5.22.24 Your New Vitality Substack
I'm back! I'm hoping to connect with my old clients & share with you about what I'm doing now to support you and your family in the journey to vibrant health & wellness!
EXCESS BELLY FAT?
I work with a lot of women who are menopausal and have extra pounds around the waist that they have never had before. Also, so many women are trying to lose weight but seem to get stuck - something works for a while, then it stops working, and they feel frustrated that they are holding on to the extra weight.
Here are a few tips that most people don’t think about:
Get your Vitamin D levels tested - Vitamin D is a key building block for hormone production, including hormones that turn up your metabolism, like T3 and testosterone. Good Vitamin D levels range from 70 -100. If you have low levels, sunshine every day on bare skin is SUPER important, but you may also need to supplement. Vitamin A is also important. Fish oil contains both Vitamins A & D.
Eat meals in this order - 1) Fermented vegetables - provide enzymes for digestion, fiber to line digestive tract (which reduces the amount of glucose absorbed from sugary & starchy foods), 2) Vegetables - more fiber, will fill you up and also reduce glucose absorbed from foods later in the meal, 3) Meats & fats - these reduce the release of insulin when sugary & starchy foods are consumed, 4) Sugary & starchy foods (in small quantities - 10 g of net carbs per meal) - eaten last, the fiber, protein and fats consumed before these foods will blunt release of insulin and absorption of glucose into the tissues.
Combine foods this way - 1) Low fat proteins (chicken, turkey) with carbohydrates and vegetables, 2) High fat proteins (red meat, fatty fish such as salmon) with non-starchy vegetables, no carbohydrates.
Throw the body a curve ball - Eat a mostly low carb diet (10 g per meal or less, 30-40 g total per day), then mix it up: Eat more carbs one day out of the week, then high fat and protein the next day, then low fat and high protein the next day. Also, eat a wide variety of foods and meals vs eating the same things all the time. One traditional practice is to eat only foods that are in-season. This keeps the body guessing and adjusting, and it also prevents you from developing food sensitivities. Additionally, low carbohydrate intake at one sitting prevents wild blood sugar variations, which lead to insulin spikes and more stored fat.
Take a 10 minute walk AFTER each meal - your muscles will use up the glucose you consumed during your meal and prevent it from being stored in the liver as fat.
Test your cortisol & manage stress - stress hormones like cortisol increase belly fat. Switch your body into parasympathetic mode when you feel stressed through breathing exercises: Inhale in the belly for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale slowly for 8 seconds. Repeat for 4 cycles.
Get 6-10 hours of sleep per night - Women need 8-10 hours, while men only need 6-8 hours.
Go to bed by 9pm - 9pm - 1am is the time when hormone stores are built up in the body. If you are a night owl, then you are NOT producing or storing the hormones you need. The more sleep you miss, the lower your hormone reserves will become.
Avoid overexercising - a six-pack on women stresses the body too much and leads to hormone imbalances - seriously, I challenge you to find a woman with a six-pack who doesn’t have fertility or other hormone issues! You can be fit & trim while still maintaining a healthy amount of body fat. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and weight/ resistance exercise is best - like throwing the body a curve ball with mixing up your fat & carbohydrate intake, HIIT and weight/ resistance training also prevent the body from adapting and keep it guessing, which helps with weight loss.
Do a colon & liver cleanse - the colon can hold on to POUNDS of waste that has accumulated over time. The liver is a filter that needs to be cleaned out regularly - by the time you liver enzymes become elevated on a lab test, it is estimated that you have already lost at least 50% of your liver function. Each time the seasons change is a great time to do a liver detox. I can guide you with cleansing, detox and testing to see where your body stands today.
Intermittent fasting/ time-restricted eating - IF your adrenals are NOT exhausted, it is beneficial to limit food intake to a 6-8 hour window of time each day, finishing eating your last meal between 2-4pm. Fasting for the other 12-16 hours per day gives the body a rest from digestion (which consumes 80-90% of our total energy) and allows healing, especially if there are gut or autoimmune issues going on. It also helps to prevent fat storage from meals eaten too close to bedtime and prevents blood sugar swings up or down at night, which will wake you and disrupt your sleep.
Cold plunges - dip into a 50 degree tub of water for 3-6 minutes each day, or turn on the cold water at the end of a hot shower each day. This forces your body’s internal furnace to rev up and burn fat (especially visceral fat), while also forming healthy brown fat!
Are you feeling stuck? Let’s talk! See a list of upcoming mobile clinics below, or we can consult virtually.
WHY COMPLETE HORMONE TESTING IS SO IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT WEIGHT LOSS & HORMONE BALANCE ISSUES:
Listen to these podcast interviews with me on Deep Roots at Home to learn more about complete testing for Natural Hormone Balance:
UPCOMING NATURAL HORMONE BALANCING + LIVE & DRY BLOOD ANALYSIS MOBILE CLINICS
Ft Collins:
Tues 5/28
Fri 5/24, 5/31
Louisville:
Wed 5/22, 5/29
Cheyenne:
Thurs 5/30
Book an appointment HERE
MAIL-IN LIVE & DRY BLOOD ANALYSIS KITS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
Interested in checking out the health of your blood under the microscope but live too far away to come see me in-person? No problem! I now have mail-in Live & Dry Blood Analysis kits available. Order HERE.
Here are a few things you can learn about your health through Live & Dry Blood Analysis:
Listen to my first podcast on Deep Roots at Home to learn more about Live Blood Analysis
NOTE: Your New Vitality is now a Health Ministry: You must be a member to access my services now, but it is only $1 for a lifetime membership! The reason, as we all saw during COVID, is that our rights no mean anything. You have a God-given & Constitutional right to seek whatever complementary, alternative or natural care you want under the 10th Amendment & Bill of Rights as well as under your religious freedoms. I have a right to provide those services to you, and it is a private matter between you and me alone. The Health Ministry is a way to protect & preserve both of our rights. Additionally, I offer free or discounted services to those who can’t afford to pay full price. This ministry is made possible by extra donations from my clients for services offered!
SPREAD THE WORD!
Help me get the word out that I’m back in commission and ready to serve others who would benefit from my services. FORWARD THIS EMAIL to FIVE other people, if you would be so kind! And I really hope to see you soon!
L’chaim - To Life!
