Inflammation
Functional Medicine Addresses Blood Sugar Dysfunction and Its Effects
Do you have a blood sugar problem?
Once I knew what kind of symptoms to pay attention to, I was shocked at how many of my patients have blood sugar problems to one degree or another. Most commonly I will see anything from low blood sugar aka hypoglycemia, to insulin resistance aka pre-diabetes all the way to diabetes. Surprisingly a lot of my patients aren’t aware that they even have a blood sugar issue until I start asking them questions. Some of the questions I ask are whether they get tired after meals, or get tired in the afternoon, or do they have cravings? Before I can finish some of these questions I can already see a concerned look in their eyes. That look suggests they didn’t know they have a problem but are becoming aware of the fact that they do.
Abnormal glucose causes damage
Most of my patients have no clue the degree to which blood sugar problems are contributing to their demise. The tentacles of abnormal glucose are far reaching. In fact, nearly every system in the body within time will succumb to the effects of abnormal glucose regulation. This makes sense as all cells in the body are dependent on glucose for energy. When we no longer manage glucose efficiently, the body begins to deteriorate. However, this is not the message commonly conveyed until the latter stages of abnormal glucose.
Dont wait!
The first problem is the way in which blood sugar problems are addressed. This is clearly seen by the continued rise in the number of diagnosed diabetics in spite of supposed advancements in treatment. We have been misinformed to think that unless your fasting glucose reaches the magic number of 126, then you remain in a safe zone. I’d like to ask you a question, can you tell me what is different about dysfunction in your body when you glucose levels are at 120 and when they are at 126? There isn’t one. No difference, and if you think waiting until it’s 126 to do something about about it is ok think again, it’s only making the damage worse. Also, you aren’t paying any attention to the to the effects of secondary damage that the abnormal glucose is causing which can make the problem worse.
In contrast to standard approaches, functional medicine offers a comprehensive approach that not only looks at the causes of abnormal glucose, but also the implications upon other tissues. Classic considerations to managing glucose have been diet and exercise. However, even in concepts as fundamental as these, the wrong message is being stated to those that need help. The incorrect, but well entrenched RDA food guide pyramid continues to be pushed in mainstream circles over the well proven and highly effective Paleo Diet. If the “authorities” associated with traditional approaches have been so mistaken in their method, maybe it is time for the introduction of functional medicine on a wider scale.
Functional medicine
When you come in to my office and through a series of simple question that I ask you, you find out you have a glucose problem, then you have been let down because of the simple fact that no one has taken the time to explain to you what may be wrong, what it can do to you and how to fix it. When you have abnormal glucose levels, you really need to look to functional medicine so that someone can tie all of the physiology together. Restoring your glucose levels back to normal is more complicated than just exercise and/or diet. What it really requires is someone looking at how all of your other systems are working to determine if they are functioning properly and getting the support they need. Just to give you an example, if someone is not sleeping well, and they are stressed out, then how can we manage their glucose levels? If there is dysfunction in one system it could be caused by the dysfunction of another system or could be the cause for dysfunction in other systems. it. This is the reason that it is ideal to be under the care and principles of functional medicine.
Thyroid Misdiagnosis May be Due to Lack of Use of Functional Medicine
Assessing thyroid problems
Everywhere you go you hear someone talk about their thyroid problems, you may have them yourself. I bet if you asked some people you know, you would find quite a that are taking hormones for their thyroid. Usually you will hear about medications like; Synthroid and Levothyroxine. While checking patients charts and paperwork they bring in, I’ll see this particular class of medications the most. Because I was seeing this so often I started asking myself, if all of these people could really have hyperthyroidism? Or could there be a reason their thyroids are acting this way.. So I started asking my patients exactly how their thyroid dysfunction was being monitored. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the full complexity of the thyroids dysfunction was not being looked at or treated.
Diagnosis and treatment with traditional medicine
Standard approaches to thyroid management begin, and often end, with the hormone TSH. TSH influences the thyroid glands output of hormone, but provides no insight into how the gland itself is functioning. On occasion, thyroxine, also known as T4, is measured. This is the hormone produced by the gland. At this point, you may be thinking what else would you need? While this is not a bad start, it only scratches the surface of total thyroid function. In fact, active thyroid hormone is not considered when only looking at TSH and thyroxine. Yet, if traditional medicine is your choice of care, this is what you are limited to, even in some specialty clinics. Worse, the underlying causes of having abnormal TSH and thyroxine are ignored. The blanket solution becomes hormone.
