It’s that time of year again — when we are tempted to overindulge during holiday celebrations. Fattening side dishes, cookies, pies and party foods await us at every gathering. If you are “on a diet”, you might quite easily fall off the wagon. But, if your weight loss program is rooted in a naturopathic approach, there is a good chance you’ll enjoy the season’s culinary delights in moderation.
The Simple Reason Many Weight Loss Programs Fail
Many weight loss programs fail to address all of the underlying causes of obesity and instead take a cookie-cutter “one plan fits all” approach. Naturopathic doctors recognize that every person’s needs are unique and that a successful weight loss program needs to be individualized to achieve lifetime success. How many times have you lost weight on a “diet”, only to gain it all back and then some? The naturopathic weight loss goal is to address the whole person with gradual changes that result in new lifelong dietary and exercise habits.
Contributing Factors in Weight Gain
There may be many reasons why you are overweight. And, if each reason is not addressed, your chances of permanent weight loss are diminished. Conventional doctors rarely have the time to do the dietary, nutritional or lifestyle counseling which is necessary to implement the changes needed for permanent weight loss. Naturopaths emphasize a realistic timeframe for healthy weight loss and seek to identify all of the possible contributing factors in each person’s weight gain, including:
Food intake
Total calories expended
Water retention
Constipation
Digestion
Liver function
Carbohydrate metabolism
Deficiency of essential nutrients
Food sensitivities
Toxic metals stored in fat tissue
Intestinal yeast imbalance
Mental/emotional issues
By investigating all of the factors that can contribute to weight gain, naturopathic doctors can provide natural, safe, and effective options for a healthy diet and lifestyle which promotes permanent weight loss.
The Naturopathic Approach to Weight Loss
Naturopathic-guided weight loss is all about balance: Achieving and maintaining balance in your food, work, home, self, exercise, reactions to life and emotions. The journey you take with your naturopathic doctor will be a slow, evolving experience. Developing permanent lifestyle changes takes time and persistence. Do not expect a crash program.
Your naturopathic doctor will conduct tests and may prescribe certain nutritional supplements. He or she will help you develop a dietary and exercise plan that will foster gradual, healthy weight loss and will promote optimum body function. You will be encouraged to surround yourself with people who support you and your goals rather than those who undermine you. There will also be counseling to address and help you overcome the emotional and mental factors that led to your weight gain.
Take the Next Step toward Healthy Weight Loss
Are you ready to get on the road to a healthy, permanent weight loss? There’s no better gift you could give yourself this holiday season than the gift of a lifetime of improved health, improved self-esteem and improved outlook. Contact The Bodhi Clinic today to take the next step!