QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK ME

1. Is the Sugar Calorie method replacing the Belly Fat Cure?

No. The Belly Fat Cure is still a valid method of weight loss and works for many. This is what I recommend for standard, easy, everyday weight loss. All of my programs focus on insulin management as the key to weight control. I am constantly doing research and trying to find the best way to be healthy and lose weight. My new method that focuses on Sugar Calories is faster and will get you bigger results in less time. 

The Belly Fat Cure is all about counting sugar and carb grams. With my new Sugar Calorie method, you now simply multiply the Total Carbohydrate grams by 4 to get the Sugar Calories, and you no longer have to track proteins, fats, or non-starchy vegetables, as these are "Freebies." (See more below in "How do I calculate Sugar Calories.")

This new method provides faster, more streamlined results. Since calorie awareness is a universal method, I took that concept, but applied it to the science of insulin - the true factor in weight management - along with the way to get better results by modifying the carb load to produce maximum results and faster weight loss.

2. What is the new science and what happened to the old science?

The bottom line is Insulin Management = Weight Management, and sugar is the main source of dangerous insulin levels.

Each of my programs address insulin management differently. In my opinion there is never old science, rather, the science is refined to give us a clearer picture. 

Let me tell you more about the new science of Sugar Calories.

Currently the US government has a Recommended Daily Allowance of 1,752 Sugar Calories or around 9 cups of sugar. 

For years, experts, including government officials and health agencies have been telling us that cutting overall calories is the key to weight loss, and that ending obesity is a simple matter of counting calories. THEY WERE WRONG. My new method of weight management reveals where the dietary science is today.

The new science reveals that whole grain bread, couscous, and even brown rice are actually loaves, stacks and piles of SUGAR! You read it correctly, CARBS ARE SUGAR.

According to Harvard University School of Public Health (and many other sources agree), “The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.” Put simply, all CARBOHYDRATES are actually structured as SUGARS. Foods containing carbohydrates break down just like sugar in your body, which raises insulin and causes weight gain. This is why Sugar Calories are the ONLY calories you need to count.

So, counting Sugar Calories refers to all carbohydrates including starchy vegetables, breads, grains, crackers, cookies, donuts, sugars, honey, juices, sodas, and so on. Put plainly, from this point forward, you should look at that loaf of bread sitting in your kitchen as a loaf of sugar, the crackers and pasta in your cupboard—also sugar, the “energy” bars packed away in your car—little bars of sugar.

The beauty of my new method is that you still get to have sugar! And it’s simple, you get a set amount of Sugar Calories customized towards you, and the rest of the foods you will eat fall under the Freebies categories. These Freebies don’t have to be tracked because they don’t spike insulin, and won’t cause weight gain. Your Sugar Calories come from ideally nutritious sources, but gives you the freedom to choose foods that may not be considered “diet food” when you really want them. Imagine, eating out, special occasions, or a simple evening with some chocolate and wine, all good things to make life enjoyable. For many of Jorge’s clients, it’s surprising that they can effortlessly lose weight while still getting to have real life, modern day foods, and never feel hungry. 

3. Does the new science indicate I can have sugar now?

First off lets establish a couple of things:

1. Carbohydrates are made up of long sugar chains
2. Sugars can be made up of different types of sugar combinations of Glucose and Fructose
3. Glucose is processed through the body to be used readily
4. Fructose is processed through the liver and converted into a complex fat called tryglycerides 

Ok with that being said, not all Sugar Calories are the same, let me explain:

4. Are all carbohydrates the same? 

Lets say you have 100 Sugar Calories of soda, which contains the "evil" High Fructose Corn Syrup. Basically you are having 55 Sugar Calories of fructose and 45 Sugar Calories of glucose. While the glucose goes through your blood stream, immediately spiking insulin, your liver is pumping out tryglcerides to your blood stream and during that process, each of those Sugar Calories goes right to your waist, stored as fat, not easily used as energy at a later time, not to mention all the other negative affects to your body. 

Now you have 100 Sugar Calories of brown rice, which is made up of almost no fructose. The glucose in the rice will cause a rise in insulin for a long period of time moving whatever fat you have stored in your blood into your fat cells. You are not creating difficult fats to use (tryglycerides) but rather only storing the fats you had with your meal or what is in your blood stream at the time. This means you can burn off these fats very easily.

But what about the Sugar Calories found in vegetables? 

5. Do the Sugar Calories in vegetables count towards my Sugar Calories?

Imagine our worst case senario play out. You sit down and cannot help but eat in a nearly unlimited fashion 2 cups of steamed BRUSSEL SPROUTS, bite after bite, you simply cannot help yourself, and with no sign of getting full you dump on another 2 cups and chow down.

First off, you may think that this sounds a little outlandish but I digress, tis only a hyperbole. Thinking that is a lot would be correct. Let's look at the facts of this "over indulgence." 2 cups of brussel sprouts contains around 20 carbohydrates and 8 grams of fiber. Fiber is not digestible, so in fact the fiber in this food would reduce the carbs to 12 and ergo 48 Sugar Calories. So if you did find yourself eating such a quantity, 48 Sugar Calories, plus all the nutritious benefits of having a few servings of veggies does not promote belly fat, but rather keeps your body whole. 

