Inflammation, The Root Cause…

What is weight gain? Weight is truly the physical image of inflammation. For example, when someone is “swollen” they may be carrying water weight — this is extra weight in the form of edema. This is just one example of weight gain revealing itself as the true root cause: Inflammation.

What causes inflammation: Stress, toxins, imbalances. We can break these down per category.

Stress and imbalances: ‘Katherine, I don’t feel stressed.’ Good stress or bad stress is stress. A new job, a new home, a new relationship, parenting, marriage, reaching financial or professional goals — these are all blessings, but are you leaving any time for you? What about the following: Are you dieting? Restricting calories? Restricting fat? How many carbohydrates are you having? Are you sleeping? Do you check your phone the first thing in the morning? Do you need coffee to get going/need it in the afternoon for a boost? These are all signs of stress. Stress is a part of our lives — mine included. However, stress can be very destructive. Stress increases cortisol, steals progesterone and testosterone formation leading to hormonal imbalances, increases insulin, increases leptin, increases blood pressure, tricks our appetite to crave foods, increases our blood sugars, and can lead to stubborn belly fat. Isn’t it interesting that other mammals are not often being treated with prescriptions for their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugars, etc? We have to learn to manage our stress, make the time in the day valuable, and HEAL.

Toxins and imbalances: ‘Katherine, I don’t eat anything bad though.’ We live in a society that is unfortunately filled with toxins. While I do not condone being afraid of our environment, I do recommend being aware and making sensible choices. Is your make-up organic? Is your water filtered? Do you drink from plastic containers? Do those plastic containers sit in the hot car all summer day? Do you eat organic meats? Do you use organic household cleaners? If not, toxins from these substances can cause oxidative stress and inflammation. The liver does the best it can do; however, ultimately these toxins are stored in fat cells causing even more stubborn belly fat. Organic meats, organic vegetables (specifically those that grow underground), organic cosmetics, organic household cleaners, and filtered water can help HEAL this inflammation. Another post is coming about a wonderful liver detox drink to give you an added boost.

Overall, reducing inflammation will reduce your weight. You must know YOUR specific markers through individualized labs. Do not shoot in the dark. The advice above is generally helpful; however certain supplementation and specific diet plans targeting your inflammatory markers will truly allow for individualized healing and long-term weight loss.

Best–

Katherine