Editor's Note: This third story in Kat James' series featuring the
power of the little-known hormone, leptin, highlights common,
living examples of the vast range of health issues dramatically
and predictably affected by the recovery of function of the
hormone, leptin, which circulates in all humans and most
other animals and impacts literally all biological functions. For
introductory and other stories on leptin's power, view James' first
two articles on the subject in TotalHealth. Catching Up With Leptin Pioneer Kat James and Transforming Journeys Part 1.
TRANSFORMED BEYOND BELIEF:
Former Pescatarian Couple Breaks Through Chronic
Health Barriers With The POWER OF LEPTIN
Charles and Toby Geschwind—both in their early seventies—
have seen more than their share of major health
scares. Having become self-described natural health investigators
out of necessity they've thus far succeeded in averting
their own respective health disasters. Toby sent her own
form of ovarian cancer into remission with a combination of
diet and chemotherapy, though her cancer came back recently,
and the chemo caused uncomfortable digestive and regularity
challenges. Charles' prostate cancer and diabetes went into remission
with his mix of conventional and nutritional treatment
choices, though his pre-diabetes has lingered, and life-long
heart beat irregularities have persisted, requiring (at least according
to his somewhat famous cardiologist) life-long control
with prescription drugs, which carry their own significant risks.
In November of 2017, Charles and Toby happened on a
lecture I gave in New York City and learned of my educational
retreats focused on helping people recover the functioning
of the master hormone, leptin (a hormone in our bodies
that is malfunctioning in most North Americans). My health
protocols—honed over seventeen years of hands-on coaching—
were derived from my own original protocol that healed my own
near-fatal health crises.
Charles and Toby were part of a retreat group that convened at the historic
1880s ‘Harlem Jazz and
Gospel Mansion” to learn about leptin.
In spite of many reservations, including their kosher
restrictions, avoidance of red meat for ten years due to Charles'
"A-fib" (irregular heartbeat), high blood pressure, and diabetic
history, plus their relegation of fat (especially animal fat) to
the dietary villain list on the advice of Charles' well-known
cardiologist…my promotion of high-fat, meat, cholesterol,
and certain dairy foods and limitation on so many of their low-fat
and "health foods" including oatmeal, beans, and several
fruits sounded like crazy talk at first to the Geschwinds. But the
success stories, such as that of Shianne Lombard's, told here in TotalHealth a few months back, plus many more accounts
of dramatic turnarounds in digestive, weight, sleep, energy and
other issues they could relate to, convinced them to join me
at a retreat in a landmark mansion in upper Manhattan only
ten days following that lecture. Among many other "oddities,"
plunging into my protocol would involve moving past their
pescatarian (fish was their only animal food) limitations, finding
their optimal individual fat and protein ratios, incorporating
certain strategic dairy products they'd long since "banned", and
incorporating targeted supplements, while cutting out basically
anything that would cause a rise in their own individual insulin
and leptin hormones (this is an individualized factor subject
to one's health and hereditary history). But plunge in they did.
And about ten days later, both had literally transformed into very
different biochemical beings.
Charles started my regimen two days prior to the retreat,
going through the expected low-energy day. By the day after he
arrived at the retreat he was surprised to experience his first
sleep through the night with only one waking in at least twenty years of waking 4–5 times. This common
sign of recovered leptin function (leptin
function recovery takes as little as three
to four days) has proved permanent for
Charles up to this writing, a month and
a half later. His face started to change
visibly to everyone by the second day
at the mansion coinciding with loss of
fluid (again, coinciding with the usual
transitional timing and signs of leptin
sensitivity).
Toby began the regimen two
days later, and thus went through the
transitional discomforts on-site at the
retreat. Weaning off of sugar as one's
primary fuel and transitioning to the
body burning fat as its new primary fuel,
accompanies a drop-out in energy and
marked die-off of sugar-fed yeast and
fungi which can cause low energy and flu-like
symptoms for a day or two. Seeing
Charles changes (and that of several
others at the retreat) in advance of hers
was all the encouragement she needed
to wait it out. On the fourth day Toby
began to feel better. In the meantime,
both Toby's and Charles' first bites of
high-quality, grass-fed meat were surreal
for them. Their bodies' immediate positive responses were
encouraging (I could relate as I watched them, remembering
my own first bite of meat after seven years away from it).
Once home, physical changes were even more obvious
and progressive, yet the initial surprise and opposition to the
new diet from family members popped up. In Charles' words:
"At first it was difficult for all of us to accept Kat's principles
which were the opposite of everything we'd been told to do for
our cancer, my heart disease, and my pre-diabetes. My younger
sister is a nutritionist and told us it went against all she'd learned
as well. But when we got home and my whole family noticed
how different I looked and the continued changes, including my
being able to walk greater and greater distances and up stairs
without getting out of breath, they began to support our new
way of life fully. The teller at my bank even called me over and
commented on how I was looking. The change in only a handful
of days was that dramatic.
