By Lindsay Kluge

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September 16, 2020

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Optimizing Weight Through Holistic Nutrition

The ease of gaining or losing weight can look different for each person. Many people have a difficult time losing weight as they age, or gaining weight after an illness or times of stress. It is natural for our weight to fluctuate with what life throws at us. Stress, injury, hormonal fluctuations, and our exercise routines all contribute to maintaining and optimizing a healthy weight over time. Educating ourselves on the foods that we eat, and taking a holistic nutrition approach can be a huge support in optimizing our weight as our lifestyles change.

What Contributes To Weight Gain & Weight Loss?

There is so much more to maintaining a healthy weight than just calories. This is where so many diet plans fall short, and this minimal line of thinking contributes to considerable misinformation among diet culture today. Our weight is a reflection of many things including:

• Thyroid health
• Our overall diet (specific to each individual person – not a one size fits all approach)
• Hormone balance
• Genetic predisposition
• Underlying health conditions
• Blood sugar balance
• Stress
• Digestive Health
• Sleep quality and duration
• Movement and exercise
• Age

Our weight will naturally fluctuate as we age, and is affected by the health of our organ systems, especially our thyroid and endocrine system. Our diet of course plays a huge role in maintaining a healthy weight, but it is not the entire picture. The quality of the foods that we eat is just as (if not more) important than the quantity of foods we consume.

How Can We Maintain a Healthy Weight All Year Long?

If you want to maintain a healthy weight for 365 days a year, then you need a nutrition plan that lasts for 365 days. Following a 30 day diet, or a 10-day “jump-start” is not sustainable to maintain a healthy weight for the long term. Rather, approaching nutrition and lifestyle practices that are sustainable and realistic for you is the best way to achieve a healthy weight all year long.

There may be underlying, less obvious contributors to your weight (gain or loss) that you may need extra support identifying, such as underlying health conditions, hormonal imbalance, or digestive dysregulation. This is where a naturopathic doctor and/or holistic nutritionist can be especially helpful.

Holistic Nutrition Tips To optimize Your Weight

• Focus on whole, real foods. Fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, and quality (un-processed) protein sources are ideal.
• Eat at consistent times every day. The more sporadic our meals (or skipping meals), the more unstable our blood sugar becomes.
• Minimize processed sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day. Pay attention to your ingredient labels (especially in drinks!), and add this up each day. It gets to 25g quickly!
• Ensure you’re eating enough fiber, ideally 25-35 grams per day. This comes from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds especially.
• Learn how to mindfully and intuitively feed yourself. Check-in with your hunger levels before each meal, and while you’re eating. You may not always need to clean your plate if your body is telling you that you’re full for now. Intuitive Eating Resources here.
• Meal prep once a week if you’re scrambling for healthy meals during busy weeks. This is the easiest and best way to ensure you have at least one healthy meal per day, already prepped, when your schedule becomes too full to make a healthy meal. Meal prep tips here.
• Eliminate late night / after-dinner snacking. Our cells and metabolism are not conditioned to metabolize optimally after dark, and especially not while we’re sleeping.
• Drink plenty of water. Half of your body weight in ounces is a good rule of thumb. Proper hydration supports every body system and cellular function, detoxification pathways, and optimal blood flow.

If you would like support creating a custom nutrition plan that fits your lifestyle, health needs, and weight goals, consider making an appointment with Dr Beliy  – Naturopathic Doctor and Nutritionist here at Richmond Natural Medicine.