A healthy approach to weight loss is vital for long-term and sustained weight loss. A healthy weight loss program is one that considers caloric intake, eating habits, gut health, sleep quality, stress, hormonal balance, environmental exposure, and overall health. A low-calorie or fad diet may lead to short-term weight loss, however, this weight loss is often non-sustainable and can damage metabolism, create hormonal imbalances and lead to nutrient deficiencies.
A naturopathic approach to weight loss will improve insulin sensitivity, balance hormones, correct nutritional deficiencies and improve gut health to promote overall health and a healthy metabolism. Signs of a healthy metabolism include sustained energy throughout the day, the ability to maintain a healthy weight, a stable mood, clear skin, a high-functioning immune system, and regular and pain-free periods for women. Signs of poor metabolic health include fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, low energy, constipation, increased body fat, depression, decreased sex drive and difficulty losing weight.
Working with a naturopathic doctor will provide a holistic approach to weight loss. We help to create a personalized approach to help you lose weight and promote optimal health. When creating a plan we use a number of modalities including personalized nutrition counselling, lifestyle counselling, exercise recommendations, supplementation and botanic medicine. By addressing the root cause we can help facilitate long-term sustained weight loss while improving energy levels.
Benefits of Naturopathy for Weight loss
A naturopathic approach to weight loss is different from a conventional weight loss program as it takes into account your overall health and well-being. It acknowledges that you must first be healthy to lose weight, and that weight loss will not create health.
A naturopathic doctor will also be able to help support and treat poor gut health, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, thyroid hormone imbalances, and poor blood sugar control, all of which can lead to weight loss resistance. Working with a naturopathic doctor will provide a personalized treatment plan to help address the root cause of weight loss resistance and restore optimal metabolic function and address symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
Restoring Chemical and Hormone Balance
Hormonal balance is key to a healthy metabolism. Common hormonal imbalances that can impact weight loss include cortisol, insulin, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, and growth hormone. Hormonal imbalances can often be caused by prolonged periods of stress, chronic dieting, over-exercising, low-fat diets, poor nutrition, environmental toxins or medications.
Blood work can often be used to identify hormonal imbalances and help guide an evidence-based treatment plan to support and correct imbalances that promote optimal health and metabolic function.
Improving Mental Health
Mental health and stress play a major role in metabolic health, and good stress management is essential for fat loss and overall health. Prolonged periods of stress can cause an increase in cortisol, a stress hormone, promoting fat storage, weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other health conditions. Incorporating stress management techniques into your lifestyle can regulate hormones, aid in fat loss and promote long-term weight loss. Working with a naturopathic doctor offers a wide range of treatments to help support mental health including stress management techniques, exercise, herbs, and dietary recommendations. All of these are personalized to you and your lifestyle, making them more effective for managing stress.
Increased Energy
Poor energy is a common sign of metabolic dysfunction. Treating the root cause and supporting optimal health will help to improve energy levels while losing weight and improving overall health markers. While macronutrients including carbohydrates, protein and fat are important for energy, micronutrients are also important for optimal cellular function and overall energy. Micronutrients that play an important role in energy production include B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E, Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, iron, calcium and Manganese. We work with you to create a personalized meal plan that will insure nutrient density from bio-available sources to help support cellular function and improve energy levels. Conventional weight loss programs that focus only on caloric restriction will neglect these micronutrients, leading to an increased risk of deficiencies and poor energy.
How can Naturopathic Medicine Aid in Weight Loss
Naturopathic Medicine takes a holistic approach to healthy weight loss, by addressing the root cause of poor hormonal health, sleep issues, poor gut health and diet. This leads to better energy levels, better mood, and sustained weight loss. Naturopathic doctors can provide a personalized treatment plan that will aid you in your journey to improve your health.
A Holistic Meal Plan
Naturopathic doctors receive in-depth nutrition training, this allows us to create effective and personalized meal plans that align with your weight loss goals. A deep understanding of macronutrients, micronutrients and nutrient bioavailability is essential for creating a diet for sustained weight loss, all of which are crucial for long-term health. The latter of these is often neglected in conventional weight loss programs. We also work with you to ensure your meal plan is one that fits your lifestyle and preferences, as overly restrictive meal plans and diets are often not sustainable and will lead to long-term weight gain.