The difference with Functional medicine
What are you supposed to do? Before you realized it you are tangled in the web of being told nothing is wrong when in reality thyroid dysfunction exists. Or maybe your story is different. Your levels are out of range and you are taking replacement thyroid hormone, yet feel no different. Know that if this is where you find yourself, you are not alone. You have received the standard of care. However, the standard of care ignores functional medicine.
Functional Medicine goes a step further
When functional medicine is employed in thyroid management, the assessment does not end at the gland or on a test report only looking at thyroxine. TSH and thyroxine are starting points. Understanding bodily function and biochemistry is a cornerstone of functional medicine and its ability to address underlying causes of dysfunction. In the case of the thyroid, many systems beyond the gland require consideration. These include the role of the liver in converting thyroxine to active thyroid hormone T3. There is also the effect of other glands such as the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Beyond this, other hormones and nutrients play a role as does the immune system. All of these areas interacting together constitute normal thyroid function, not the thyroid gland and the hormones TSH and thyroxine acting in isolation.
Take action!
When choosing functional medicine you can find what is really making your thyroid dysfunctional. It’s time to stop using a band aid and start getting to the root of the problem, so that you can honestly find out how to get your thyroid physiology functions back to normal with out just focusing on the gland itself. f you are like so the so many people I see in my practice, that always have to have their hormone levels manipulated, then your main problem is probably not just your thyroid, but a secondary problem that is making your thyroid act the way it does. If this is you, it’s time to turn to functional medicine and treat the root of the problem and not just the symptoms!
Functional Medicine Starts with Good Detoxification
Detoxification
A lot of people think that a detoxification means that you take some supplements and then run to the bathroom all day, I am here to tell you that is not what this is and not what I’m going to talk about. That is not a detox, it’s a colon cleanse aka “colon purge”. That is a short term solution to a specific problem, there are no long term benefits when you go that particular route. What I am talking about here, is giving the support your body needs to clean out toxins and impurities and function the way it needs to. The toxins inside of you come from your own body as well as the out side environment. If you do not remove them, they will cause your body harm.
Getting back to basics
Now that we have lined out exactly what detox is not, let’s talk about what it is. And it makes more sense to talk about it from a functional medicine stand point. As in, we need to support the functions of our bodies, by using detoxification as a medicine. If you look at it from that perspective it means going back to basics. You cannot realistically expect your body to function well when it is overrun with toxins.
Toxins
Toxins come from many sources. Most realize that toxins can be found in the air and water. However, a lesser known source includes food, and not just the chemicals on it, but in the case of genetically modified food, the food itself. Additional hidden sources are also new carpet, paints and common household solutions. The point that I am making here is that toxins are ubiquitous in our environment. Here in Houston, we are not only a metropolitan area, but also close to the petrochemical industry. Toxins lurk around every corner. If nothing else, they are in the air you breathe. You cannot run from them. Likewise, we also make toxins internally daily. So even if you are in an ideal environment free of toxic burden, you still need to have an adequate detoxification system. Adequate detoxification should be part of any health maintenance strategy.
What is detoxification
Yet, detoxification is not a guaranteed process. It can become sluggish. This is where functional medicine and detoxification meld. Detoxification as the term is commonly used implies a theoretical process that the body must undergo for a defined period of time to rid itself of a buildup of toxins. It assumes that once the detox process is complete, the body will have rid itself of the toxic accumulation. In reality, this is not the way in which detoxification functions. Detoxification is about taking a fat soluble substance and modifying it to water soluble, thus made easier for excretion. This process happens daily and is dependent on having adequate nutrient availability, specifically B vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. However, hindrance of detoxification can be secondary to thyroid dysfunction, poor sleep habits, and hormones just to name a few.
