It’s not a secret any longer; struggle with weight loss is uncomfortably common. Diet books, magazine articles, declarations from our government, informercials – they are all screaming that we have a problem… as though we didn’t already know. And if you are like most that are uncomfortable with the dress or pant size you surrendered to on your last shopping trip, you have tried it all: Hollywood diets, miracle pills, torture gadgets, gym memberships – even starving yourself from everything that tastes good! And none of it works. “There must be a better way”, you say. And there is.
First let’s look at why weight loss is a struggle in the first place – especially for women. It goes all the way back to prehistoric times when food was scarce and the climate was colder. Women needed extra “padding” for their special role as child bearers and over tens of thousands of years, women’s bodies developed special mechanisms for regulating various hormones. As a result, women metabolize insulin, progesterone, estrogen and cortisol (the stress hormone that builds up fat) differently than men and therefore accumulate fat quickly and burn it slowly. Now that might be a terrific survival mechanism if you’re wardrobe consists of tiger skins and you live in a cave, but this is not good news when your lifestyle is intentionally more comfortable and when sugars and carbohydrates are abundantly available.
Modern thinking has presented dieting as the solution; that is, limiting calories and restricting intake of fats or carbohydrates. But the problem with dieting is that it usually doesn’t support healthy body function and often causes loss of muscle, further retention of fat or other severe health risks. You may weight less, but you won’t be as healthy. The real key to successful weight loss is in adjusting the body’s metabolism. This means balancing hormones, getting rid of toxins and giving the body a chance to restore its natural equilibrium.
Judy came to see me at The Renewal Point after diligently trying to lose weight without success. Though she was eating healthy food and exercising for a year, the extra pounds would not come off. Extensive blood analysis showed that she had high lead and mercury levels and hormonal deficiencies. Once we began to eliminate the toxins and then balanced her metabolism she started to lose weight seemingly without effort. Soon her energy increased and she happily reports, “I am waking up feeling refreshed and ready to go. I feel better now than I ever have before.”
Judy’s results are not unusual. At The Renewal Point we have developed a 6 to 9 month weight management program that has consistently produced tremendous results. On average, women lose 5 to 10 pounds a month.
Cathy is another Renewal Point patient. She was surprised to find how easily the program fit into her lifestyle when, after three months, she had dropped two sizes and lost 17 pounds. And her persistent knee pain had disappeared!
The Renewal Point Weight Management program is a health program, not just a weight loss cure. The idea is to build the body up, improve blood pressure, cholesterol, glycemic and insulin levels and balance hormones. As a result, many patients find that after several months other metabolic problems such as fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety and certain gastrointestinal disturbances disappear as well. They become both healthier and slimmer at the same time. Our goal is to create a healthy body composition therefore retaining or increasing muscle tissue while eliminating excess fat. This requires a three-pronged attack:
- Motivation and support
- Balancing neuro-endocrin hormone levels
- Exercise and eating healthy food
While all three are essential for success, neuro-endocrine balancing is the linchpin of the program. Through medication, I adjust the levels of the brain hormones serotonin and dopamine, which control our cravings. Once patients eliminate sugar and carbohydrate addictions, most that could not lose weight before suddenly finding it easy to shed those extra pounds.
Renewal Point Weight Management patients start with a comprehensive assessment that determine body composition, hormonal and toxin levels and a metabolic history. We review the results, set goals and agree on a diet and an exercise program. It is rare that the program calls for a restriction calorie intake or food volume.
Replacing sugar and carb laden fare with natural, healthy food is the answer for all but a very few. Medication is often prescribed, if necessary, to break sugar and carbohydrate addition. Patients come in for required checkups at least once a month, but if greater support and encouragement is requested, we can set up appointments to meet with a nutritionist or the doctor as often as once a week.
Results speak for themselves. As Lisa, says, “After three years of struggling with weight, a simple hormone balancing has changed my life for the better. Had I known years ago, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.”
By Dr. Dan Watts
– artiicle as printed in August 2006 issue of West Coast Woman –
High school biology taught us that fat was just a type of tissue in our body, dead weight we have to carry along for the ride. Some of us have more, some less. But recent discoveries show that fat cells are more than that, actually communicating with our body’s network of hormones to tell us when we are hungry and what foods we are craving.
