New Year, New You
It’s that time of year again and many of us are looking back at Thanksgiving feasts and holiday over-indulgences and vowing to ourselves to get “back on track” come the first of the year. The majority of New Year’s resolutions include weight-loss goals, but why do 92 percent of us fail?
The answer: It’s not that easy.
Familiar with the term “stubborn weight?” Me too. The majority of people who seek out dietetic services are those who have already tried calories in, calories out, but the real problem is not their calorie intake; it’s hormone imbalances, micronutrient deficiencies, poor gut flora, overactive immune responses and generalized inflammation that is enabling their body to not fully utilize the nutrients from the foods they are eating – even when they are eating healthy foods!
Why is this?
The Standard American Diet (SAD) is dominated by food laden with sugars, pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics and hormones. With all the additives, preservatives, colors and sweeteners we eat in a day, it’s no wonder our metabolic fire is having a hard time burning. The solution? An Elimination Diet.
An Elimination Diet focuses on eliminating what harms and replenishing what heals. Eliminating foods such as corn, soy, gluten, dairy, nightshades, caffeine, alcohol and a few others while including bone broths, cultured vegetables and heavy doses of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices to restore optimal metabolic function, results in those “stubborn pounds” just melting away. Once you have eliminated these foods for a period of time, you strategically reintroduce them – noting any undesirable symptoms and excluding those foods – resulting in a customized diet that fits your specific health needs.
Not only does the Elimination Diet help with weight loss and resetting a sluggish metabolism, but it has helped thousands of patients improve:
energy
foggy thinking or memory issues
moodiness or irritability
depression and anxiety
bloating, gas, constipation, or reflux
muscle and joint pain
skin rashes, eczema and acne
osteoporosis
asthma, sinus congestion and chronic coughing
migraines and headaches
autoimmune disease
Where to Start
The biggest challenge encountered when eliminating several food groups at once is the lack of education, knowledge and a plan to ensure adequate nutrient intake. That’s where a dietitian comes in. Dietitians can put together a plan for you that includes meal plans, recipes, food lists and supplements that can ease the overwhelming task of eliminating foods that dominate your current diet. They are trained to help guide patients through challenging, but rewarding lifestyle changes.
Darci Barman is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, See darcibarman.com for more information.