Detoxing is a lifestyle not an event
When you go through a poorly executed detoxification, there are usually symptoms present. These usually include headaches, skin problems and hormone imbalances. Underscoring function as the primary importance in human biochemistry, functional medicine ideally the best route to go when you are wanting to realign your systems functions and overcome impaired detoxification systems. There are a plethora of reasons. As I practice functional medicine, I am thinking big picture not thinking of 1 single system. It takes many systems functioning together to make a proper detox happen. If you are only looking at one system from a reductionist’s standpoint you are singling out the other systems that are just as important in the process. Also, functional medicine as an approach, can help guide you in many aspects of your life while trying to learn to detox your body, because it affects more than just your diet. When you start thinking along the lines of a science based approach, the impediments and causes of impaired detoxification can be addressed completely. What this mean is that you will learn to support your detoxification daily not just for a short period of time. This is a lifestyle. The best part about it is that you won’t be falling for those “detox” gimmicks that claim they will detox you, you will actually be taking care of your body all of the time so that you will not get to a point where you feel the need to detoxify yourself. You will be caring for your body the way you are supposed to.
We have a 14 day Detoxification kit available that I recommend. It is comprehensive and includes everything but the food. It even has a meal plan to help aid your body and the supplements in the detox process. This can jump start you into a new healthier lifestyle. Please contact our office if you would like to set up an appointment to discuss this with me.
Health care needs a face lift, and this is how it needs to be done.
The Affordable Care Act
For a long time now we have known that we need a change in Healthcare. It seems more people are getting sicker, and that increases the demand on services and its getting harder to pay for these services. And now we have the the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare, which promises to insure a new paradigm in medicine. The one thing the new healthcare law has in common with the current administration of medicines, is that they are both designed to alleviate symptoms rather than treating the underlying problem.
Sick care or Wellness??
Our state of healthcare has many many problems, the the problem that stands out the most is that people are treated for being sick. “Sick care”. When we need to be focused on “Wellness”. This is just one of the reasons that the new healthcare system will do very little to fix you health problems. The idea of the new legislation is to make care available to everyone. In theory, this is a good idea, but follows the way of socialized medicine, which by all accounts is a system patients do not want to be seen in. Moreover, clinicians are limited in their ability to deliver care in such a system due to restrictive guidelines. The question must be asked, “What kind of care are we talking about delivering?” The emphasis of a doctor visit is to attend to your immediate needs, not guide your health down a path of wellness. How is this acceptable?
Functional medicine
The focus of medicine has to change if we expect the burden of healthcare that each of us shares to go away. Medicine needs to take on a new image. That image is functional medicine. Functional medicine is based on the idea that if all aspects of the body are functioning as intended, health abounds and sickness is subdued. The body is an integral system with all areas dependent on each other. To understand how to support health, a doctor must have the time to listen to your concerns and procure a better understanding of your health limitations. This is not our current model. The current model, even with the new legislative oversight, limits the doctor-patient interaction to insure that everyone is seen. Everyone may be seen, but at what cost?? Both financially and as it relates to your health.
Your ailment is just the starting point to find out whats really wrong with you.
Finally people are starting to recognize Functional Medicine, people are starting to understand how functional medicine can keep you away from the Doctor. Wellness is the future. Taking care of yourself, getting tested eating correctly instead of “dieting” this is the future. To prevent sickness. It is the only way to limit or remove what we spend on sick care. If we use it less, it costs us less. If you keep thinking that you should only see a Doctor when you are sick, or ailing, the wellness message will continue to be lost. Functional medicine points out a different path. We need to focusing on wellness from before time of conception until passing.
Personalized Care
If you could imagine having a Doctor focus on every aspect of your life, how you feel inside and out, what you eat, what is your outlook on life, are you satisfied, how much do you exercise. That is Functional Medicine, this is the future. Most people still view Functional Medicine as something new and unusual, but less so now. People are educating themselves more, they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Literally. The reason it’s changing is because people want someone to care about the way they feel. Someone that will really listen to them and look a little deeper. One size does not fit all, antidepressants do not heal everyone. Not everyone that cannot sleep needs medicine. What are the reasons? Why does this person feel this way? These are the questions that need to be asked. You don’t have to be a prisoner to the constraints of limited, system oriented care. You don’t have to wait until Functional Medicine is popular, you can do something now. You can see a Functional Medicine Doctor, and find out why you feel the way you do, and how to fix it forever naturally.
