Before you begin following the diet strategies on the next page, it's important that you take action to reduce your exposure to stressful situations. Doing so will ensure that you begin the plan with lower levels of stress hormones, so you'll lose more weight faster. So during the three days before starting the detox...

• Cut out high-glycemic carbs, which cause the biggest stress-hormone surge after eating. In this category: apricots, bananas, bread, carrots, cereals, corn, mangoes, dates, figs, muffins, noodles, potatoes, raisins, rice, yams.

• Practice speaking calmly and slowly. This will stabilize the release of stress hormones in minutes.

• Cut back on beverages that contain caffeine, a powerful adrenal stimulant by 1/2 cup daily; replace with water or herbal teas.
• Stock up on fruits, veggies, lean meats, fish and spices, which triple your body's ability to burn calories for fuel instead of storing them as fat. The best spices: cloves, cinnamon, tumeric, bay leaves and fennel. Get a jump on the following day by preparing your soup and bean dish.

• NEXT PAGE > "Eat yourself slim"

I was floored when Dr. Gillespie told me that stress was stopping me from losing those last 10 pounds. With two kids and my party and wedding planning business, I'm on the go from 6:30 a.m., when the kids get up for school, until midnight or later, when some of my functions end. So how was I going to get all that stress out of my life?

Well, I loved Dr. Gillespie's idea of adrenal-soothing mini meals - and they were surprisingly easy to pack and eat on the run.

Within 48 hours, those nagging feelings of stress, anxiety and tension evaporated. Even better, those stubborn 10 pounds just seemed to melt off!

I love my new figure - and whenever stress and pounds start sneaking up on me, I just "mini-meal" it for a week to get back on track. It's that simple, and it really works! -- Deirdre Sullivan, party and wedding planner