower calorie amount than you could ever imagine, which is the reason that weight loss can happen. But you're, you're filling yourself up with these filling foods. And so one of the terms you mentioned, nutrient density is the key element to this, to this framework where you're eating real foods that are full of nutrients.
Nagina Abdullah: They're keeping you full. They're not empty calories. So everything that you're eating has a place in it. And so let me walk you through this four part fat burning food framework. So it starts with what I call a mantra, which is protein more. And that's starting with adding more protein. That is the key part of what so many women, especially are lacking.
Nagina Abdullah: And that will give you that satiety help you feel, you know, feel, feel satisfied. Also is going to get your metabolism going so that your body can start burning fat. So protein more really looking at about 50 percent of your plate is protein. Okay. What that means in terms of ounces is anywhere from five to seven ounces depending on your weight.
Nagina Abdullah: So five to seven ounces approximately of, of protein. Second, I call it tasty veggies. And that's probably about a fist
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: to a hand size for the average. Person. Right,
Nagina Abdullah: exactly. A fist. Yeah. I, I like to give,
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: I like to give things that people can just look at. 'cause it's, you know, what do I gotta pull out a scale?
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: What does that look like? It's okay. You know, a po I tell patients like a fist to a hand, depending on how, how hungry you are and how much you're maybe lifting or working out. Then you need more protein to kind of regenerate the muscle. Would you agree?
Nagina Abdullah: Exactly. A fist to a hand. Absolutely. And it's also approximately double what you're going to be getting.
Nagina Abdullah: If you order, like for example, a salad from Panera for you to get, they're going to give you about two to three ounces. So you really want to go double on that. That's kind of giving you an approximation. They're really lightening it and that's why you're feeling hungry for other foods. So you pair that, you pair that protein more aspect with tasty veggies.
Nagina Abdullah: And the word tasty is actually so important here because all of us know that we're supposed to eat more vegetables to be healthy, but veggies are so important because they have so much fiber. So they keep you very full for longer. And if you skip your veggies, you will crave more. Fast burning carbs that are going to actually lower your metabolism and cause more fat storage versus fat burning, which is, this is what we're, our goal is here.
Nagina Abdullah: So veggies are the problem with veggies that most people find is that they don't enjoy them. And that's why I encourage using spices, which we can talk more in detail about, but a few spices that you can add onto your veggies are things like cumin, which actually helps decrease belly fat. Coriander, which decreases water, which decreases water retention and, and decreases bloating in your body.
Nagina Abdullah: And then also cayenne pepper, if you like spice, because that increases calorie burning and increases your metabolism. So those are some examples, along with some salt and pepper. So tasty veggies is another element. And that's about 40 to 50 percent of your plate. It's that much. It's a little bit more than you're likely having.
Nagina Abdullah: So add, it's a little bit more the next one is healthy carbs and carbs are important. I don't advocate zero carbs but I advocate the right kinds of carbs and having it to be about 25 percent of 20 to 20 percent of your plate in the middle of the day, because then you're going to burn it off. Now healthy carbs.
Nagina Abdullah: Okay. are things that are what, what they're, they're actually even higher quality than complex carbs. They're actually complex fibrous carbs. They have a lot of fiber in them. So there are things like lentils, beans high fiber bread, like Ezekiel bread, which is sprouted grain bread. Also some slim, what I call slimming grains, which are things.
Nagina Abdullah: It's like millet, couscous or farro, which all of these foods, they don't quickly digest, so they don't spike your blood sugar. They keep your blood sugar even, and they're going to keep you full for longer, so you're not hungry 30 minutes after you ate it, which could happen if you eat a faster burning carb like rice or white bread.
Nagina Abdullah: So the quality of your carbs is really key. And then finally, the fourth element is healthy fats and healthy fats are going to keep you full. full. They're great to have in the, in the, in nighttime, they increase the quality of your sleep and the length of your sleep. If that's something that you're, you have a, you are, are challenged with.