Within a week after we got home, Toby's cramps and poor
elimination issues that had worsened with chemo soon fully
resolved and our energy went through the roof. At that point,
even my nutritionist sister was on-board with this approach.
Labs at One Month: No More A-Fib, High Blood Sugar, or High Blood Pressure
Charles' celebrity cardiologist was less embracing of what he'd
embarked on and—even after dramatic swings to normal range
blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart test values—still didn't
really want to hear about it. "I took all of the blood pressure,
blood sugar, stress, and heart monitor tests around December
5th," said Charles. "He called me the next day and told me to
get off of my Metoprolol (a heartbeat-regulating drug with some
significant side-effects) 'right away.' We re-tested my heart
the day after I went off the drug and he told me that without
medication my heart rate was now normal. 'I don't know what
you did, but all of your numbers are perfect' is all he said. He
is considered one of the most brilliant cardiologists, but when
I started to tell him about this regimen, I could tell he did not want to hear about it. This is the first time in at least twelve years that I'm testing normal. I've had a racing heart all of my
life. Now, for the first time, I have no a-fib.
My new ability to sleep through the night since the second
day on this protocol has also continued ever since. I could never
fall asleep at a decent hour before and always got up numerous
times. Now I'm up at seven taking a walk because I want to.
That's something I've never done. Both Toby's energy and mine
is through the roof. My clothes keep getting looser. My favorite
Movado watch was too tight to wear on October 30th. I had
a link removed a couple of weeks after the retreat because it
was too loose. My clothes have continued to get looser and
looser. I'm gaining strength and muscle. I can now walk for long
periods without getting out of breath.
What's amazing is I've always been an overweight, yo-yo
dieter. This time I don't feel any self-deprivation. I used to be a
bottomless pit. Now, all craving is gone. I look at and smell the
"normal" food others are eating that I used to eat and it literally
nauseates me now. I just don't want those foods. I do love what
I'm eating now, though. That first steak was mind-blowing and I
now feel how my body needs it now and then."
Toby was initially even more hesitant than Charles to
reintroduce red meat. But after her grimacing first bite, a change
in expression followed "this is pretty darn good" she remarked
in front of the group. And with all of the other tenets of the
program in place, her physical (and ideological) transformation
soon became apparent. Once home, to her amazement, her
chronic cramping, digestive and elimination problems subsided
within a week to the point of being completely resolved.
Toby's CA-125 Tests and Cancer Considerations
Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) is a tumor marker test that is used
to measure cancer-related proteins in the blood. It's reliability
is controversial, but Toby is a strong advocate for all women
getting the test, as high numbers very often coincide with cancer
being present whereas below 35, and particularly single-digit
numbers generally correspond with less presence of cancer.
"Toby's CA-125 reading was 375 when she was first
diagnosed in March, 2012 and then the day of the operation
one week later it was 775. After her chemo and dietary changes
she had gotten the number as low as 10.3. After the retreat it
tested at 8.7, which is hard to get down to because the test also
picks up various inflammation issues too. Needless to say she
is very happy."
A quick search of the terms "leptin" and "cancer" will give
further illumination as to their relationship. What you want to
strive for, as with insulin, is to avoid rises in leptin, due to dietary
sugars. When leptin rises, so does proliferation of various
cancers. Recovering leptin function is only possible when leptin
levels are kept consistently low through dietary avoidance of
carbs and sugar.
On His Toes
Charles was scheduled to have surgery on two of his toes,
which had become immobile, at the end of November. After
several other cases of recovered toe mobility with my protocol,
I suggested that he postpone the operation with his doctor's
approval. Now scheduled for three weeks after the publication of
this article, Charles is hopeful that the surgery can be cancelled
as he is seeing return of flexibility to those toes.
"This program was the best thing we've ever done for
our health. We even learned to do this with all of our kosher
requirements, which makes all the difference to us. The
richness and flavor of the food has convinced us that we
could do this long-term. In fact not long after the retreat, we
went to an elaborate Chanukah party where there were tons of
inappropriate food choices...we weren't at all tempted to go off
course."
Hear Charles' live radio interview on The Kat James Show.
Keep an eye out for my upcoming Dental Transformation story
and consider joining my Costa Rica Total Transformation®
later this month, which will serve as the exotic tropical backdrop for several transformation stories in-
progress coming up.
