All posts tagged leptin resistance

July 10, 2013 · Blog

Welcome to Holland

A young mother gives birth. She knows this child well. This baby kicked and moved about and the mother understood the child’s special energy. Sometimes, between the 1^st and 4th birthday typically, some children receive a dreaded diagnosis of a spectrum disorder.
The feelings a mother has at a time like this are fear, and worry, maybe panic. The beautiful “Welcome to Holland” story says it like no other.

I love this mom’s analogy. She describes having a child with a disability like planning a trip to Italy but ending up in Holland. It’s not bad, it’s just different. It’s not what you were expecting and now you have to navigate this new place with no itinerary.

A health coach is like your travel agent/ concierge. We help you navigate Holland and help to make it the best trip ever.

(read “Welcome to Holland” HERE)

I am guessing that a lot of parents would like to take back the responsibility and control of their child’s situation. That is where we come in. Those of you who have been reading my blog know I believe very strongly that the brain and gut are totally linked together. We work to help with the challenges of diet change and behavioral issues. The results, healing and behavoiral changes have been astounding. We begin with the following challenges.

Challenge #1– knowing what you can and cannot eat.

What really happens; often when people begin they look at a long laundry list of stuff they can’t eat. So they feel deprived, confused and HUNGRY.

What a Coach does; We help navigate the whole landscape of new foods. We translate old unhealthy choices into healthful ones. We menu plan and answer questions in emails and emergency texts from the grocery store. We help to create substitutes for favorite foods that are delicious, satisfying and easy.

Challenge #2- slowly incorporating different ways to detoxify and change the digestion.

What really happens; people take on these tasks and they start to feel like it’s a full time job.

What a Coach does; We help develop a doable routine that is fun and easy.

Challenge #3-rebuilding gut flora;

What really happens; every member in the family, because of the changes being implemented, feels the resistance.

What a Coach does; We try to meet the emotional needs of all family members and give support with solutions that become part of day-to-day life.

Yes there are challenges, but with the right support a parent can meet them with a smile, and take back control of their child’s health and healing. One of my favorite Client Mom’s recently told me “Had I known how easy my life was going to be, I would have welcomed the challenges with open arms!”

May 8, 2013 · Blog

How Should You Drink Your Water, Hot or Cold or Room Temperature?

For over 20 years I have been drinking water at room temperature, except for a brief period when I was following the Ayurvedic suggestions that had me drinking hot water through out the day. (Truth is, it’s very relaxing.)

Many opinions hold that cold water makes the body work too hard. It has to expend energy to first bring it to body temperature and then digest it. These opinions suggest a loving approach to the body; don’t be too hard on it.

Last week I posted about the leptin reset that I am doing. It’s going real well, thank you. The same Dr. Jack Kruse has another protocol that goes along with it. It is called Cold Thermogenesis (CT). Ever hear about the Polar Bear Club? The people who swim in the ocean in midwinter? That is the ultimate CT.

The protocol starts by exposing the body gradually to cold. First drinking cold water and taking cooler and cooler showers then dunking your face for increased times in ice cold water and finally ice packs and ice baths for the body. The ice baths are an advanced technique to be used under the supervision of a health practitioner. Dr. Kruse claims that this protocol;

Increases metabolism
Is amazing for weight loss
Reverses inflammation
Better sleep
Better recovery from exercise
Boosts thyroid and adrenal function

Athletes, military units, and scientists have used this to increase the limits of human endurance.

Ray Cronise at Thermogenex – Fuel the Burn, says you only need to expose yourself to temps below your body temp to reap the benefits. Cool showers (60-75 deg), swimming in cool water (70-80 deg), and lowering your ambient temperature (house thermostat) to below 60 degrees are all good ways to increase CT.

Dr. Kruse advocates ice baths and extreme cold air temps found in walk-in chillers to be better. He says you should shoot for a skin temp of 55 degrees in your CT session. If this is done, care should be taken to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. He also advises starting by soaking your face in cold water to activate the ‘mammalian dive reflex’. Mammalian diving reflex – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These opinions drive the body and push it to be in better internal shape. It’s kind of like the difference between restorative yoga and hard-core Crossfit training. You choose.

Warm water is definitely more soothing and comfortable. The thought of cold showers makes me cringe. However I know that uncomfortable situations do make us grow in many ways.

I am kind of on the fence on this one. As far as weightloss is concerned, weightloss remedies always have some thing in them that increases heat in the body to speed up metabolism. That is exactly what CT does. I do like the idea and the benefits of Cold Thermogenesis. I may just start with a glass of cold water and give my body a little internal workout!

I would love to hear what you think of this in the comments below. Let’s get this conversation going!!!

May 1, 2013 · Blog

The Key to Obesity

While doing some research on weight problems and Paleo, I came across a brilliant man. His website is www.jackkruse.com. This man is a neurosurgeon and used to be a dentist; he is also a Paleo Health Coach. Dr. Kruse used to weigh 350 lbs. He lost the weight and kept it off for over 5 Years. I have studied his hypothesis and listened to many hours of webinars that talk about his answer. It’s awesome!

The answer, he claims, is leptin resistance. He has proven over and over with patients and readers of his blog, that resetting leptin, the master hormone, and increasing leptin sensitivity not only cures obesity, but Leptin resistance makes us more susceptible to every other health issue related to inflammation in the body;

Osteoporosis
Disease in your back
Degeneration of the spine
Neck problems
And problems in the brain
Hormone imbalance
Dental Problems
Etc…….

According to Dr. Kruse 68 percent of people who go on a Paleo template do well. The rest are leptin resistant, can’t seem to lose weight and sometimes gain. He says it is all simple biology

(not really so simple).

This is where his Leptin reset works its magic. I have seen this over and over in my own practice. I have clients who follow the Paleo template and can’t lose a pound! Now I understand why and I can guide them correctly.

Dr. Jack Kruses’ Paleo reset takes about 6-8 weeks, Unless a person is severely leptin resistant then it takes longer. If you transition onto a Paleo diet, he claims you will never have to “diet” again!! Well for someone like me who has tried virtually everything, that is an exciting thought!

I am doing the leptin reset right now, I will let you know how it goes. I will keep you posted along the way! Wish me luck.