America has been hit with an epidemic — of frustration.
Beautiful faces on TV seem to be shredding pounds and keeping them off. But diet after program after gym membership, you’re still struggling, frustrated, maybe even cynical.
Influencers hint that the problem is just you.
Try harder. Think positive. Keep pushing.
But all the positive thinking, over-exercising, and under-eating in the world won’t get you the results you want.
Because popular exercise/diet programs work off assumptions and health myths like:
- Your main weight gain issue is caloric intake,
- Food restriction leads to sustainable weight loss,
- Thin = success,
- One health formula works for all people,
- Difficulty seeing results is your problem.
What’s Really Going on Here?
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).” — Mark Twain
I see this problem in my clinic everyday. It’s become an epidemic of frustration, yoyo-weight loss, and billions of dollars poured into industries that reap little to no long-term change.
You can tell yourself everything is fine after a tortuous “health” program, but your body will know what’s up and change right back.
The job of your body from the neck down is to protect the neck up!
One of my favorite things to tell my patients: “I can’t control your stressors, but I can help your body deal with them better.” That is the RecoverMe philosophy, to help the body recover, not only from the diet and exercise program, but from all the stressors on the body like:
- toxins,
- infections,
- bad relationships,
- poor diets,
- chemicals
- etc.
Does your Exercise Program Ignore These Key Problems?
Each of us is unique, both in mind and in body. So why do our common diet and exercise programs have a problem talking about more than cookie cutter health?
Because holistic recovery takes a little more work than a one-size-fits-all quick fix.
But without paying attention to the true saboteurs of your journey to enriching and fulfilling health, you’ll hit road block after road block and never get where you really want to go.
So, evaluate your program to see if they address these five hidden health problems… if not, don’t let them shame you one day more!
Problem 1 — HPA Axis Adversity
There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full. — Henry Kissinger
The HPA axis stands for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Big words for a big job.
Some would consider this group of organs and their associated hormones the master controllers of the body.
When your body is under stress for more than a few minutes, the hypothalamus releases CRH. CRH tells the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone or ACTH, which then tells the adrenal gland to release cortisol. Long story short, your body goes on high alert — what we know as the fight or flight syndrome.
It’s usually self-regulating, but the intensity of fad exercise regimens, combined with a chronically stressful lifestyle keep the cortisol switch on high … and your body constantly pays the price.
Problem 2 — Hormonal Havoc
Hormones are chemical messengers carried by blood to non-adjacent target cells. They regulate and affect your body’s behavior via modification, modulation, and initiation of specific patterns. In short: Hormones are messengers. They all talk.
Modern/popular diet and exercise programs affect every hormone in your body, which then has influence on your lifestyle, which comes back to affect your hormones.
They cannot be separated or looked at as individually functioning. If your doctor replaces your testosterone for example, but does not consider the other hormones being provoked, other issues will start to occur including new symptoms or concerns and/or the sense that the hormone that was replaced no longer works.
Problem 3 — Bowel Bollix
Not everyone who has done or is currently doing an exercise and diet program has gut symptoms. By symptoms I mean bloating, excessive gas, pain, reflux, constipation or diarrhea (sometimes both intermittently), etc. But everyone who has done or is doing a hardcore diet and exercise program has gut issues! It is inevitable, as the extremely high cortisol levels, nutritional deficiencies, and occasional supplements and drugs cause gut dysfunction.
And without taking gut issues into consideration, each of our other problems will be that much harder to address.
Problem 4 — Oxidative Stress
Oxidation means the removal of electrons from an atom or molecule. These electrons build up over time and can start damaging your system. The best example I can think of is leaving your dad’s new shovel out in the rain — the rust that subsequently occurs is oxidative damage.
It’s a normal by-product of metabolism, but over time, and in stressful conditions, it starts damaging every organ and system in your body, causing:
- heart disease,
- Wrinkling and age marks,
- Kidney disease,
- Arthritis,
- Other joint issues.
- Eye damage/macular degeneration/ cataracts
- Auto-immune diseases,
- Lung diseases,
- Brain issues/diseases
A contemporary diet and exercise program is seething with oxidative stress via the over-exercising and under-eating, and even supplements and drugs.
Knowing how to limit and repair from this stress will be key in transforming your life into one of health and vitality.
Problem 5 — Toxin Trouble
Toxins build up in your system due either to exposure or to your body’s inability to clear them. They come from drugs, food additives and preservatives, infections, alcohol, tobacco, air pollution, ionizing radiation, electromagnetic waves, etc.
Your body’s inability to clear them can be due to lung or nasal issues, issues with bowel movements (constipation), your mental/emotional coping skills with stressors, personal dislike of your body, as well as common diet and exercise programs.
In fact, most Fat to Fit programs don’t take into account your body’s inner toxin load and end up exacerbating it after the program ends.
Learn about the main toxins giving you grief and how to manage/avoid them right here!
The Healthiest Step You Can Take is…
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”
– Jack Kornfield
If you are overweight and want to fix it, first, accept who you are and then fight to feel good.
Let your body goals take a back seat to quality of life.
In my 30+ years of helping people get the bodies they want, those that do the best feel good first.
I have nothing against a good motivational post or picture, but this is about real life. Sadness, anger, and grief are emotions just like happiness and joy.
They are OK. Let me teach you how to be the best you you can be. Start by accepting yourself, accepting your body, and shoot for a great quality of life!
Listen to my RecoverMe Podcast Episode 1 to learn more about my proven approach to naturally healthy living.
Ready to Start Your Day in a Peak State?
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