Nutrition

Hydration

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Our bodies are constantly using and losing water! Even while we sleep water is especially being used to power our immune system and metabolism to carry out all types of cellular processes. Water has a profound impact on your brain because your brain is made up of mostly water. Even being slightly dehydrated can negatively impact the function of your brain such as lack of focus, fatigue, poor memory, and a reduced ability to have sharp and clear thinking. It plays a huge part in aging and our risk for chronic disease!

Did you know that 99% of the molecules in your body are water?

Water as an overall percentage is about 50 to 70 percent of your body weight.  Your blood is 85% water, your muscle is 80% water, your brain is 75% water and even your bones are 25% water which shows the importance water plays in your health.

Your body needs water for blood circulation, metabolism, regulation of body temperature and waste toxin removal.  Hydration is not just about intake but also the most important way to detoxify and get rid of waste through the skin by sweating, through the stool and through urine. This is something that should be happening on a consistent basis to be optimally healthy.  

Water carries energy and responds to it. That is why staying hydrated is the number one key to optimal health.  The key is to get the water into the cell! Ultimately you have indicators to tell if your mood, performance, and cognitive function will suffer.

  • Your level of thirst can be a day to day guide although if you are thirsty it is already too late. If you feel fatigue and brain fog this can be the first easy indicator you are dehydrated. When you are dehydrated your brain actually shrinks in size and your neurons require water to fire and communicate and that system (the glymphatic system needs water) just losing 1 to 2 % of water can affect the brain’s ability to function. If it is not getting enough water it can not communicate with the rest of the body.
  • The color of your urine can be influenced by medications, supplements but overall if it is deep dark yellow you are likely not drinking enough water.

Although the color of your urine does not necessarily translate to the amount of intracellular water and hydration, it is one easy indicator to follow.  Pale, light yellow urine is key, along with the volume of your urine. If you are not urinating every 2 ½ to 3 hours when you are awake, you are not drinking enough. 

PROPER HYDRATION IS  MORE THAN DRINKING WATER! You absolutely need electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium to be able to bring water into the cell. On average  we are at least 60% water and 40% of that is inside of our cells.  Water helps to keep our cell shape and structure, it’s where almost every metabolic process takes place. So when we drink water all day long but there is not a proper electrolyte balance, it will not get into our cells and that is crucial for actual hydration.  

One way to avoid nighttime bathroom trips is to “frontload” the majority of your water in the morning and avoid doing anything but sipping as needed a few hours before bed.   

Try at least in the morning to front load your water and make sure to add electrolytes to it.

Easy Ways to Stay hydrated:

  • We should eat more plant foods to stay hydrated such as green leafy vegetables,green juices, cucumbers, celery, watermelon, and berries have a lot of water content! Cucumbers are 96% water.  You can also have 1 to 2 Tablespoons Chia seeds. When placed in water they form a gel around them which helps to maintain hydration longer.Eating foods like these are in the purest form and the water is driven into the cell.
  • Avoid sugar and glucose increasing products.  For example sports drinks and electrolytes packets that have sugar are dehydrating. You also have to add back more water when drinking caffeine or alcohol.
  • On average the baseline of how much water you need daily is approximately 50% of your body weight in ounces of water. For example if you weigh 160 pounds, your water needs are in the range of 80 ounces a day. This will be increased with intense exercise or being out on a hot day. 

Hydration Protocol:

  1. When you first wake up, start drinking 16 ounces of filtered water and add ¼ teaspoon of  Redman’s Real salt electrolytes before you have any caffeine. You can do this more than once.
  2. Drink 16 more ounces with lemon overtime in-between meals so that you do not dilute your digestive process taking place with food.  
  3. You can then focus on the listed hydrating foods and continue to drink the balance of your remaining water throughout the day.
  4. Exercise and movement transfer the water around in your tissues due to fascia working as a hydraulic pump. 

Please message me on social media, visit my website www.kimshackleford.com or email me at kimshacknutrition@gmail.com if you need help! 

