Naturopathic medicine can be a huge help if you are trying to loose weight. If yours is a simple case of eating too much and not exercising, then you know what to do. But if you have already tried that, and are still here reading this article, then something has happened to your metabolism- and we need to get to the bottom of it for you to loose weight. The most common culprits I see are hormones out of balance, inflammation, and impaired digestion with candida overgrowth. This can be a lot to navigate on your own, so I do recommend making a consultation with a naturopathic doctor to review the following important points.
Get a Comprehensive Hormone Test done- Includes thyroid, insulin, adrenals, female hormones, and male hormones. This is where I start with most patients. Hormones need to be treated if out of range!
Treat candida- If you are bloated, have digestive issues, brain fog and are frequently tired, you likely have an overgrowth of yeast in your body that will impair weight loss. There are many great herbs and essential oils that can help with candida overgrowth.
Kick start your program with a cleanse- Try 10 days where you avoid all the common allergens and eat only whole foods. You will feel amazing and loose weight easier.
Eat grains one meal per day- Any meal you choose but only one! Includes rice, oats, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, or amaranth. (Ideally don’t choose wheat but it is a grain too) If your fasting insulin is high, you may want to avoid grains completely for the first few weeks.
Get enough sleep- A good sleep is important to activate weight loss- minimum 7 hours. If you don’t sleep well talk to your naturopathic doctor about it.
Fast for 13 hours overnight. Eat dinner at 630 pm or earlier, and breakfast 13 hours later. If you have blood sugar issues please discuss this with your doctor first.
Activate your mitochondria- Try a supplement to activate fat burning and the mitochondria, which produce the body’s energy.
Check for fatty liver- Simple tests can show if you have developed fatty liver, a type of liver inflammation that will sabotage weight loss. This is more common in those that are quite overweight and needs to be treated.
Get moving! Get off the couch and go do something fun outside, or turn the music on and dance like crazy in your living room. This isn’t just about burning calories but also about feel good endorphins, building muscle (which helps metabolism) and improving circulation.
