TO YOUR HEALTH
Weight Loss With Functional Medicine
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• Exclude simple carbs like sugar, pastries, grapes, melons, dates, and sugary beverages. • Exercise! Walk at least 5k - 10k steps daily. Next is to make sure your body isn’t experiencing any defi - cits of naturally occurring fat burning substances. One of the most critical, and underappreciated, is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by sun exposure, and synthesized in the skin and metabolized in the liver. The latest research indicates Vitamin D is not only a vitamin but also behaves in the body as a hormone, and every cell has a receptor to it. Vitamin D is the most important fat burning hormone, responsible for calcium/phosphorus metabo - lism and needed for sufficient calcium in the bones. It’s also import - ant for immune response to avoid infections; and it plays a role in preventing the development of cancer and other growths. Addition - ally, it can help to normalize both sex hormones and insulin level. Vitamin D levels should be tested regularly as part of a blood test so deficiencies can be revealed and addressed, either with add - ing more naturally occurring Vitamin D into your diet from food sources like eggs, fish, butter and fish oil; or with supplements. Other naturally occurring fat burning substances include: • Sex hormones Omega-3 ispart of thebuildingblocks for all cellularmembranes, and is another crucial nutrient, but over 90 percent of the population suf - fers fromsome level of deficiency, leading to cellular inflammation. The benefits of Omega-3 are numerous, ranging fromimproving brain func - tion, circulation and the immune system to decreasing inflammation, LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, risk of cardiovascular disease, and stress. Increasing the levels of fat burning hormones in the body is an im- portant part of a weight loss plan, and diet and exercise work well and fast if hormones are in check. However, if a patient is going through menopause or andropause (inmen), then it requiresmore than just diet and training. With age, after 40 the levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, growth hormones, and thyroid hormones are decreasing. Conversely, levels of fat building substances—cortisol, insulin, and ox- idative stress—are building up. Therefore, as we age, it takes more vigi- lance andeffort tomake sure the scaledoesn’t tip in thewrongdirection. Oxidative stress is a process where tissues become too acid- ic. In this terrain cells cannot produce enough energy, so fat tissue cannot burn effectively, which leads to slower metabolism. One good example of oxidative stress is cellulite, which demonstrates cells that are too acidic and cannot get enough oxygen in the tissue. Oxidative stress is easy to check with the help of pH pa - per. Normally saliva pH should not be lower than 7. Fat tissue is not going to decrease in the absence of oxygen and at low pH. To keep oxidative stress within a safe and acceptable range, it is highly recommended to take antioxidants, especially after age 40. An easy way to do this is to drink more water during the day, and include more alkaline-rich foods rather than acidic foods into your diet, such as lemons, green tea, vegetables and leafy greens, and fruit. For more concentrated support, the best antioxidant supple- ments for healthy levels are: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Selenium, and Curcumin (the main active ingredient in the spice turmeric!). Finally, there are additional levels in the body to check to make • Thyroid hormones • Growth hormones • Vitamin B-Complex • Omega-3
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32—PATHWAYS—Summer 21
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