February 2018 Newsletter

💟 Spread the love this February with the gift of a healthy detox or weight loss program for you and your loved ones.

 💟

February is here and with that a desire to adopt a healthier lifestyle is a key goal for many people. Every day clients ask me how they can remove toxins and extra body fat to boost their energy levels and lose some weight, particularly the extra pounds they gained over the Holiday Season. 

At my last Open House we explored the different types of programs that I offer to achieve your objectives and how to best select one that makes the most sense for your lifestyle. This information is summarized in the two articles below. 

The first article explains cleanses, purifications, gut cleanses, and weight loss programs to help you decide what is appropriate for you and why these programs can be a success or a failure. The second article discusses why people do not always achieve their weight loss goals on these programs.

What’s Right for You? Detoxification, Weight Loss, or Gut Cleanse?

This is the time of year when we re-focus on our health. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, it is a New Year, so it is time to make changes – eat better, exercise more, and lose weight. Second, many of us recognize the Holiday Season took its toll. We notice a few extra pounds, an overall sensation of not feeling our best, and it seems we’re either getting sick or fighting off a cold or flu. Then the natural human desire to feel better takes hold.

We look for a solution, something to make us feel better. This is typically some type of “diet” or “weight loss program” or “cleanse.” There are many programs to choose from, but the important question is what is best for you. In determining that you need to understand the different types of programs available.

I classify programs into three main categories: purification or detoxification programs, gut purification programs, and weight loss programs.

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/?p=1104

Are You Weight Loss Resistant?

Ever notice what happens at the beginning of the year?  The New Year’s resolution.  This is the year you vow to get healthier, to lose those extra pounds, and to keep them off.  The health clubs are jammed with others making the same resolution.  There are lines of people waiting to use the stepping machines and the exercise bikes.  But, within a few short weeks the crowds disappear and there are no more lines.

Why does this happen?  You’ve cut back on the alcohol, are eating salads for lunch, skipping a meal here and there, and are working out hard at the gym.  Yet the pounds are not flying off.  This is not uncommon as over 95% of all diets end in disappointment.  However, don’t be discouraged.  If you read on you’ll learn how you can get lasting results.

For the rest of the article click here: http://brwellness.com/?p=1100

What’s Right for You? Detoxification, Weight Loss, or Gut Cleanse?

This is the time of year when we re-focus on our health. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, it is a New Year, so its time to make changes – eat better, exercise more, and lose weight. Second, many of us recognize the Holiday Season took its toll. We notice a few extra pounds, an overall sensation of not feeling our best, and it seems we’re either getting sick or fighting off a cold or flu. Then the natural human desire to feel better takes hold.

We look for a solution, something to make us feel better. This is typically some type of “diet” or “weight loss program” or “cleanse.” There are many programs to choose from, but the important question is what is best for you. In determining that you need to understand the different types of programs available.

I classify programs into three main categories: purification or detoxification programs, gut purification programs, and weight loss programs.

Purification or detoxification programs aim to improve the overall functioning of your body by removing toxins from your body. These toxins come from the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe (both indoor and outdoor pollutants), personal care products, and household products. Your body has three ways to deal with toxins. It can remove them – this is the optimal method, or it can hide them in body fat or deposit them in other tissues. The last two options are less than optimal. Once the toxins are placed in fat or other tissues we begin to experience a variety of symptoms.

Typical symptoms of toxicity include: chronic fatigue, constipation, gas and bloating, poor digestion, bad breath, inability to lose weight, headaches, mood swings, brain fog, joint pain and stiffness, sensitivities to smells, frequent colds, chronic infections, skin rashes, and hives. This can lead to long-term effects on the body that impact reproduction, development, brain function, endocrine system function, and immune system function.

Purification or detoxification programs target and support the body’s main organs of detoxification – the liver and kidneys, as well as the lymph, blood, skin, colon, and lungs. The programs include nutritional supplements to support these organs and drive detoxification and a clean diet to limit toxins entering the body.

During the purification or detoxification process the first couple of days are usually the most difficult as toxins begin to be released and the body is adjusting. But as the program progresses most people feel better – they have more energy, think clearer, sleep better, and lose weight.

I generally believe this is the best and safest place to start for one very important reason – the toxins that are stored in fat. 

A weight loss program is designed to help you lose weight and burn fat. These programs will also feature a healthy diet, but the supplements are more designed to burn and reduce fat. Generally, there is no support for your detoxification organs. So, what can happen is the body can begin to dump toxins and there is no support to detoxify. This can result in a variety of symptoms occurring while losing weight. I can provide a real-life story of a client’s experience on the Whole30 program. This is a wonderful way of eating, a program I certainly encourage, and will support weight loss. However, I have heard of cases of a week of headaches while doing the program. In this case there was a dump of toxins from the fat into the blood stream with no mechanism for supporting detoxification.

