By Sarah A LoBisco, ND
I reported on my homepage blog this week that exercise has
benefits for cardiovascular health, prevention of diabetes, arthritis, brain
health, multiple sclerosis, and prevention of injury from falls. The good news
is this shows how gentle and non-stressful movement can be very beneficial to
health. However, finding the right combination of exercise, intensity, and
dietary complements for weight loss is more complex. As many frustrated dieters
are aware, more exercise doesn’t always lead to slimmer bodies and overdoing it
can actually cause fatigue and deplete the immune system.
I had the benefit of interviewing
Dr. Jade Teta last Wednesday on Clinical Rounds. Dr. Teta presented
practice-changing information for me on all the factors that need to be
considered when implementing an exercise routine for my weight loss resistance
clients. He explained in understandable terms why exercising more and eating
less initially works through a process called metabolic compensation. However,
long term caloric deprivation without proper hormonal and metabolic support
leads to metabolic resistance that can slow down the metabolism and can
eventually lead to metabolic damage. Metabolic damage causes havoc on many
organ systems, promotes weight gain, and can lead to chronic diseases.
I recommend seeing a practitioner who can evaluate all the
factors involved in weight loss resistance. It is important to consider that exercising
the wrong way or increasing intensity can be damaging. The practitioner should evaluate
all of the components to weight loss resistance including gastrointestinal
health, endocrine and hormonal balance, toxic exposure, and genetic predispositions.
I will be covering more on a comprehensive approach to weight
loss and health in my upcoming book, BreakFree
Medicine: A Systematic Guide to Balancing Your Body. I will also be hosting a teleseminar and be answering your
questions on this topic during the holiday
season. Stay updated by reading this blog, joining my BreakFree Facebook
page, and my homepage mailing list.
In the meantime, here are some tips to optimize workouts
for health outcomes:
1. Make sure you are getting optimal nutrition by eating
whole, organic foods as often as possible. Eating organic will also decrease
toxic exposures of pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics
which can all affect hormonal balance and resultant weight.
2. Always include recovery in any workout and incorporate
walking and gentle yoga on recovery days. You still need to move on days off, but
your body needs to recover from stress and build muscle to burn fat.
3. Consider supplementing with metabolic support nutrients
such as CoQ10 and using essential oils for brain motivation as needed.
Bonus Tips:
I wrote about how you can spice up your metabolism last
year. Check
out the tips here.
References:
Designs for Health Clinical Rounds. October 30, 2013. Why
Weight Loss Makes You Fatter. Interview of Dr. Jade Teta.
Teta, J. Metabolic Damage: Symptoms? What is it? And Why You
Don’t Have It! metaboliceffect.com. October 5, 2013.
