A Slimmer, Happier, Healthier You

It has been said that a definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If you are not at the weight you desire or as healthy as you would wish, doesn't it make sense that you must change something to change this.

Patients usually ask me, “What should I eat?” I usually respond, “What did your mother tell you to eat?” The most common response is “fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats and don't overeat.” My point to my patients and to you is that generally we have a pretty good idea what we should be eating we just need to apply it in our everyday life. This application is less of an issue of willpower and more of a realization that nothing tastes as good as it does to feel good. Remember what the founding father of Western medicine, said: “Let thy medicine be thy food, and thy food, thy medicine”.

Also it's not just about what you eat, but how you eat. For instance, studies have shown that people eat a whopping 40 percent more food when watching TV. Imagine how much healthier we could all be if we stepped away from the tube while we ate. Meals should be an endeavor where we are fully conscious of what we are doing and the importance it brings to healthy life. In other words apply yourself to, eating to live not living to eat!
Start by removing all the sodas and junk food from your diet. Colored, flavored sugar water does nothing for your health and happiness. Research has also shown to that artificially sweetened sodas actually lead to weight gain through insulin signaling. Remove all processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup or lists sugars in the first four ingredients on the label. Then start eating less by simply utilizing smaller plates. Numerous studies have found that the more food that's in front of you the more you eat. Instead of a large 14 inch dinner plate, why not serve your main course on a 7 to 9 inch salad plate. Once you've begun the basics then you need to look to optimizing your metabolism.

One of the primary metabolic imbalances today is low thyroid syndrome. The thyroid produces hormones that control cellular metabolism and the conversion of calories into energy. So if it is not working properly you end up with weight gain and fatigue. The usual approach in identifying hypothyroidism is to measure the pituitary hormone TSH and sometimes the thyroid prohormone T4. If the results are within the labs “normal” range the individual is told they are fine. The problem with this simple approach to a complex syndrome is that many people continue to suffer from their symptoms after their doctor tells them their thyroid tests are “in the normal range” or even after starting thyroid medication. To find the underlying causes and possible solutions for weight gain and fatigue associated with hypothyroidism doctors need to look much deeper with specific laboratory testing. To properly diagnose your condition a knowledgeable doctor must run and properly interpret at least eight different thyroid tests TSH, total T4, free T4, total T-3, free T3, reverse T-3. Also thyroid antibody tests must be run to determine if you have Hashimoto's disease the most common cause of thyroid dysfunction.

Replace focusing on the things you think you can’t do and replace them with positive affirmations for slimmer, happier and healthier you. These thoughts can become their own self-fulfilling prophecy. Also make this the year you do something about your health, read a book, attend a lecture, visit a doctor who specializes in functional medicine.