What do you think of when you hear the word “diet?”

Limited, restricted and deprived
Hungry, irritable and unsatisfied
Low energy, tired and weight loss
Short-term and rebound weight gain

Hate is a strong word, so I’ll say that I loathe the word “diet,” not for what it literally means, but because of all the negative thoughts and feelings that come along with it.

The original, simple, and my favorite definition of diet is…”the kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats.”  For example, “I eat a Paleo diet.”

But the word “diet” is more widely known, referred to and defined as…”a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.” For example: “I’m going on a diet.”

The ways in which you relate to the word “diet” can be detrimental to your health.

Most “diet” programs fail because they focus on what NOT to eat, which can make you feel deprived and unsatisfied, leading you to eventually give in to temptations due to the lack of pleasure.  With this approach you typically lose some weight, but immediately rebound and put it right back on after you stop “dieting” or when you give in to temptations.  

Dieting can become an endless and vicious cycle – making it harder to lose weight, or keep it off each time you dive into a diet, until eventually it just doesn’t work for you anymore.

I was a serial calorie-cutter and dieter for a long time.  Back in the day, I restricted myself to 1500 calories a day (or less) and turned up my exercise intensity during the week so I could have my “cheat” meals on the weekend.  I even trained for fitness shows which required ridiculous and meticulous diets regiments, but the weight loss and results were never long-term.

Over time it got harder and harder to maintain my weight, even with calorie restriction.

Most of my clients have had a similar experience, trying diet after diet with little to no success or only getting short-term results.  They’ve counted endless calories, dabbled in the Whole30, Atkins, Paleo, Keto, you name it.

Aside from the well known yo-yo dieting struggles and side effects, there’s a lot more going on under the hood when you’re dieting that can be detrimental to your long term health.

In this week’s video and blog, I share with you 4 reasons why dieting is detrimental to your long-term health and weight, and how to find the right diet for you.

No one ever really talks about the long-term results or side effects of dieting.  All you ever see in diet product marketing campaigns and in the media are sexy slogans such as “lose 7 pounds in 7 days.”

What happens after 7 days?

Or a better question might be, “what is really happening to your body during those 7 days?”

Let’s explore 4 things that are happening to your body when dieting, which could be detrimental to your long-term health and weight.

#1 – Increased Cortisol Output
Drastic or abrupt changes in your diet, such as calorie restriction, can really stress the body out.  Cortisol is the hormone released when we encounter any type of physical, emotional or environmental stress.  An increase in cortisol output is directly related to fat accumulation around the midsection (that “spare tire” effect), and it can block progesterone leading to estrogen dominance and weight gain.  Prolonged increases in cortisol output can lead to adrenal dysfunction resulting in chronic fatigue, thyroid imbalances, depression, anxiety, poor sleep and a slew of other health issues.

#2- Reduced Thyroid Function
A study published by the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism showed a 50% reduction of thyroid hormone T4 and 25% reduction of thyroid hormone T3 into cells with overweight individuals who were dieting, resulting Intracellular Hypothyroidism.  The thyroid rules our metabolism and ability to lose weight. The findings of this study show just out counterproductive and detrimental “dieting” can be to long-term health and weight. Not only can dieting reduce thyroid function while you’re on a diet, but its negative impact on thyroid function can take weeks, months or even years to reverse, especially if you’ve been yo-yo dieter.  I often wonder how much of a role my previous dieting played in my Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s diagnosis.

#3- Lowered Testosterone
Testosterone plays a vital role in building and maintaining muscle mass, and therefore weight maintenance.  The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate is and the easier it is to keep the fat off.  Some studies have shown how long-term calorie restriction has lowered testosterone in men, even when adequate nutrition is in place.  This puts women at even more of a disadvantage when dieting considering the already lower levels of testosterone levels (in comparison to men) making muscle building or maintenance, and therefore fat loss, more of a challenge.

#4 – Psycho-Social Impacts
What’s the first thing you fear before going on a diet?  FOMO! Fear of missing out! You think about all the happy hour invites you’ll have to dodge, the social gatherings you’ll miss and the dates nights you’ll postpone until after your diet.  But you probably don’t know just how important those social engagements are to your health. Laughing, hugging, physical touch and socializing releases a hormone called Oxytocin. This “love”, or “cuddle”, hormone is also a powerful anti-stress hormone that lowers cortisol, blood pressure, and the fear response.  It also increases feelings of trust, empathy and positive thinking, which prevent anxiety and depression.

Dieting might seem like a good idea in the moment when you just need to lose 5 or 10 pounds, but stop and think about how hard it will be later to lose the weight or the what health issues you might run into in the future as a side effect.

It’s time to shift your focus onto what diet is right for you- one that you can habitually eat, it’s realistic, sustainable and produces long-term results.

