Entrepreneur, Phoenix Gilman, is a respected researcher, international author, and weight loss/anti-aging expert with over 40 years of diverse experience, from a personal trainer, fitness model, and nutritionist, to a researcher, product developer, author, consumer activist, speaker, and business owner. Fed up with the misinformation and marketing scams running rampant within the diet, food, and pharmaceutical industries, she vowed to make a difference.
After dedicating four years extensively to R&D testing various clinical studies, she spent another two years to write about that life-saving research. Her areas of research? Neurochemistry and nutrition. Her critically acclaimed book is Diet Failure the Naked Truth.
As the premier weight loss expert, Phoenix Gilman reveals how to control the two critical reasons why 98% of all diets fail, i.e., carb/sugar cravings and binge eating. She’s able to mitigate some of our most common addictions, ranging from carb/sugar, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. She can also explain, and alleviate, a transfer of addictions.
In addition, she is able to reverse type 2 diabetes and hypertension, alleviate depression, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, ADD/ADHD, insomnia, and migraines—and in record time. She significantly reduces harmful triglycerides and stabilizes cholesterol panels. All of this combined equals greatly reducing risks for heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and many other serious health conditions. She adds quality years to one’s life while taking decades off their looks.
Her research, supported by clinical studies, has been recognized by many, including the Centers for Disease Control, Forbes.com, “Focus Atlanta,” Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Dr. Atkins, ATLANTAN magazine, best-selling authors Michael Murray, ND, co-author of the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Diana Schwarzbein, MD, author of The Schwarzbein Principle, and numerous other high-profile experts.
Your book is titled The Serotonin-Insulin Connection, can you explain to us what that means?
I titled my book, The Serotonin-Insulin Connection, for the following reasons: a) First and foremost, “Serotonin modulates virtually all human behavior processes.”
b) When serotonin (a major neurotransmitter), is depleted, it can cause a wide variety of side effects, i.e., obesity, diabetes, addictions (carb/sugar, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine), transfer of addictions, insomnia, depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, PMS, ADD, heart disease, hypertension, increased risks for certain cancers, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and far more.
c) When serotonin is depleted (unfortunately, so many things in our day-to-day deplete it), our brain will push us to consume those things that will elevate it. However, they have to first trigger insulin. These things include, but are not limited to, high GI/processed carbs, low fat diets, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, recreational drugs, etc. High levels of insulin increase risks for various diseases, obesity is merely one. Low serotonin levels, equals high insulin levels, which equals increased risks for various diseases. Healthy levels of serotonin, equals lower insulin levels, which in turn, helps a person avoid and/or reverse various diseases.
You spent four years researching clinical trials, and another two years writing your first book. Why is it so important for you to get this information to the public?
It’s so important for me to get this information to the public, because my research holds the solution to overcome obesity, depression, anxiety, various addictions, insomnia, diabetes, and much more. I continue to promote this unique message of health, because millions suffer senselessly.
What is the main message you want people to take away from your book?
The main message I want people to take away from my book is that once they understand how serotonin and insulin are so uniquely connected, they’ll know to significantly reduce their risks for the most common diseases—and learn how to reverse some.
There seems to be a new diet every few months. Do any diets really work?
There are countless diets out in the market place. Most, are useless gimmicks, quick-fixes, and results, if any, will be temporary. However, no matter which diet you attempt to follow, even gastric bypass, they will not work “long-term,” until you learn how to control your cravings, which is achieved by controlling your serotonin levels and, subsequently, stabilizing your insulin levels. FACT: Cravings and binge eating, both side effects of low serotonin, are precisely why 98% of all diets fail.
There are so many current news articles claiming that people don't actually choose to be overweight, that we live in a failed system that sets us up for obesity, and other diseases. What is your opinion on this?
This is true. Most people do not choose to be overweight and/or sickly. Reality is, the consumer is being misled/deceived. There are far too many serious factors that contribute to why the system has failed the consumer:
Food and Diet Industries: The food and diet industries are, shamefully, filled with endless deceptions. The consumer is being set up to fail with these marketing ploys. If you don’t know what is truly healthy to eat; if you don’t know how to control your carb/sugar cravings; if you don’t know what foods trigger insulin and, thus, cause the body to store fat; if you don’t understand how to read a nutrition facts panel; the consumer will, instead, buy their food based on the manufactures manipulative, self-serving food labels designed merely to sell their product. All the while, causing the consumer to gain even more weight, etc.
Medical Doctors: The next biggest concern is that our medical doctors are not trained in nutrition. How can this be? Statistics prove that 98% of all diseases stem for poor nutrition, so why isn’t an in-depth nutrition course mandatory? Rather, the medical students can “opt” to take a one-week course in nutrition—and it’s based on low fat. But all you have to do is understand the SCIENCE, to realize that low fat diets don’t work: FACT: Low fat equals high carb, high carb equals high insulin, high insulin equals, excess body fat, excess body fat equals obesity, diabetes, etc. All you have to do is look around to confirm this alarming reality. Even the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, are mostly overweight, if not, obese—and struggling.