Nagina Abdullah: Healthy fats are things like coconut oil, salmon, eggs, avocado, nuts, nut butter. But this is the one area where I really where I really advocate. Knowing how much you're eating and eating around two tablespoons or 14 grams of fat, which is one serving. It's the number one reason that a lot of women are staying stuck is because they're by mistake eating too much fat because they're trying to be healthy.
Nagina Abdullah: But there's, it's so calorie dense that you want to have those two tablespoons approximately, or one serving of fat. So when you put that all together, it's protein, more tasty veggies, healthy carbs, and healthy fats. This is all real food. It's increasing your metabolism. And as a combination, it's keeping your blood sugar stable.
Nagina Abdullah: So you're in, so you're not storing fat, which happens when your blood sugar goes up and then comes down. You're actually just burning fat and being at a very constant. Great energy all day long and your metabolism is going to start increasing very quickly.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Okay. So I like the idea of the spices. I think these are great anti inflammatory.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: They're going to really help with appetite. Some of them are going to stimulate digestion. So I like that. Now what's your carb threshold? Cause obviously you're adding in things like lentils and beans. That's going to be, you know, 70 to 80 percent starch. So there's some starch there. And then you have some of the breads in there, which are going to be a little bit more carby.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So is there a certain carb amount you're looking at? And then also Are you concerned about, you know, gluten issues? I see a lot of patients with gluten sensitivity, even Ezekiel bread that sprouted, right? It's healthier, right? But it's still going to have some gluten, which are concerned about the, your, the amount of carbs overall, and then also gluten sensitivity issues.
Nagina Abdullah: Yeah, absolutely. So so with carbs overall, it's not about zero carbs or even low carbs, but it is about having a much higher ratio of protein Two carbs. So you're almost doing like a little bit less than double protein to carbs. So like when you look at this from a macro perspective, what I've seen works so efficiently is around 25 to 30 percent carbs of your total diet, but you're having 40 percent of your total calories are coming from protein.
Nagina Abdullah: And that's really, that balance is going to allow you to have the carbs that are good for you. slow burning carbs. Like we mentioned, but then you're having that extra protein or that, that amount of protein and the combination of that along with the veggies and the healthy fats are going to keep you very satiated.
Nagina Abdullah: So it, you don't have the cravings for carbs when you add protein in and you have these healthier carbs because If you're, if you're, if you're not really paying attention to the types of carbs, what will happen is that it'll break down really quickly cause a blood sugar spike and you will also crave more sugar.
Nagina Abdullah: So it's really important for you to break, make sure and prioritize that you're not breaking down your, you're not eating carbs that are breaking down very quickly because Sugar causes cravings for more sugar and it's not only in sweets. And this is one of the major things that helped me lose 40 pounds is learning that, that the foods that are breaking down to sugar are causing your cravings and you can actually get rid of those cravings if you know about healthy carbs and you focus on that.
Nagina Abdullah: So, so that's the carbs, carbs piece. And I could talk about gluten as well.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Why don't you hit the gluten sensitivity component and the inflammation that could arise from that? What's your thoughts there?
Nagina Abdullah: Yes. Yeah. So gluten. So aside from Ezekiel bread, I don't recommend any gluten. It's, it's a lot safer to decrease gluten.
Nagina Abdullah: You could, if your body's okay with it and you feel like you're okay with it, you can have it. There's just so many other foods that you can have in so many other healthy versions. So Ezekiel bread is kind of an option. a healthier option for people that really feel like they want to have bread. And it is, it's a transition.
Nagina Abdullah: You know, you don't have to go from eating bread as a regular part of your diet to eating no bread. You might need like a middle point. And that's what Ezekiel bread does is it helps you bridge that gap. And if you're able to eat more lentils and more beans, It's going to be so much better for you, but having Ezekiel bread or another higher fiber bread, if you don't want to have Ezekiel bread is, is, is, is a transition.