First, find the foods that give you the most energy. Those are the ones to focus on.  You can do this by tapping into your body’s own intelligence to understand which foods are right for you.

How do you know when a food is right for you body?

When you eat foods that are right for your body, you will feel more motivated, uplifted, positive and able to make supportive choices for yourself which are in alignment with your health goals rather than destructive ones.  Your energy will be even and you should be able to go 3-5 hours without feeling hungry or needing to snack.

When you tap into this natural intuition around food that your body holds, it makes it much easier to naturally choose foods that lift you up and support your ideal health, and weight.

Keep in mind, there is a difference between eating “healthy” and eating right for your body.  Eating right for your body will include healthy foods, but not all healthy foods are right for your body.

So don’t be fooled because a food appears apparently healthy or because you’ve heard or read somewhere that it is.  Tune into your body and find the truth.

If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources to understand what food is right for your body, to test and not guess, simply schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me today here!

Food isn’t the boss of me anymore!

Food used to basically rule my life in so many ways, but it doesn’t anymore and I want to fill you in on my secret as to why, so you can find your food freedom too.

First, let me rewind for a minute and tell you where this all started…

In 2001 I went off to college, pursuing a career in Sport Psychology.  About halfway through my undergraduate I decided the Athletic Trainer to Sport Psychology route wasn’t for me, so I changed my major to an emphasis in fitness, nutrition and I landed my first job as a personal trainer right after graduating.

All throughout college, everything I learned about health centered around diet and exercise.  And even to this day the old paradigm of calories in versus calories out is still considered the equation for weight loss and good health.

I was also taught how eating small meals every two hours fueled the body and fat loss, and how many servings of each food group should be consumed based upon government recommended guidelines (aka the food guide pyramid now known as My Plate).

So as a personal trainer straight out of college, of course I thought I knew all there was to know about diet, exercise, weight loss and health, and I followed what I had been taught.

And all of a sudden food became the boss of me.

I planned my personal training client schedule around having to eat every two hours, not just because I thought it was what I was supposed to be doing but also because I found myself hungry every two hours.  If I didn’t eat on time I would become hangry.

As a result, my whole life started to revolve around food preparation.  I spent hours going to the grocery store, cooking meals for the week, and portioning out my meals and snacks for the week on Sundays.  I basically would devote almost half the weekend to food prep.

It was exhausting, monotonous and time consuming, to say the least.

Fast forward to about 7 years after college.  I was still personal training but had moved into a career in the corporate wellness field. Food was still the boss of me and I started to develop some health issues such as fatigue, headaches and worsening allergies which lead me to do some research about holistic (aka functional) health practices.

I became a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and started to learn more about what was going on with my body.

I discovered that my tenacious hunger every two hours was partially because I had:

• Adrenal/cortisol hormone dysfunction
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Various nutrient deficiencies
• And bacteria and yeast overgrowth in my gut, causing cravings and inflammation

But my hunger was mostly due to the fact that I wasn’t eating the right foods for my body, which in turn contributed to not only being hungry all the time, but also all of the health issues I was experiencing.

In this week’s video and blog, I share a recent Facebook Live video I did with more info about how food was the boss of me, why it’s not anymore and what you can do to find your food freedom, too!

A Metabolic Typing test was one of the initial tests that put me on the path to figuring out what foods were right for my body (and it’s one that I have all of my clients do, too).  This test showed me what types of food and what combinations of foods would support my body best.

Prior to the test, boneless skinless chicken breast was a staple in my diet, but as it turned out that’s not an ideal protein source for me.  I do better with dark meat such as chicken thighs. I was also eating fruit and foods higher carbs quite frequently, but the test revealed that my body would perform better on a higher protein/fat and lower carb diet.

This bit of knowledge was life changing and I immediately felt more satisfied and energized from eating the right foods for my body.  

Upon changing my diet, I started to regain control. I could go 3-5 hours, or more, without feeling hungry and as a result I gained back time in my life by not having to food prep so much!  All was well in my world with food.

Fast forward again to about 2 years ago.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune thyroid disorder) in the fall of 2016, and food resumed its role as the boss for a little while, but for a whole different reason.  

Various food sensitivity tests showed certain foods were fueling the inflammatory fire in my body and aggravating the autoimmune response.

This time I made a choice and let food resume it’s boss role because I wanted to heal Hashimoto’s naturally, which meant abiding by a more restrictive diet for a while.

I still ate according to my Metabolic Type (high protein/fat and low carb) to keep my blood sugar and energy balanced, but I also cut out a number of inflammatory foods to give my body the break and space it needed to heal.

For over 6 months, I strictly practiced a modified Autoimmune Paleo diet (AIP) and food ruled my life once more – I had to plan ahead, learn a new way of cooking and eating, and I had to be more conscious about my food choices.  It felt like I was thinking about food all the time again.

