Every summer, new weight loss schemes rush onto the scene making many claims and promises. This summer is no different, and many people are planning to exercise more and follow the newest fad diet. Why is it that these diets often fail even when their regimens are strictly adhered to? Let’s get a better understanding of this problem before we discuss its causes. Obesity is the accumulation of excess body fat such that it has an adverse effect on health. It remains a growing health concern and is a risk factor for many diseases. In fact, 23 % of Canadian adults are considered “obese” and 49 % are considered “overweight” (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/).
While many isolate genetic predisposition as the culprit, it is only one piece of the puzzle. Other causes include sedentary lifestyles, over-consumption of foods of poor nutritional value, underlying medical conditions and hormonal imbalances. Exercise is the most crucial aspect of any weight loss plan and is the best medicine for a healthy lifestyle. Exercise will burn calories, stabilize blood sugar levels, improve mood, reduce stress, and encourage detoxification. Consistently performing cardiovascular as well as resistance exercises will yield the best outcomes. There is now an abundance of information regarding dietary regimens and many people feel overwhelmed. Dietary books are created for the masses, not specifically for you, and so it may work for some but not all. Everyone is created differently and so our dietary plans must be tailored to our specific needs.
Achieving hormonal balance is such an important aspect of any weight loss program, but is often overlooked. When hormonal imbalance exists, it is nearly impossible to lose weight effectively and maintain a healthy body weight. Insulin, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones control blood sugar levels, body fat storage, metabolic rate, and energy levels. These hormones all act in concert, and so one imbalance will affect the whole system. Cortisol is arguably the most important hormone for weight loss because it profoundly affects all other hormones. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands, secreted during times of stress to increase blood sugar levels. Cortisol elevation is beneficial in acute stressful situations; however, chronic cortisol elevation becomes detrimental. Chronic cortisol elevation eventually results in elevated insulin secretion, poor thyroid hormone function, and decreased production of estrogen and testosterone. This imbalance favours increased body fat storage, making your diet and exercise efforts obsolete.
Any weight loss plan that overlooks hormonal imbalance is incomplete as it is an important factor in obesity. At our Newmarket Naturopathic Clinic these hormonal imbalances can be identified through a health history and lab tests and hormonal balance can be restored naturally through personalized dietary changes, exercise, herbal medicines and nutritional supplementation.
Yours in health,
Dr. Michael Morsillo, B.Sc., N.D.
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Nature's Emporium
16655 Yonge St.
Newmarket, ON
905-898-1844
www.drmorsillo.com
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