Functional Medicine and Telomeres: The Future of Medicine is Here Now
Window into our bodies
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to just look in to how your body functions through a window? Or even better, if we could just visually see how our bodies are affected by what we do and eat? Then we could see how certain actions are healthy and will make our organs and tissues last longer, or maybe we will see how smoking and eating the wrong things weakens our bodies. At one time these questions were theoretical. But now in this modern day things are different, what we once could only imagine, we are now very capable of.
What age are you really?
How are you aging? That is the question. Are you aging fast or slow? To answer this question, you have to know your chronological age vs. your biological age. Chronological age is easily determined. It is your age. The missing variable has been determining biological age. There was no standardization to suggest how your body was functioning as a product of age. Traditional lab markers gave at best insinuations about your biological age, but nothing definitive. Yet, with the upsurge of research in the field of genomics, we began to learn about telomeres. If you are not familiar with Telomeres, you are going to want to know them.
What are Telomeres?
In short telomeres are the tips of your chromosomes, or genetic material. They are predictive of biological age. The longer they are the better your biological age. In contrast, shorter equals faster aging. You can now literally determine if your body is older than what the calendar says, or if you are younger.
Without question, everyone wants to be younger biologically than chronologically. If you are younger than your chronological age, you want to maintain. If you are older than your chronological age, you will want to make changes. But how do you know you are doing the right things to help you age slowly.
Functional Medicine
This is where functional medicine finds its role. At the center of anti-aging and rejuvenation is functional medicine. Functional medicine as the name implies centers on restoring function to the body. As it relates to telomeres, better function equals longer telomeres. Vice versa, longer telomeres equal better function. As an example, take blood sugar. When blood sugar rises routinely, secondary inflammation is created and telomeres are damaged. The prolonged shortening of telomeres also makes it more difficult to control blood sugar. It becomes a vicious circle. Cycles such as this are not broken by a single intervention aimed at symptoms, but rather a comprehensive approach targeting all possible areas of contribution.
Balance is the key
Many things are known to influence the length of the telomere. These include hormone balance, low levels of inflammation, proper exercise, sleep, a good diet, and a balanced nutritional state. The focus of functional medicine is to realign the health of the body. To illustrate this point, a good diet with proper exercise at some point will become limited in its ability to support long term health if you are not getting adequate sleep. The key to preserving your telomere length is balance. Yet to achieve balance, you must equally manage all aspects of your life and understand the interplay that they have. As a paradigm focused on creating synchrony between all aspects of health, functional medicine is well poised to help you protect your delicate telomeres.
Are allergies really associated with moving?
What is an allergy?
To figure out if allergies can be caused by moving we have to go back to the basics and understand just what an allergy is. Basically when you have allergies, it’s your body telling you that you have been around something or put something inside of it that is foreign and the immune system is triggered and goes in to overdrive trying to get rid of it. Typically whatever it is that your body is responding to is not dangerous, but your body doesn’t know that, and exaggerates it’s response which makes that particular substance a problem. Let’s use pollen as an example, everyone has heard of pollen allergies. Some people react to pollen and some don’t, but the people that do react have an exaggerated response and their immune system overreacts. As soon as they have been exposed to pollen, those typical allergy symptoms closely follow.
So what makes allergies associated with a move? Is it the area you move to? For example, in Houston, it is not uncommon for someone to say they did not have allergies prior to moving here. Maybe some regions of the United States are just more prone to allergies, especially when allergies are categorized.
What causes the immune system to overreact?
As you and I explore why allergies are often associated with a move, let us not forget what is at the core of an allergic response. A hypersensitive immune system is the primary cause. If the immune system were not hyperactive, the allergy would not exist. With this in mind, we have to begin to ask, what causes the immune system to overreact.
Histamine
What is the most common substance we associate with allergies? You know the one I am talking about. Every over-the-counter allergy medication boasts about how efficient it is at controlling this chemical. That’s right, its histamine. Once histamine is released in a significant quantity, many of the symptoms that we associate with allergies begin to manifest. This is because histamine increases the inflammatory response. Knowing what we know now, the histamine was triggered by something. Usually it has to do with the gastrointestinal tract.
