THE SLENDERNESS BLOG

GOURMET YOUR FOOD - BURN FAT

“Doc, one of your rules for the Meso-Menu is to gourmet your food. Are there certain spices you recommend for that?”

Yes, there are five fatu-burning spices you should start testing immediately.

The Thermostat on the Wall

A woman in her mid-fifties couldn’t figure out why she was always cold. Not just chilly but bone cold.

Cold hands. Cold feet. A constant need for sweaters, even indoors.

Each winter, she blamed the weather.

Each year, she blamed age.

“I guess this is just what happens,” she said. “My body's furnace must be worn out.”

So she adapted.

She layered up.

She moved less.

She ate smaller meals and told herself that her intrnal stove just had gotten old and nothing works as well when its old compared to when it was young.

One afternoon, a friend came over and noticed something odd. The house was cold as usual, but the heater wasn’t on. She checked the wall thermostat. It sat at a low temperature. She adjusted the thermostat, and the furnace kicked on. The woman ran into the room where the neighbor stood.

“What is that sound?" She smelled and then asked, "Is something burning?"

“You don’t have a worn out furnace,” the friend said.

“You’ve just been living with the temperature turned down.”

The woman laughed it off at first. But over the next few weeks, her life improved so much she couldn’t believe it. She felt humbled that she didn't know you can readjust the thermostat.

Your Thermostat

One of the best ways for you to turn it up is to add small amounts of warming spices to your meals: cinnamon in the morning, ginger at lunch, turmeric and black pepper at dinner.

Nothing dramatic, just a pinch here and a pinch there.

Slowly, you’ll notice your hands aren’t as cold. Your joints feel looser. Your appetite is more predictable. You won’t crave snacks to “stay warm.”

You’ll burn more calories.

Without being as disciplined as a Spartan.

Your internal furnace isn't worn out. It just been waiting to be turned up a bit,

Moral of the story:

Aging doesn’t cause the furnace to malfunction; it lowers the setting.

Sometimes, all the body thermostat needs is a gentle adjustment.

Here are five spices that will gourmet your meal and turn up your thermostat.

The Five Fat-Burning Spices

How a Pinch Can Do What Willpower Can’t.

And not in a fairy-dust, Instagram-reel way, in a biochemistry, insulin, inflammation, and appetite-control way.

After menopause, the game changes. Estrogen no longer acts as your metabolic assistant; inflammation rises quietly, insulin sensitivity declines, and storing fat becomes more persistent.

Spices don’t replace protein, movement, or discipline, but they tilt the playing field back in your favor. Think of them as metabolic nudges that compound over time.

Let me introduce you to my top five.

1. Cinnamon – The Blood Sugar Whisperer

Cinnamon doesn’t shout. It whispers to insulin.

This humble spice improves insulin sensitivity, slows gastric emptying, and reduces post-meal blood sugar spikes, the very spikes that drive fat storage and belly bloat in menopausal women.

Why it matters in menopause:
​Less estrogen means less insulin tolerance. Cinnamon helps restore order.

Where to sprinkle it:

• In your coffee or tea
• On top of your Greek yogurt
• How about your eggs (trust me)

Metabolic role: It reduces insulin spikes by improving insulin sensitivity, and that helps you flip your metabolism from being in a fat-storing state to a fat-burning state.

2. Turmeric (Curcumin) – The Inflammation Extinguisher

If menopause had a soundtrack, it would be inflammation humming in the background.

Turmeric, specifically curcumin, reduces inflammation, improves joint comfort (so you move more), and enhances fat metabolism at the cellular level.

Why it matters in menopause:
​Inflammation disrupts hormones and blocks fat loss even when you eat the “perfect” Meso-Menu.

Sprinkle it on:

• Eggs, soups, bone broth
• Roasted vegetables
• Coffee, yes, add a pinch to your buttered coffee, and you'll go, "wow."