#drinkingwater #nutritionaltherapy # detoxification #lymphaticsystem #holistichealth #holistichealthandwellness  #healing #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #wellness #hydration #purewater #cellularhydration #hydrate #drinkwater #minerals #electrolytes #drinkmorewater

Digestion & Leaky Gut: Why compromised gut health is the foundation to almost every symptom and health issue

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Digestion is truly the key to health. Eating real, whole foods and properly digesting it provides literally every raw material your body uses to perform every single function from walking to digestion to releasing hormones and firing neurons. None of those things can happen without a steady stream of properly digested vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Our bodies have the incredible ability to take the food that we eat, and break it down into usable pieces that become cells. The root of this incredible process is digestion. However, you develop cells from the food you actually digest or more accurately what your bacteria digest. The idea that we put food into our mouth and it goes through the esophagus to your stomach does not mean that food actually gets into your cells. Ultimately, the goal is for all the food you eat to be properly digested into such small molecules that it can go through the cell and become energy, and create raw materials to make our essential compounds like insulin, serotonin, thyroxin, fatty acids, phospholipids, prostaglandins, etc.! If you have undigested food, the particles are too large and they cannot get into the protective one cell lining. These large particles will bounce off and become food debris or inflammation progressing to leaky gut.

The problem is that most of us have a breakdown in digestive health due to being formula fed, not receiving good colostrum and breast milk that give wonderful benefits to our lifelong immune system. Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is a double whammy. Eating sugar, processed carbohydrates and chemicals lead to autoimmune disease, acne, eczema, anxiety, depression, allergies, joint pain, fatigue, GERD, sleep disorders, and cavities. These symptoms are the progression of intestinal permeability (leaky gut)! If that is not enough, in comes the antibiotics we were all placed on for anything and everything as a child. There are many more layers of demise from chemicals and toxins in our lotions, potions, household products, pharmaceutical side effects, drinking contaminated water with glyphosate (round up), fluoride, chlorine and leached plastics from plastic contained foods and water.

There are three factors with almost any condition. A genetic predisposition, environmental triggers and intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut. Your intestinal lining is your main defense layer between your blood circulation (seen as the inside of the body), and the outside of the body which is the tube from your mouth to your anus. This is where food, liquids, bacteria and toxins end up passing through your system and for the most part through the digestive tract. These things are put into our mouth and unavoidably we swallow fecal matter, toxins, fungus, parasites, bacteria and molds. They are concealed by the part of the intestine, “the tube”, called the lumen. The lining of the tube has a mucosal layer and below that layer is a one cell thick border, which is the ultimate and final separation between the outside world and the circulating blood inside the body.

So this healthy human intestine has the important role of acting as both a barrier and a filter through selectively closing and opening intestinal tight junctions depending on the need. When this process is working properly, it allows nutrients to be absorbed and blocks the absorption of toxins and pathogens. As discussed above, when this procedure is not healthy and that one cell gatekeeper becomes too permeable, problematic substances get absorbed. When these substances are non-specifically able to pass through that one cell thick lining into the blood system, it has significant symptoms which progress over time to conditions and disease. A leaky gut is the one which has lost the regulatory mechanisms that controls what is allowed to pass through those layers. Again, we eat and we need nutrients to pass through to absorb the vitamins, minerals, phenols, etc., and to receive the benefits from the food. We do not want the bacteria and viruses, environmental toxins ,etc., to cross over. When this occurs, the balance of inflammatory immune responses is disrupted, leading to chronic inflammation and poor immunity. This development of leaky gut may be asymptomatic, you may not have any gradual symptoms, even while it is creating a pathway for chronic conditions. Chronic conditions are just a continuation of leaky gut.

I think it is extremely important and helpful to understand the relationship between digestion and leaky gut. The more you recognize the connection to the signs that we call “symptoms”, compliance to an individual gut healing protocol will be more sustainable. I work with patients/clients to build a phase by phase roadmap from where it may have began. We can then start unraveling and reducing their symptoms and finding recovery and a way to thrive!