Stress
As you may have noticed moving is very stressful, but not just mentally, also your body is under a lot of stress. That manifests itself in you immune system by weakening it, and in your gut. Besides the stress you are experiencing mentally, emotionally and physically, you are temporarily changing your lifestyle, your eating habits your sleeping habits. Your entire routine is off. Your body notices that. Now throw in a new environment, maybe from the city fumes to the country flowers or vice versa, and you have a recipe for a hypersensitive immune response. But that’s OK you can manage these symptoms. It’s really all in our intestinal tract. As long as we keep that healthy, we can manage these symptoms. You can do that by following the Paleo Diet. Be careful what you are putting in your body. By eating a Paleo Diet, you are creating a less reactive immune system. When eating a Paleo Diet, you are eliminating all of the other things your body wold have to respond to when it’s stimulated by allergens, like corn, wheat, dairy or soy. You really want to get back to that routine as quickly as you can.
Weight loss Do’s and Dont’s
Time to lose weight and feel better!
So maybe you have gotten through Thanksgiving, the holidays, or you are tackling your New Years resolution, but it’s time to get that weight off! If you are new to the Paleo diet, that’s ok, follow these 10 easy steps, and I guarantee you will start losing weight and feeling better. I recommend that you do these steps in conjunction with the 14 day detox kit I give to my patients, but with or without the detox you will feel better.
1. Stop eating ALL sweets for seven days straight. This includes sugar in your coffee and tea. Detoxify yourself of sugar in order to gain control of
your cravings and increase your energy.
2. Do not use any margarine, Crisco, or hydrogenated vegetables oils. These are adulterated oils and block weight loss. Instead, use extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil, walnut oil, flax oil, hazelnut oil, and coconut oil.
3. Avoid white flour. This includes white rolls, bagels, and pasta. The two greatest weight gain foods are bread and pasta.
4. When possible, avoid grains. Most common grains contain gluten, which is known to inhibit weight loss. ( This includes corn!)
5. Drink at least 8-10 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. Water from a home filtration system is best
6. Do not skip meals. There should be no more than two to three hours between each main meal. Eat snacks in between meals only if you are truly hungry – not because you are bored or stressed. Healthy snacks, see 1, 3 & 4.
7. Eat protein every meal to stabilize your blood sugar levels. This will help control your appetite and reduce your cravings for sugar and starches.
8. Review the Modified Mediterranean / Paleo Diet for specific examples of foods that you should be eating.
If you have any questions or would like to purchase a 14 day detox kit feel free to contact us.
Don’t forget to exercise moderately to increase your weight loss and also to feel better and more motivated.
Why your doctor is not going to recommend the Paleo diet
What is wrong with the way Doctor’s practice medicine?
Not too long ago, I was enjoying time with some of my friends. Some know me pretty well and are familiar with my message about how necessary a good diet is for our health. Some of the other people there were acquaintances and not so familiar with my message. But they are beginning to question and understand. Luckily most of my friends are in the medical/pharmaceutical field, you can imagine those conversations! But really it’s an opportunity for us to take the pulse and discuss why the United States is in this health and medical crisis.
Recommend the Paleo Diet
What is the Paleo diet
Some of the people in this group are not familiar with the literature that I read and the wide range of observations that I am able to make each day in my practice that shows the impact that grains and dairy have on our health. I was presented with questions about the legitimacy of going on the Paleo Diet. When explained in a commonsense manner and when discussing the topic with someone that is willing to listen to a new concept, the idea of the Paleo Diet and why it works doesn’t seem so radical. After all, it is simply the consumption of real, unadulterated foods.
Food instead of medicine?
At this point in the conversation, I could not resist asking if the topic of diet ever came up in conventional medical clinics or discussions with doctors that were using the medications my friend sold. Sadly, he said no. To most Doctor’s, the topic of food as a path to wellness is a foreign concept given almost no credence. Why you might ask? Food does not make money, however, medications do. Telling someone what to eat and how to eat it is not going to produce the same revenue as selling an expensive patented medication that targets a specific condition. Evidently, a conflict of interest exists.
