Ever wonder why the newest fad diet didn’t work for you? What if I told you that two people who eat exactly the same meal every day for a week will metabolize that food differently? Most of the current dietary recommendations are based on what happens when an ‘average person’ eats that food. But who is this average person? The recommendations typically don’t take into account the profound differences in genetic predispositions, different beginning weights, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and the different way people metabolize sugar found in the foods they eat. We can talk about the glycemic index of a specific food but the way two people metabolize the same food may be completely different. In order to get to a healthy weight, there are many factors besides the specific foods you eat or exclude from your diet.

What is our approach to lasting weight loss and good health?

Healing your Gut:
One of the most important factors in achieving a healthy weight is a healthy gut. If your gut isn’t healthy to begin with, starting a specific diet could have the opposite effect. We focus on assessing the gastrointestinal tract for problems with digestive enzymes or stomach acid. If you can’t digest and absorb the nutrients found in the food you’re eating, you may develop food cravings or begin to overeat. We also look at the bacteria in your colon using advanced stool testing. Without the proper balance and abundance of good bacteria in your colon, you may find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Also, some people suffer from an overgrowth of yeast which can result in carb cravings leading to eating too many carbs and sweets.

Healing your Hormonal Imbalances:
Our hormones control every system in the body and act to communicate between these systems. If the stress hormone cortisol is out of balance, it can lead the body to store fuel as fat rather than using the fuel for important cellular activities. This can lead to overeating and carb cravings as the body tries to get more fuel for important functions. Cortisol also works with insulin to keep your blood sugar in the normal stable range. Because of the importance of cortisol levels in the body, testing for adrenal dysfunction is one of the most important tests we often perform in people having difficulty losing weight.

Looking for unknown food allergies or sensitivities-
Most of us think of food allergies as hives, rashes, itching. What you may not realize is that food sensitivities can lead to many different symptoms such as acne, joint pain, depression, asthma, fatigue, brain fog, and yes, even weight gain. If someone has underlying food sensitivities and they continue to eat those foods, inflammation can occur in the gut lining and cause a “leaky gut.” Inflammation is one of the biggest causes of weight gain and disease in America.

If you are overweight, if you suffer from a chronic disease such as diabetes, or hypertension, or heart disease, and are fed up with trying to get healthy on your own, make an appointment for a comprehensive evaluation and finally get your weight under control and even more importantly, be healthy!
— Sunita Mann, MD – Functional Medicine Specialist