So then what goes wrong?

Inflammation
Infections (Candida, mold, SIBO)
Dysbiosis (a disruption in our microbiome)

Where do we start?

What has to be addressed first in any condition is the dysbiosis or imbalance in your microbiota. This means you have too many pathogens and not enough beneficial bacteria. Each individual has a different microbiome, so how do we know how to access this? It is a very tricky process! To have clarity and understanding that we are just the host and actually we are more microbial than human, is the most important and key concept. The connection to our gut and our microbiome is directly linked to optimal health. Our bodies are actually 10 x times the amount of microbes than human cells. It hosts 500 to 2000 species of microorganisms including, bacteria, yeast, parasites and viruses. This collective bacteria is known as the microbiome. The health of 100 trillion bugs in your gut or your microbiome is one of the things that most impacts your health. They supply us with about 3 ½ million bacterial genes in our system that we depend upon day to day for up to 90% of our metabolic function.

There are 2 major features that are present across the board when the gut is messed up and you have primary symptoms or conditions associated with the gut. One is the lack of diversity, another is not having the presence of certain key strains. Not all strains are created equal. There needs to be a richness and uniformity, a balance in place for vitality. Our goal together is to create that balance! This will protect you, the host, your immune system, and your gut lining. So the vast majority of conditions have this dysbiosis as its primary feature. Once you have that imbalance everything starts to fall apart.

This is why if you do not deal with the issue of leaky gut and dysbiosis upfront, you will be trying to throw supplements, medications and other things at symptoms while the underlying problem continues to perpetuate. This dysbiosis may be a main driver. A compromised gut means increased levels of toxins in the body, which fuel inflammation, contribute to disease, cause weight gain and promote premature aging.

The large research now shows that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier are the most important goals of medicine. That’s because the digestive, immune, nervous, and endocrine systems all communicate and interact with one another through these bacteria. When your gut is not functioning properly, the activities of the other systems are compromised.

To get you started on the right path, one of the fundamental principles of nutrition is to avoid foods and other things that compromise and damage the lining of the gut as well as destroying the beneficial microflora. The list below helps pathogenic bacteria proliferate.

Your gut bacteria are very sensitive. You need to avoid as many of these things as are in your control:

  • Antibiotics
  • Sugar & Processed food
  • GMO Foods
  • Fluoride & Chlorinated water
  • Antibacterial soap
  • Chemicals
  • Medications
  • Pollution
  • Emotional Stress
  • Bacterial, fungal, viral gut pathogens and chronic infections
  • C-sections and lack of breast feeding

It is the layering of these above toxins that diminish healthy bacteria. Your total load for each day and stacking over time just increases the issue. Virtually all of us are exposed to a lot of these throughout our lives and some at least occasionally. It is extremely important to ensure your gut bacteria remain balanced and should be considered an ongoing process.

I believe that our digestive system holds the roots to our health. The breakdown of our barrier and filter process is at least in large part of what establishes the mixture of “symptoms” we label as weight gain, auto immune, IBS, Crohn’s, GERD, arthritis, ADHD, autism, Bipolar disorder, OCD, diabetes, chronic fatigue, PMS, endocrine disorders, and depression. They are rising yearly in large proportions. Even relatively minor ailments, such as constipation, diarrhea, lack of libido, aches and pains, and fatigue are directly linked to gut dysfunction. In most cases a lot of these symptoms and conditions overlap.

My job then as a nutritional therapist is to put the correct individualized and supportive diet in place. Also, to be a gut and microbiome detective and remove the clutter, food sensitivities, inflammation and bugs. I will then replace deficiencies for digestion, repair the gut and gut function, reinoculated the beneficial bacteria and reseed the gut.