My recommendation is for most clients to do a detoxification program first and follow that with a weight loss program.

There are three reasons why a weight loss program may not be effective. First, there are instances when a person loses very few pounds on a program. In this case the body will not allow the fat to be burned and the subsequent release of toxins. The body is protecting itself from these dangerous toxins entering the blood stream where they can cause damage. Second, there may be a hormonal imbalance which is keeping the body in a fat storage mode. For more information on that click here: http://brwellness.com/?p=1100. Third, a bacterial imbalance in the gut.

There is significant current research suggesting the composition of one’s gut bacteria plays a major role in how much fat a person has on their body. People who are fat have a different gut bacteria composition than those who are thin. What has not been established is which comes first (the chicken or the egg?). Are there certain types of bacteria that make someone fat or once someone becomes fat do they tend to have a certain type of bacteria? Regardless, if that bacteria mix is prevalent, the person will not lose weight.

This is one of the times a gut cleanse program is needed. The gut cleanse programs target the digestive system. Gut cleanse programs will feature supplements to help digest food and to clean the intestinal tract with herbs and nutritionals that are anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. This helps to remove bad bacteria, fungus, yeast, or parasites that may be impacting your health. Gut cleanse programs also feature a healthier and cleaner diet.  Notice how this is consistent among all the programs suggesting that in all cases it is essential to eat healthier if you want to improve your health.

As you can see there are a variety of scenarios to consider in selecting the correct program for you. Therefore, I recommend a consultation to review your objectives and current health status to best decide.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator.  He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs.  His office is in Mequon, WI.  To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

Are You Weight Loss Resistant?

Ever notice what happens at the beginning of the year?  The New Year’s resolution.  This is the year you vow to get healthier, to lose those extra pounds, and to keep them off.  The health clubs are jammed with others making the same resolution.  There are lines of people waiting to use the stepping machines and the exercise bikes.  But, within a few short weeks the crowds disappear and there are no more lines.

Why does this happen?  You have cut back on the alcohol, are eating salads for lunch, skipping a meal here and there, and are working out hard at the gym.  Yet the pounds are not flying off.  This is not uncommon as over 95% of all diets end in disappointment.  However, don’t be discouraged.  If you read on you’ll learn how you can get lasting results.

We are told the formula is simple – less food plus more exercise equals less weight. Truth be told, the formula is much more complex.  You may be what is termed by leading nutritionists as “weight loss resistant.”  What does this mean?  Put simply it means having difficulty or an inability to lose weight.  There are several factors that contribute to this and here’s how:

• Chronic stress – raises cortisol which breaks down muscle, puts sugar in the blood stream, and promotes fat storage which increases the likelihood of insulin resistance; and lowers DHEA (an anti-aging, libido stimulating, and fat burning hormone).
• Insulin resistance – blocks the burning of fat, causes fat storage around the abdomen, and causes inflammation.
• Hormone imbalances – imbalances of estrogen and progesterone in women promote fat storing; low DHEA and testosterone in men and women reduce the ability to burn fat and build muscle; high estrogen in men promotes fat storage; and high progesterone in women promotes insulin resistance.
• Hypothyroidism – muscle building is slowed, metabolism is slowed, sex hormones are not produced sufficiently and are out of balance, and general low energy and fatigue.
• Brain chemical imbalance - neurotransmitter imbalances cause cravings and inappropriate eating behaviors.
• Chronic sleep deprivation – increases cortisol, creates sugar cravings, lowers thyroid function, lowers energy, and increases appetite.
• Low Fat Free Mass – a low muscle mass to fat mass ratio keeps metabolism slow (this is often a result from chronic dieting).
• Food allergies – can cause cellular fluid retention or “false fat” and create cravings for these foods.
• Gut dysbiosis and yeast overgrowth – healthy bacteria is an important part of digestion as they consume calories, otherwise an increase of fat storage.
• Toxic burden – disrupts pH balance in gut, blood, and tissues; slows metabolic rate; disrupts absorption of minerals; disrupts hormone receptor sites creating imbalances; and lowers thyroid function (hypothyroidism).

Most programs just measure pounds lost and are successful in that realm.  However, that is only part of the picture.  Soon after the program is completed the weight begins to come back on.  The reason – the underlying behaviors and lifestyle have not changed.  With the metabolism slowed from dieting and a return to prior habits, the pounds quickly come back on. 

The best program for long term health and vitality will be one that addresses your individual needs.  Working with a qualified nutrition consultant you can determine your areas of weight loss resistance and develop a plan to address them.  As these areas are brought back into balance your metabolism will improve, enabling you to lose weight in a healthy manner.  It may take some time to get the body back on track.  The body has built-in healing mechanisms and with proper nutrition and healthy behaviors the body will heal.  As the body heals you will lose fat and weight. 

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and Educator.  He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create individualized nutrition and wellness programs.  His office is in Mequon, WI.  To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call (262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.