January 1, 2018
Happy New Year! Now is the time when many think about what diet or detox program to go on, yet many programs out there are a far cry from promoting health or even true weight-loss. Let’s examine the facts.
FACTS about Dieting & DetoxingIn order to adequately deal with our health concerns and excess weight, we must understand it better. Here are the main reasons it is difficult to lose weight.
- Thyroid or other Glandular Imbalances: The thyroid is often the hidden cause of weight-gain. I have several clients whose thyroid showed fine on blood tests, but they still had thyroid problems. When there are thyroid or other glandular problems, it is very difficult to loose weight.
- Over-eating: Yes, over-eating does cause excess weight, whether we want to admit it or not. Our problem could simply be that we over-eat. But WHY? This is the key question. The main reason is that we are under-nourished We are simply not getting the nutrition that we need. So, naturally, if we limit our diet and restrict ourselves, is it going to work? No, not for long. The body demands nutrients, and it will create such an intense “hunger”, that we WILL be driven to eat more.
- Toxins: Through diet, water, air, drugs, poor elimination, and other means, our body accumulates toxins. These toxins can produce inflammation in the body, so in order to protect itself, the body encloses these toxins in fat. Throughout the body, toxins are stored in fat. When we loose weight without getting rid of the toxins, we are working against our body and it will do its utmost best to make more fat to protect us from all the toxins we hold. Therefore, long term weight-loss and maintaining normal weight is IMPOSSIBLE without dealing with the toxins in the body.
Problems with Many Diets
- Toxic Over-Load: The main problem with common weight-loss diets is that they are loaded with toxins. They are nothing less than a glorified “junk food” program. Here’s some of the ingredients of Slimfast shake: milk, canola oil, high fructose corn syrup, more sweetening, and a bunch of inorganic vitamins & minerals. Sanford Profile plan is not much better. The shakes contain fructose which is known to causes weight-gain; the Vanilla shake has yellow #5, the strawberry shake has red #40, and they are also milk based.
- Dairy Based: Most weigh-loss plans use shakes as meal replacements, so it is VERY important that these shakes are nutritious and not toxic. Dairy is mucus forming and toxic, PERIOD! In the book, The China Study, whey was the main protein exposed for increase and cause of cancer. If you want health stay away from the whey protein shakes. If you want dessert, sure indulge and have it once or twice a month, but don’t make it a regular habit.
- Not Enough Nutrition: Because the main things promoted to eat, such as the particular shakes or bar, are not healthy, the dieter is depleted of good nutrition. This is why one has to really have strong will power to succeed. This is why snacks are needed with these plans. With health and a good program, there are no cravings or addictions, and missing a meal or fasting a day is not hard.
Eating Too Often: In our July 11, 2017 issue, I discussed the 3 stages of digestion. It takes roughly 4 hours to digest starch and 6 hours to digest protein. When we interrupt this process, we put an extra burden on our digestive system. In fact, according to Victoria BidWell, in the book, The Health Seekers, those who eat less often (2 times a day), live longer. Both the Slim Fast and Sanford Profile encourages eating 1 meal a day, 2 shakes, and 3 snacks. Other plans likewise encourage eating 3 meals a day and snacks.
We’re here to help YOU!Amy Willis, MHYour Local Herbalist