This communication system is in fact so effective that no amount of “will power” can override the urgings these little guys create. You might say, “I knew something was sabotaging my diet!” And that may be true. However, keep in mind your dieting attempts may even be making the problem worse.
The way it works is this: The body is run by the neuro-endocrine system, a network of hormones that allow your brain, glands and organs to communicate with each other. When you diet, it works for awhile because–let’s face it–anybody can lose weight when they cut back on total consumption of calories. But this “starve to lose” strategy only stimulates a “warning signal” to your body, saying, “Wait a minute, we aren’t getting enough calories to maintain the weight we’ve grown accustomed to. We need to start storing up nutrition (in the form of fat) because it looks like a drought is coming!”
So what happens is that you have unintentionally triggered a type of metabolic efficiency that actually causes you to gain fat more efficiently. Whatever you lost in the first few days comes back with a vengeance! This process accelerates as we age. Our body’s hormone system begins to deplete and the imbalance triggers some of the same reactions.
The real key is “adjust your thermostat”–that is, we need to help our body find a new “comfortable weight” so that we can adjust our eating plan and still satisfy our body. The most effective way to adjust that thermostat is to balance the hormones which “tune up” the neuro-endocrine system. In my 20 years experience in hormone balancing, I have never seen a weight loss regimen succeed over time, unless this system is in tune.
When patients come to see me at The Renewal Point, we evaluate the following:
- Insulin–called the “fat hormone” can fluctuate and cause uncontrollable carb and sugar cravings.
- Thyroid gland–controls our metabolism. When thyroid output diminishes, we feel run down, depressed and gain weight.
- The adrenal glands–in charge of cortisol and adrenalin production. Imbalances also cause sugar and carb cravings as well as fatigue, anxiety, stress and weight gain.
- Leptin–the main hormone that controls our appetite, responsible for setting our body’s “weight thermostat”.
- Neurotransmitters of the brain–principally dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine control appetite. When out of balance they cause addictions to sugar and carbs as well as other addictive substances such as alcohol, tobacco, etc.
- Estrogen–too high or too low can cause weight gain.
- Inflammatory hormones (like cytokines)– cause weight gain and other problematic symptoms such as fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disturbances, headaches, joint aches and muscle aches.
At The Renewal Point, we adjust these hormones as needed, to restore the body’s natural balance and to reset the weight thermostat. Although some conditions require prescription medication for a brief time, we prefer bio-identical hormones, which are exactly like the ones your body makes naturally. With the neuro-endocrine system back in harmony, patients achieve remarkable results in a relatively short time.
One patient, Cathy, went on the program because she was overweight, felt low on energy, and suffered from joint pain in her knees. “I completely changed my outlook,” she says. “I eat six meals a day–protein for breakfast, nuts and apple snacks, and good whole organic food.” She now exercises regularly, has dropped to her optimal weight (two dress sizes smaller), and her knees don’t bother her anymore. She feels great, both physically and mentally.
The women and men who graduate from our weight loss program feel healthier, more vibrant, more alive, and –by the way–yes, thinner. It’s a long-term transformational approach, rather than a quick fix, yo-yo diet. As Cathy says, “This is something I can do for the rest of my life.”
Our high school biology class had some of it right: some of us have more fat than others. At The Renewal Point we believe you have control over just how much fat you have to live with.
You Say “Diet!”– Your Body Says “Eat!”
By Dr. Dan Watts
– article as printed in October 2006 issue of West Coast Woman –
941.926.4905
You may remember Junior High Science class. They taught us that “your skin is the largest organ in your body”. And we thought “wow” … and perhaps never gave it another thought. But if your skin really is your largest organ, might it also be your most important?
Your Skin REFLECTS Your Health
The health of your skin can – and does – impact the health of virtually every other organ and function in our body. Not to mention how critical the health of our skin is to the way we look and feel.
Do you have a Plan for taking care of your skin?
