Take a moment to consider these questions:
- Are you tired and/or stressed 3+ days per week?
- Are you frustrated by abdominal fat?
- Are you tired of taking so many prescriptions each day?
- Are you tired of going to the doctor and not getting answers… and getting more pills instead?
- Are you struggling with good sleep?
- Are you crashing around 2–3 p.m. in the afternoon?
- Are you frustrated with feeling that your patience is just GONE?
- Have you been told your blood sugar level is borderline or increasing?
Let Me Tell YOU…
Feeling tired throughout the day, having less energy than you used to, and getting the “muffin-top” or the “apple belly” is not part of the normal aging process. Waking up at night, having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and having less patience is not part of the normal aging process. Feeling more stressed, anxious, and frustrated is not part of the normal aging process. Having more joint pain and worrying about finding a restroom every place you go is not part of the normal aging process.
And you should not be increasing the number of medications and pills you take just to treat these symptoms. We need to identify the cause of these symptoms you are feeling and treat this to see success. Clients tell me every day, “I wish I would have known about this ten years ago, so I did not have to live lost in frustration so long before starting this process of seeing results.”
Let’s dive in and unpack this idea a little more thoroughly. If you are struggling with the symptoms mentioned above, you should start by looking further into three main areas.
- blood sugar stability
- cortisol hormone
- gut health vitamin levels
Once these areas have been analyzed, it is time to dig deeper until you find the root cause.
Blood Sugar Stability
Blood sugar is the marker on the blood test that doctors often use to tell if you’re becoming prediabetic or diabetic. Blood sugar stability, meaning how stable your blood sugar is throughout the day and night, is vital to your metabolism, mood, sleep, stress control, energy, strength, and ultimately how efficiently your body is functioning.
The one blood test that looks at your glucose level is not enough to determine your blood sugar stability. Other blood tests, such as hemoglobin A1c, serum insulin, triglyceride level, and HDL (good cholesterol) level, can help to determine your risk factors for a metabolic dysfunction called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance occurs before prediabetes.
Cortisol Hormone
Cortisol is a stress hormone released from the adrenal glands. The release of cortisol is important in acute stress situations, such as running away from an alligator chasing you. It is the “fight or flight” hormone. The problem with cortisol is this: When individuals have chronic stress, such as a high-stress job, the cortisol hormone is released chronically, which can cause the body to hold onto adipose tissue (fat tissue) and redistribute this to the abdominal area, leading to belly fat.
Another issue with chronic cortisol release is that the more cortisol released, the higher the blood sugar level. Sleep is its own world when it comes to our body’s efficiency, but it is largely impacted by our blood sugar instability and cortisol levels. We have to correct these two issues before we can address the problem of poor sleep.
Gut Health → Vitamin Levels
A leaky gut means your intestinal lining is not healthy, is broken down, and is allowing food particles, bacteria, and toxins to leave the intestinal tract (gut) and penetrate the tissues and bloodstream. The problem with toxins getting into your tissues and bloodstream is the reaction it elicits from the immune system. In addition, when the gut lining is unhealthy, vitamins and minerals from our food and supplements are not well absorbed due to the damage to the intestinal structures. This results in a cascade of problems, as well as circling back to blood sugar instability and poor cortisol control.
The good news is that blood sugar instability, chronically high cortisol levels, and leaky gut syndrome are all treatable and reversible with the right foods for your body, the right balance of your macronutrients, and the right gut healing techniques.
Working with a professional can change your life. Berman Health and Wellness is a functional medicine practice in Naples, FL, and the best option to help you reach your goal weight and improve your gut health while avoiding needless medications. Reach out to Berman Health and Wellness to learn more about treating problems and not just symptoms. Even if you are not local full-time, the practice can work with you virtually!
Dive deeper into your gut health, metabolism, and hormone imbalances to achieve the highest quality of life you can imagine.
Berman Health and Wellness is a Functional Medicine Center that helps individuals reach their goal weight and optimize their gut health while avoiding needless medications and achieving the highest quality of life imaginable. Focusing on and optimizing gut health is vital to protecting our brain, metabolism, hormones, and longevity.
Call 239.431.0232 or visit: bermanpt.com/wellness to learn more.
COMMENTS