You’re not fat, you’re inflamed!
You’re not fat, you’re inflamed!
So much emphasis is on weight loss. We just want to be skinnier. You’ve tried “everything”, but you can’t get the weight off or keep it off. First of all, come in for a hug. I know how frustrating it is and I feel ya! Second, don’t give up, take a different approach.
There are so many factors to consider: As a nation, our diet is processed and full of sugar leaving us malnourished. We are constantly bombarded with chemicals that burden our bodies. We have toxins, viruses, bacteria, mold, parasites and heavy metals that we never address. We are stressed out trying to just do life.
What’s the body’s response to all these stresses? Inflammation.
We associate inflammation with pain and swelling. The chronic inflammation that I’m talking about is not so obvious and it can be years before it starts creating symptoms. Symptoms may be: allergies, asthma, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and stubborn weight gain. Yes, they are classified as diseases, but they are really the symptom of what’s really going on underneath…Inflammation.
This excerpt from The National Center for Biotechnological Information shares some startling statistics (let’s work on not being one):
“Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health. The prevalence of diseases associated with chronic inflammation is anticipated to increase persistently for the next 30 years in the United States. in 2000, nearly 125 million Americans were living with chronic conditions and 61 million (21%) had more than one. In recent estimates by Rand Corporation, in 2014 nearly 60% of Americans had at least one chronic condition, 42% had more than one and 12% of adults had 5 or more chronic conditions. Worldwide, 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory diseases like stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, heart disorders, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.”
Deep inflammation is going to cause an imbalance in your body that dieting for a period of time and exercising hard will not fix. This inflammation is not necessarily because of something you ate yesterday, it is deep seeded. It’s been building and building for a long time, years and years. If one thing is inflamed in your body, the whole body is really inflamed. This is what makes losing weight so hard. This is why I don’t think your fat, I think your inflamed, so let’s switch the focus. Focus on a LIFESTYLE change. Here’s a few things to start with:
1. Focus on nourishment.
Sugar is a thing of the past. Sugar, and foods/drinks that quickly break down into it (highly processed grains, packaged food, soda, anything beige), are like adding fuel to the fire. You need to give it a good, long (really, really long) rest.
We’re going to trade-in our beige stuff for vibrant foods. Base your meals around veggies and have fruit for snacks. Try celery juice first thing in the morning, smoothies, salads, veggie/bone broth soups. Keep it simple. Even some “good” foods are inflammatory for certain people, so keep a journal of what you eat and how you feel. This needs to be long term to reverse the inflammation, so do not put an end date on it. It is your new lifestyle.
Eating like this will give your pancreas, liver, thyroid and adrenals a chance to breathe too. Give your body a break!
2. Focus on moving.
Moving your body is so important. Keep in mind, if you are inflamed, hard core workouts can cause even more inflammation, a physical stress, that you will not be able to recover from.
Walk, Yoga, Pilates, lift some weights, but keep them lighter. Give your body a chance to catch up with healing. If you’re feeling great and have a ton of energy, you can up the intensity of the workouts.
3. Focus on breathing.
Being stressed out raises your cortisol levels. If they are always raised, they will then crash and you will be exhausted (been there, it’s not fun). First and foremost, breathe deep. Take several times per day to make sure you are breathing deep. Watch your belly rise. There are breathing exercises on my YouTube channel.
4. Focus on Getting to the root of the problem.
The above steps will reduce inflammation and hopefully you can shed some weight. For some, it may just be a start. You may have to dig deeper and address the above mentioned, like underlying virus (Epstein-Barr, Lyme Disease), parasites, heavy metals, mold, bacteria. To address these, you may have to work with a holistic practitioner to get tested. If you know you have had mono in the past, you have Epstein-Barr virus. If you have had parasites and did not actively work to kill them, you probably still have them. Have your house checked for mold. See my Epstein-Barr blog for ways to rid yourself of that. There are lots of herbal protocols for parasites and gadgets like the zapper. Try a heavy metal detox smoothie and TRS helps to eliminate the heavy metals. Try the Medical Medium heavy metal detox smoothie.
5. Ditch the chemicals
It could be the chemical mixture you are slathering on your body and keeping your house germ-free with that is causing your inflammation. There are over 80,000 chemicals used everyday deemed generally safe. None of these chemicals are tested together. There are natural cleaning alternatives, like Biokleen. Make your own with vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. Go to my Pinterest page for more DIY ideas.
You should be able to pronounce and eat what you put on your body too! Coconut oil is a great start as a moisturizer and make-up remover. Mix with baking soda for a toothpaste and face scrub! Go to www.ewg.org to see how your products rate.
6. Release the Past
You may be carrying burdens around that you didn’t even realize. We tuck feelings and emotions deep to keep us safe. This can hold us back from becoming who we are meant to be. Work with an energy practitioner (like reiki) to release these. This is pretty powerful, so please don’t overlook this step!
So, sweet one, ditch the scale and start nourishing your body. Focusing on a balanced body instead of losing weight will ease your mind and hopefully allow that weight to be released. Once your body is in balance, your body will be at a healthy weight. GIVE IT TIME!
If you need more guidance, work with me and I will guide you through every step of the way. I’m here to help!