Autoimmunity
What evidence is there to justify these statements? You need look no further than one of the fastest growing segments of the healthcare population, the autoimmune patient. Autoimmunity, or when the body’s own immune system is attacking itself, is rapidly increasing and the primary causes appear to be environmental. Think about that for a second. That means things that you are exposed to routinely. Convention says suppresses the immune systems activities, and by doing so, you halt progression. This has become big business, so much so that of the top 10 selling medications, multiple positions are held by drugs aimed at controlling autoimmunity. Yet none of these medications address the cause. However, they do produce a consistent revenue stream.
Autoimmune; Of or relating to an immune response by the body against one of its own tissues, cells, or molecules.
Recommend the Paleo Diet – Not Big Pharma
Yet, if the environment is a factor, and a diet made up of potential health robbing foods is constantly consumed, there is likely a correlation between diet and disease, and not just autoimmune diseases. It is far far cheaper for us, to manage our health, than it is to manage disease. If you want proof of that, take a look at the Nation’s budget for healthcare. Somehow the pharmaceutical companies have found a way to be intertwined with every section of our health care system. From medical school all the way to everyday clinics, the indoctrination of medicine is ingrained. The question here really is why are you are not hearing the suggestion of following the Paleo lifestyle to improve your health and sense of well being. You shouldn’t be concerned about whether or not it’s worth implementing, but more so why when it can benefit you so much, is it being ignored and suppressed by pharmaceutical companies who care nothing about your health and only about profits.
Something to think about!
2 Things we all agree on, and 1 should be Paleo
Doesn’t that make 3 things?
Recently while I was instructing a group of clinicians, someone brought up the topic of glucose. They asked, “When your patients have glucose problems, what approach do you take?” And I responded; “When it comes to what you have to do to support patients with glucose problems, there are two things that everyone in the healthcare industry agrees on. Obviously we don’t always agree on how to execute those 2 things, but we all know they must be at the core of the overall program. They are; Diet and Exercise.” And the word “diet” should be substituted with The Paleo Diet.
Diabetes
There is no doubt that the lack of control of glucose, or blood sugar as we also call it, is going to derail our healthcare system by itself if we don’t do something to change it. The numbers of individuals dealing with glucose problems is astronomical and continuing to rise. Yet the focus of how to deal with it is wrong, and at best delayed. Some obvious signs that glucose problems exist, is even ignored until a late stage problem has manifested. We call this diabetes.
Satisfied patients speak volumes
Now that we know what everyone in healthcare agrees on, let’s talk about what we don’t, and that is the specifics of the diet and exercise. I’m going to share with you my clinical approach. Why? Because satisfied patients with a new outlook on life say it all. Our ancestors did not deal with diabetes or other blood sugar handling problems like we have today. Therefore, if we delve back into our ancestral roots, we see solutions to our modern day problems.
The Paleo Diet
The first part of the solution comes as the Paleo Diet. I find it interesting that some will say that the Paleo Diet is not suitable for some individuals. You must understand that when someone makes this comment, there is the false assumption that the Paleo Diet is a high protein / fat and / or low carbohydrate diet. Such is not necessarily the case. However, for someone trying to control glucose levels, these ideas of the Paleo Diet shouldn’t exactly be thrown away. The main point is that the Paleo Diet is a diet of real food that is not refined that offers a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. When eaten in this manner, no better diet exists to control glucose levels. This certainly includes the often recommended diets consisting of a large percentage of grains, even the whole grains. When eating the Paleo Diet, you are eating real food and who can realistically argue that eating adulterated food is a better idea to support health than eating real food? No one!
Exercise
The other agreement among the healthcare community is that exercise is essential to supporting glucose. The reasoning is rather simple. You expend stored glucose when you exercise from the muscles. After exercise, your muscles need to take up glucose, which means that it must remove it from the blood. The more efficient the uptake of glucose into the muscles, the less there is in the blood. with consistency you can achieve normal glucose levels. What kind of exercise is needed is different for everyone. But there are 2 things that your exercising should achieve. It should promote fat loss and support muscle building. When your exercises are promoting muscle break down, and are too long and strenuous in nature you are not achieving muscle build up.Putting our muscles to use will make them use the glucose and in turn will help balance it.
