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5 Weight Loss Tips for Diabetics

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diabetesIf you are diabetic, or have been told that you are pre-diabetic then you need to make some changes to your lifestyle to lose weight and keep it off. The most powerful tools a diabetic has to keeping their health is to manage their weight and eating healthy. The first few months are awkward as you will have to pay more attention to what you eat than usual, but once you get into the swing of things, it is easy to do. Here are 5 weight loss tips for diabetics that can work, and will help everyone else too.

Tip #1 – Know the Glycemic Index of your food

If they gave every person a class called “Diabetes 101” the first lesson in it would be what the glycemic index of food really is. Just about everyone who has heard of diabetes knows that they should avoid foods with added sugars, but a lot of foods transform into sugars when the body metabolizes them. The glycemic index lets you know which foods you wouldn’t think would cause a problem you should avoid. While you want to eat carbohydrates and starches, some foods (like potatoes) will have more than others that will create too much glucose in your body, while some starches (like apples) will have much less. One thing you should know about the glycemic index is that the lists rarely include foods with a zero rating. This is why you won’t find the protein foods like chicken and tofu listed. This doesn’t mean you should avoid them, just that they are not on the list.

Tip #2 – Don’t skip breakfast

Don’t listen to whatever diet guru of the day is saying, every nutritionist and medical doctor will tell you that your mother was right and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The reason for this is your body has managed to run through its food stores during the night and by not eating first thing, you aren’t providing it with energy to begin the day. The logic does not follow that not eating breakfast will help you lose weight; in fact the reverse will happen. Your body will change into starvation mode because it will have been too long without a fresh supply of food and it will hoard nutrients as fat instead. By eating breakfast you are reassuring your metabolic system that everything is alright, as you change the rest of your diet, this will then allow it to process food better and it will result in weight loss.

Tip #3 – Cook your food so you know what’s in it

The only way to know what is in your food is to cook it yourself. Sadly, the FDA does not require all ingredients to be listed on prepared food products that would be important for a diabetic to know about. Even worse, you really have no idea what is cooked into the “home cooked” restaurant meal you love. Many restaurants add different starches and just plain sugar to all of their dishes to enhance their flavor. This doesn’t mean that dining out is off the menu, but that is should be something you do as a special treat. You will lose more weight when you cook your food yourself because you will be in control.

Tip #4 – Eat healthy carbs in moderation

Carbohydrates are not the enemy; in fact they are a very important source of energy for your body. They are also the key element to producing the specific type of glucose that your brain needs to function clearly. Not all carbohydrates are created equal thought. You want to choose carbohydrates that score low on the glycemic index and eat them in moderation. They should be a part of your daily diet, but never a daily meal.

Tip # 5 – Don’t fall for fad diet products

Lastly, don’t even read or buy or try whatever is the latest fad diet that promises to fix everything for you in just 3 weeks. Many of these diet products are jam packed with added sugars and other ingredients that could send your blood sugar levels out of control. If you want to try a small experiment – go to your store and read the nutrition label on the meal replacement shake mixes, many of them have over 68 grams of sugar per serving, which is the equivalent to about 5 candy bars. Don’t believe the latest fad diet just because it features raw fruits and vegetables, often these are well intentioned but as a diabetic you still have to factor in fruit sugars in terms of your sugar intake. The juicing craze, for example, may not be the best thing for a diabetic. When you juice fruits you remove the fiber from the fruit skin which help slow the affect of the sugars in your body. Smoothies would be a better choice, but you still have to now what you’re doing in terms of sugar intake.

What is Insulin Resistance and How Does it Affect Metabolism?

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insulin resistanceInsulin resistance happens when your body stops being able to properly use the insulin hormone that is manufactured by the body. It is a condition that can affect many systems of your body, as insulin is used for more than just managing glucose levels (key to blood sugar). Insulin plays a role in how well your metabolism works to process carbohydrates, fats and other nutrients like protein. When you develop insulin resistance, your body’s ability to manage energy and to properly process nutrients is seriously impaired.