I believe that listening to the patient or client is where you receive most of the information you are looking for. Having more energy and feeling your best takes creating an individual protocol in stages. We can then address the underlying dysfunction, gradually modifying as you have more information to move forward.

If you would like an appointment, please call the Bull City Psychotherapy office at 919-382-0288.  You can also call me at 919427-5946 or email me with questions at kimshack12@yahoo.com.

Best In health,

Kim Shackleford

Kim Shackleford Nutritionist with Bull City Psychotherapy

Digestion & Leaky Gut: Why compromised gut health is the foundation to almost every symptom and health issue.

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digestion and leaky gut

 

Digestion is truly the key to health. Eating real, whole foods and properly digesting it provides literally every raw material your body uses to perform every single function from walking to digestion to releasing hormones and firing neurons. None of those things can happen without a steady stream of properly digested vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. 

Our bodies have the incredible ability to take the food that we eat, and break it down into usable pieces that become cells. The root of this incredible process is digestion. However, you develop cells from the food you actually digest or more accurately what your bacteria digest. The idea that we put food into our mouth and it goes through the esophagus to your stomach does not mean that food actually gets into your cells. Ultimately, the goal is for all the food you eat to be properly digested into such small molecules that it can go through the cell and become energy, and create raw materials to make our essential compounds like insulin, serotonin, thyroxin, fatty acids, phospholipids, prostaglandins, etc.! If you have undigested food, the particles are too large and they cannot get into the protective one cell lining. These large particles will bounce off and become food debris or inflammation progressing to leaky gut. 

The problem is that most of us have a breakdown in digestive health due to being formula fed, not receiving good colostrum and breast milk that give wonderful benefits to our lifelong immune system. Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is a double whammy. Eating sugar, processed carbohydrates and chemicals lead to autoimmune disease, acne, eczema, anxiety, depression, allergies, joint pain, fatigue, GERD, sleep disorders, and cavities. These symptoms are the progression of intestinal permeability (leaky gut)! If that is not enough, in comes the antibiotics we were all placed on for anything and everything as a child. There are many more layers of demise from chemicals and toxins in our lotions, potions, household products, pharmaceutical side effects, drinking contaminated water with glyphosate (round up), fluoride, chlorine and leached plastics from plastic contained foods and water. 

There are three factors with almost any condition. A genetic predisposition, environmental triggers and intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut. Your intestinal lining is your main defense layer between your blood circulation (seen as the inside of the body), and the outside of the body which is the tube from your mouth to your anus. This is where food, liquids, bacteria and toxins end up passing through your system and for the most part through the digestive tract. These things are put into our mouth and unavoidably we swallow fecal matter, toxins, fungus, parasites, bacteria and molds. They are concealed by the part of the intestine, “the tube”, called the lumen. The lining of the tube has a mucosal layer and below that layer is a one cell thick border, which is the ultimate and final separation between the outside world and the circulating blood inside the body. 

So this healthy human intestine has the important role of acting as both a barrier and a filter through selectively closing and opening intestinal tight junctions depending on the need. When this process is working properly, it allows nutrients to be absorbed and blocks the absorption of toxins and pathogens. As discussed above, when this procedure is not healthy and that one cell gatekeeper becomes too permeable, problematic substances get absorbed. When these substances are non-specifically able to pass through that one cell thick lining into the blood system, it has significant symptoms which progress over time to conditions and disease. A leaky gut is the one which has lost the regulatory mechanisms that controls what is allowed to pass through those layers. Again, we eat and we need nutrients to pass through to absorb the vitamins, minerals, phenols, etc., and to receive the benefits from the food. We do not want the bacteria and viruses, environmental toxins ,etc., to cross over. When this occurs, the balance of inflammatory immune responses is disrupted, leading to chronic inflammation and poor immunity. This development of leaky gut may be asymptomatic, you may not have any gradual symptoms, even while it is creating a pathway for chronic conditions. Chronic conditions are just a continuation of leaky gut. 

