"Since coming to see Dr. Josh my blood sugar has been quite normal. When I first came in my blood sugar was above 180 (anything above 126 is considered diabetic), now it has been ranging between 100-110 and has been staying fairly consistent in that range. I have had alot of weight loss. Three months ago I was at 277 pounds and now I stepped on the scale this morning at 203 pounds (74 pounds of weight loss!) so I'm losing significant weight which I am very happy about. Thanks so much Dr. Josh."
-Lee H.
This was the actual testimony of one patient that presented to my office with a myriad of different health concerns. Most people have tried one or multiple different diet types. Some have been unsuccessful, and some are successful but the weight returns when the diet ends. Why is this? It is because many of the fad diets in America fail to address the key factors as to why we have gained the weight in the first place. Today I am going to share three key considerations with you on how you can maximize your body's ability to maintain a healthy weight.
#1) Stabilize Blood Sugar
Just because you have not been diagnosed with diabetes does not mean that you don't have to understand what blood sugar stability means. There are two common types of blood sugar issues that most Americans fall into.
You have the insulin resistant and diabetic patients. Two of the primary symptoms of falling into this category are fatigue after meals and cravings for sugar after meals. Insulin resistance is a condition where your cells become resistant to insulin. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in order to clear sugar that has accumulated in your blood (from the foods that you eat), and move it into the cell where it can be used for energy. The problem is that if you eat foods that are rich in sugar or are simple carbohydrates your blood sugars will routinely elevate and you will get frequent insulin surges and your cells stop responding to the insulin. This results in elevated levels of sugar in the blood which is toxic to nerve and brain health.
The second form of dys-glycemia is hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia. This is a condition where your blood sugars drop too low between meals. This is traditionally characterized by symptoms that are relieved by eating a meal. Some symptoms that are common with hypoglycemia include irritability, shaking, and headaches between meals. When your blood sugar falls too low you need release of cortisol in order to elevate your blood sugar again.
If your blood sugar drops or elevates because of the above conditions you will have shifts in your cortisol production which directly effects your ability to burn fat. This brings us to our next key factor.
#2) Support Adrenal Health
When your blood sugar is not well maintained or you are under chronic stress your adrenals must produce cortisol to help your body adapt. Increased levels of cortisol slow your body's ability to burn fat and will actually increase fat storage. So if you do not regulate your blood sugar and support your adrenal glands you are fighting an uphill battle. This is why many individuals fail to lose weight even when they are restricting calories and exercising vigorously. Understand that exercise is a stress on the body, and for certain individuals with adrenal dysfunction it may hinder there ability to lose weight for a time. Weight loss is not a simple measure of calories in versus calories out as we often think of it. Weight loss is about maximizing your body's ability to maintain a healthy weight. Individuals who have poor adrenal function should only exercise within their aerobic capacity. To do this one needs to purchase a heart rate monitor and wear it. A basic rule of thumb to calculate your aerobic capacity is to take 180-your age. This gives you the top of your aerobic range. Then subtract 20 and that will give you the bottom of your target range. When you exercise it is important to stay within this range, while your adrenals are still unhealthy.
#3) Discover Food Intolerances
Foods that we eat today are not the same foods that God designed and put on this earth for us. These foods are highly processed and altered by men. Unfortunately, the processing of these foods often hinders the nutritional value of the foods, as well as making them downright toxic to our bodies. Some of the most common food intolerances I see in my office are gluten, dairy, soy, egg, coffee, and yeast. If you are intolerant to any of these foods every time you eat the food you are going to have an increased cortisol surge because of the stress it places on the adrenals. This will lead to increased fat storage and increased cytokine production which may in turn lead to the development of more food intolerances. This becomes a vicious cycle that can be a major block in your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Remember from my earlier post on food intolerances, that these intolerances do not produce an immediate reaction. Just because you feel okay a half hour after eating any of the above foods does not mean that you are in the clear. Your reaction to these foods could be a headache, a gut ache, dizziness, weight gain, and it could occur any time within a 72 hour window after exposure. The only sure way to know is to get tested by a doctor that performs IgA and IgG allergy testing.
This has just been a brief overview of a few of the key things I look at for patients who want to lose weight. Don't fall for the fad diets that offer a simple fix and big results. My encouragement to you is that weight loss can be easy if you take the time to look at what systems in your body are not working efficiently and help to unwind that process. If you have questions feel free to contact my office at 763-398-7770 or email me directly at drhuffman@moundsviewchiro.com. Thanks and please share this blog with anyone you think it may help. God Bless!
Dr. Joshua Huffman
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine
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