April-May, 2005

Excess weight is one way that our body communicates to us that something is out of balance. Instead of looking for the message behind the issue, most people take a superficial approach; i.e., going on a diet. Reducing food intake, taking drugs, starving oneself, or going on a "fad" diet will never bring long-term results. You may lose some weight, but you can have so much more with my "Whole Health" approach -- radiant health, passionate living, abundance, loving relationships, and joy and fulfillment from life. Balanced health includes all of these factors. Often it is the lack of these things that contributes to weight problems.
 

Establishing Healthy Metabolism

Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns calories.  When we diet and limit the number of calories consumed our body often reacts by lowering the basil metabolic rate, thus making it difficult to lose weight.  Eating a lot of denatured, frozen, microwaved foods has the same effect.  Many of the foods in the American diet are not real food, but pseudo fare concocted with chemicals in flavor factories.  These artificial foods not only slow metabolism, but also are toxic to health. 

These foods may be convenient but the American fixation on convenience is making our culture sicker and more overweight at younger and younger ages.  Often establishing good health, including normal weight, is a matter of gaining clarity on how much a priority our health is.  Once we make a commitment to health as a priority it's essential to make a plan and take consistent steps in working the plan.

Medicinal, therapeutic foods (real foods) provide metabolic efficiency without extra mass.  I'll discuss some of those foods in this article.

What are the signs?

Many people believe that metabolism becomes slower with age.  This is not necessarily true.  Metabolism slows from years of chronic dieting on devitalized, chemical and low-cal foods and from sedentary living.  It's years of eating congesting foods such as dairy and meat, and living inactive lives that cause the metabolism problem.

Some of the signs of slow metabolism include:

• Difficulty losing weight

• Feeling cold; craving warmth

• Physical stiffness and inflexibility

• Weak adrenals

• Inability to sweat

• General weakness - malaise

• Pale urine

• Frequent fatigue - apathy

• Soft, fleshy muscles

• Certain kidney and bladder problems

• Weak digestion

Please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list and that these symptoms may also be the result of other health problems.

What are the causes?

Excessive meat, milk products, including all dairy, too many refined flour products such as breads, muffins, crackers, pasta, cookies are congesting and will also cause inefficient metabolism.  Highly processed foods such as refined sugar and flour upset metabolism.  These devitalized foods are deficient in the nutrients necessary for regulating glandular secretion and proper digestion.

Chinese Medicine view the kidneys, to a large extent, as a governing force in regulating metabolism.  When the kidneys produce less warmth, metabolism slows down.   Too many cold foods and beverages, especially sweet, fatty ones like ice cream, frozen yogurt, smoothies, soft drinks and all iced beverages, including ice water, cause too much coldness in the kidneys which slows metabolism.  Other foods that weaken the kidneys, such as coffee and alcohol, impact our ability to lose weight as well.

Remedies

To successfully and permanently lose weight, it's important to change our diet rather than going on a diet.  Starvation diets, too much fasting, liquid diets, and many fad diets are akin to dietary "terrorism".  They are an assault to the body and damage the digestive system and other functions.  As weight goes up and down, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain normal metabolism.

Whole grains  are complex carbohydrates and are naturally low in calories.  A gram contains 4 calories compared to a gram of fat which has 9 calories.  Complex carbohydrates readjust your  hormones which in turn boost your metabolism and speed the burning of calories.  The whole grains, basmati rice, barley and hato mugi grain are especially helpful for weight loss.  Corn is helpful since it is diuretic and removes excess water stored in the tissues.  Click here for barley and vegetable recipe to improve metabolism.

Sensuous Sea Vegetables - This is a wonderful category of food that most people are unfamiliar with.  There are many varieties including  wakame, kombu, nori, arame,  hijiki and dulse.  Sea vegetables each have their specific nutrient profiles.  They all speed up metabolism of fat and sugar in the body and improve water metabolism as well.   Seaweeds are useful for weight loss, lowering cholesterol and fat in the blood, and act as lymphatic cleansers. 

Other benefits include high calcium, iron, and B vitamin content.  Sea vegetables  detoxify the body, support hormone functions, build bones and teeth, promote healthy hair and nails, and soothe nerves.

Sea vegetables come dried and are available at Natural Food Stores.  They taste delicious when prepared properly.  Eating small amounts consistently will help with weight loss.  Click here for recipe for Sensuous Sea Salad using arame or hijiki sea vegetable. 

Gradual shifts in dietary habits to include nutritious and therapeutic foods, enable the body to integrate change and maintain stability.

Breathing - Practicing long, slow deep breathing can improve metabolism and overall health.  This can be practiced anywhere anytime.   There are many special breathing techniques, and we're offering a 2-hour Yoga Breathe Workshop on May 14 at Whole Health Resources.  Click here for details.

If you do not sweat easily you probably have difficulty losing weight.  There are a few things you can do. 

Take very hot baths with 2-3 cups sea salt in the water.  Make the water deep and cover your shoulders with a towel.  Stay in for 20 minutes.  Hot baths can be taken 1-4x a week, preferably before bed.  This is also helpful for some conditions of the reproductive organs.  You may not sweat the first few times you do this.  Be consistent.  Do not take hot baths during menstruation.