Nagina Abdullah: And it could, how
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: about a safe starch? How about something that's grain free, like. Squash or sweet potato or some kind of a safer starch or even maybe even maybe a little bit of white potato How about something like that as a starchy thing?
Nagina Abdullah: Oh, absolutely So those are other examples of of healthier carbs along with things like Like, you know, some of the health some of the slimming grains like millet or couscous.
Nagina Abdullah: Some are grain some are not Some are actually nuts in that family but yeah, those are those are excellent, but it's just about also the fact of how How, what is real for someone? So a lot of what I, what I help women do is actually create a lifestyle that feels comfortable to them. And so sometimes going like so quickly to just not having any of these foods can feel hard and women can feel burnt out by doing that.
Nagina Abdullah: So it's more like, here's some options, but let's move you towards this, this area, which is yeah, gluten free. Beans, lentils, squash, sweet potato, slimming grains. Those are ideal, but if you, if you feel like you need to have some bread, then have a higher fiber bread. That's not going to cause that blood sugar spike.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Okay. That's good. Excellent. Now. Regarding the carbs, you said about 30%. And so I'm just trying to like kind of run some rough numbers in my head regarding net carbs, what that may look like. Is that around 150 grams of net carbs or so just best guess?
Nagina Abdullah: Well, depending on depending on someone's weight, right, depending on someone's weight, what that would be, it could be anywhere from from 80 to 130 grams of carbs.
Nagina Abdullah: That we've, that's what we're seeing. And I've done research on over 500 women now looking at exactly what they're eating to create weight loss. That's like 10, 15, 50, and then a hundred pounds and seeing what's helping them on that entire journey. So something around that amount, like low, like right below a hundred or right above a hundred.
Nagina Abdullah: But it also depends on their, on their protein is going to be significant. Yeah. For doing 2000
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: calories. So that's about 150 in regards to the carbs. How do you adjust it? Like, how do you, are you looking at labs? So like, when I see patients, I'll come in and look at how overweight they are, I mean, you can just general circumference is a good indicator or I'll get my blood sugar meter out and I'll run a functional glucose tolerance test for the patient where we'll get a baseline of their fasting glucose, we'll run a one hour, two hour, three hour and see How their glucose is looking.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Ideally, if we go over 120 to 140 in that first hour and it takes longer to go down, that's usually more insulin resistance territory. And then we'll pull back on those carbs or we'll run some fasting insulin. And if fasting insulin is greater than 10, we probably have some insulin resistance happening.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Are there any objective markers that you're looking at that help you kind of gauge or fine tune your recommendations?
Nagina Abdullah: Oh, I love this question. So, so what we do is we combine science with what women are currently doing. And we, we, I, I meet women where they are, because like I said, this is about a lifestyle and creating a lifestyle, getting away from diets.
Nagina Abdullah: And part of that is. feeling comfortable in the changes that you're making and moving towards the best scenario. But it's a, it's a process to get to the best scenario. It doesn't have to be that you go from zero to 60 in one day. So what we do is we ask women to tell us through a food diary or through tracking what they're eating right now as they're following the framework, like they start off with the framework because that's really, more focused on foods and food choices.
Nagina Abdullah: And it gets away from the numbers, which can feel very diet based. So we, we teach women the framework, they start following the fat burning food framework, and then we see how much they're eating and what they're doing. So based on that, we know the ideal numbers just because we've worked with so many women and help them lose weight.
Nagina Abdullah: So we, we know where they're high. But we may not bring them down to their place or up to their place immediately because we want to gradually get them there. So for example, if a woman is eating, you know, what we, what we see often is that it's very common to be eating higher on fat, eating lower on protein and eating higher on carbs than is ideal for weight loss.
Nagina Abdullah: So what we're going to do is we're going to help them identify what foods they can add. To their diet, to increase their protein. And as a result, they're going to start to, to, to not crave and not even have room for as many carbs or as much fat. So we work on work with them on these levers and we have very specific ranges based on what are a woman's starting weight is, where she should be.