Eventually eating a modified AIP diet became a no brainer once I got pass the learning curve. It was just something I did.  I didn’t have to think much about it and my health was being restored as a result.

Once my Hashimoto’s was in remission and my hormones were back in balance, I set out to find true food freedom once again, and this time in a whole new way.

Over the last 4 months I’ve been playing with a modified keto-style diet, one higher in fat with moderate protein and lower in carbs, and it has been so freeing!

A word of caution here before I move on.

A keto-style diet is NOT for everyone.  If you have underlying hormone imbalances, sleep disturbances or other health issues, going keto could make it worse. So make sure to run some functional lab test such as a cortisol, melatonin and complete sex hormone profile for insights about your circadian rhythm, thyroid and overall hormone balance before drastically changing your eating habits.

Before going keto, I made sure my hormones, energy and sleep were in check.

Eating a higher fat and lower carb diet has unleashed a food freedom that I’ve never experienced before.  Food doesn’t even matter to me really anymore. I don’t think about it all the time as I used to.

Although I had found a level of freedom with food before, it still would take over my mind at times.  I always would wonder about what my next meal would be. I would pack snacks when I traveled for fear of going hungry or not having options.

Now that my body is fat adapted (meaning it burns fat as its primary fuel source instead of being reliant on carbs and protein) as a result of eating a keto-style diet, I always have the energy I need.  I can go for longer periods of time without eating or feeling hungry, making food less of a priority.

I’m also more confident about finding foods to fit my needs in almost any situation by simply focusing on high fat choices – a meal can be as simple as eating an avocado or a fatty cut of steak (no sides needed that might be full of inflammatory effects or carbs that cause crashes in my blood sugar and energy).

This might sound boring to you, but I’m a foodie at heart so trust me, it’s not.  I’ve eaten some of the most glorious meals recently.

My path to food freedom may not be the same for you.  You are unique and, therefore, your food needs will be, too.  But I can tell you that there is a difference between eating healthy and eating right for your body.  Eating right for your body will include healthy foods but not every healthy food is right for your body.

Case in point, white meat chicken is healthy but it wasn’t right for my body.

Moral of the story is… don’t let food be the boss of you and test don’t guess.

With a little investigation, you too can figure out what foods are right for your body so it can function at its potential – freeing you from hunger and the obsession so you can live your life to the fullest!

If you want to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources to find your food freedom, simply schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me today here!

It’s time for another installment of Throwback Thursday (#TBT)!

I chose this week’s #TBT blog because what I share in it has been an integral part of healing my leaky gut, adrenal dysfunction and Hashimoto’s so I could get get my energy back, drop the weight and think clearly again.

And it’s a big part of what I teach my clients about so they, too, can get back to feeling like themselves again, or for the very first time.

This blog is all about a sneaky little ingredient that shows up in some of the most unexpected places, but has some of the biggest negative impacts on your health.

If you’ve tried a gluten free diet and felt like it “didn’t work” then this blog will explain exactly why that might have happened for you.

If you suffer from anxiety, eczema or psoriasis then this sneaky little ingredient is one you’ll certainly want to watch out for.

Enoy!

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It hides in places you wouldn’t even dream it would be.  In your shampoo, conditioner, body lotions, medications and even coffee.  Slowly but surely, it inflicts inflammation and turmoil in your body.

That sneaky little toxic ingredient known as gluten.

When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, gluten became my number one enemy.  Gluten is a trigger for autoimmune disease: signaling the body to attack itself, causing elevation in antibodies, contributing to leaky gut and overwhelming the immune system with inflammation and its toxic properties.

The gluten molecule also resembles thyroid tissue.  This molecular mimicry causes the body to attack thyroid tissue even more in people who have thyroid autoimmune disorders, such as myself.

In order to reverse my autoimmune condition and be in remission, gluten had to go for good.

Prior to my diagnosis I was mostly gluten free.  My household food products were gluten free and I ordered from the gluten free menu when eating out.  But I wasn’t paying close attention to the sneaky or less obvious places where gluten was hiding.

I would order fries made in the same fryer as other gluten-laden foods, such as chicken strips.  I would assume that foods on the menu were gluten free if they appeared to be, and hesitated to ask my server to make sure they were.  And I certainly wasn’t checking any products outside of food items for hidden gluten.

All of that changed when my health was put on the line and I had to make a choice about what was more important to me…

Did I want to live a life battling symptoms of Hashimoto’s, struggling with my weight, my mood and hormones?

Or was giving up gluten worth being able to resume a normal, happy and healthy life?

For me, my health and happiness was worth more than the occasional slice of bread, pizza, pasta dish or cupcake.

It doesn’t matter if it’s one bite or one slice; It’s still toxic.

