PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The “Hormone Diet” is getting a stamp of approval in Pittsburgh.

KDKA-TV asked two people to try the popular diet for six weeks and both lost weight on the program. It’s based on the best-selling book “The Hormone Diet,” by naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner.

Using the best features of the Mediterranean and Glycemic Index diets, the Hormone Diet seeks to regulate the hormones known to cause weight gain when not at the proper levels.

That means eating the right foods at the right times, and also avoiding certain foods that cause negative changes in your system.

The diet begins with a two-week detox. That means no caffeine, and avoiding hormone-hindering foods like processed or non-organic meats, foods sweetened with fructose, aspartame or other artificial sweeteners, food colorings or preservatives, and white flour, white rice and white potatoes.

While the diet doesn’t count calories, it does focus on how much you eat and when. For example, according to the diet, when you restrict calories too much, you feel hungrier because your body responds by releasing hormones that stimulate your appetite. At the same time, your thyroid hormone levels drop, causing your metabolism to slow.

The combination of the two often leads to weight gain.

In addition to food, the Hormone Diet also seeks to regulate hormones through activities like sleep, exercise, and sex.

For most people, that usually means more sleep and regular exercise, even if it’s just a brisk walk a few times per week. And when it comes to sex, Dr. Turner says sex revs up your fat-burning hormones and helps control your appetite.

After six weeks on the diet, both of KDKA-TV’s participants lost weight.

Mandi Solties lost 15 pounds, and Rick Duffy lost 28 pounds. Both reported having more energy and feeling less bloated, and Solties says the diet also helped to relieve her chronic heartburn.

Because of their success with the diet, both have since decided to up their weight loss goals.

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