Part 2

I don't stress weight loss but it is a big deal to some people and I respect that. When clients come to me saying that they just can't lose weight, I reframe it to:

"YOUR BODY IS NOT ABLE TO LET GO OF WEIGHT RIGHT NOW, LET'S FIND OUT WHY."

There are 5 main areas I assess When people struggle with their weight: Sleep, Nutrition, Inflammation, Hormones and Digestion.

As a general rule I don’t “do” weight loss, I’m not a fan of diet culture, restriction and deprivation. I believe in the importance of carefully designed therapeutic diets that help the body heal and then allow the person to go back to eating well. I believe the human body will find it’s own perfect set weight when the body is healthy and well supported. Strict diets and over exercising only stress the body more. Find out more in this previous blog.

I started this series of posts on my Facebook Page and Instagram, and I thought it would be worthwhile to put it in blogs for easy reference. It will be a series of blog posts. Here I can add extra tips and links that I don’t have room for elsewhere.

Digestion:

Common signs of poor digestion include:

acid reflux
hiccups
gassiness
bloating
and food sensitivities.

However

thyroid conditions
hormone imbalances
chronic fatigue
anxiety
depression
joint pain
headaches
skin problems
and weight gain or loss

can also be signs of poor digestion. It will often take more than probiotics and ant-acids to repair digestion. I often recommend supplements, an anti-inflammatory diet and homeopathic remedies along with good quality probiotics or fermented foods to repair digestion. For more information check out the previous blog post Mal-absorption.

If you'd like to improve your digestion please contact Lisa for a consultation. There are many options including Homeopathic medicine, herbs, certain foods and lifestyle tricks that can help.

Hormones

Hormone imbalances and digestive issues are probably the biggest areas needing improvement in most clients I see who state weight as a concern.

Now most people will think of Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone first when they think of hormones, but I'm going delve much deeper than that. All of the hormones are interconnected. If one if off then likely others will be, this is why it is important to get a full assessment and look at the whole picture.

When assessing hormones I look at all the symptoms, blood work if it available and body weight distribution. Where the body holds weight can tell me a lot about what is going on inside.

I also have self assessment checklists for each of the areas I will be discussing. If you'd like me to send you a checklist please message me with your email address and the hormone you are interested in and I will send it to you.

If you’d like some more information on hormones and some self help tips, check out my previous blog on Hormones and Seed Cycling.

Estrogen

When estrogen is balanced it helps women heal, have lovely clear skin, feel energetic and sensual and have a normal easy menstrual cycle.

When estrogen is off it can cause mood swings, anxiety, hair loss, sagging skin, dry eyes and much more.

It is very common for estrogen to become imbalanced and it can happen at any age, not just before and during menopause.

While estrogen is thought of as a female hormone, men have estrogen too. Estrogen imbalances can occur because of the foods (coffee is a big one!!!) and herbs we eat, as well as lifestyle and environmental exposures that cause imbalances like toxins and microwaving food in plastics.

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for estrogen imbalances, please message me (one per person please). Keep in mind that hormones don't act alone, where one if off, there are other imbalances.

If you'd like help to improve your hormones please contact Lisa for a consultation. There are many options including Homeopathic medicine, herbs, certain foods and lifestyle tricks that can help.

Progesterone

Progesterone is supposed to be the counter balance to Estrogen, although sometimes Testosterone over steps and takes over. Progesterone is needed for proper thyroid function, to help the body burn fat for energy, for proper bone and muscle development, to help you stay happy and calm and much more. Low or (rarely) high progesterone happen as a result of other hormone imbalances, so it's important to get a full picture of how all your hormones are balanced.

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for progesterone imbalances, please message me (one per person please). Keep in mind that hormones don't act alone, where one if off, there are other imbalances.

If you'd like help to improve your hormones please contact Lisa for a consultation.

There are many options including Homeopathic medicine, herbs, certain foods and lifestyle tricks that can help.

Testosterone

Most people think of testosterone as the aggressive hormone, for building muscles and having a strong sex drive. That's not all testosterone does, and both women and men can have testosterone imbalances.

Testosterone imbalances can cause skin issues, hair growth or loss, mood changes, poor concentration, food cravings and more.

High testosterone in women leads to PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) and low testosterone in men leads to andropause (commonly referred to as male menopause). High testosterone in women and low testosterone in men is almost always accompanied by high estrogen, as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are all interdependent. If one is off balance, the others will be too, it is a very delicate balance.

Signs of Low testosterone in women:

muscle loss
muscle weakness
lack of drive
difficulty concentrating
low libido
fatigue
hair loss
waist fat gain

Signs of high testosterone in women:

weight gain all over, especially in belly
hair loss
facial hair growth
infertility
ovarian cysts
acne
oily skin and hair
irritability
aggression
mid cycle pain
absent menses

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for testosterone imbalances, please message me (one per person please). Keep in mind that hormones don't act alone, where one if off, there are other imbalances.

If you'd like help to improve your hormones please contact Lisa for a consultation. There are many options including Homeopathic medicine, herbs, certain foods and lifestyle tricks that can help.

The information provided here is for educational purposes only. For treatment please seek a qualified healthcare provider.