I think it is extremely important and helpful to understand the relationship between digestion and leaky gut. The more you recognize the connection to the signs that we call “symptoms”, compliance to an individual gut healing protocol will be more sustainable. I work with patients/clients to build a phase by phase roadmap from where it may have began. We can then start unraveling and reducing their symptoms and finding recovery and a way to thrive! 

So then what goes wrong?
Inflammation
Infections (Candida, mold, SIBO)
Dysbiosis (a disruption in our microbiome) 

Where do we start? 

What has to be addressed first in any condition is the dysbiosis or imbalance in your microbiota. This means you have too many pathogens and not enough beneficial bacteria. Each individual has a different microbiome, so how do we know how to access this? It is a very tricky process! To have clarity and understanding that we are just the host and actually we are more microbial than human, is the most important and key concept. The connection to our gut and our microbiome is directly linked to optimal health. Our bodies are actually 10 x times the amount of microbes than human cells. It hosts 500 to 2000 species of microorganisms including, bacteria, yeast, parasites and viruses. This collective bacteria is known as the microbiome. The health of 100 trillion bugs in your gut or your microbiome is one of the things that most impacts your health. They supply us with about 3 1⁄2 million bacterial genes in our system that we depend upon day to day for up to 90% of our metabolic function. 

There are 2 major features that are present across the board when the gut is messed up and you have primary symptoms or conditions associated with the gut. One is the lack of diversity, another is not having the presence of certain key strains. Not all strains are created equal. There needs to be a richness and uniformity, a balance in place for vitality. Our goal together is to create that balance! This will protect you, the host, your immune system, and your gut lining. So the vast majority of conditions have this dysbiosis as its primary feature. Once you have that imbalance everything starts to fall apart. 

This is why if you do not deal with the issue of leaky gut and dysbiosis upfront, you will be trying to throw supplements, medications and other things at symptoms while the underlying problem continues to perpetuate. This dysbiosis may be a main driver. A compromised gut means increased levels of toxins in the body, which fuel inflammation, contribute to disease, cause weight gain and promote premature aging. 

The large research now shows that supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut barrier are the most important goals of medicine. That’s because the digestive, immune, nervous, and endocrine systems all communicate and interact with one another through these bacteria. When your gut is not functioning properly, the activities of the other systems are compromised. 

To get you started on the right path, one of the fundamental principles of nutrition is to avoid foods and other things that compromise and damage the lining of the gut as well as destroying the beneficial microflora. The list below helps pathogenic bacteria proliferate. 

Your gut bacteria are very sensitive. You need to avoid as many of these things as are in your control: 

❖ Antibiotics 

❖ Sugar & Processed food 

❖ GMO Foods 

❖ Fluoride & Chlorinated water 

❖ Antibacterial soap 

❖ Chemicals 

❖ Medications 

❖ Pollution 

❖ Emotional Stress 

❖ Bacterial, fungal, viral gut pathogens and chronic infections 

❖ C-sections and lack of breast feeding 

It is the layering of these above toxins that diminish healthy bacteria. Your total load for each day and stacking over time just increases the issue. Virtually all of us are exposed to a lot of these throughout our lives and some at least occasionally. It is extremely important to ensure your gut bacteria remain balanced and should be considered an ongoing process. 

I believe that our digestive system holds the roots to our health. The breakdown of our barrier and filter process is at least in large part of what establishes the mixture of “symptoms” we label as weight gain, auto immune, IBS, Crohn’s, GERD, arthritis, ADHD, autism, Bipolar disorder, OCD, diabetes, chronic fatigue, PMS, endocrine disorders, and depression. They are rising yearly in large proportions. Even relatively minor ailments, such as constipation, diarrhea, lack of libido, aches and pains, and fatigue are directly linked to gut dysfunction. In most cases a lot of these symptoms and conditions overlap. 

My job then as a nutritional therapist is to put the correct individualized and supportive diet in place. Also, to be a gut and microbiome detective and remove the clutter, food sensitivities, inflammation and bugs. I will then replace deficiencies for digestion, repair the gut and gut function, reinoculated the beneficial bacteria and reseed the gut. 