Causes

While there are known genetic factors that influence a person’s chance of developing insulin resistance, it is also associated with certain medical conditions that may or may not share the genetic profile of someone inclined to insulin resistance. The genetic profile implies that if you are Latino, African-American, Native American or Asian American you have an increased risk for developing the condition. If you are obese you also significantly raise your risk no matter what your genetic profile. Excess weight that is held around the waist area is associated with being at risk. Some of the diseases commonly present prior to the development of insulin resistance include fatty liver, arteriosclerosis, skin tags and women with abnormalities in the reproductive organs are prone to insulin resistance as well. Those with acanthuses nigricans are also considered to be at a higher risk and may not be aware they have the condition. “Acanthosis nigricans is a skin disorder that results in velvety, light-brown-to-black markings that occur in areas including the neck, armpits, groin, and under the breasts.” (source)  That is why some overweight people experience a very dark coating in those areas that will sometimes be so thick it can be rubbed off.

Another cause identified for the condition has to do with conditions that may or may not be diseases or disorders but have in common that they place the body’s metabolism under unusual stress – these conditions can include:

  • being pregnant
  • taking steroids
  • having a severe infection or unrelated illness
  • high levels of stress
  • high cholesterol
  • use of steroids (prescribed or illegal)
  • sedentary lifestyle

Symptoms

There are several symptoms that indicate the presence of insulin resistance; some can only be detected with a fasting blood glucose test performed by your doctor. This test will show whether or not your body is using glucose appropriately and responding to the body’s natural hormone level well. Symptoms that you may notice yourself are increased fatigue after eating, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney problems and increased weight gain around the mid-section of the body. Another sign that you may have developed insulin resistance is if you have heart disease or Type 2 diabetes. Both of these conditions are considered to be symptomatic of insulin resistance rather than accompanying disorders.

Treatment

Treatment for insulin resistance usually consists of a threefold approach of diet, exercise and medication. Medication may be necessary to promote better insulin use within the body while you are creating lifestyle changes that can manage or even reverse the condition. One of the single most important causes of insulin resistance has been identified as obesity coupled with a sedentary lifestyle. Losing weight is not enough to reverse the condition; you have to increase your exercise level to create an impact on the metabolism of your body that is a part of the insulin management process. One caution is to make sure that you have your doctor and a nutritionist be a part of designing any weight loss and exercise program you may choose to start as having insulin resistance can become complicated by further placing the body under stress. With the proper steps in creating change in your lifestyle, you can reduce the impact of insulin resistance on your life if not eliminate it altogether.

Risk Factors

Left untreated, insulin resistance can be a leading contributor to kidney disease, heart disease and high blood pressure. Studies have begun to suggest that the ability of the body to process insulin and manage glucose levels in the blood stream may have an impact on the rate of development of cognitive problems related to aging. Insulin resistance can lead to an increased risk for morbid obesity and all the risks associated with that condition as well.

How it contributes to weight gain and weight loss

Insulin resistance can both cause weight gain and prevent weight loss because it impairs the body’s ability to use glucose as fuel. Without the ability to use the insulin hormone to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins, there is little the body can do with the nutrients it has but to convert them into fat. Unfortunately, this is a very specific type of fat that is stored around the mid-section and has been linked to raised risks of certain types of cancers. While insulin resistance can make weight loss difficult to maintain, the body can self correct the condition given proper diet and exercise. It is a matter of being willing to commit to the protocol of lifestyle changes and medications (if necessary) to allow your body a chance to bring itself back into balance to avoid the risks associated with this condition.

metabolic syndrome

Check out a day of meals from Mekagetfit

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Meka of Mekagetfit on Instagram prepared this great example of a day of meals. She says, “My sample of eating healthy.  All these foods were prepared and cooked by me. I just used my common sense and took off with it.”

sample day of meals diet

Meal1⃣ is breakfast oatmeal with strawberries.

Meal2⃣ is a snack of orange slices, rice cake, peanut butter and bananas.

Meal3⃣ is chicken avocado wrap. I used Josephs Oat bran lavish bread, mixed in some veggies.

Meal4⃣ Strawberry/Mango smoothie.

Meal5⃣ Grilled salmon with sweet potatoes (NO sugar added). I had a side salad too (not pictured).

Meal6⃣ My last snack of the day strawberries, vanilla granola and Greek yogurt!

Read Meka’s weight loss story.  She lost 59 pounds!