At The Renewal Point, we believe taking care of your skin requires a comprehensive plan – not just another “facial” done with exotic fruit extract or the latest jar of crème packed with mysterious ingredients.
Soft, brilliant skin requires attention to what you eat, the quantity and source of the water you drink, the supplements you take, your daily care routine and many other facets that are so often overlooked by typical “spas” and salons.
The Renewal Point provides expert guidance by physician-trained and directed aestheticians that hold their own credentials and training as skin care technicians.
And our most important credential? Commitment to your overall health and beauty!
There’s More to LIFE…and here’s how to find it…
Visualize your life in 10 years or 20…or 30. Are you more or less active? More or less involved with your kids or grand kids? Are you starting new projects, meeting new people, advancing a career or starting a new one…
…or just hanging on?
In our society today, 80% of health care dollars are spent in the last 20% of life. That also means that a large part of the later years in life are also spent in doctor’s offices or hospitals, monitoring ailments and limiting or even avoiding the very activities and pursuits that make life its richest.
Change the Course – Change the Outcome!
At The Renewal Point, we believe you can spend the rest of your life discovering new levels of vitality and vigor – not simply trying to rescue what’s left.
In fact, through The Renewal Point Age Management Program, hundreds of people are finding that the “typical” symptoms of aging can be slowed down, stopped…or reversed!
The Renewal Point puts you in control of how you age by guiding you through a full 12 month “whole health makeover” as you discover the power and importance of getting ahead of the factors that influence health – rather than simply responding to their breakdown.
Invite The Renewal Point’s team of experts to guide you through a “whole-health makeover”! Led by Dr. Dan Watts, The Renewal Point Age Management Team works closely with you for a full year as they assess and monitor Dr. Watts’ 10 Longevity Bio-factors – the essential categories of health that most impact how your body ages.
The 10 Longevity Biofactors…
The Renewal Point Age Management Program focuses on ten, critical “Longevity Bio-Factors” that turn your age management journey into a refreshing discovery of new health and perspective.
Hormone Balance
Hormone Balance, as it turns out, is the most critical component to overall health and quality of life. With a skilled approach to testing, and treatment with bio-identical hormones, your hormones can be placed in balance to support every gland and function critical to health.
Physical Conditioning
Physical conditioning is more than a health club membership. Considering your body composition, strength, flexibility, bone strength, aerobic capacity and muscle and joint health a proper and – most importantly – doable program can be designed into your life routine.
Nutritional Health
Did you eat your vegetables today? Sure, everyone knows that diet is a key to good health, but how do you know if your balance supports your unique metabolism—or whether or not you have a nutritional deficiency or sensitivity to any of your favorite foods and the implications they may be having on your long term health? The only way to know for sure is with proper testing and expert guidance.
Toxicity
Frightening but true: over seven billion pounds of toxins are released into the environment every year…and are filtered through or contained in our bodies! The source of many known diseases, toxicity can be limited or eliminated with proper guidance and a natural approach.
Healthy Immune System
Vulnerability to infection, cancer and other diseases related to our Immune System. Assuring its strength and function makes the difference between spending the last 20 years of life at the doctor’s office…or having fun with the grand kids.
Metabolic Health and Efficiency
How effectively our bodies process nutrients connects directly to our immune system, maintaining a healthy weight balance and overall well-being.
Cardiopulmonary Health
Still an uncomfortable truth: Heart Disease is the number one killer in America. More frightening is that most heart attacks and strokes come without warning symptoms. Good news? Most heart attacks don’t need to happen with proper, early detection.
Neurological Health
A sharp mind is usually not associated with aging – but it can be. With proper testing and focus on neurotransmitter balance, brain function can be maintained and even restored as we age.
Skin Health
Easily overlooked as a “total health” remedy, tending to skin health can prove a powerful and simple remedy to symptoms of aging. Besides, who doesn’t like to improve the mirror’s reflection?
Medical Wellness
And good “old fashioned” medical treatment is an age management key as well. Just be sure your medical solutions are treating the cause, not just the symptoms.There is a big difference between knowing what to do and acting on what you know…and in the matter of health and longevity, action can save your life.