Dr. Kelly Simms ND, CNS

Naturopathic Doctor and Nutritionist, Fertility Course, Natural Women's Health, Preconception and Fertility

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in Weight Loss· Women's Health

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting is a fancy way of saying skipping meals! It has been popularized recently as the latest trend. Let’s talk about why, in general, fasting is a good thing and how you can do what I call “Regular Person Fasting” to achieve the same results in a more sustainable manner than skipping meals!

When it comes to weight loss, we get all hung up about the calorie counting or the new revolutionary fad diet. Weight issues can be better managed by retraining our hormones!

The main hormone we need to keep in check is insulin. Insulin is a hormone that regulates and stores your sugar in your body. We make insulin anytime we eat! If we have consistently high insulin, over time we can become insulin resistant. With insulin resistance comes weight gain – particularly in the abdominal area. So, if insulin is made when we eat, and we want less insulin floating around in our blood, then the answer is simple– fasting! Also avoidance of  over eating and eating processed foods such as simple carbs and sugars that can spike our insulin levels.

Another hormone that can contribute to weight gain is leptin. Leptin is a hormone that is produced in our fat cells and tells our body to STOP eating. While lepin is good in that it helps regulate our appetite, there can be leptin resistance. This happens when leptin levels increase (due to extra fat) and our brains become ‘numb’ to the signal. We just keep eating and ignore our body trying to tell us to stop.

Now how do we manage insulin and leptin? The simple answer is fasting. All foods – healthy or unhealthy –  do raise insulin levels and can potentially raise leptin levels. The one true way to decrease insulin resistance and decrease leptin resistance is through fasting. Not only does fasting help reduce insulin and leptin levels, it also helps increase our metabolism and increase human growth hormones which both help people lose weight and keep the weight off.

So, what is “Regular Person Fasting”?  Three SIMPLE rules:

  1. Fast between meals- no snacking. Aim for a 4-5 hour fast between meals.
  2. Finish your last meal 3 hours before bed.
  3. Aim for a 12 hour overnight fast.

Easy. You don’t have to skip breakfast or have  “eating hours” to implement fasting into your life. By doing this you naturally decrease calories, eat only when you are really hungry, and tune in more to your hunger cues. Gone are the days of eating 6 small meals throughout the day!

I love helping women reformat their meals and talk about meal timing to reach their weight loss goals. Reach out to me if this info is helpful and you’d like even more help reaching your health goals this New Year!

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Do you take supplements? How did you decide which Do you take supplements?  How did you decide which ones were right for you?  One of my favorites that can benefit many is black elderberry. Have you heard of it? 
 
This powerful herb helps: 
Reduce inflammation
Enhance immune system
Benefit cardiovascular function
 
The second bullet point highlights why elderberry is SO important to take in winter months. Our immune systems are getting back up to speed this season after two years! Elderberry is well researched and shown to be an effective supplement for fighting bacteria and viruses. 

Share this post with a friend who may benefit from black elderberry.
If you are what you eat, what are you? I actually If you are what you eat, what are you?

I actually used to obsess over what I ate. That wasn’t a long term solution for good nutrition, so I’ve learned how to eat what makes me feel good and is health promoting. 

Learn more about how you can take control of your health with nutrition, click the link in bio.
The winter blues hit everyone differently. You mig The winter blues hit everyone differently. You might find yourself looking to food or sleep for comfort while the weather changes your sleep and mood.

While you can’t change the weather, here’s some proactive steps you can take to battle the blues: ❄️

🥕 Eat Your Veggies. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you need to eat heavy, high fat processed foods. Explore recipes like hearty vegetable soups, roasted vegetables, and omega 3 rich foods. 

🏂 Go Outside. Exercise inside is fantastic, but don’t let that keep you from a brisk walk outside. 

🤗 Keep Social. Social interaction is important for your mood. Make sure to keep your social engagements even if you don’t feel like leaving your house. You will be glad you did.
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