What is Lupus: The Basics

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“African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. African-American women tend to develop lupus at a younger age and have more severe symptoms than white women.” – womenshealth.gov

Note: Let me just note at the beginning of this article that there is much to learn about Lupus and the research has not bore out all of the answers about how people develop the disease and how it affect the body.  What I want to present is an overview of what is known, but I acknowledge that every person’s experience is not the same.

nurseI believe that Lupus is something we should ALL know about in the Black Community. Lupus occurs when the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and begins to attack normal tissue as if it were an infection to be destroyed. While anyone can be diagnosed with lupus at any time, young black women are more than three times as likely as whites to develop the disease. To put that in perspective, this means that 1 in 250 black women between the ages of 15 and 44 are could develop a form of this painful disease. Fortunately, there have been great strides made in the treatment of lupus and while there is no cure, with proper medication you can live a satisfying and full life.

Common symptoms

While the rate of diagnosis for young black women is high, the awful truth is that the path to a correct diagnosis of lupus can be a long and difficult journey. The common symptoms of lupus are easily mistaken for other diseases, like cancer or MS, especially if they are just showing up. It isn’t until there is a history of symptoms present that a doctor may even suspect lupus. This can be very troubling and causes a lot of confusion. The most common symptoms can include;

  • Rash or color splotches on the nose and cheeks that are red in color
  • Swollen, painful joints
  • Unexplained fever
  • Breathing causes unexplained, sharp chest pains
  • Hair loss
  • Extremities such as fingers and toes turn purple with cold
  • Similar purple discoloration in extremities when under stress
  • Unusual sun sensitivity
  • Low blood cell count

[More info on symptoms]

While all of these symptoms taken together would seem like it would be easy to make a diagnosis, the truth is that most people with lupus appear healthy and the symptoms are intermittent at first. Lupus can often be experienced in waves, with a period of high symptoms followed by a period when there are none present. One clue that researchers are beginning to track down is that while these symptoms could be attributable to other diseases, most are unusual in young black women. There is a strong chance that lupus is inherited so doctors will ask about family history (inheriting lupus is suspected but not absolutely proven).

Three different types of lupus

Generally, there are three different types of lupus, not all of which share the same grouping of symptoms but may display all of them too. The first is the most severe; systemic lupus erythematosus is a form of lupus that affects the joints of the body and different parts of the body including the skin. The second type, discoid lupus, is limited to the skin and the last type, drug-induced lupus, is exactly what it sounds like a form of allergic reaction to a medication you are taking.

How lupus is treated

The good news is that drug-induced lupus will likely disappear once you stop taking the medicine, but some symptoms could be on going. For most people, it is a matter of simply finding a replacement medicine if you have a chronic condition that the medication that caused the induced lupus is treating. This can take some trial and error. It can also be complicated if you are on multiple medications as you will have to figure out which one is causing the lupus. Do not stop taking any medication on your own if you think it is causing your lupus, stopping medication of any type should only be done with a doctor’s approval and supervision. For lupus that affects the skin, there are many ointments and creams that are now available that can help to relieve the rashes and other symptoms associated with discoid lupus. Treating systemic lupus is more involved as you will have to work with your physician to find a pain relief medication that can also reduce any swelling without causing any disruptive side effects in your life. Treatment varies from individual to individual, so these scenarios may not be the case for all people.  If you suspect that you are suffering from lupus, TALK to a DOCTOR (I’m not a medical professional.  This article is based only on my personal research…not medical expertise)!

How did I get lupus?

No one knows for sure why lupus develops. It is heavily suspected that genes play a role as there is suggestion that lupus can be inherited. However, there isn’t enough evidence to prove that hypothesis so no scientist can explain why one person in a family would develop lupus and two other complete generations not have any symptomology. One benefit from all the research and attention lupus is receiving is it marks a turn in the nature of scientific investigation that is focused on and inclusive of minority health issues. Lupus may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for many who will benefit from the new approach to addressing disorders and disease within minority population that had been missing from health research for too long.