I have two rules about turmeric. It must be paired with:

• Fat (butter, ghee, olive oil)
• Black pepper. (I drink buttered coffee with turmeric and put black pepper on my eggs.)

Metabolic role: reduces inflammation, improves hormone communication, and supports longevity.

3. Ginger – The Appetite Regulator

Ginger warms the body, improves digestion, and reduces hunger hormones. It increases thermogenesis, your internal calorie burn, and helps curb that late-day “Why am I suddenly starving?” feeling.

Why it matters in menopause:

Appetite signaling becomes disrupted when estrogen levels drop. Ginger brings clarity.

How to use it:

• Fresh ginger tea (My wife adds lemon and turmeric)
• Grated into stir-fries
• Place it in your protein smoothies (small amounts)

Metabolic role: improves satiety and reduces insulin spikes.

4. Cayenne Pepper – The Metabolic Matchstick

Cayenne contains capsaicin, which increases calorie burn, reduces appetite, and encourages the body to release stored fat.

Is it subtle? No.

Is it effective? Absolutely.

Why it matters in menopause:

Resting metabolic rate declines with age. Cayenne pushes it back up.

Sprinkle it onto your:

• Eggs
• Bone broth
• Meat rubs

Metabolic role: increases thermogenesis, therefore increases fat mobilization.

5. Black Pepper – The Unsung Hero

Black pepper enhances the absorption of other nutrients (especially turmeric), improves digestion, and may inhibit fat cell formation.

It’s not flashy, but it’s foundational.

Why it matters in menopause:

Absorption of nutrients declines as we age. Pepper spoon-feeds the nutrients to our cells.

Sprinkle it:

• Everywhere
• Especially if you want turmeric to do its thing

Metabolic role: improves nutrient delivery, leading to a better hormonal response.

How to Test Spices

This is how you test any new food after you have been eating The Meso-Menu on your way to your bottom, healthy, happy, ideal weight.

Test one of the spices above. Add a pinch to one or two meals. Don’t add any new foods. Never add more than one new food or spice to a Meso-Meal in a 48-hour period.

Add the spice, and weigh the next morning. If you gained weight, you may be sensitive to that spice, assuming you ate a clean Meso-Menu-Meal that day.

If you didn’t gain weight and maintained your weight, that's a pass for those on the maintenance program.

If you are on our weight optimization program, have been losing weight regularly, and you lose weight after using the spice, that spice is now part of your permanent menu.

Remember to wait 48 hours after testing the spice before testing another spice.

The One I’d Test First And Use Daily

Cinnamon.

Because insulin is the gatekeeper. And when insulin behaves, fat loss follows.

Final Thought

Menopausal weight loss isn’t about eating less. It’s about reducing inflammation, therefore, better hormone balance.

Spices are ancient metabolic tools.

Add them daily and let your internal chemistry ramp up the heat.

In the next blog, we’ll discuss the one human-made food we should all avoid.

— Doc Mac

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US-IE

Vicky and I are retired, and our passion, besides teaching others how to optimize their hormones and weight through this newsletter, is traveling.

This Usie was taken at Mahogany Bay, Roatán.

This usie was taken at the entrance of Mahogany Bay, Roatán, an island located in the Honduras. Vicky and I jumped into a taxi and went to the Westend of the island and shopped and ate where the locals eat and shop. I ate fresh conch and octopus at a restaurant on stilts above the bay. It wasn't cold but it wasn't hot either so we stayed out of the beautiful sparking Caribbean water.

🇪🇸 The Macs

Hormone and Weight Optimization Author and Coaches

​HOPE isn’t just a feeling. It’s a protocol

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DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this newsletter is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, nor should it be construed as medical advice or a substitute for professional medical care. No doctor–patient relationship is created by this content. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider before beginning, modifying, or discontinuing any supplement, medication, diet, or health program, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, or are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications. Individual responses and requirements vary, and any reliance on the information provided is solely at your own risk.
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