Taking a steam or a sauna are also helpful on a regular basis.

If you do not sweat easily, include diaphoretic pungent foods and herbs such as mint, cayenne pepper, elder flower, scallion, garlic, fresh and dried ginger and chamomile.  These are used to induce sweating and can lighten the effect of mucus-forming foods; they disperse stagnant blood and increase qi energy as well. 

Chewing  is the first stage of digestion and assimilation.  Saliva contains alkaline digestive enzymes that are essential for digestion and good health.  Chewing your food until liquid will help you digest, assimilate, eliminate and metabolize in healthier ways.  This takes awareness and practice and is one of the best tools for weight loss.

************************

There are many herbs that are useful restoring healthy metabolism, improving assimilation and elimination and strengthening qi and blood; eliminating congestion, break down fats and proteins and lubricate and activate the intestines.    When the appropriate herbs are taken for one's overall condition, the body becomes more balanced, and weight loss is an easy, side benefit.  You'll save a lot of time, money and frustration by consulting a qualified herbalist to determine the appropriate herbs for your whole condition.  Call 412.421.7760 to schedule a session by phone or in out Pittsburgh office.

Breaking through Psychological barriers is more important than what we eat since most people with weight issues often eat as a substitute for getting their needs met, to strengthen their sense of security, dull emotions, and many other emotional reasons.

Most people have Psychological attitudes that work against their efforts to be slender and healthy.  Listening to cultural beliefs that say demoting things such as "it's natural to gain weight as you age", "menopause causes weight gain", "metabolism slows down with age" and many other self-defeating beliefs, are a big cause of the weight issue.

Science and our culture especially encourages this way or thinking—always looking for something to blame our problems on.  Believing these things means we have no control over our health, weight, and lives, and nothing could be further from the truth.

Our health, weight, and our lives will reflect what's in our consciousness. Often we believe the negative and disempowering beliefs of others--from parents to friends to the media, science and our culture--and this is the most demoting factor in our ability to change our condition and experience good health, happiness and freedom.  Our lives will be what we believe they will be.  We're in charge and it starts in our minds.

It's possible to strengthen our ability to reject and release the attitudes, beliefs and expectations that are creating more of what we don't want--excess weight.  It takes awareness and an understanding of the bigger view--that we will become what we believe at deep levels.

Weight loss is a long, slow, tedious journey without working on the mental, emotional, and spiritual causes of the issue.

**********************

Attitudinal Healing is an excellent therapy for transforming negative situations into joyful ones.  This modality helps you find positive uses, opportunities, and gifts in all of your life challenges.  When this occurs, you no longer repeat the same patterns and problems.  Call 412.421.7760 for a complimentary 30-minute Attitudinal Healing Consultation.  Next Attitudinal Healing Workshop is Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. - noon.  Click here for details.  Or you may prefer home study at your own pace by using my Practical Spirituality e-Course (based on Attitudinal Healing principles).  Click here for details or visit www.wholehealthresources.com. 

Happiness, peace of mind, radiant health and joyful living are our birthright.  There are many ways to work through the obstacles.  Attitudinal Healing and Practical Spirituality are two that can benefit your health and life in ways you haven’t imagined.

We are all extraordinary creators of our reality.  We're here to do that in healthy and joyful ways.  The Spirit within is a profoundly positive force, the source of our true power to invent our lives and health any way we desire.   This "inner" force guides our lives in healthy ways when we learn the art of "inner" listening.  The ability to create comes from slowing down and relaxing more.  Many people would not agree and take a backwards approach by overworking and pushing themselves to exhaustion. 

The more we can learn to relax and let go of all the noise in our lives without guilt, the easier it is for the Spirit within to open doors and bring to us the answers that we're seeking in joyful ways.

Slowing down allows our intuitive voice (or spirit within) to reveal what changes we need to make and when those changes are honoring of our deeper selves.  Slowing down allows us to look inward and to develop insight which comes from the Higher part of ourselves.  Developing insight does not mean looking for what is wrong with us.  It allows us to find more and more of our authentic selves which is always beautiful, joyful and positive.  It is a quality of the Soul.

"For the first time in my life I feel balanced.  My mind and thoughts are clear, I rarely have emotional ups and downs and I'm eating more food than I've ever eaten and am easily losing the extra pounds.  You've taught me some effective skills for using my mind in creative ways when stress begins to take over.  And this eliminates all the emotional eating I used to do.  This is much easier than I ever thought it would be.  I'm so happy with my new knowledge and understanding of how food affects me at every level."  S.H., West Virginia

If you haven’t done it on your own by now, perhaps you need some expert guidance. For over 23 years I have been helping clients achieve radiant health, weight loss, vital energy, a nourishing lifestyle and passionate living with my unique “whole person” approach.

www.ventureoutdoors.org  Their mission is to make it easier to get everybody outdoors.  A fun, affordable, and very worthwhile organization.   They truly have something for everyone.