Cutting out carbs, juice cleanses, the baby food diet – when it comes to weight loss, we humans have certainly come up with some crazy ideas.
And when we say ‘crazy’, we mean it… because in reality, they pretty much never work.
Weight management has been studied for decades, and there are several proven effective ways to go about it. There are also several so-called ‘methods’ which have no solid evidence behind them at all.
Here, functional medicine practitioner Luke Clarke explains how to navigating weight management using simple and proven functional medicine techniques:
What is a functional medicine approach to weight management?
Functional medicine applies several key ways of thinking to managing weight. This includes the consideration of biochemical, emotional and hormonal dynamics, as well as the important factors of diet and exercise.
By assessing all of these factors, rather than just one or two, this allows functional medicine practitioners to formulate comprehensive plans that target your weight management needs more effectively. This also gives patients a better chance of enjoying a more consistent, long-lasting program with better weight management results.
How functional medicine addresses weight management
Functional medicine looks at weight management through the scope of several different factors. These include:
- Making healthier dietary choices
Don’t worry – this isn’t the part where we suggest some obscure diet which only consists of liquids. Functional medicine’s approach to diet focuses on consuming organic whole foods and cutting out processed foods. Organic whole foods include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats and oily fish, legumes, nuts and seeds.Foods to cut out are processed foods – but aside from the common treats like potato chips and chocolate bars, we also focus on processed foods disguised as ‘healthy’ choices, like sugary muesli bars and fruit juices.
- Addressing stress
Stress is a source of inflammation, which triggers our sympathetic nervous system and activates our fight-or-flight response. This can prevent weight loss, despite exercising enough and eating the right diet.Functional medicine is a holistic practice which also addresses stress in weight management. Stress-relief techniques we suggest include yoga, breathing exercises, spending time in nature, and doing things we love doing.
- Improving gut health
Improving gut health is a primary concern for functional medicine practitioners, and it plays a key role in weight management. Our aim is to increase the level of good bacteria in your gut, which extracts less energy from your food, leading to weight loss.
Interested in taking the logical approach to weight management? Get in touch with Melbourne’s best functional medicine practitioner, Luke Clarke, today. Luke Clarke is a practitioner of functional medicine and naturopath in Melbourne who has treated many patients struggling with weight management. Combining science and naturopathic philosophies, Luke Clarke cares about your health and works alongside you to improve it. Contact Luke Clarke for a 10-minute free consultation today.