The complexity of weight loss: Part II
PAID CONTENT
In Part I we discussed the complexity of gaining weight. Weight gain is rarely a simple matter of eating excessively and exercising insufficiently. There are many reasons why you gain weight in the first place. Rarely is there only one or two reasons. There are generally several reasons that all coalesce into a fat-storing machine that has no mercy!
Digestion is an important key in keeping a normal waistline. Digestion is key to most diseases. If you have heartburn, reflux, bloating, ulcers, or any kind of intestinal symptoms such as IBS, colitis, Crohn’s disease, and even constipation, it will be difficult for you to lose weight (unless it is so severe that you have the opposite problem). All of these conditions are fixable. Unless they are fixed, and not just managed by medications, you will have a very difficult time getting your weight under control. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional support are used together to help heal the gut. But don’t forget the friendly guys — the prebiotics and probiotics! Eating fermented or cultured foods are a must in correcting any digestive condition.
Sleep is also very important in losing weight. Since much of the weight loss occurs during sleep, with insufficient amounts you will struggle to get on top of it. Acupuncture and the above referenced remedies are also helpful for getting back to your restorative sleep cycle. They are also helpful if your autonomic nervous system is out of balance. That could be one reason for sleeplessness, but it has also been suggested that reduced activity in the sympathetic nervous system (the active side of the autonomic nervous system) could contribute to reduced fat burn. There are several things that control the balance between the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system — keys in losing weight.
Many diseases contribute to weight gain, and their medications frequently do as well. Any time you can opt to correct the problem and not just use medications to control is preferable. That doesn’t mean you should drop your medications that have a side effect of weight gain. That could be dangerous! But the best way to not have to take a weight-gaining medication is to no longer need it. That means you have to heal the condition. Many people mistakenly believe that whatever they have, they are stuck with the rest of their lives. That is rarely true. In fact, I enjoy treating the more complex conditions because as we correct the underlying cause, not only does their main concern get corrected, but so do many other symptoms as well. Best yet, they get their life back!
Many, if not most health conditions, have inflammation as part of it. Being inflamed can prevent you from losing weight. Once the inflammation is under control weight can begin to drop.
We’ve barely scratched the surface here. To learn more, attend our upcoming health class, 5 Key Obstacles to Eliminating Excess Weight, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 30, at Vital Health in Coeur d’Alene. Fee: $10. RSVP: 208-765-1994 or register here: http://bit.ly/VHWeightClass.
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Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Carling is a “Health Detective,” she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’Alene clinic. Visit Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.