There are many reasons to want to lose weight. Perhaps you need to for health reasons or perhaps you just want to in order to feel lighter. It can be challenging to know what type of diet is best for you, or if you even should go on a diet at all. After all, the last thing that you want to do is to fall into disordered eating habits or to end up gaining back all the weight you lost.

There are a lot of factors that go into selecting the type of diet that can work for you. Everyone’s body, lifestyle, and preferences are different, so a diet that works well for someone else may be terrible for you. Here’s what you need to know about some of the factors involved in selecting the type of diet that is best for you.

#1. Can You Stick With It?

Have you ever heard the phrase that, “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change”? Experts agree that the best type of diet is one that you can stick with. If you go on a diet that you hate, it’s going to be very hard to stick with it. If you can’t stick with your diet, then it’s highly likely that the weight you lose on it will come right back. 

You’ll want to select a diet that suits your lifestyle and matches the way that you like to eat and exercise. If a diet is very strict but you lead a very busy lifestyle, you might not be able to follow it. You’d likely need to pick one that is more flexible. 

Some diets can help people lose weight, and then after they lose the weight, they switch back to a diet that is focused on weight maintenance rather than weight loss. With medical supervision, this can work, but you wouldn’t want to try this on your own.

When it comes to weight loss, it’s always best to consult with your doctor in order to determine what is realistic for your goals and needs. That way, you’re more likely to find a diet that you can stick with.

#2. Does It Fulfill Your Nutritional Needs?

There are many different types of diets out there, from liquid diets to keto to paleo and more. It can be difficult to know which ones are actually healthy and which ones just claim to be. 

This is why it’s so important to work with a medical professional when it comes to weight loss plans. For instance, in general, you want to avoid diets that eliminate entire food groups, like carbs. 

This is because your body needs each food group in order to function properly. Healthy diets tend to be ones that are well-rounded, flexible, and that allow you to have treats in moderation. Diets that account for small, gradual changes make it easier to change your eating habits and stick with those changes in the long run. 

However, in other cases, it may be medically advisable for you to go on a diet that cuts out a food group for a period of time. One example of a case like this is when people go on elimination diets in order to determine if they have any food sensitivities. 

#3. Does It Allow You To Have Foods You Enjoy?

You know that claim that 95% of people fail their diets? It’s actually vice versa. 95% of diets fail people by not seeing to their needs and not being sustainable. Many diets don’t have enough calories to sustain your body and can cause health problems by causing you to not get enough nutrients. 

The more weight that you want to lose, the more of your lifestyle you need to change. As such, the type of diet you choose needs to be best for you. If the type of diet you go on doesn’t allow you to have foods you like, it isn’t best for you. Of course, a diet that consists of mostly fast food isn’t good for you. But you shouldn’t feel guilty about having some fast food every once in a while. 

For sustainable weight loss and to be able to keep the weight off in the long run, it should include portions of your favorite foods in beverages and allow foods from all food groups. After all, food is more than fuel. Food is comfort, connection, and an important part of cultures all over the world. 

Of course, there can be exceptions to this, depending on your medical needs. Talk to your doctor to see if you need a special type of diet for some time or not. For instance, if you are suffering from kidney failure, your doctors can recommend that you stay away from protein.

#4. Is It Based On Science?

Now, we don’t mean a handful of studies. We mean a large body of scientific research with good sample sizes and conducted over an extended period of time. 

Diets should be based on how biology works. They’re built on helping people live a healthy lifestyle that they enjoy. They shouldn’t be overly restrictive and should be nutritionally sound. The type of diet that is best for you won’t leave you feeling hungry, as that can cause you to revert back to bad habits and regain the weight you lost. 

There are many diets out there where there simply isn’t enough scientific evidence to show whether or not they actually provide the benefits that they claim to. As mentioned before, you want to talk to your doctor about the type of diet you should try in order to find with one is best for you.

Do You Need Help Finding The Type Of Diet That Is Best For You?

Regeneration Health is here to help! We provide medical weight loss programs that help people lose weight in a medically supervised manner for optimal results. We can help you formulate a customized nutritional plan to suit your needs. We can also guide you through intermittent fasting and keto diets. In addition, we offer lipotropic injections to promote weight loss.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you find the right type of diet for you!

