Syndrome W—A Woman’s Guide to Reversing Midlife Weight Gain by Harriette R. Mogul, M.D., M.P.H. is  very interesting and informative. It discusses the causes of women gaining weight after they reach forty. Syndrome W, which was discovered by endocrinologist Dr. Harriette Mogul, is a metabolic condition caused by an abnormality in insulin levels that is commonly found in women ages 30-60+ who are experiencing midlife weight gain.

Dr. Mogul is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the Columbia School of Public Health. An endocrinologist, epidemiologist, and early pioneer in women’s health and founder of the nation’s first Institute for Medical Research on Women and Gender, Columbia University, she spearheaded some of the first large national studies on women and weight.

I had always thought that we all gain weight when we get older, and there was nothing we could do about it. Dr. Mogul explains that for a lot of women, the weight gain is an indicator of a medical problem that can be corrected by using an everyday, inexpensive diabetes drug, metformin, to control insulin levels. Even if you do not have diabetes, you can have an elevated insulin level. The elevated insulin level can cause you to be constantly hungry and put on unwanted weight, even if you are dieting and exercising regularly.

High doses of metformin along with a carb modified diet, in a plan she refers to as “The Mogul Protocol”, is explained in detail in the book.  She tells you in plain language what to say to your doctor in describing your problem and how to get him or her on board to start the treatment you need to begin shedding the unwanted pounds.

The carb modified diet is explained and lots of good looking low carb recipes included in the book. Here are a couple of examples:

Tomato Basil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, cleaned and chopped

28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes (with juices) roughly chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh basil (leaves only)

1 teaspoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup whole milk (or fat free milk)

1.    In a medium heavy –bottom saucepan, over medium heat, add olive oil. Let oil warm for almost a minute; add onion, carrot, and celery. Saute?, but do not brown, about 90 seconds over medium heat.

2.    Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a soft boil. Lower heat to medium. Let cook for 20 minutes.

3.    In cooking pan, blend with hand blender.

4.    Return to heat, add milk. Simmer (don’t boil) for 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

5.    Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled. Great accompanied by homemade crostini! ©

Pistachio-Crusted Salmon

4 salmon fillets (1/2 pound per person)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup reduced-calorie maple syrup

1/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.    Place fillets skin side down on oiled pan.

3.    Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

4.    Rub maple syrup on top of fillets.

5.    Dust with pistachio nuts.

6.    Bake 10-15 minutes (to desired degree of doneness. ©

If you’d like to win a copy of this book, I’m giving away two.  Just make a comment on this post to enter the giveaway. The give away will close on November 30, 2010. I’ll pick two winners by using the Random Number Generator to pick two numbers.

If you’d like to have more information on this book, click here.

Comments are now closed on this give away. The winners were Shannon Bass with comment number 3, and Tonya with comment #8. thank you to everyone who entered!

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Tagged as: book review, diet, health, women