I often have clients tell me they are eating less and exercising more than ever, but the numbers on the scale still don’t drop. That’s when I tell them that simply counting calories isn’t the answer. It’s crucial to have a solid understanding of nutrition. Good nutrition goes far beyond having enough to eat; quality of food is far more important than quantity. But in today's world, it’s easy to get large amounts of poor quality food very inexpensively. The overabundance of cheap, processed foods means that many are overfed but undernourished. The food they are putting into their bodies just doesn’t provide the essential nutrients they need to flourish. And this is how nutrient deficiency causes weight problems for so many people. Why are so many people falling short in the nutrition department? A large part of the problem is our modern diet, which is vastly different than that of our ancestors. So much of the food found in supermarkets today is processed, and high in simple carbohydrates and sugar. This food is less expensive than organically grown fruits and vegetables, grass fed meats, and wild caught fish, but often has no real nutritional value. This kind of food may fill you up temporarily, but it certainly won’t keep your body in good health – and it will sabotage your weight loss goals! Too many have either bought into the myth that fat is the enemy, avoiding all fats entirely, or they are consuming the wrong kind of fats by using vegetable oils rather than the healthier options that provide your body with the Omega 3s it needs. You might understand that when you don’t have the nutrients your body needs, you won’t feel great. But do you know just how these deficiencies can impact your weight? All nutrients have an important job in your body – and when they can’t perform their functions properly, many things happen to your system that make weight loss more difficult. Let’s take a look at 5 reasons why you aren’t losing weight: 1. Disruption of Quality Sleep Lack of good sleep can affect weight in many ways. Research has shown an impact on hormones that signal both hunger and fullness, as well as the ability to resist specific cravings. Most important, however, is the research indicating that sleep deprivation affects your metabolism. A University of Chicago study showed that the body’s ability to process insulin dropped by more than 30% within four days of insufficient sleep. And when your body can’t respond appropriately to insulin, fats in your bloodstream will be stored rather than processed. 2. Inefficient Metabolism Metabolism is often described as fast or slow, but this term actually describes how your body processes and uses the food you eat. If your metabolism is functioning properly, weight loss will be easier. It’s when you have a dysfunctional metabolism that your body may hang on to more calories than it burns – and that can impact your ability to lose weight. If your basal metabolism – the calories you need just to stay alive – is reduced, it can impact both the amount of calories you expend when active and the calories spent simply processing your food. Therefore, it could be harder for you to lose weight than someone of a similar weight with a properly functioning metabolism. 3. Increased Fatigue and Exhaustion The more you move, the more calories you expend. But if you are so tired that you have a hard time getting out of bed, you certainly won’t have the energy to exercise. And if you’re feeling exhausted, you are far more likely to opt for takeout instead of preparing yourself a healthy meal. 4. Problems with Gut Health When you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, your gut can suffer. If your gut is perpetually inflamed due to poor diet, or you have digestive issues such as leaky gut syndrome, absorption of the nutrients becomes a problem. This means that toxins permeate the protective lining in your gut and circulate throughout your body, causing systemic inflammation. This in turn could mean your brain isn’t getting the right messages – including the messages that you are full, or that fat should be burned for energy. Remember, seratonin is produced in the gut. 5. Imbalanced Hormones Hormones carry messages to your brain. When hormone levels are not optimal, these messages get skewed – as in the above example of leptin. Your major hormones – adrenaline, cortisol and insulin – have a big impact on your ability to lose weight. If levels of these hormones are too high or too low, you could find yourself gaining weight. I’ve talked about some of the ways nutrient deficiency can make it difficult to lose weight - stayed tuned for my next post to talk about the specifics. The specific nutrients you need to maintain a healthy weight, along with some natural sources of each. I will also provide some tips for healing when nutrient deficiency are identified as your main problem. To get started your journey start by healing the gut, you can book in for a free 1/2 hr 1 to 1 chat about the problem areas in your nutrition, this was one of my main problems so I know how you feel and how to help you. Yours in health, Maria X
