Part 3

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.

Hormones: Thyroid

Thyroid imbalances are one of the most common and yet most frequently missed hormone imbalances as it can masquerade as so many other illnesses. Thyroid imbalances can be related to problems with digestion, other hormones, nutrient deficiencies and the decreased function of other organs and glands. There is a lot to consider when supporting thyroid health.

One of the most common health triangles I'll see is poor digestion/malabsorption with anemia (low iron) and hypothyroid symptoms.

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for thyroid 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.

Hormones: Cortisol/ Adrenals

Cortisol is the hormone produced by the adrenal glands and is often called the "stress hormone" and is part of the "Fight, Flight or Freeze" adrenal response to stress. Chronic stress can lead to overwhelming the adrenals where either they over produce cortisol or they simply give up and quit producing cortisol. Both are problematic. Cortisol consumes your metabolically active muscle tissue for fuel, raises blood sugar (so you have energy to fight your foe), depresses your metabolic rate by blocking your thyroid hormone (to divert more energy to fight and flight), and increases desire for fatty food and carbs and boosts abdominal fat storage (to restore energy stores for the next battle). In our current age of over stimulation, culture of excess (work, food, drugs, exercise) and with poor self care habits it is easy to see why signs of cortisol imbalances are common.

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for cortisol or adrenal 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.

Hormones: Insulin

You can have insulin imbalances without being diabetic. However if insulin imbalances are left unchecked diabetes can occur.

Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas which allows the body to convert glucose from your food intake into energy. However if there is too much glucose in the blood the insulin tries to quickly sweep it up and store that glucose as fat, in your body cells or/and in your liver. This can lead to high triglycerides, elevated LDL Cholesterol and non alcoholic fatty liver (or poor liver function in the early stages).

Insulin resistance is when the cells no longer respond to (accept) the insulin and glucose which leads to feelings of lethargy, brain fog, insomnia, other hormone imbalances and much more. This can cause chronically high levels of glucose in the blood as the body tries to produce more and more insulin to keep up. High insulin levels prevent us from burning body fat and induce even more fat storage.

Some common signs of insulin resistance are:

age spots
wrinkles
cellulite
skin tags
dark spots on the neck or underarms
vision changes
fat over the triceps
water retention
puffy face
and much more.

If you'd like a self assessment checklist for insulin 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.