Why it matters
Dr. O’Mara says diet matters more than anything else for visceral fat. In his MRI clients, cutting out processed food alone can shrink it within months, and fat around the heart often goes first.
The “living” part is the microbes. He sees gut bacteria as a driver of cravings and weight gain, so fermented foods go on the plate at every meal to build a healthier mix.
What’s on the plate
Eat
- Grass-fed, grass-finished beef, bison, lamb, venison or elk
- Liver
- Eggs from well-raised hens
- Wild-caught fish
- Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and kvass
- Fermented carrots, beets and pickle brine
- Aged and blue cheeses, and butter
- Black coffee
Avoid
- Anything processed: if it has a label, it probably is
- Sugar and sweets
- Bread, oats and rice, sourdough included
- Alcohol
- Dairy that isn’t fermented, apart from butter
- Food cooked in seed oils
How to start
- 01
Cut processed food first
It’s the first step, before anything else changes. Dr. O’Mara’s rule of thumb: if it has a label, it’s probably processed.
- 02
Build meals around grass-fed meat
Grass-fed and grass-finished, from healthy animals. Add liver, and eggs from well-raised hens.
- 03
Add fermented foods to every meal
A small side, eaten with the meat. Look for live, unpasteurized versions in the chilled section. He keeps 20 to 30 kinds on hand; one or two is a fine start.
- 04
Drop sugar, grains and alcohol
That includes bread, oats and rice. Dr. O’Mara calls alcohol a toxin and works to get every client off it.
- 05
Ease into fasting
He pairs eating well with fasting. Build up slowly toward 18 to 24 hours without food. In his words, it’s not a race.
Eat meat and microbes.