Gourmet Healer Client Success

Two of my clients-a husband and wife team-were very successful with their healthy detox plan. Husband lost 9 and Wife lost 7. Now we're onto the maintenance phase and continuing toward their goal weights, which are only just a few pounds away. We've been working together for almost a year now. Wife has lost a total of 18 pounds in 1 year and Husband has lost 13. Way to go guys!

Husband lost quite a bit of water weight, very rapidly, which makes me suspect some food allergies or sensitivities. Inflammation caused by the body's natural defense systems against food antigens can cause water retention, which is a red flag. He will be reintroducing foods and monitoring his response, especially by monitoring his weight and any noticeable symptoms. I am also recommending some additional supplements for him that support digestion and integrity of the GI system.

If you're allergic or sensitive to a food, you need to avoid it, to decrease systemic inflammation, which contributes to many disease states and damages the gastrointestinal tract. Good digestion is at the root of good health.

Their detoxification plan was a modified elimination diet, which was particularly high in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. I individualized a plan for each of them based on their caloric needs (they continued to train for a half marathon, so calories and nutrients were crucial). They eliminated some foods that are known to be major food allergy offenders, such as dairy and wheat, as well as alcohol, with minimal caffeine from green and white tea during this time. I equipped them with a booklet of recipes, which they thoroughly enjoyed. The booklet was very worn and splattered with food by the time I saw them for our 2-week follow-up, so this was hard evidence that it was used quite a bit.

Along with this plan, they supplemented with Mediclear powder from Thorne Research, to ensure adequate protein, vitamin, mineral and antioxdant intake. The Mediclear, as well as some of the other products I typically recommend from Metagenics, contains nutrients that support detoxification as well as gastrointestinal health. Detoxification is an important part of weight loss, since toxins are typically stored in fat cells. When a person begins to lose weight and the fat cells empty, the toxins are released into the blood stream. If the liver detoxification is not supported and is sluggish, the toxins can't be cleared and can cause a person to feel under the weather and negate the process of healthy weight loss. Luckily, we can support detoxification by ensure adequate/increased intake of detox-supportive nutrients and phytonutrients, as well as with healthy lifestyle choices.

I also had them meticulously log their intake based on The Core Food Plan system (from Institute for Functional Medicine) and plan that I gave them, which comes with a nifty one-page food list sheet with individualized "servings per day" of important food groups and serving size information. Don't be confused. This is not the Food Pyramid. The food groups are different and divided up in a way that truly supports optimal health.

I also supplied the Core Food Plan food tracking sheets. This was the "boot camp" piece, so to speak. I know from my own experience of losing excess weight, that meticulous monitoring for at least 2 weeks can change the way you see the amount of food you eat and helps to raise your awareness (for the rest of your life!) about portion sizing and how much you food actually need to thrive and find enjoyment. It typically ends up being far less than what you may think it is or what you start out doing. These are all realizations that my clients have had after 2 weeks of hard core self-monitoring. Moving forward, I will not have them monitor as meticulously, but will encourage the occasional check-in with self-monitoring, either with me or with themselves.

This couple is a prime example of the success that can be had with regular and committed Nutrition Coaching follow-ups. They have been open to my feedback, although it has been hard for them to hear at times. I have learned that there are things that people just don't want to do in the beginning of health and body transformation, that given some time, they become more open to trying and even completely committing to doing. Some things, though, are just non-negotiable, and that's OK. We work around those things and preserve enjoyment if they are not harmful. After all, enjoyment is an important part of life and eating. I get that and I support my clients in finding their own way to healthy AND fun lives!