In his book, Ultra-Metabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss (Scribner, 2006, $25.00, hardcover), author Mark Hyman, MD introduces a new wave of thought in medicine, called "nutrigenomics", which examines the relationship between genes and food, and how this affects health, disease, and body weight.  Dr. Hyman describes DNA as a type of computer software for your body, sending information to the genes that leads to metabolism.  Ultra-Metaoblism, asks the key question -- "when the brain's appetite center registers full, people will naturally stop eating," "so why do most people tend to overeat?"

Dr. Hyman points out that the food that we eat has no relation to the way our bodies have adapted as humans have evolved.  If we eat in a manner more in tune with the way our bodies are designed, metabolism would fall into place, weight would stabilize naturally and disease will be largely prevented. In other words, one should "eat in a way that "works with our body, not against it."  According to the book, when we follow the popular advice to eat less/exercise more in order to lose weight, we only end up starving our bodies, and trigger "a primitive survival response that drives us to compensate by overeating."  Yes, we've all been there.  We skip breakfast, drastically restrict what we eat during the day, and then we clean out the refrigerator when we get home! 

Dr. Hyman's plan recommends feeding your body by eating a diet rich in good carbs, and conspicuously low in bad carbs.  The plan also includes  useful techniques for tuning up your metabolism by increasing muscle mass and using aerobic training.   The plan is presented in 2 Phases:  Phase I - Detoxify Your System;  and Phase II - Rebalance Your Metabolism.  Each phase includes lists of foods to eat and foods to avoid, short quizzes to evaluate your needs, and recipes.  Each day's menu includes 3 main meals and 2 snacks, which keeps blood sugar levels stable.  The plan includes some "health" foods many may be unfamiliar with, (like a grain called Amaranth), and will most likely require an overhaul and restocking of your pantry and refrigerator.  Several of the meals (and the recipes)  may take some getting used to, as they deviate radically from what most of us are accustomed to eating.  For example, Phase I, Day 1, lists:

Breakfast:  Apple-Walnut Amaranth porridge

Snack:  Seasonal Fresh Fruit and Raw Nuts and Seeds

Lunch:  White Beans on a Bed of Greens

Snack:  Avocado with Lemon

Dinner:  Wild Salmon w/Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Lemon Asparagus