A gluten exposure is a gluten exposure.  The smaller the size or amount doesn’t make the damage any less.  People often think one little bite won’t hurt, but the reality is that it does.

The tricky thing about gluten is that it doesn’t just exist in the form of bread or pasta.  It’s also found in hundreds of different foods and personal care products.

The body doesn’t just absorb gluten through food, it’s also absorbed through skin and in more severe reactivity cases even gluten that becomes airborne from the use of products such as wheat flour can pose an issue for some people.  It can become embedded in porous surfaces, such as wood cutting boards. I’ve seen cases where gluten eating family members are contaminating gluten free family members by using the same cutting boards and cooking tools.

This is why some people may not see an improvement when they go “gluten free” with food.

They may have cleaned up gluten from their diet, but they are being exposed to it in some other way.

When gluten enters the body, it increases intestinal permeability, meaning it opens up the gates of the intestinal barrier, allowing toxins and food particles to freely flow into the bloodstream.  The body then sounds the alarm that foreign invaders have entered the bloodstream. It enlists an immune system response and sends inflammation out to fight off the bad guys and to repair the damage.

Overworking the immune system in this way adds insult to injury for those who have an autoimmune disorder. It can be the tipping point for those at risk for autoimmunity or it can depress the immune system in “healthy” individuals.

Repairing the intestinal lining after an exposure to gluten, and therefore other toxins that have now free flowed into the body, is very complex.  And compounding factors such as food sensitivities, existing hormone imbalances, insulin resistance, IBS, stress, infections and an already existing state of leaky gut can slow the healing process even more.  I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t have single compounding factor who could swiftly recuperate from a gluten exposure, because at the very least all of us have stress.

One exposure to gluten can cause damage to the gut for as little as 3 weeks and up to 6 months.

In this week’s video and blog, I reveal the sneaky little places where gluten might be hiding and how you can support your body after an exposure.

First, let’s define what gluten is – it’s part of the grain structure found in wheat, barley and rye.  It’s what makes bread-like products or pasta sticky and doughy. Therefore, it’s also used to thicken sauces and products such as shampoos, conditioners and lotions.  It’s also very cheap to produce, so it’s used as a filling agent in other foods to create the illusion of bigger bulk for less cost.

Here are just some of the most common sneaky little places that gluten likes to hide:

• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body or face lotion
• Body wash and soap
• Makeup and deodorant
• Prescription or over-the-counter medications
• Supplements – yep even the “natural” and organic ones
• Sauces, marinades and other condiments
• Potato products – chips, instant or restaurant made mash
• Meatballs and processed meats
• Flavored or instant coffee and tea

Gluten isn’t always listed as “gluten” either.  So when you’re reading a menu or an ingredients list, here are the words you want to look for:

• Wheat, barley or rye
• Hydrolyzed wheat protein
• Crusted, crispy or fried

As I mentioned earlier, I used to make the mistake of assuming things were gluten free just because they appeared to be or because they were considered all natural or healthy.  I had to give up my beloved Aveda hair care products, a line that is touted by professional hair stylist for being “natural”, because it contained hydrolyzed-wheat protein. Now I always ask for gluten clarity on menu items and make sure my server lets the kitchen know about my dietary needs even if I ordered something that was gluten free.

As much as we can try to control what goes in and on our bodies, that doesn’t always guarantee a gluten free experience.  For example, just a few weeks ago I clearly ordered a dairy free matcha latte with coconut milk and that’s not what I received.  Although it wasn’t gluten, it just goes to show mistakes can still happen. After all, all of us are only human.

So to safeguard myself against getting unexpectedly glutened, here’s what I do:

• Bring my own soap, shampoo, conditioner and other body products when traveling
• Make sure my server knows I’m gluten free
• When eating out, I take a gluten destroying digestive enzyme such as NuMedica’s Glutenza, Allergy Research Group’s Gluten-Gest or Pure Encapsulations Gluten/Dairy Digest

Just think… if you have some kind of glutenous food for breakfast, followed by gluten in the body lotion you apply after a shower, gluten in the makeup you put on your face and later in your lunch or dinner, the war against gluten goes on all day in your body.

Getting rid of gluten for good played a HUGE role in my body’s ability to recover from toxic mold exposure, hormone imbalances and it was a key factor in my quick road to remission with Hashimoto’s.

Whether you have an autoimmune disorder or not, or a noticeable reaction to gluten or not, this ongoing war will eventually bring your body down.  Making a conscious effort to reduce your gluten exposure or minimize it altogether will have a significant and positive impact on your health and your body.  

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If you have a friend or family member in your life who wants to solve their health problems once and for all, share this to help them finally get back to feeling like themselves again (or for the very first time!).

And…to help more people get to the bottom of their so-called thyroid problems and resolve them for good, I’ve opened up my schedule to help 5 new clients!

To snag a spot simply schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me today here!