For more information check out this fact sheet from The Lupus Foundation of America –  Lupus.org 

Cardio Only Myth – Why you should try strength training to lose pounds

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Depending on who you talk to, you have either been told that the secret to losing weight is to do only cardio or to only life weights. The truth is that both of these forms of exercise promote the most weight loss when they are used in combination. The body is designed for both endurance (cardio) and resilience (weight training). Both types of exercise will burn calories, but together they are a powerhouse for weight loss. Here are 6 facts about exercise that debunk the “cardio only” myth and reveal why having a balanced and varied routine is essential for losing weight.

cardio mythMuscle burns fat at rest

You can pound the treadmill for hours and burn the calories and some fat, but after you are done the body will restabilise quickly and go back to life as usual. When you work out with weights and increase the amount of muscle that you have, the process of stressing muscle tissue to create stronger and more tissue means the body will continue consuming fat stores to support the process long after the workout is over. This is why it is easier to get up and run every day then it is to get up and lift weights every day. The muscle building metabolic process continues on long after you have stopped. The cardio affect last only as long as you are in motion…and maybe for 30-45 after.

Muscle takes up less space

One of the biggest myths about why women should do more cardio and avoid lifting weights is it will cause them to “bulk up.” This isn’t true. Unless you are engaged in Olympic body building process you will find that weight training works to slim you down. The toning that people talk about is a result of muscle being gained. Muscle tissue takes up much less space in the body that any other kind. This is why a better way to gauge your progress is using body measurement, not overall weight. Knowing how much you weigh isn’t going to give you much information on how your actual body mass and percentage of body fat is changing, which is the actual goal of weight loss programs.

Need intense cardio to really burn calories

The other benefit of adding weight lifting to your exercise routine is that to burn the same amount of calories that you would during a mixed routine, you would have to do almost twice as long an intense cardio session by itself. Not only can too intense a session cause you to deplete electrolytes and dehydrate, but few people really have the time to keep up with a regular program of sustained cardio for hours during the work week.

Shorter workouts to gain greater burn

By adding in weight training you are going to achieve a greater calorie and fat burn in a shorter time frame than before. When you add to this the fact that your muscles will continue burring fat and calories after the work out, a mixed workout makes much more sense. With a shorter workout, it is also easier to stay enthused and committed to your exercise program.

Burn more calories by adding strength training to cardio

Cardio works the heart and increase your endurance levels while also burning calories and some fat. A weight lifting routine works to increase your muscle resilience, which is the time it takes for your muscles to recover from exertion. This burns calories and fat as well. There are different types of resilience trainings which emphasize speed or strength. By mixing the two in with your cardio, you can almost double the calories burned while making those calories meaningful. If the calories and weight you are losing during your workout are only from water, carb fuels and electrolytes – you won’t lose weight fast. By making a part of your cardio burn fat consumption to produce muscle, more meaningful calories are used.

Variety is necessary to weight loss

No matter what type of workout you are doing, you will stop seeing gains in muscle or significant weight loss if you do not vary the workout in length and intensity. You don’t have to go crazy with planning new and different routines, but you should be alternating reps and increasing pitch and time on the treadmill. The human body is designed to handle high levels of stress by adapting to it quickly. The ½ hour on the elliptical will help you with weight loss until your body adjusts to the stress produced by the session. Change it up and keep your body in a state of responsiveness to lose the most weight.

The Basics of Weight Loss

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basics of weight lossCertain things never change and how to effectively lose weight and keep it off is one of those areas of life. Here are the basics of weight loss that can work for almost anyone*.

Eat Real Food

If you can do nothing else but eat real food, you are more likely to begin to lose weight and see your health improve. The simplest rule of thumb about dieting is if it has been packaged, processed, sealed, doused with chemicals or otherwise prepared by a machine – don’t eat it/avoid it. If you don’t have time to cook every day, find time to cook once a week and prepare your meals in advance.  If you can’t eat the most real, natural foods…eat the best quality food that is available to you.  Read the labels to know what is in your food. Check out our Clean Foods List and get started today!

Don’t Starve

Restricting calories and starvation diets are two very different things. Don’t’ starve yourself because not only is it unhealthy, it’s a great way to gain weight. Surprised? The body has a self–preservation setting to prevent starvation that will cause it to hoard fat and make fat from whatever it gets if it is not getting nutrition on a regular basis. Starving can also slow down your metabolism.

