[Muffie's Mom]

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY

Underactive thyroid

An underactive thyroid can be at the root of gradual weight gain, and it should be checked by your doctor.

Nutritional deficiencies

Food can be converted into fat or energy.

You can either store what you eat, which means you will probably put on weight, or you can use it for energy.

Whether food is burned or stored is determined by a number of chemical reactions that take place in your body.

These are activated by enzymes, which are, in turn, dependent upon vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, if you are deficient by even a small amount in certain vitamins and minerals, you will gain weight.

Fortunately there are now some very good tests that can check for these deficiencies.

Prescription drugs

Weight gain is often linked to certain medication, such as HRT, the contraceptive pill and steroids.

Some antidepressants can also cause increased appetite and weight gain.

If you have to take medication, discuss your weight problem with your doctor and ask if there are alternative drugs you could take. Never stop taking any drug without the advice and supervision of your doctor.

Food allergies

Could a food allergy be making it difficult for you to lose weight?

A good clue would be whether you crave a particular food that you eat frequently.

Once a food allergy exists the food becomes mildly addictive and you can feel compelled to eat it.

If you are allergic to a food, your body can react by storing it away instead of using it for energy.

If you eat a lot of foods to which you are allergic, there will undoubtedly be weight gain.

There are two types of allergic reactions.

Type A (classic allergy).

In this type of allergy, you will experience a reaction immediately after contact with an allergen (such as shellfish or peanuts, for example).

Type B (delayed allergy or intolerance).

Here the reaction can take place between one hour or three days after ingesting the food.

Symptoms such as weight gain, bloating, water retention, fatigue, aching joints and headaches can all be due to a Type B allergy.

It is now possible to have a blood test that analyses the effects of 217 different foods and food additives.

This test measures the release of certain chemicals that are responsible for the symptoms of food intolerance.

Once you find out what foods are causing problems, they can be avoided for a short period of time.

Unlike the foods implicated in Type A allergies, you do not have to avoid these foods indefinitely.

Giving your body a rest from them, and then ensuring that they don't make up too large a percentage of your diet will probably do the trick.


Yeast overgrowth

Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?

sugar cravings

cravings for foods such as wine, bread, cheese

migraines or headaches

chronic thrush

inability to lose weight

tired all the time

often feel spaced out

feel drunk on a small amount of alcohol

feel bloated and have flatulence

If these symptoms seem familiar, then you may have a yeast overgrowth such as candida albicans.

We all have the yeast' candida' in our gut, but is usually controlled by other bacteria.

When the immune system is compromised (because of illness, for example, or a poor diet), the proportion of 'healthy' bacteria can be altered, causing candida to grow out of control

This overgrowth can be also be caused by overuse of antibiotics, the contraceptive pill, HRT, steroids and stress.

If you would like to know more about this test click Stool Test
(If you are experiencing chronic thrush, then you should always see your doctor as this can be a symptom of diabetes and needs to be ruled out.)


What are your choices?

There is no 'quick fix' to losing weight even though drugs and surgery are often offered.

It is easy to try one diet after another but this will never be a long-term solution.

The only way to lose weight safely and to keep it off is to change your eating habits, and then ensure that those new, healthier eating habits become a way of life.

There's no point in adopting strict measure that prevent you from living life to the fullest.

After all, food is there to be enjoyed.

You need a way of eating where you can eat out with friends, socialize without having to forego the meal.

Real and permanent fat loss (not just weight loss) has to be gradual and it takes time.

The important thing, however, is that this approach works, and your weight will stay off.


Dietary changes

Follow the recommendations from the nutrition section.

In particular, reduce or eliminate foods made with white flour or white sugar, and avoid refined foods where the fibre and goodness has been stripped away.

These are 'fast-releasing', and can have detrimental effects on blood sugar and then your weight.

Cut out all sugar and artificial sweeteners.

You will have to become a label reader because sugar can be added to almost anything, including savoury foods such as baked beans, tomato ketchup, and even bread.

In order to make sugar content appear lower, manufacturers list all the different types of sugar separately (look for words ending in -ose, such as fructose, glucose and sucrose).

Don't be fooled. They all have relatively the same effects on our bodies.

A very simple tip to help with weight loss is to chew well and to take your time when eating.

It takes your brain 20 minutes to register that you are full, so if you eat more slowly, you will actually want to eat less.


When you eat matters

What is important to know is that skipping meals can slow down your metabolism because your body thinks there is a shortage of food.

It's better to eat little and often, to keep your blood sugar levels (and your metabolism) steady.