Gut Health and Weight Gain
The microbiome plays a major role in many functions in the body. Research has shown our bodies are hosts to over 100 trillion microbes, the majority of which reside in our digestive system. There is overwhelming evidence that these play a key role in both our metabolic and overall health. Meaning poor gut health will significantly impact our ability to maintain a healthy weight.
The bacteria in the gut produce metabolites, including, but not limited to, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), bile acids and branch-chain amino acids, all compounds for good metabolic health. It has been shown that lower levels of diversity of bacteria in the gut are associated with an increased risk of obesity and diabetes. The strength of the gut lining also plays a major role in metabolic health. Chronic inflammation, which can lead to damage to the gut barrier, has been associated with a number of metabolic disorders.
Naturopathic approaches to supporting gut health include identifying and removing food sensitivities, promoting bacterial diversity through the use of probiotics, and the inclusion of pre-biotic fibre, supplementation and herbal medicine.
Sleep and Weight Loss
Insufficient quantity or quality of sleep has been shown to negatively impact weight management. Poor sleep quality has been shown to increase levels of ghrelin, a neurotransmitter that signals hunger to the brain. And sleep deprivation has been shown to increase cravings for sugar and other refined carbohydrates.
There can be many causes of poor quality or quantity of sleep including chronic stress, poor sleep hygiene an irregular sleep schedule, anxiety, depression, medication or specific sleep disorders. By working with a naturopathic doctor we are able to better identify and address the causes of poor sleep. We can then provide individualized recommendations to improve sleep.
Naturopathic Solutions For Weight Loss
Individualized Diets
An individualized meal plan not only takes into account your macro and micronutrient needs but also your lifestyle, access to foods, food preferences and sensitivities. We work with you to create a sustainable, effective and enjoyable meal plan.
Detox Plan
Although diet and lifestyle are the main approaches to weight loss, liver function is also important. The liver is the natural detox organ of the body. Supporting the liver through diet, lifestyle, supplementation and botanical medicine will help to naturally detox the body and promote optimal function.
Addressing Vitamin Deficiency
Modern diets, although often sufficient in macronutrients, are often lacking in essential micronutrients which we can only obtain through food. While we as Naturopathic Doctors aim to address these nutrient needs through diet, there may be some that are harder to obtain through the modern food system or that require short-term supplementation to bring levels back up to baseline. Through lab testing, we are able to identify specific deficiencies and provide an individualized approach to correct them.
Digestive Health Optimization
By working to remove food triggers and incorporate gut-healing foods we work with you to achieve optimal healthy digestion. Not only does this remove digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation, loose stools, or reflux, but it also helps to ensure your food is being effectively broken down and utilized for energy and cellular function.
Holistic Meal Plans
A healthy nutrient-dense diet is one that focuses on whole, unprocessed nutrient-dense foods that support metabolic, and hormonal health as well as cellular function. This diet will also aim to limit processed foods such as refined oils and sugar.
Focus on Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle, even at rest, requires more energy than other muscle tissue. Focusing on building lean muscle through strength training will help to increase base metabolic rate and aid in sustained weight loss.
Weight Loss and Thyroid Health
Poor thyroid health is often associated with a slow metabolism, leading to weight gain. Ensuring optimal thyroid function is essential for healthy metabolism and weight maintenance. By testing thyroid markers we are able to assess the function of the thyroid and provide a targeted treatment approach to optimal thyroid function.
Other Ways to Increase Your Metabolism
Eating on a regular schedule, including high-quality protein at each meal, staying hydrated throughout the day, and other dietary supplements such as green tea.
Contact Annex Naturopathic Clinic
There are, of course, a number of other women’s health concerns not listed here. Some of them include:
- Other menstrual irregularities
- Urinary incontinence
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Hormonal acne
- Cervical dysplasia
- Vaginal dryness or pain
- Pre-conception care
- Painful periods
- Ovarian and cervical cancer
If you’re experiencing any of the above, you’re concerned about any of the above, or you’re just looking to live a healthier life, Annex Naturopathic can help.
Call us today to book your FREE introductory consultation today. You’ll get to sit down with one of our licensed naturopathic doctors in a relaxing, laid-back environment. You’ll get all your questions answered, and your concerns addressed, and you’ll walk away with a better understanding of your health concerns and how naturopathic medicine can help.
Book your FREE naturopathic consultation today.