No Fad Diets

Anything that promises you huge weight loss in a week is not the way to lose weight. You may drop more than 1 pound per week, but it will come flying back on (plus some) because losing more than a pound not only puts your body and mind into survival mode, but it means you aren’t creating a lifestyle change that will support keeping it off.  If you can’t see doing the diet as a lifestyle for the long term, you run the risk of gaining all the weight you lose right back.

Allow for Cheating

Cheating happens for a number of reasons but mostly because we all happen to live in real life. Don’t beat yourself up about it, but get back to your weight loss plan as soon as you can. You can cheat the cheating by pre-planning how you will do it. If the Donut shop is your downfall, pick the donuts you can cheat with. It can be surprisingly effective to give yourself permission to cheat with rules as a way to stay on your diet better.  Also, don’t do cheat days and cheat the whole day.  Try cheat meals twice a month or cheat snacks once in a while.

Count Calories and Read Food Labels

Read the labels on everything you eat and drink. Make sure you are aware of the calories you consume and what ingredients are making up those calories. One thing to pay very close attention to is the amount of servings per container. A product that may advertise that it only has 100 calories may have 4 servings included. If you drink or eat the whole thing, that is 400 calories. It pays to spend some time on the Internet looking up the local restaurants you go to, including the quick cheat stops, to find out the calorie content of their menu items. We have no excuse because we can look up calories and menus on our cell phones in an instant. More info on counting calories and how much food you should eat.

Hypothyroidism: How Does it Affect Weight Gain and Loss?

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hypothyroid3What is hypothyroidism and how does it affect weight gain and weight loss?

The thyroid is a gland in the body, located at the base of the neck, which is responsible for producing a hormone that helps to regulate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your basal metabolic rate is the rate at which you burn calories when you are at rest. On the basic level and stated simply: For most people with hypothyroidism, there is not enough of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced to keep your BMR at a high enough functioning level to provide natural calorie consumption. For some women, they are producing enough TSH, but there is a problem with their pituitary gland that doesn’t allow the body to distribute and use the hormone. This is a reason why women with hypothyroidism have such a difficult time with weight gain and weight loss. (Here is more detailed information on how doctors test for this condition)

Symptoms – From WebMD

  • “Coarse and thinning hair.
  • Dry skin.
  • Brittle nails.
  • A yellowish tint to the skin.
  • Slow body movements.
  • Cold skin.
  • Inability to tolerate cold.
  • Feeling tired, sluggish, or weak.
  • Memory problems, depression, or problems concentrating.
  • Constipation.
  • Heavy or irregular menstrual periods that may last longer than 5 to 7 days.”

Does hypothyroidism affect women only?

No. Hypothyroidism is talked about almost exclusively in regards to women as it is more common than with men occurring at a 10 to 1 ratio. For women, it is more common for people of Caucasian backgrounds closely followed by Hispanics and blacks. That said, it is important to realize that there is more clinical work that is starting to show that hypothyroidism is more common in African American men than previously thought.

How does it affect weight gain and loss?

Simply put, if you have hypothyroidism you could have a difficult time gaining or losing weight. What will develop as symptom depends on other metabolic factors but it is common for women to continue to have unexplained weight gain, or have a difficult time losing weight even when engaged in calorie restriction and extra exercise routines. One of the hallmark symptoms of hypothyroidism that also adds to difficulties reducing weight is fatigue, depression, constipation, muscle weakness and/or pain and a slowed heart rate. Any one of those additional symptoms by themselves will complicate weight loss, but when added to the metabolic problems caused by hypothyroidism it can make weight issues even more difficult to control.

If I have had this problem all my life, why am I just finding out now?

Many women with hypothyroidism have had the condition all of their life, but they are usually not diagnosed with it until the onset of menopause or a related symptom, like weight gain, that significantly affects their health. With menopause, it is with the shift in the hormonal balance of the body that the imbalance in TSH becomes most glaringly apparent through its symptoms. Many women aren’t diagnosed early because they attribute fatigue and weight gain to the natural process of aging or other factors. By the time the problem is diagnosed, they may have to go on medication or hormone supplements to ease the issue.

Why doesn’t the doctor just give me more of the hormone?

