Four Pillars of Weight Loss

 I am often asked, “What do you recommend for weight loss?” I find that I am not able to answer this question with a simple answer, because there are many variables. Weight gain can be due to glandular imbalance, improper or too much eating, lack of activity, emotional outlook, poorly functioning digestion or eliminative systems, Candida, or any combination of these.

I do not like to look at just taking supplements or herbs for weight loss. To achieve healthy weight management, you have to take a wholistic approach which entails several lifestyle conditions. I find it helpful to refer to these as the                     “ Four Pillars of Weight Management.”

1. Diet:

• better diet: eat only natural, unprocessed carbohydrates and fibres such as vegetables, fruit, sprouted and soaked nuts and seeds. The most important is to increase vegetables, which provide phytonutrients, fibre, protein, carbohydrates as well as plant sterols, ALL essential for health. Eliminate processed, packaged, junk foods containing  fat, sugar, chemicals and paste (think pasta and other items with flour, especially white).

• one exception to the above dietary recommendations is if one has an insulin resistant state of metabolism. This means the body cannot handle carbohydrates and is storing most of them as fat – usually resulting in weight gain especially around the middle. To correct the way the body handles blood sugar, carbs must be reduced drastically, and the body supplemented to be able to reverse this trend and process them better, with minerals like Chromium and formulas like GlucoReg.

• drink more water, with Chlorophyll, fresh lemon or parsley.

• ensure adequate intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), such as cold pressed Flax Seed oil, Evening Primrose, and quality tested fish oils. We get excellent results with Super Oil,  which combines these and fish oil; also add Olive and Coconut Oils to diet.
• drinking 1-2 Tbs. of pure, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with 1/2 tsp. unpasteurized honey  in a cup of warm water before meals can  help speed up metabolism and improve digestion, as it increases your body’s natural production of hydrochloric acid .

2. Lifestyle:

• more exercise: a minimum of  four – 30 minute walks per week at a good pace that is enough to get you breathing  heavily. As you continue this, you will find that you are able to walk further/faster each week. Don’t worry if the first walk only takes you 50 meters. It’s a start! “No time” is not an excuse: just don’t watch TV or read newspaper for those times. Make time if health is a priority, which it is #1 priority for most people, if they think about it. Weight bearing exercise increases muscle mass, which may weigh more, but looks better and is healthier than fat.

• ensure that you have two or more bowel movements per day. If not, take LBS II (a Lower Bowel herbal combination). These are both natural herbal laxative and bowel toners which are not addictive; the longer you use them the less you will need. You may also require the addition of fibre in the form of Psyllium Hulls Combination. They are very inexpensive insurance for better lifelong health and this is one of the most important lifestyle habits to develop. If your bowels are not working well, this is an essential part of any weight loss program.  A Cleanse is a good start to any weight loss program, and essential if someone does not have 1-2 movements per day. .

3. Emotional:

• create a positive mental attitude about yourself, your body image and your life. Use pictures, affirmations, visualizations, meditation, journaling – there are many good tools. Having a buddy for encouragement is helpful. Set achievable goals and treat yourselves when you achieve them.  (non-food treats).

 4. Supplements:

• Some common weight loss aids are: Chromium,  Enzymes, Collagen . Here is a brief description of the benefits:

Chromium is a trace mineral that is part of the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), which   is necessary to balance glucose levels in the blood. It helps burn fat, regulate blood sugar, increase energy, and nourish the pancreas. Chelated Chromium Nicotinate is more bioavailable, as it is bound with niacin so the body’s cells and enzymes recognize this as part of the natural GTF molecule. It is enhanced by the addition of yarrow and red clover which also are natural sources of Chromium. 

Digestive Enzymes  or Garden Essence plant enzymes – most people find that if they are digesting their food better, they require less food and have higher energy levels. Each of these enzymes are full spectrum, meaning they can digest all 3 major food groups. Eliminates 3 Bs:  belch, bloat & burp. 

Collagen contains protein, composed of amino acids which our body needs for healthy muscles, joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails. When taken on an empty stomach before bed, many people have found decrease in size, as fat converts into muscle. Other positive side effects are noticed in improved hair luster and skin tone, decrease in stretch marks,  stronger nails, arthritis, and better sleep. “Lose while you Snooze”.

Fibre Boost helps increase intake of water-soluble dietary fibre. Helps adsorb and eliminate cholesterol and dietary fat. Taken before meals also helps one to eat less.

Cleanses: Detox Basics is a great start to a weight loss program, as well as a good way to start healthier eating and lessen addictions.

“Healthy” Wheat and other grains?

Cardiologist William Davis, MD, says challenges started when big agriculture stepped in decades ago to develop a higher-yielding crop. Today’s “wheat,” he says, isn’t even wheat, thanks to some of the most intense crossbreeding efforts ever seen. The wheat products today are nothing like the wheat products of our grandmother’s age.

The intensive breeding efforts that have so dramatically transformed wheat should not to be confused with genetic engineering of food, or GMOs, which has its own set of additional problems.

Modern wheat’s new biochemical code causes hormone disruption that is linked to diabetes and obesity. “It is not my contention that it is in everyone’s best interest to cut back on wheat; it is my belief that complete elimination is in everyone’s best health interests,” says Dr. Davis.

In addition to this there is more research daily showing how wheat and other gluten containing grains are wreaking havoc on peoples’ intestinal tract. Leaky gut is an increasingly chronic condition caused by continual aggravation and inflammation of the digestive tract. Wheat (Triticum aestivum), has a high content of gliadins and lectins causing  wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). WGA plays a prominent role in lectin-induced adverse effects, causing immune disruption, cytotoxicty, neurotoxicty and cardiotoxicty.

The Paleo diet, Caveman diet, Atkin’s diet, are all versions of the same thing: what we have taught the last 30 years: CCC – Cut The Crappy Carbohydrates. .In other words, decrease the carbohydrates, especially processed ones!

As in my book, The Paw Paw Program, I recommend people opt for non-wheat, and more alkalinizing grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice,  in small quantities (less than half a cup) to avoid triggering high blood sugar, abnormal cell growth and weight loss. If you are insulin resistant with belly bulge, you may even need to curtail these until you have regulated your insulin metabolism.

Other References:  Dr. Cordain’s Paleo Diet.

Weight Loss Success

Here is one success from a woman who has followed the basics of our Weight Loss Program, by dropping her carbohydrate addiction.

Before

This picture was taken in Ireland 3 years ago . Note the size of my neck and arms.  I was at the doctor’s office yesterday and weighed in at 156 lb. In September of 2010, I was 195, so have lot almost 40 lbs. One of the other things I’ve been using is apple cider vinegar.  I think this revved up my metabolism.

                                      After (with new granddaughter)