I believe that listening to the patient or client is where you receive most of the information you are looking for. Having more energy and feeling your best takes creating an individual protocol in stages. We can then address the underlying dysfunction, gradually modifying as you have more information to move forward. If you would like an appointment, please call the Bull City Psychotherapy office at 919-382-0288. You can also call me at 919- 427-5946 or email me with questions at kimshack12@yahoo.com. 

Best In health,
Kim Shackleford 

Kim Shackleford Nutrition, LLC / www.kimshackleford.com / 919.427.5946 / kimshack12@yahoo.com 

Pesto Shrimp and Pesto Fettuccine Recipe

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pesto shrimp and pesto fettuccine Kim Shackelford Bull City Psychotherapy

The holiday season is among us, so here is a delicious and healthy recipe to share with your family and friends! Find more nutritious recipes from our nutritionist, Kim Shackelford, in her 90 Day Meal Plan Ebook

Ingredients:
2 dozen sustainably harvested wild shrimp
4 zucchini or yellow squash
Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
Pesto:
3/4 cup Macadamia nuts
1 bunch cilantro
3 clove garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Make the pesto first.
Combine the Macadamia nuts, cilantro, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Peel the shrimp. Place in a steamer basket in a large saucepan and boil and inch of water. While the water is heating run a julienne peeler along the side of each zucchini (or use zucchini noodler). Steam the zucchini for about 3 to 5 min. and set aside.

3. Steam the shrimp for 3 to 5 min. until pink all the way through.

4. Place the steamed zucchini in a mixing bowl with the pesto and toss until covered. Add and subtract based on the consistency that you want!  Top the noodles with shrimp and serve.

Kim is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified GAPS and Restorative Wellness Practitioner. She develops bio individual nutrition and supplementation protocols to support optimal health, weight loss and deficiencies that create symptoms, imbalances, and disease.  She utilizes a natural foundational approach to rebuilding health, which includes high-performance foods and resources to fuel a sustainable shift in your life for permanent results.

For a more comprehensive view of her work, visit: www.kimshackleford.com

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Kim, please call her cell phone at 919-427-5946 or Bull City Psychotherapy at 919-382-0288. Or you can e-mail her at kim@bullcitypsychotherapy.com

Kim Shackleford Nutritionist with Bull City Psychotherapy

Juicy Organic Meatballs Recipe

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meatballs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The holidays are upon us, which means time for entertaining and gatherings with family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones. If you are looking for a delicious and healthy appetizer or entree, try these organic meatballs. Pair them with whole-wheat pasta for a meal, or serve alone for a healthy snack.

Juicy Organic Meatballs

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
½ cup homemade grass fed chicken bone broth
4 oz. grated organic Parmigiano-Reggiano plus a little for serving
1 ½ large onions, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, minced
4 tsp. dried oregano
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground fennel seed
4 large egg yolks
1 ½ lbs. ground pastured pork
1 ½ lbs. grass fed beef 85%
4 tbs. ghee or raw butter, melted
4 tbsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
¼ cup gluten free panko
¼ cup grass fed whole buttermilk (optional)

Tomato Sauce:
½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, minced
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
2 cans (32 oz. each) organic crushed tomatoes
6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tbsp. raw butter 

Directions:
Meatballs
1. In a bowl combine gluten free panko with buttermilk tossing to coat until completely moist.
2. Add onion, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, oregano, basil, fennel, parsley, sea salt, pepper egg yolks add to bread mixture.
3. Combine pastured pork and grass fed beef together then add all the other mixture in a processor or mixer until completely blended.
4. Pour the cooled raw butter over the mixture.
5. Preheat broiler and set oven rack in mid position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with Parchment paper. Form the meatball mixture into even 2 inch balls and arrange on baking sheet. Broil meatballs until browned on top about 7 min. depending on broiler strength.
6. Heat tomato sauce in a medium pot until simmering and add in meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through about 10 min.