One more example: 2 cups of SPINACH, 2 grams of carbohydrates or 8 Sugar Calories, need I say more?

Bottom line, non starchy* vegetables are Freebies, enjoy them at will. 

*(Non starchy vegetables are ones like broccoli, asparagus, etc. Starchy veggies are ones like potatoes, carrots, winter squash, etc.) 

6. Can I eat as much of the Freebies as I want, or is there a limit?

First of all, it is important to know what Freebies consist of. These are foods that do not spike insulin, including proteins, fats, non-starchy vegetables. Of course I say consume within reason. Foods such as cheddar cheese, you can enjoy more than one serving. Just be aware of your body, if you feel full, stop eating. For a complete list, check out The 100, being released at the end of May.

But what about the "all healthy" fruits?…

7. Do I count the calories in fruits?

If your goal is weight loss, then you have to limit fruits because of the Sugar Calories contained within—even though these are natural sugars, they can still spike your insulin levels if you eat too many of them per day. Back to fructose, the sugar found in fruit, has specifically been linked to increased levels of fat; since it goes directly to the liver to be processed, it gets converted to fat and leads to excess fat and high cholesterol. 

When we look back at our history we can see that our ancestors may have eaten lots of fruits when it was available, but that’s just it, fruit was not always available, and it certainly wasn’t the same types of fruits we see in the grocery stores today. Apple, oranges, and bananas are high in fructose and are now available year-round. In addition, the types of fruits bred today are made to be juicier and sweeter than wild varieties—and so they are more fattening. Keep this in mind when you are choosing fruits. It’s a great idea to frequent farmer’s markets to get seasonal fruits that haven’t been modified and are organic. These fruits will be lower in sugar and healthier for you.

When you do enjoy fruit, try to eat local, seasonal fruit in its complete, natural form (with the skin on) whenever possible, and remember to minimize it in extremely high-sugar forms such as smoothies and juices. 

8. What is the maximum number of Sugar Calories I should eat per day?

I have a couple of different recommendations that are customized, depending on who you are. Everyone can follow my standard recommendation of 100 Sugar Calories per day. That is 25 total carbohydrate grams, and you multiply by 4 to get Sugar Calories (25 x 4 = 100). However, these Sugar Calories only from certain sources. There are certain foods that have carbs that do not count – Freebies. These are proteins, fats, and non-starchy vegetables that you never have to count.

However, if you are a woman over 40, you are biologically driven to crave more carbs, and therefore need a higher number of Sugar Calories. Due to your unique hormonal stages, serotonin drops and carbs are needed to raise that feel-good neurotransmitter back up to a normal level. In order to do this and still achieve great results, I recommend eating 100 Sugar Calories for 2 days, then up to 500 Sugar Calories for 5 days. By keeping your sugar and carbs to a minimum for 2 days, you reset your insulin sensitivity, allowing you to eat more carbs the next 5 days and not have large spikes in insulin that cause weight gain. 500 Sugar Calories is the perfect amount of Sugar Calories to give you the necessary rise in serotonin without spiking insulin (because you have "detoxed" for 2 days).

If you are a woman over 60, serotonin levels are an even bigger problem. For those who cannot limit carbs to 100 Sugar Calories per day, I recommend sticking to 500 Sugar Calories all week. This is the closest to my Belly Fat Cure program and will still give you great weight loss results, and you will feel your best.

9. How do I calculate Sugar Calories?

Sugar Calories are calculated by looking at a food's Total Carbohydrate number (in grams). We look at the Total Carbs because carbohydrates are molecularly structured the same as sugar and break down the same in your body; therefore, we need to consider carbs the same as sugar.

Once you have found the Total Carbohydrate grams, multiply by 4 to get the total Sugar Calories (there are 4 calories for every 1 gram of carbs).

10. What about sugar grams?

Sugar grams are incorporated into the Total Carbohydrate number on a nutrition label. Because carbohydrates are structured molecularly the same and sugar and break down the same as sugar in the body, spiking insulin and causing weight gain, it is important to look at the Total Carbohydrate number. Sugar Calories take into account both the carbs and sugar in a food.

11. How is your new method different from Atkins?

One of the main differences is The Freebies. A lot of Freebies, like vegetables and fats, contain carbohydrates, however they do not count towards your Sugar Calorie count for the day because they do not spike insulin. Insulin in the key factor when it comes to weight, and we need to avoid the foods that cause insulin to go up. The foods on the Freebie list keep insulin low, and therefore do not need to be counted. The Atkins diet counts ALL carbohydrates, whether from vegetables or not. On a typical day following 100 Sugar Calories (25g of carbs), you may actually eat 60-100 grams of carbs, but most come from veggies and healthy fats, which are on the Freebie list.

Also, this program has no phases, artificial sweeteners, and does not damage gut flora.