Diet Recovery
While not a popular subject, diet recovery can be a necessary evil throwing you into a psychological roller coaster. We are living in a world where fad diets rule the internet and everyone is either a diet or recipe blogger. Don't get me wrong, this has been encouraging and provides a sense of support which is a new concept for many of us. The downside is one that is very real and one not many speak about and that is a burnt out metabolism from too much restriction. Whether the restriction was carbohydrate, protein or fat, deficiency symptoms are always a side effect of these fad diets. Add in an abundance of exercise and you have a recipe for chronic fatigue syndrome.
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This was me 7 years ago. I was at my thinnest, I was working in my element of nutrition and I was on fire. On my days off I would get in as much exercise as I could still striving for a "certain number" on the scale. Avoiding any and all treats and samples that came my way, taking the finest supplements on the market and lecturing about weight loss and carbohydrate restriction.
As I progressed further into fatigue, I was noticing that my eyes were a little bloodshot, my ankles swollen and this odd blocked feelilng in my left ear. My days off began looking a little lazier and what was finally apparent to me and my family, I was burnt out. At this point, I had some labs done and my inflammatory marker, C-Reacitive Protein was through the roof. Lab values are 1-3 and my CRP was a whopping 54. At this point, I was seeing a chiropractor and Naturopathic physician, both whom helped me figure out that I was suffering from leaky gut syndrome, endotoxemia (bacterial overload) and pooped out adrenal glands. My labs showed auto-antibodies to MS and Lupus and that scared the heck out of me.
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This lab work and my symptoms were enough for me to quit my job and start taking care of myself. What did I do?
I RESTRICTED MY FOOD SUPPLY EVEN FURTHER!
This only made me weaker and much worse. I was in a hell and I didn't take responsibility for my biochemical individuality, my personal needs, my nutrient status. Hey, I was following the masses and as was consistently repeated over and over, carbohydrates are not essential...
Well, they are for the thyroid, and the stress hormones and the blood, the eyes, the muscles...they are essential because without carbohydrate, your body must make this fuel and it is never ever done without the use of cortisol, a stress hormone. The very stress hormone that is out of control in most of us.
This was my problem...I was not taking in enough carbohydrate for such a long period of time that I finally went into a stress response and therefore crashed with low morning cortisol. I'm an energetic person. I have run on the hyper side my entire life. I've worked with my central nervous system to live a calmer life. Carbohydrate helps me with this task and if I don't want to live in fight or flight, I don't restrict macro-nutrients. I do however restrict particular foods and even in diet recovery, I believe that certain foods should be at the lowest level of the choice list and that is for the purpose of health, not the waistline.
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We live in a society of comparison and competition. It takes a lot to step out of this norm and into the comfy life that best suits our over burdened lives. One that offers you peace, serenity and the ability to enjoy the abundance in nature and all that you are.
Dieting takes time from activities, nurturing habits, friend-
ships and family. There was a time when we all sat at the
dinner table and ate the same meal. I hear from so many
Women that they are eating separate meals from their
families and this only sets the rest of the family up for a
disordered idea of food and family.
Nurture yourself and the rest falls into place with acts like
grounding, walking in nature, Sun exposure, warm baths,
reading and meditation.
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What does it look like when one needs diet recovery?
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Eating Disordered - Bulimia or Anorexia - I am no expert but can refer you to one if you need it. Don't hesitate to drop me a note with a request for referral
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Restricting Foods - Extreme fear of certain food/events
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Dieting with a low basal temperature or pulse rate - less than 98 degrees and less than 70 bpm
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Dietary Diligence - This looks different for many but steadfast rules and measures
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Over Exercising - Cardio does nothing for fat loss and in fact, can encourage it through the mechanism of increased cortisol - Great for fatigue - loss of cycle
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Illness - including auto immunity which is generally hormone imbalance causing intolerance
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Loss of menstrual cycle - (amenorrhea) The body is making too much stress hormone and lacks the sex hormones
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How do we get out of this perpetual motion that continues to degrade our health? You need to add food. As Matt Stone from 180 Degree Health states, you need to "Eat For Heat!" this is the idea that eating anything and everything can raise your basal temp giving you a fighting chance at a robust metabolism. I'm not a fan of eating anything and I know that your weight will always be on your mind. It's inevitable and it's a psychological roller coaster.
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Your best dictator of metabolic health is a basal temperature of 98.6 and a resting heart rate between 70-90. There are digestive processes that require a robust body temperature so when we down regulate the system, the thyroid and digestion both suffer.
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Rather than eating anything and everything, I always recommend you begin slowly with your diet recovery. Begin by analyzing what you eat and why.
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Do you have dietary restrictions?
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Are you truly intolerant to the foods you're restricting?
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Have you made your intolerance worse by ignoring the microbiome and your stress levels?
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Do you have an autoimmune disease?
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Ask yourself these questions first and move on to adding 1 food back into your diet per week. There are a few foods that if you're restricting, I wouldn't add them in too quickly or even at all for good reason. They are either too difficult to digest for a compromised digestive system or the food is implicated in disease as is my number 1 recommendation to avoid:
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Industrial Seed Oils - Soybean, Safflower, Sunflower, Canola and Corn oils
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Gluten containing grains-unless properly fermented sourdough starter is used with organic wheat
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Dairy can be an intolerance - This is individual and many compromised individuals can only tolerate cheese, yogurt and cream. Once the microbiome is stable, dairy can be added and increased.
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Understanding intuitive eating is probably one of the best tools you can afford yourself. When you have a true connection with your body, you have an innate understanding of what feels good and what doesn't. As a certified crystal healer, I'm adept at using a pendulum to test a food or supplement. This is referred to as "dousing" and it is quite helpful in testing your individual needs. Our subconscious is the all knowing and in this modern world, we've lost the ability to trust our instinct, the third eye, the all knowing Pineal gland.
You can use any round object on a string to test and you're looking for a clockwise spin for your yes answer in most cases. You can find pendulums in any crystal shop or grab this two pack so you have one in the kitchen and one for your travels. -
You need to rebuild hormones and consuming food 3-4 times daily can help you achieve this. When you nourish yourself, you think little about food. Restriction causes disordered thinking and when you have your macros under control and supplying proper nourishment, you don't obsess about what you've eaten, what you will be eating and what you can't eat.
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Minerals are the catalyst for every metabolic function in the human body. If you're not taking in sufficient minerals, particularly your electrolytes, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Potassium, the burn out happens at an expedited rate.
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If you are dieting and unable to lose weight even when calorie restriction has been verified, there are other issues at hand. The thyroid hormones are likely suffering and while your lab values might look "normal" to your physician, the temperature/pulse test is your best determining factor. With proper nutrition, in many cases, the thyroid can be reset resulting in kick starting your metabolism. The microbiome, digestion and liver are all players in healthy weight loss. Estrogen, bacteria, toxins, parasites, intestinal permeability and poor liver health all contribute to a down regulated thyroid.
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Should you need further guidance on your psychology of eating, send me a message and we can set up a free 15 minute consultation. It is my goal to make sure you waste no money on services that are not helpful for you.
