Introduction
You may say “I want to lose weight” but what I’d like you to mean is “I want to feel better…” …better about your pain, sleep, appetite, body image, or future. Let’s take the focus off of weight. Healthy body, not weight. People often ask me to present a ‘Weight Loss’ talk. I, however, prefer a ‘Body Health’ discussion. Weight only describes your mass. Bodily health, in contrast, conveys information about the state of how your whole mental/emotional/spiritual being is feeling in your physical body.
I subscribe to a Health at Every Size philosophy. This means that I don’t ever set weight loss as a goal for my patients. I choose, instead, to focus on manageable lifestyle changes that you have control over. None of us can sustainably control our weight – let’s stop the frustration.
Why Shouldn’t I Prioritize Weight Loss?
Weight loss may seem like a more measurable and attainable goal, but here’s why it’s more supportive and accurate to set increased health and vitality as your long-term ideals;
- More joy, less effort, and pain
- Intuitively becoming more aware of your body’s needs, giving it what it is truly asking for
- No more guilt, shame, or self-worth tied up in a single number
- Baby steps in making sustainable lifestyle changes that feel good each step of the way, not just at the end of the process.
- Lifestyle changes (stress management, food choices, movement), regardless of the amount of weight loss, often lead to decreased risk of; cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers (colon, breast, endometrial, gallbladder)
How Can I Become My Healthiest Self?
If you’re done with “yo-yo” dieting, (which increases your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, depression), and are willing to commit to some lifestyle changes, then increased health and vitality can be yours.
Unlike weight loss, these goals are achieved with slow, manageable, changes to your MOVEMENT, CHOICE, CONNECTION, BALANCE, and NOURISHMENT habits and values.
1: MOVE your body a little every day.
Everybody is different, and while aerobic exercise may be right for your best friend, it may not be the best type of exercise for you. Try a variety to see what works best, and more importantly, what FEELS best. The key is to move and use your muscles every day. Why? Muscle is more metabolically active than fat; it burns 3-5x more calories at rest. As you see an increase in muscle mass, you’ll probably feel an increase in energy as well as a healthier blood sugar balance.
2: BALANCE, CONNECT, and take time out.
Stress is a vicious cycle, leading to elevated cortisol which, in turn, can lead to excess abdominal fat storage, blood sugar dysregulation, and diabetes. This then leads to more stress….
To stop the stress cycle do at least one of these things right now
- Connect with yourself: meditation, alone time, yoga, Tai chi, down-time, self-care, Visionary craniosacral work, or the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
- Connect with others, incorporate; fun, intimacy, family, and friends
- Connect to something higher, like; nature, humanity, prayer, religion, or spirituality
3: CHOOSE to sleep more.
Another cycle that most of us need to break is sleep deprivation. Besides keeping you from your ideal body sense, lack of sleep can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, memory loss, osteoporosis, and shorter life span.
If you can only focus on one thing to get healthier, this is it. You should be averaging 8 hours of sleep per night. Adequate sleep will balance your appetite and regulate levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness.
4: NOURISH yourself through food.
“You are what you eat” has always been important but as you can see, it’s not the only important focus point for your health. When we live on foods that don’t agree with us, this chronic irritation can turn into inflammation. This doesn’t mean we have to be perfect. Just being mindful as you eat can help you to learn what makes you feel good! Irritation (infections, smoking, gum disease, etc.) triggers an immune response or inflammation. Inflammation can cause aches, pains, disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hay fever, arthritis, diabetes, depression, and cancer, and is therefore directly related to what we eat and the life we live (chosen and otherwise). Read my “Teacup Analogy of Inflammation” blog post for more info.
Eating habits are sometimes the most difficult to change, made even more challenging by the wealth of choices available. Just like exercise, time-out activities, and stress reduction methods, results may vary, and you need to find what works best for YOUR body.
What Can I Eat to Feel Healthier?
- Vegetables, fruits, and foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega-3 fats, and phytonutrients (plant nutrients)
- Sources of lean or plant protein
- Wide range of bright, natural colors
- What makes you feel nourished, on all levels
When your body is satisfied and full from foods that work well for you, you’ll feel fulfilled on an emotional level and will be less likely to have cravings for foods that don’t nourish you.
A Manageable Approach to Food
- Eat at least 2 foods each day that nourish you.
- Introduce a new, whole food per week to add to your already preferred nourishing foods.
- Identify irritant foods that don’t make you feel good (red flag lectins, allergens, alcohol, highly processed items, energy zappers). Find replacements for these & SWAP them out.
- Eat more of the foods that make you feel well when you eat them
- Ensure you are eating enough protein
- Enjoy the foods that feed & nourish your connections to others (grandma’s favorite chili recipe, maybe?).
How Can I Continue My Progress?
There are a lot of options here and your brain may be overflowing along with your “teacup.” Relax, this is a process, a long-distance run, a series of lifestyle changes, not a quick fix. Pick one thing a day from the list below, do it for a week or two to make it a habit, then add another thing the next week.
Here are some steps to take to improve your health
1. Sleep 8 hours at night
2. Take a 5-10-minute walk in the morning or at lunchtime
3. Eat breakfast!
4. Create a large leafy green salad with a lean protein source (fish, poultry, beans, lentils) at lunch
5. Sauté garlic & greens in olive oil for dinner
6. Call a friend to blow off steam
7. Learn to meditate
8. Pause and take deep breaths throughout the day
9. Learn what exercise drains you and what fills you up
10. Do 10 reps or 10 sec of strengthening: plank, squats, wall push-ups, etc.
Conclusion
Now, you have a place to start if you want to improve your health. Small, incremental changes are what will give you the best long term outcomes and lead to an overall life change, not just a short-lived diet. Work to focus on and adjust things within your control: your lifestyle choices, movement, and mental outlook to promote your natural daily rhythms. When the body is supported and well, health often falls into place with greater ease.
If you need support or guidance on how to best achieve this feeling of health, reach out to us for a consultation. Together, we can make a plan that doesn’t feel like work to you, because it is informed by what you value and what nourishes you. Health looks different on everyone, as well as happiness.
Overall, please remember that your body is brilliantly designed, only you can make the choice to optimize its function! Seek guidance if you need help learning what your body needs.
Links
1. Health at Every Size Philosophy
2. Caring for Your Body With Movement
3. Visionary Craniosacral Work
4. Safe and Sound Protocol
5. Caring for Your Body With Sleep
6. Caring for Your Body With Nourishment
7. Teacup Analogy of Inflammation
WendyLeigh White, ND is a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist in Portland, Oregon who takes a “nature cure” approach to prevention and healing. Dr White specializes in weight-neutral naturopathic care, non-diet nutritional counseling, a Health At Every Size approach, and Visionary Craniosacral Work. She earned her naturopathic medical degree and masters of nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, College of Naturopathic Medicine. Learn more about Dr White.