Nagina Abdullah: It's not, it's, it changes in terms of their weight. When you're at a weight, for example, over 200, the ratio of your calories to your weight is going to be less than if you're like 130 and you want to lose 10 pounds, you're going to be eating more calories to, to your weight. So we adjust it based on where their weight is and then.
Nagina Abdullah: map that to what they're currently eating and then suggest things and then bring them to their, to their state in a program.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So the goal is we're eating really good foods that are going to send satiation signals to the brain. That's going to prevent us from kind of being in this rollercoaster, yo yo diet track where you're constantly up against hunger and willpower and getting tired because you don't have enough nutrients in the, in the bank.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Is that kind of the biggest differentiating factor of kind of, you know, a conventional yo yo diet versus kind of what your strategy? Yeah. Absolutely.
Nagina Abdullah: Yes. Oh my gosh. Because, you know, I'm sure so many of us have been on those diets where you just feel hungry all the time because you're trying to follow calories only and calories only is not the starting point.
Nagina Abdullah: Yes, calories. And I know that calories make a difference. Portion sizes make a difference. But if you're eating the right foods, you're going to feel full and satiated and you're more focused on the foods. That's why it can be a lifestyle versus you looking at numbers and counting and tracking every day, which is only going to feel like more of a diet.
Nagina Abdullah: But yeah, that satiation is the key and then you're not even craving.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Yeah, there was a study back in the late two, 2007, 2008 at Stanford by Christopher Gardner called the A to Z study. He did a one hour lecture on it afterwards because he basically recommended a vegan vegetarian diet. It was like your typical standard American diet.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: There was like an Ornish diet, there was like a Zone diet, and there was like an Atkins diet. So his hypothesis, he was kind of a vegan vegetarian guy, that the vegan diet's gonna be the best, we're gonna get the best results, etc. And he'd have kind of a calorie amount that he wanted the people to hit.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: What he found was, one, the Atkins people, the lower carb people actually did the best. Alright, what he found was people that had fasting insulin below seven, they were able to do good on almost any diet, which is amazing. So insulin resistance plays a role because people that are insulin sensitive can get away with a lot of things, but number three, he found people on the Atkins diet actually had a hard time eating.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: eating the amount of calories that they should. So there was something to do with the satiation of the protein and the fat made it so it was hard to overeat. Now again, like you talked about earlier, it's easier if you're just pounding, let's say almond butter, maybe to overeat that. Just cause that signal may come in a little bit delayed and you're like doing 200 calories per bite, right?
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So you can overeat that. So it was the satiation thing was, was interesting in that they weren't overdoing the calories.
Nagina Abdullah: Yes, that is so, oh my gosh, I love that. And also, you know, what come, what it comes down to also is that the, that I've seen studies where there's all these different, different diets, but whatever, what ends up happening is they all work.
Nagina Abdullah: They can all work depending on who, on what you prefer, but the calorie amount is important. Like that's what it's going to come down to. So how can you create that satiation, satiation so that you are not craving more foods? That's really, that's really key. So a lot of the women that, yeah. We work with we, they, they, they feel like they're eating so much like they're eating more than they've ever eaten.
Nagina Abdullah: And in fact, they feel like, how do I eat all of this? That's what they, that's what they feel. Cause when you're eating like that amount of protein, you're eating a cup or more of veggies with every single meal. Then you're having those healthy filling carbs. The healthy fats, you're going to, you don't need anything else.
Nagina Abdullah: Like even women don't need snacks as much. So absolutely. That is the secret. I believe because once I started doing these things, that's when I stopped craving sugar. And I stopped thinking about food. I would literally sit in and I would be imagining getting a chocolate Mocha or imagining getting a piece of pizza, but I don't have those cravings anymore because when you're satisfied, You don't need it, but you can choose it.
