‘I used to be able to eat anything and now I seem to put on weight by just looking at food’
‘I am doing high intensity exercise and eating less calories, yet I am putting on weight’
This has been a bit of a theme in clinic as of late, with several clients struggling to lose weight. Kinesiology aims to look at the person and their health concern holistically. It is important to understand that the mind and body are one, affecting each other. Everything happening in our mind and body is linked. Our lifestyle will have a consequence as to how we feel and function. Many health care professionals only look at treating the symptom, forgetting that the key to losing weight is digestion.
What is a healthy digestive system?
For our bodies to produce energy and function, we must absorb and process what we eat – in Traditional Chinese Medicine we call this process ‘digestive fire’. For us to absorb food, we need to produce stomach acid to break down proteins as well as digestive enzymes to complete the process further for breaking down carbohydrates and fats. Both stress and poor nutrients stores can result in poor digestive fire. The other part is the ability for each cell to release energy from absorbed glucose. This process is called the ‘Krebs cycle’ in Western medicine. There are two stages in the cycle, with a number of essential nutrients required as cofactors to complete the conversion of glucose:
Stage 1: B1, B2, B3, B5
Stage 2: B1, B2, B3, B5, Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe)
A deficiency of any of these nutrients can prevent the effective completion of the cycle, resulting in weight gain. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals are required for the production of Hydrochloric acid, or to act as cofactors in digestive enzymes. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to poor digestion. Common nutrients that act as digestive cofactors include: Iron (Fe), Magnesium (Mg), Manganese (Mn), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Molybdenum (Mo), Calcium (Ca), Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and Vitamin C. Low Hydrochloric acid production can also be the cause of heartburn and reflux.
How do we approach this in clinic?
Client-centred counselling, investigating the psychological themes causing stress and affecting digestion
Working with the body to identify nutrient state, promoting parasympathetic nervous system by stimulating vagus nerve, assisting to rest and digest
Diet
Exercise
Home reinforcement
1. Stress
Stress is a huge factor when it comes to digestion. Therefore, we will ask what your stress levels are like. Stress can be many things: stress at work, juggling the family, stress with your partner, financial stress, mental stress such as worry, anxiety and intense thinking. The minute we feel stressed, our body starts to produce cortisol. This stress response puts us in sympathetic nervous system activity and one of the first things that is impacted is our digestion. This leads to lowered nutrient intake, affecting our nutrient stores and underlying vitality. If the cortisol response is ongoing, it will also create a disruption to our hormones and neurotransmitters. In addition, it can lead to increased heart rate, blood pressure and lowered immune system to name a few.
2. Diet
It is important to address diet, ensuring you have a healthy balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are not the enemy; what is important is to ensure you choose the right carbohydrates. Eliminate processed foods such as pasta, white rice, white bread, biscuits, chips etc. These contain very little nutrients and drain your nutrient stores further in order to process them. They also affect your blood sugar levels. In essence, it’s like throwing green wood into your ‘digestive fire’. The simple solution is to eat nutrient dense foods – vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and meats. Proteins and fats are slow to digest, which means they have less impact on your blood sugar levels. What you believe to be healthy, may not be healthy for your body. Food labels are so clever these days with health star ratings that we get tricked into believing something is healthy but as a matter of fact, it is not. What the health star rating doesn’t take into account is the amount of artificial there is in the food or even the amount of nutrients. Start reading the ingredient list and opt for real food. The bottom line is anything out of a packet that is processed, often containing additives and preservatives, should be avoided. Preservatives are added to food to extend its shelf life so bacteria can’t grow. Eating preservatives is like dropping a bomb on our intestinal tract because these preservatives kill both our ‘good’ and our ‘bad’ bacteria. The destruction of our ‘good’ bacteria has a number of negative effects on our health. One major effect is our ability to digest and break down food.
Another important point is to take time to eat – don’t eat on the run, take a proper break, chew and eat your food slowly. This all aids your digestion.
3. Exercise
High intensity exercise promotes adrenal activity, which switches off digestion. Through perspiration we lose a lot of minerals and utilise them intensely during exercise and in the recovery phase. Furthermore, it creates oxidative stress requiring nutrients to neutralise. Daily low intensity exercise such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong or walking in nature is recommended. It is beneficial for both the mind and body and calms down the nervous system, which is so important for a healthy digestion.
4. Home reinforcement
This is key – the client is encouraged to take self-responsibility by changing lifestyle factors.
Disclaimer: The above information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 000 immediately.
About the Author
Melanie Herzog is an AKA accredited holistic Kinesiologist and the Founder and Manager of Inner West Kinesiology, based in Russell Lea, Sydney’s Inner West.
Melanie is passionate about helping adults and children achieve their health and wellness goals. Her mission is to empower people finding their purpose and living a fulfilling and joyous life free from anxiety as well as supporting children to address their issues early in life.
For more information, please visit www.innerwestkinesiology.com.au/about and use the Book Now button to schedule in your complimentary 30 minutes discovery call or book an appointment.