Hormone supplementation is something not to be undertaken lightly, as all too many women of another era discovered when the effects of estrogen supplementation were revealed. If your doctor suspects that you have hypothyroidism they may do a test on your TSH levels to more accurately determine if your body is producing too little, too much or just enough but the pituitary is not delivering it before they decide the best course of action to pursue. Unless your T4 levels are in the extremely abnormal ranges where life threatening conditions could develop, your doctor will probably look toward diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes to see if they can jump start the system naturally. Often, this is done with a very small and manageable does of TSH supplementation that isn’t cause for worry.

Approaching balance in stages

The important thing to remember if you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism is that it helps to put how your body works into context. Hypothyroidism alone doesn’t cause weight gain, loss or prevent either. The gland and hormones work in conjunction with many other elements of your metabolic system. Just tackling one issue as the cure-all isn’t going to work and an approach to achieving healthy basal metabolic rate should occur in stages. There are instances where hypothyroidism can lead to life threatening disorders. If you suspect that your thyroid may be causing you problems, talk to your doctor so they can perform the right tests and evaluations to find out for sure.  If you have already been diagnosed, it is important that you seek medical help and help with maintaining a lifestyle that will support you having a healthy thyroid and healthy hormone levels.

Here is more info on African Americans and Hypothyroidism.

hypothyroidism

7 Reasons to Give Up Soda, Juice and Sugary Drinks

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sugarEvery year rolls people make resolutions and promises to themselves about what they are going to give up in pursuit of better health. Soda is usually on the top of people’s list because we all know soda doesn’t do your body any good in terms of health. Did you know that most commercial juice and other sugary store bought drinks are just as bad? Here are 7 reasons why you need to give up soda, juice and sugary drinks this year.

Reason #7 – Weight gain

Just about everyone knows that drinking soda leads to weight gain because the average soda has 250 calories per serving. Even diet sodas have too much in terms of chemicals when you compare them to water. What you also need to consider is the calorie content of your juices and other sugary drinks. That can of soda could be the equivalent of a donut.  Even diet soda affects your blood sugar like a sugary snack and some ingredients can cause bloating.  If you use the visual imagery of each soda, diet soda, juice or sugary drink being a donut you are eating through the day – how many donuts are you having? Cutting out these drinks cuts out the weight.

Reason #6 – Diabetes

Surprise! Recent findings have shown that all those “healthy” juices at the store and in smoothie shops are really nothing more than a natural version of a cola for all the sugar they deliver. Commercial juicing strips fruit of the fiber needed to neutralize their natural sugars in terms of blood sugar, making it just as bad as a soda.  Also, many juices and bottled smoothies have sugars (not just one type) added into them to increase their taste appeal. All of this sugar, plus the weight gain from associated with these drinks can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Reason #5 – Sugary drinks cause fatigue

If your drink sugary things, you will likely have a sugary crash several hours later and wind up feeling more fatigued than you should without the sugar. If you are fatigued, two things could happen. One, you will be less inclined to follow through on your exercise goals. Two, all that extra fatigue comes from your metabolic rate being artificially slowed, this can lead you right back into weight gain territory.

Reason #4 – Give your digestive system a break

The one thing that soda, juice and most sugary drinks have in common is a high acid level. While your digestive system is set up to neutralize acid levels in the liquids you consume, the human digestive system was not meant to handle the majority of your liquids having such a burning degree of acid in them.

Reason #3 – Drinking any kind of soda is hard on your liver and kidneys

Your liver and kidneys are how your body filters out what it considers toxic to your natural state of health. These organs are so smart; they will go ahead and filter out things that the FDA hasn’t decided are toxic yet. More studies are showing that sodas, particularly colas, make the liver and kidneys work overtime and place more stress on them then you want these vital organs experiencing.

Reason #2 – Think of your teeth and gums

While there is a common association with sugary drinks and sodas with tooth decay, juice can also contribute to the destruction of enamel because of their acidic contents. There is another role that sugar plays in oral problems that most people are not aware of, that is it contributes to an environment that can protect infection and help bacteria grow. If you want to get the health benefits of more fruit in your life – eat the fruit or make smoothies. Fruit comes with pulp and fiber that limits the contact its sugars and acids has with your teeth and gums as you consume it. Without that pulp and fiber, you are getting the sugar from the fruit first.