Nagina Abdullah: Like you, you can do, you can decide that you want to have that chocolate cake, but you're not thinking about it all the time. And that's why this is so powerful. And in fact, I just can't believe more people are not learning how to eat. This is really just about how to eat to be satisfied.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Right. It makes sense.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Now let's adjust some of the recommendations to Let's say a woman on her cycle, and she's entering in that pre menstrual time frame. Let's talk about that. There's a book out there that gains a lot of traction. Patients are always asking me about books that are out, so I always have to be aware of what the general sentiment is.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: But there's a book called Fast Like a Girl, where they talk about general fasting strategies for women at a reproductive age, and they're going through their cycle, and that last, you know, that luteal phase, they're recommending more higher carbs. You know, that first half of the cycle, they're typically recommending lower carbs, and then avoiding fasting on certain parts of the cycle.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Do you have any? diet recommendations that sync up with your general cycling woman's cycle in general like that. They kind of tie them up like that.
Nagina Abdullah: So I really, like one of my core principles is called easy eating, where it's really about simplifying what you're doing. And so though, I think those are great.
Nagina Abdullah: And I think that it's really, you know, it's good if you want to understand like all the different days and what you should be doing on those days, but It's also going to get pretty complicated. And if you are, if you want to do that, go ahead and do it. But a lot of people that, that I see the more, the more changes and the more things that they have to be very specific on, on a different week, it creates less consistency.
Nagina Abdullah: And so overall, the. Just the knowledge that when a woman is on her cycle, it is going to create some bloating at the beginning of your cycle. And right before it, you may see some weight gain. You, may not even see, any measurements increasing. I always, you know, advocate taking measurements. Cause that's a real, that that shows even more than the scale or it's a good compliment.
Nagina Abdullah: You're gonna, it's very common that you're going to see some bloating. You might go up one to three pounds, but it's after that, after that first few days, you're going to go back to where you were and you're going to keep losing. And so, you know, in terms of eating less or eating different kinds of foods, if you, if you stay consistent, I've, I've gotten so much success for hundreds and hundreds of women with just staying consistent and just acknowledging that you may go up a little bit during that time period.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: And what about menopausal women? Let's say someone, their cycle starting to seize their, you know, a year or so after You know, losing that cycle, starting to have some hot flashes, starting to have some mood issues. Are there any specific diet strategies you may implement any specific spices or herbs that you may add in to kind of help ease that transition?
Nagina Abdullah: Yeah, I'll absolutely talk about spices. One of the things about this fat-burning food framework and this way of eating is that this is one of the ways The only ways that's working for menopausal women and perimenopausal women, because what we're doing here is we're actually stabilizing hormones because your insulin is not being released because your blood as, as much as it would if you were eating another diet, that's causing highs and lows of blood sugar spikes.
Nagina Abdullah: So when your blood sugar is staying stable, insulin is not being released. You're not stressing your body. You're not creating that fat storage. This is one of the key factors, even before hormone replacement or any kind of hormone therapy, that women should be doing. And that will, that, that can work and it's natural.
Nagina Abdullah: And if you're not doing this and you're going to hormone therapy, you're, You're skipping the foundation and all doctors, you know, should be telling you that your diet is a key part of, of, of really being able to lose that 20 pounds or 15 pounds. That feels like it won't budge. Women are losing weight that they haven't been able to lose since menopause when they follow this method.
Nagina Abdullah: And, and so now talking about spices, some of the really amazing spices, and I do have a the free sweet spice cheat sheet in the description of the video. Sweet spice. It's absolutely below in the description of the video. You can grab that. It's a sweet spice PDF. And so the sweet spice is cinnamon and cinnamon surprisingly is a great replacement for sugar that would create that blood sugar spike.
Nagina Abdullah: Instead, it does not give you a blood sugar spike. In fact, it works opposite than sugar in that it brings your, your blood sugar levels lower a bit and it creates less storage of fat. So you're actually burning more fat by adding cinnamon in one of the. First tax that I did to start that my 40 pound weight loss and what so many women do now is to add a pinch of cinnamon to your coffee or tea or your morning smoothie.