Endocrinologists/American Diabetic Association: Even medical doctors trained for years in nutrition, i.e., endocrinologists, along with the American Diabetic Association, still promote low fat. They actually recommend such junk carbs, as pancakes, popcorn chips, waffles, cereal, bread, crackers, etc., and with every meal. All the while, they tell their patients to avoid healthy fat. How can the average consumer possibly get leaner and healthier with this horrendously unhealthy information? The incompetency by our entire medical system is atrocious. And, it’s making us sicker than ever.
Across the Entire Medical Field: In addition to doctors not knowing what is truly healthy to eat, instead, promoting low fat diets that will literally “create new disease” for their patients, the entire medical community is antiquated. Here are just a few examples:
Blood Pressure Measurement Mistakes: Blood pressure measurements are performed millions of times every day, yet very few nurses and/or doctors know how to properly take a blood pressure reading. This is a serious concern. There are 11 precise things that need to be in place so as to get a “proper” blood pressure reading. If not, you will more than likely be diagnosed with hypertension. This is considered a chronic illness, one that is treated with pharma’ drugs. Those drugs are serious cardiac drugs that come with side effects. These side effects can create new disease. (Personally, I witness this every single time I go to a doctor’s office. I’ve had to plead with the nurse/doctor to take my BP correctly. Often they get confrontational, slam my arm down, and refuse to do it correctly. I refuse their inept care and leave.)
Doctors Monitor BMI vs Body Fat: BMI (Body Mass Index) is an inaccurate assessment of our health, because it only measures mass, it does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and sex differences. Doctors need to be tracking the patient’s body fat (Lean Mass to Fat Mass), along with waist circumference. FACT: The higher the body fat/the larger the stomach, equals significantly greater risks for disease.
Statin/Cholesterol Scam: Because doctors preach low fat diets, patients will, ultimately, develop numerous diseases. Abnormal cholesterol panels are a perfect example: Low fat equals high carb, high carb equals high insulin, high insulin equals abnormal cholesterol panels. The first mistake is that doctors focus on TC (Total Cholesterol), which is a totally irrelevant number, because it’s the “individual lipids” that are most important. Next, they focus primarily on lowering LDL, rather than, raising HDL and reducing triglycerides. Nevertheless, doctors are only too quick to prescribe a statin, a dangerous drug that comes with so many serious side effects, side effects that may potentially shut your kidneys down, cause cancer, heart attack, stroke, even death. The statin is absolutely unnecessary, because if our doctors knew nutrition, they could easily remedy any and all cholesterol concerns, just as I do for my clients. *Statins are considered the greatest medical scam of all time—and the #1 most prescribed drug.
Major System Failure: Combine the marketing deceptions allowed with our food, the horrendous nutritional advice the doctors are giving to their patients, along with the many other medical shortcomings that are at our expense—and you can see why millions of people are sick, obese, diabetic, depressed, anxious, with heart disease, and on and on.
In summary, and in all modesty, I am a woman of integrity. I practice what I preach, for myself, and my clients. As such, I prove my research year after year, client after client. Example: I recently had three separate medical doctors tell me, “Your blood work is amazing. I wish mine looked as good as yours!” I humbly handed them my business card.
How much of a role does a healthy lifestyle play in our mental health?
A healthy lifestyle, one that is, at the very least, free of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and junk carbs, etc., is absolutely vital to our mental health. Why? Because each of these things, and many more, deplete serotonin, the brain chemical that governs our mental/emotional health. Achieving mental health will not be achieved through pharmacology. It can, however, be successfully achieved by learning how to elevate and maintain your serotonin levels—and by learning what food the brain thrives on.
What do you say to a client who is looking for a "quick-fix?"
There is no such thing, as a quick-fix, when it comes to getting lean and healthy, in both body and mind. I offer my client’s the “solution” to their various health issues, i.e., obesity, diabetes, cravings/addictions, depression, anxiety, abnormal cholesterol panels, insomnia, etc.
You’ve accomplished so much! Author, researcher, product developer, trainer, nutritionist, business owner, the list goes on and on. What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the fact that I’ve helped countless number of clients over the past 20 plus years live a far healthier life, one that is free of our most common diseases. To be able to help my clients reverse and/or avoid numerous diseases by utilizing my research in record time, and no meds needed, is something I take great pride in. And, I do so simply by having educated myself all those years ago. No medical degree required. I am humbled every day when my clients tell me how fantastic they feel and look! More importantly, their blood work also supports this.
What are you working on now and what can we expect from you next?
I would love to produce a docu-series in the near future.
For more information, please visit https://bodybyphoenix.com/