Stop cutting calories!
04 Aug 2020
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Time and time again I have been taught the lesson about the interconnectivity of mind, body and spirit. I have witnessed first hand with our daughter Ryan, that there is the physical attributes of disease, but often there is an emotional component of disease that are not evident at first glance. If you think about the word "disease" it is truly the state of dis ease. When we are in a state of dis ease, there is something in us...something that is often emotional, spiritual and/or psychological that is not at ease...something stuck!
Have you seen the new guidelines published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (in partnership with Obesity Canada) regarding new guidelines to treat Obesity? We read this article from CTV News and knew we had something to say. We are glad to see that the new guidelines speak to the very issue we mentioned above. Obesity puts people at risk for many diseases and leaves people more vulnerable to virus contraction, including the novel Coronavirus. It is important to recognize how this impacts our health but, instead of focusing on the BMI, this new guideline touches on the role of cognitive behaviour and an approach that is more wholistic in nature in dealing with obesity. The idea to simply "move more and eat less" has been debunked!
When our daughter Ryan was diagnosed with recurrent Hodgkins disease, we essentially put her on a "diet" of organic juice. While it was amazing to witness the short-term transformation in her health, not only had Ryan lost many unhealthy pounds, but her tumours disappeared! We learned about the amazing health benefits of plants and the role juicing has. The real learning came from subsequent recurrence of the disease, however. Instead of using the juicing period as a stepping-off point to a healthier lifestyle, Ryan went back to a less-than-healthy eating habits, typical of an 18-year-old. Surprise surprise... Hodgkins veered its ugly head again! Ryan plunged back into juicing and sure enough, the physical manifestation of the disease waned, but what of the the underlying dis ease? The new guidelines when "treating obesity" turn traditional thinking on it's head! Diagnosis of obesity isn't just measured in pounds and the solution isn't simply diet and exercise.
All of this is information is good and well, but realistically though, what resources are truly available for people? Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or any type of psychological therapy is financially out of reach for most people! As many of us stayed isolated at home with our fears during this pandemic, and only junk food and booze to console us, it seems likely that we have put our health in further risk and obesity is on the rise!
In the meantime, there has also been many studies that prove the interconnectivity between gut health and brain health. Did you know that there are "bad" gut bacteria that literally communicates to your brain? These bad bacteria tell you to eat more of the bad stuff (like sugar). These sugars feed the bad bacteria and allow for them to multiply! And the more of the bad bacteria...the more signalling to the brain...the more we eat!! The physical manifestation is not only obesity, but psychological disease! One thing is for certain...we are complicated beings!
What do you think of these new guidelines? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts.
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