Weight Management
There is a global epidemic of obesity, labelled ‘globesity’, that is regarded as one of the most pressing public health problems today. Over 60% of men and women in the UK are overweight or obese, and 20% of year 6 children are classified as obese – a bigger problem than malnutrition across the world.
Research shows that obesity is closely linked with reduced pulmonary function, low muscle strength, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, along with comorbidities such as diabetes and kidney disease. The immune response is also compromised in people with obesity, since obesity is characterised by a state of chronic inflammation and systemic metabolic dysfunction.
Where to start?
I start by putting my clients on a healthy weight loss dietary plan. For some people, even though they are eating exactly to people, are more careful and eat much less than their other family members, still do not lose weight. You can imagine how frustrated they feel. In these circumstances, it is important to rule out the following:
o Food intolerances
o Insulin resistance
o High stress
o Poor detoxification
o Underactive thyroid
o Oestrogen dominance
o Low serotonin
All the above can cause the body to hang onto excess weight.
Eliminate Sugar
I explored the negative effects of sugar and what some people call a ‘sugar belly’ in one of my blogs last year. You can read about the damaging effects of sugar on your body: affecting metabolism, raising blood pressure, disrupting hormones and damaging your liver (leading to fatty liver in particular).
Many people think that by eliminating sugar, they should only eat ‘fat-free’ foods. However, before you think about removing all fat from your diet in an attempt to reduce weight, remember our bodies need healthy fats for optimal health! Going fat-free is never a good idea. Instead of reaching for fat-free processed food and drink, choose healthy fats that will stabilise weight, promote health and reduce risk of developing chronic disease. You can read more about healthy fats and weight loss in my blog ‘Fighting Obesity’.
Find exercise that works for you
Many studies show that regular exercise relieves stress, increases quality sleep, improves memory, increases circulation and levels of oxygen in the body, as well as boosting your mood. Regular exercise is key to ensuring a healthy weight and optimal fitness. Exercise increases strength, flexibility and mobility and comes with a host of other benefits, including:
- Better sleep,
- More endorphins,
- Social connections,
- Relaxation
Eliminate stress and negative eating habits
Weight loss can sometimes be stressful and many people turn to food if they are feeling anxious. An important part of losing weight is managing stress and changing destructive stress habits! In my blog ‘Breathing’, I focus on optimal breathing and utilising the breathing patterns that lower stress and activate the parasympathetic system.
It is also important to:
- Check for anaemia (either low iron, vitamin B12 and/or folic acid) as this causes an inability to carry and transport oxygen to your cells. Typically you will feel tired all the time and look pale.
- Get your heart rate up for as quickly and for as long as possible (without hurting yourself!) to help improve oxygen circulation. This can include skipping, rebound trampolining, sprinting, squat jumps and any other high-intensity aerobic exercise.
- Feverfew extract, butcher’s broom extract, ginkgo biloba, huperzine, and vinpocetine are all herbs which can improve tissue oxygenation.
- Increase your water intake. Water is made up of oxygen so by increasing your water consumption you can increase the amount of oxygen in your body.
- Eat oxygen-rich foods. Foods that can naturally increase your blood oxygen levels include green raw foods (such as kale, broccoli and celery), iron-rich foods (such as meats, poultry, fish, and legumes), antioxidants (found in cranberries, blueberries, red kidney beans and dark leafy vegetables) and essential fatty acids (found in soybeans, flaxseeds and walnuts).
Harness the power of Metabolic Balance!
As a Metabolic Balance Coach I can help you lose weight using a lab test and an eating programme totally made-to-measure for you. The very simple lab assessment reveals your unique mix of hormones and metabolism, or your ‘biochemical individuality’ and this is used to calculate the exact foods and lifestyle habits that will give you the most effective and long-lasting weight loss.
The Metabolic Balance plan has four phases:
- A two-day initial ‘detox’ to kick things off,
- A strict phase of two weeks – during which you receive lots of coaching support,
- A more relaxed phase, when I help you to add more foods back into your diet,
- A ‘maintenance’ phase, which sees you settle into a really do-able, healthier lifestyle – for good!
One of the advantages of this plan is that the ‘difficult bit’ lasts only 16 days; another is that you receive solid support throughout; yet another advantage, is that you know that the effort you’re making will definitely and uniquely suit you. For more information on Metabolic Balance, see my full web page on the subject.
- High Stress (HPA axis / Adrenal Dysfunction) can cause sudden weight around the middle
- Hypothyroid (under-active thyroid function)
- High tissue toxicity
- High inflammation
- Gut microbiome imbalance
Nutrigenomics testing can also be helpful to see how your gene’s affect your appetite regulation, your nutrient (fat and carbohydrate) sensing, your sugar and fat metabolism, and your inflammation.
Please feel free to talk to me about any of these tests in your next consultation.
With every blessing,
Emma
Emma Maitland-Carew – Registered Nutritional Therapist
Dip.ION, mBANT, CHNC Registered Practitioner,
Metabolic Balance® Coach, HeartMath Coach, Accredited Wellbeing Coach.