So, we all agree on this one concept; if you need to control your glucose you should be dieting and exercising. But to do this correctly we must take a look back at our ancestors, and remember what our bodies were intended to eat, and how they were intended to move. Eating things that our bodies are designed to process efficiently, and exercising in a way that allows us to maximize muscle growth and glucose control, without over doing it. We can take a page from our ancestors and do it the Paleo way.
10 Steps to Paleo Diet Success
Starting your Paleo Lifestyle
I have been working with quite a few patients for a while now. So from experience, I have learned what works and what doesn’t. Make no mistake, when changing your eating habits you are changing your entire lifestyle as well. This can be a daunting change, because switching your normal routine is never easy. But don’t let that scare you off, you may be surprised at how easy moving to Paleo can be. As long as you have the right tools and the right information. I can help you with this, I have information from hundreds of patients, which puts me in a great position to give you tips to transition easily and be successful and changing your life to a Paleo lifestyle.
1. Embrace the Paleo Diet – There are two types of people when it comes to the Paleo Diet. Those that are all in, or those that want nothing to do with it because it is some crazy fad. By the way, this is a 10,000 year old fad since it is in fact the way man has always eaten. Even in the research environment, Paleo has been studied for the last 30+ years. So if you are not in the camp rebuking Paleo, then you are on the winning team. Paleo is starting to become a household word. You may find yourself shocked at just how many people are eating the Paleo Diet. You are not alone.
2. Find a local Paleo source – Small Paleo cafes are popping up more and more. Seek them out as they will usually have Paleo in the name to attract their audience. However, you can also find non-Paleo restaurants that have Paleo options. This may mean picking apart the menu a little bit, but that’s okay if you stay Paleo.
3. Think ahead – As you are headed into your week, it goes without saying that time will start to evaporate and you will be scrambling to find those extra minutes for food preparation. Think about the meals that you want to have in the upcoming week and prepare what you can for them ahead of time. This may mean nothing more than cutting up some vegetables and having them already sliced.
4. Cook with leftovers in mind – Always prepare more food than you are going to need. This serves 2 purposes. Foremost, you will have food for lunch the next day. Thus, no excuses about not having a Paleo meal. Second, you will have food in the refrigerator to snack on if you get hungry.
5. Don’t tempt yourself – For whatever reason, it seems that the foods that have a way of creeping back into your eating pattern are grains and sweets. The best way to avoid them is to not even be around them. If you don’t bring them in the house, you are not going to eat them.
6. Keep Paleo Snacks Around – Be realistic, you are going to get a sweet tooth every now and then. It is just human nature. If you have some Paleo snacks around, you will have something to hold you over without the guilt of feeling like you wrecked your diet.
7. Flavor your food – Fats and spices are an asset to Paleo eaters. They help stimulate the senses and add another dimension to your food. Even the most bland meats and vegetables can be brought to life with the right combination of spices. Most of the Paleo cookbooks offer great suggestions.
8. Pocket snacks – It is always handy to have some nuts around. Nuts are easy to keep in almost any situation and they provide a good balance of fat, protein and carbohydrate.
9. Eat as many different colored vegetables as you can. Different colors mean different nutrients, try as many different ones as you can to make sure you take in adequate nutrients. In addition to nutrients you will also be taking in a lot of fiber, fiber makes you feel full and satisfied which help prevent you from making bad food choices.
10. Consistency is the key. You do not have to be prefect. That is not realistic. But you can easily be consistent. If you make a mistake, don’t beat your self up, just get right back on your routine. What we are really trying to accomplish here is that you are eating Paleo the majority of the time. Eating something non Paleo occasionally, is not going to ruin your diet.
If you follow these 10 steps you will most certainly succeed. Here is your map and guide to transform your life into the Paleo Lifestyle. Just like many others you will now also feel the benefits of eliminating foods that cause inflammation, and begin to feel good. Before you know it you will wonder why you haven’t always eaten this way. The other great thing about going Paleo is that once you follow it and live it you will never go back to eating gluten and dairy again. You eventually will not miss them, and you will not feel good if you do eat them.