Reason #1 – Dehydration

The number one reason to stop drinking sodas and sugary drinks is they contribute to dehydration. Didn’t know that? Processed sugar is a natural diuretic agent. It cause water to be flushed from your cells at as rapid a rate as caffeine. Dehydration, even at small levels, can lead to fatigue, irritation, contribute to depression and poor sleep habits. None of this is worth it, skip the sugary drinks and reach for some water or one of the many different types of flavorful herbal tea to get you through the day and enjoy the changes that happen this New Year.

Have a Healthy and Fit Holiday with our Amazon Gift Picks

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Hey Ladies, I just thought I’d give you a few suggestions for gift ideas you may not have thought of for yourself and others that will help to make this holiday season healthier and may assist with weight loss goals.  Give the gift of wellness this season.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we may receive compensation as a percentage of the purchase.

What is PCOS and how does it affect weight gain and weight loss?

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Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has been directly linked to the weight gain in some women. If you are following all of the right practices to lose weight and haven’t made progress, or are gaining weight even though you are exercising and have reduced your caloric intake, you may want to ask your doctor about being tested for polycystic ovarian syndrome. Understanding whether or not PCOS is affecting your body can help you to formulate a better plan to gain and manage a healthy weight.

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder that leads to the growth of small cysts on the ovaries. It can have other effects in your life beyond just making managing a healthy weight difficult. PCOS has also been linked to menstrual and reproductive difficulties as well. It is estimated that 5 to 10 percent of all women will develop PCOS in their lifetime. Treatment can vary from prescription medication to control the endocrine and hormonal levels in the body to prevent cyst growth to surgery to remove the cysts.

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

Unfortunately there aren’t very many striking symptoms to let you know that you have developed polycystic ovarian syndrome. Many women are unaware they have it until they begin to experience unexplained weight gain or have difficulty in losing weight. Some women may begin to experience painful menstruation or have erratic menstrual patterns. Only a doctor can diagnose PCOS.

Why does it interfere with weight management?

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder. This means that the body is producing an imbalance in hormones. Hormones can have a huge effect on your ability to gain or lose weight. The fat around the belly and hips is much different than the fat stored elsewhere around the body. These are estrogen receptor fat cells, fed by estrogen and their presence has recently been linked to an increase in risk for certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. It you have PCOS, your body does not have the right hormone balance to support the processes to convert these fat cells to ketones that can then be consumed by the body. PCOS exists because of a very complicated reaction of the endocrine system to signals that the medical community is just barely beginning to understand. The specifics of how it works in each person varies, which is why treating it can be difficult.

What should I do?

If you have been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, or you suspect that you have it, talk to your doctor. With proper testing, you can receive a diagnosis. From there you and your doctor can discuss a variety of options. While surgery to remove a cyst may be indicated, the concern is that the endocrine system will just keep recreating the problem. Getting the endocrine system under control and balancing the hormones in the body may be your best way to prevent a recurrence and to get back on track to maintaining a healthy weight.

Different treatments

There are a variety of prescription drugs, including Metformin, that your doctor may try to help you get your PCOS under control. They can include everything from hormone therapy to endocrine support medications. There is much you can do to help yourself as well. Making sure that you are eating a balanced diet with the right vitamins and nutrients to support a woman’s endocrine system is essential. It is important to also make adjustments to your diet and supplements as you age to meet your body’s needs.

Certain types of “health foods” may not be the best idea for you to eat if you are trying to manage an endocrine reaction. Certain types of soy help the body to produce estrogen which may not help you with PCOS. A 2005 NIH study showed that a low carb diet could be helpful since insulin resistance is a common condition associated with PCOS.

“Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder affecting women of reproductive age and is associated with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. Because low carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce insulin resistance, this pilot study investigated the six-month metabolic and endocrine effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD) on overweight and obese women with PCOS…

In this pilot study, a LCKD led to significant improvement in weight, percent free testosterone, LH/FSH ratio, and fasting insulin in women with obesity and PCOS over a 24 week period.” [source]

It is also a good idea to look for more information on any herbal supplements that you take as many are known to have specific hormonal effects that may not be clearly marked on the label as they are sold for a different purpose. The best thing you can do is to talk with your doctor. Bring a list of all the vitamins and supplements you take, along with a copy of your regular diet so you can work together to lessen the chance of PCOS occurring.