Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)
The Truth about Diet Pills
Tips For Healthy Eating and Increasing Your Metabolism (PDF)
What is Glycemic Index?
(Distinguish between good and bad carbohydrates based on a number: 0-55 low Glycemic Index, 55-70 medium and above 70 - high glycemic foods, avoid them!)
Healthy people lose weight easier
A lot of us has already implemented healthy eating habits
and some forms of exercise into our lifestyles without
any significant results. You must restore your health and
hormonal balance before you try to lose weight. Think of
it as getting healthy from the inside out. Only once you’re
in balance you can lose weight and keep it off.
Difficulties losing weight are frequently related to:
- age-related slowing down of the metabolism
- low muscle mass which directly affects metabolism
- undetected under active thyroid gland or frequently too low dose of thyroid medication given for known hypothyroidism
- excess of estrogen (common in women treated with synthetic hormones)
- hormonal imbalance (deficiency of DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, growth hormone)
- taking certain medications (most of the antidepressants cause weight gain, as well as steroids and several diabetic medications)
Our Metabolic Weight Loss Program is designed to detect all the abnormalities which may be responsible for inability to lose weight and consists of:
REEVUE measures the oxygen that the body consumes in a
technique called Indirect Calorimetry. Using this measurement
we calculate number of calories that an individual burns at rest
in a day (BMR= basal metabolic rate).
Knowing BMR we can precisely determine the amount calories
needed to lose, gain or maintain weight. This necessary
information makes your weight loss process much easier.
Sample REEVUE Analysis
The REEVUE is simple to use and provides on-screen and printed results in just 10 minutes. The printout
is ideal for maintaining records and will help the clinician and patient to understand the results of the test.
Pre-test instructions: fasting for 4 hours before the test (drinking water is OK), no exercise or strenuous activity on the day of the test, no caffeine or "energy" drinks.
NOTE: Most private health insurances will pay for the metabolic testing (REEVUE).
Bodystat (Body Composition Analysis)
This test is used to measure:
- Fat Mass in percentage & lbs
- Lean Mass in percentage & lbs
- Dry Lean Weight
- Total Weight Weight
- Total Body Water (TBW) & percentage
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) estimate
- BMR/Body Weight
- Average Daily Calorie Requirement based on Activity Level
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Wellness Marker
- Resistance, Reactance & Impedance values
Bodystat is recommended every 4-6 weeks to evaluate % of fat
lost, % of muscle gained and a degree of hydration. It is
motivating to see changes in your body composition every
month, but it also allows us to monitor if your weight loss is
happening in a healthy way (for example: if no muscle mass is
lost from under eating).
Sample Bodystat Analysis
Knowing your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and body composition we will design a specific diet plan with a reasonable goal for you. Nutritional supplements, meal replacements, natural and pharmacological appetite suppressants are also available through our office.
Visit www.nutribase.com to find out how we design your
nutritional plan.
Let’s face it: Food is good! Eating is fun!
It’s no wonder we find it agonizing to deprive ourselves of this most basic and nurturing act. Instead of all the negativity, I’d like to encourage everybody to rediscover that magic word: balance.
The best way to jumpstart your metabolic function is to eat well (which includes taking a daily multivitamin), and to eat regularly and often — just watch that portion size. And you have a great portion control tool right at hand — your own hand:
Your thumb = 1 oz
Your palm = 3–4 oz
Your closed fist = 1 cup
Your thumb tip = 1 tsp
A handful = 1–2 oz of snack food (almonds, nuts)
Just as your body needs to be in balance to function well, your meals need balance to provide adequate nutrition. Imagine the healthy meal as a square with four compartments: protein, healthy fat, fruits/vegetables, and grains/legumes. Eating three “squares” a day is a good way to think about it; we also want us to have two healthy snacks a day.
Tips for Success
Make it easy to remember: Essential Nutrients only work if
you take them! So be sure to keep them in "can’t miss" place
— like next to your toothbrush or your alarm clock — to remind
you to take them in the a.m. and p.m.
Our Weight Loss Program nutritional suggestions are based on extensive research into healthful eating for hormonal balance. This plan restricts sugar and carbohydrates without depriving your body of necessary nutrients.
The basic guidelines are as follows:
- Eat 3 meals a day and 2 or more snacks.
- Eating every 2 hours is a good idea if you are under stress.
- Eat lean protein at every meal.
- Eat a vegetable or fruit at every meal. In fact, eat as much as you want when it comes to organic greens and vegetables, as long as they aren’t coated with unhealthy fats.
- Include healthy fats in your diet, particularly foods rich in omega-3 (fish oils). Avoid trans-fats.
- Target no more than 60 grams of carbohydrates a day (15 per meal and 7 per snack) while your metabolism heals.
- Limit dairy products to 4 servings a day, preferably organic.
- Completely avoid soft drinks (including diet sodas) and juices with high-fructose corn syrup. Limit use of artificial sweeteners.
- Drink 6–10 glasses each day of filtered water, seltzer, or herbal teas.
- Eliminate/taper sugar, sweets and junk food from your diet.
- Eliminate/taper alcohol — the ultimate “sugar buzz.”
- Eliminate “white food”: white sugar, white flour, white cereal, white rice, white bread, white tortillas, white potatoes.
- Be sure to take a medical-grade nutritional supplement, including a fatty acid supplement. Your hormonal balance depends on a supply of rich nutrients.
What if you cheated? Instead of berating ourselves for “cheating” when we eat a food that is not in our best interests, we need to think about the totality of our lifestyle choices with our individual histories and needs (both physical and emotional) in mind.
In addition to what you eat, a few positive lifestyle habits can really make a difference in how you feel. You have to get healthy before you can lose weight and keep it off. Once you create a health foundation, your body will naturally seek and maintain its ideal weight. Remember that a safe and healthy weight loss is 1–2 pounds per week. More than that means losing muscles.
Even more guidelines:
- Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store (produce section).
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Buy organic and local whenever possible. Pay attention to chemicals, heavy metals, and bacteria in your environment. Shop at farmer’s markets and specialty food stores that have a wider range of healthy foods.
- Stop weighing yourself. Use your dress size as your gauge.
- Start exercising. A 45-minute walk 4–5 times a week is great.
- Get 8 hours of sleep — no exceptions!
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If you recognize that you have a habit of emotional eating, get some counseling. The underlying emotional issues create other health problems too. And they won’t go away without intervention.
- Reduce the stress in your life to the extent you can. Make time for yourself to compensate for when you can’t.
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If you have obvious digestive problems or food sensitivities, consider a hypoallergenic diet or the elimination diet. Try low-yeast diet.
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Above all the dietary and lifestyle choices you make, learn to love and accept yourself. Focus on your health, not your weight. And if you wander from your personal blueprint for health, forgive yourself and step back toward balance. If you can’t do it all, do what you can.
The suggestions above are a great starting place for all women and men concerned about their weight and being healthy. For more detailed nutritional and lifestyle guidelines, including meal ideas and recipes, we recommend books by Diana Schwarzbein, The Schwarzbein Principle I, II and the Cookbook.
FOOD PYRAMID
The Food Pyramid will help you in working out in which proportion these foods should be taken. Following this guide is recommended for healthier living, longevity and will assist your weight management:
*40-35% Complex Carbohydrates = Two closed fists held together
(Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits)
*30-25% Protein = open palm of one hand
(Fresh fish, red and white meat, Tofu and Soy beans)
*15-20% Fats = little finger
(Essential fats)