Nagina Abdullah: If you have any of those things, if not, you can put it on your fruit and it's going to help you really bring your blood sugar down and give you that smoothness. Sweetness so that you're not craving the sweet as much in a natural way. So cinnamon is a really great one to start with. Another one that a lot of people love and that is so just kind of very popular right now, but it's been around for thousands of years.
Nagina Abdullah: Our ancestors used the spice turmeric and turmeric is very anti-inflammatory. And what that means is that it's going to help you with your joints. It's also going to help you decrease puffiness in your face and in your belly. And when you pair that with black pepper, it helps you absorb it 2000 times as much.
Nagina Abdullah: So turmeric plus black pepper is a great combo to put in your eggs in the morning. It's a great combo to put in a protein shake if you just worked out because it's gonna help you relax your muscles Or you can have an evening turmeric tea, which is a great pre-night cap, Or a great, you know great tea to have at night because it's gonna calm your body So those ones along with the ones that I mentioned before cumin, Coriander and cayenne pepper are some amazing spices that are natural.
Nagina Abdullah: They've been around for thousands of years. You can get it at your supermarket. You don't have to get any specific kind. And they are going to also add flavor that makes you want to eat healthier food and makes it taste good. And you're going to crave the food you're eating.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Oh, I love it. Those are some good strategies out of the gate.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Kind of going back to the menopausal woman thing, just got to highlight a couple of things. One of the biggest stressors on your hormonal system is the ebb and flow of blood sugar, right? When your blood sugar is going overly high, you're making a whole bunch of insulin to pull it down. Then you get into this reactive hypoglycemia rollercoaster where your blood sugar drops.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: That's where you get irritable, you get cravings, you get lightheaded, and then your body's using cortisol and adrenaline to pick it back up. And then you're going from now eating more processed sugar to quell the cravings, and then you're on this rollercoaster ride. And that takes resources, right? From your adrenals, cortisol, and then the backup generator of your female hormones is going to be the adrenals because it produces DHEA and so as you kind of deplete or stress out or create this regulation with the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals, you're going to get less sex hormone output from the adrenals and as you go into menopause, now there's a bigger gap and that's where you're going to feel that difference versus having that backup generator, your adrenals and DHEA kind of lift you up a little bit.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: So I think that's important. Okay. Concept there.
Nagina Abdullah: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Thanks for explaining it like that as well. And that's why, you know, so many women who have been trying everything, once they start eating this way, it balances their blood sugar. And then that's, that's the magic. That's what's happening.
Nagina Abdullah: And then when you layer on the portions that we were talking about earlier in terms of eating the right portions for your body, and you're feeling full with the amount of calories that your body needs to release fat. The, fat comes off and it stays off because you've learned how to make this a lifestyle.
Nagina Abdullah: You've learned about how to combine your foods and how to flavor your foods as well.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: 100%. Well, Makina, you've done a great job here. A lot of good information. We'll put the links down below for your metabolic workshop as well as your sweet spice PDF guide on how to introduce some of the different spices there to help improve your metabolism.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Anything else you want to leave the listeners with?
Nagina Abdullah: Oh, I just want to let you know, women know if you've tried everything it's, you haven't, then there's still something out there because once you start balancing your food, combining your food and focusing on blood sugar, that is going to change everything.
Nagina Abdullah: And so, yes, I would love for you to grab the sweet spice PDF. Where I'm going to also share with you a fat-burning tea that you can have at night that includes sweet spice. But my five-day metabolism boost is where I'm going to be breaking down exactly what to have for breakfast. Examples of fat-burning food frameworks, lunches, dinners, mindsets, and exactly how to get off of sugar.
Nagina Abdullah: So I would love to see you there.
Dr. Justin Marchegiani: Excellent. Again. Well, thanks for being on the show. Take care
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