Tomato Sauce
7. In a large sauté pot over medium heat add onion, garlic and sauté until translucent.
8. Add celery and carrots, sea salt and pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 min.
9. Add tomatoes, basil, bay leaves and simmer for 1 hour until thick. Remove the bay leaves. Add raw butter 1 tbsp. at a time depending on acidity.

Kim is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified GAPS and Restorative Wellness Practitioner. She develops bio individual nutrition and supplementation protocols to support optimal health, weight loss and deficiencies that create symptoms, imbalances, and disease.  She utilizes a natural foundational approach to rebuilding health, which includes high-performance foods and resources to fuel a sustainable shift in your life for permanent results.

For a more comprehensive view of her work:

www.kimshackleford.com

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Kim, please call her cell phone at 919-427-5946 or Bull City Psychotherapy at 919-382-0288. Or you can e-mail her at kim@bullcitypsychotherapy.com

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

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What if everything you have heard for years of your life was very incomplete information and counting calories, decreasing them and relying on will-power, “the eat less, workout more advice” has just truly increased our obesity rate by triple since 1960!!!  The misinformation surrounding fats, has been detrimental to our physical and mental health.  Fats are necessary for proper cell functioning, metabolism, and are the building blocks to cell membranes and every hormone in your body.  Our focus on calories has missed the mark completely and our fat free life has created physical and mental conditions while making us fat……now what?

It is imperative to know which fats should be a daily staple and are helping you to become a “fat burner” and which ones are inflammatory and should be avoided.  The gut microbiome is also a huge factor in mental health, weight gain and every condition.  Having too many pathogenic bacteria and not enough beneficial can seriously damage your health.  You are 10 x the amount of bacteria as your own human cells so it is important to understand how a dysbiosis plays a key role in dysregulation of your metabolism, increased inflammation and appetite.

Weight loss plateaus are a very common and frustrating problem.  Nutritional imbalances are the most common issue due to a widespread deficiency of many nutrients that help control inflammation, control blood sugar and balance hormones.

Do you want to turn your body into a lean, energetic, efficient super operating system?

Nutrition protocols can help reset and fine tune your metabolism and detoxification processes, using food as the foundation to work on achieving balance in all systems of the body. Forget the calories, focus on the quality of your diet! This means when you stop eating foods that work against you and your body starts working optimally, weight loss happens as a side effect of that.  This eventually means no more cravings!

Instead of continuing to blame yourself for lack of willpower, start empowering yourself by eating real, whole, fresh food that are balanced in nutrients, low in sugar and starch. There is no success in dogma or a single category diet, each individual is uniquely different.  While it is important to follow some overall important nutrition guidelines, it is imperative to dial into these concepts while also removing toxins from foods and eating the right foods at the most usable time of the day. Food preparation is another consideration if you are cooking in a way at home that makes a food inflammatory or even carcinogenic.

The goal here is to flood your body with the amazing nutrients that most benefit your genetic predispositions as a bio individual, to figure out what may be compromising your weight loss.  What may be extremely supportive for one person may be kryptonite for another.

Your food has the exceptional ability to make you lose weight, look amazing and feel energetic but done wrong it will bring you to a complete state of dysfunction.   Your nutrition is 80% of health, it has little to do with aging.  Food is information to your cells and fuel for your mitochondria.

After figuring out which mechanisms are effecting the plateau or inability to lose weight, whether through food or support of bio chemical imbalances through supplementation, the goal for each client is to continue to modify their protocol with strategies that are as much sustainable as successful.

The most complex of tasks can become easier and simpler if you take them one step at a time. We are here to simplify the process and decipher the myths of dieting that keep you spinning on that hamster wheel.

Please call me at 919-427-5946 for an appointment or email me questions at kimshack12@yahoo.com.

Wishing you health,

Kim Shackleford