Caffeine is a normal part of many people’s day-to-day lives. That morning cup of coffee or green tea, that energy drink while on the road, that soda throughout the workday, perhaps even that nutritional bar you snack on has energy-boosting caffeine in it. It’s no secret that caffeine can be addictive, but can it impact your adrenal glands? Is it okay to rely on caffeinated beverages on the daily, or is such dependence doing more harm than good?

Here is what you need to know about caffeine and your adrenal glands. 

What Is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in many natural sources, such as seeds, nuts, and leaves. These sources are then processed in order to produce caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks. Because this stimulant is naturally occurring, many people can consume it in their daily lives even if they don’t gravitate toward a morning cup of coffee, such as in chocolate treats or in over-the-counter painkillers.  

What Are Your Adrenal Glands?

Your adrenal glands are little triangle-shaped glands on your kidneys. They’re part of your endocrine system and are responsible for many crucial bodily functions, such as your metabolism, your blood pressure, and cortisol production (aka, the stress hormone). 

How Are Caffeine And Your Adrenal Glands Linked?

We just touched on how your adrenal glands are responsible for cortisol production. This is a hormone that is released during times of stress so that your body has the energy and focus to handle the situation. You see how it’s called a “stress hormone”. While some stress can be helpful in letting you know when to back off of something or helping you navigate through a tenuous situation, too much stress can backfire, making it difficult to focus and sending your body into overdrive. 

Enter caffeine. Nowadays, over 80% of adults in the United States consume some caffeinated beverage on a daily basis. It is used by students, by office workers, by athletes before a workout, by truck drivers to stay awake, and more. It’s one of the most commonly used ingredients in the world. 

Caffeine affects different people very differently due to genetic factors and individual tolerance levels. This is why a cup of coffee that does nothing to help one person wake up in the morning may cause someone else to be unable to sleep properly for days on end. It can increase your body’s cortisol production – aka cause your adrenal glands to work harder than normal. 

Is Caffeine Bad For Your Adrenal Glands?

Yes and no. This very much depends on the individual and consumption levels. What does wonders for one person could be incredibly harmful for someone else. It is best to monitor your individual response to caffeine and to adjust your intake levels accordingly. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult with your doctor about your specific circumstances. 

The Good

Caffeine can be good for your health in many different ways, such as temporarily boosting your mood (so much so that it has been linked with decreased risk of suicide), potentially improving your brain function, possibly increasing your metabolism (hello, adrenal glands), enhanced athletic performance, protection against diabetes, improved digestion, and more. 

Generally speaking, caffeine is safe and can even be healthy when consumed in low to moderate amounts, although it is very habit-forming. 

The Bad

However, too much caffeine can lead to adverse health effects. It is possible to fatally overdose on caffeine. It’s important to monitor your body’s response to this natural stimulant and to ensure that you do not have too much.

Too much caffeine can lead to increased stress levels, which causes your adrenal glands to work harder. It can also lead to: anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, muscular breakdown, addiction, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, fatigue, and frequent urination.

The Lowdown

Essentially, caffeine impacts your adrenal glands by stimulating cortisol production. Whether or not this is harmful depends on your unique genetic factors and tolerance levels, as well as how much you consume. 

Scientists generally agree that low-to-moderate levels of caffeine can have impressive health benefits for many people. However, too much can lead to unwanted side effects and health issues. 

As such, it’s important to take stock of your specific energy levels, heart rate, sleep, and stress, and to consult with a doctor when in doubt. If necessary, reduce your caffeine intake in order to stave off unwanted side effects. 

Overcome Extreme Exhaustion With Regeneration Health

If you find yourself reaching for a caffeinated beverage on the reg in order to combat extreme exhaustion, there could be an underlying health concern that needs to be addressed. Regeneration Health can help you get to the root cause of your exhaustion and make the necessary changes in order to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. 

Whether you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety, or another health concern, our functional medicine approach will strive to help you overcome it naturally. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep your adrenal glands healthy. 

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that is responsible for producing your thyroid hormones. These control how your body uses and stores energy. If you have thyroid issues, they can impact your entire body, from your weight to your blood pressure to your body temperature and more. Whether your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive (hyperthyroidism), thyroid issues can have long-lasting impacts on your health. 

It’s important to treat thyroid issues and to manage them properly in order to help yourself live a normal life. Here is what you need to know about the potential causes of thyroid issues, whether you can reverse them, and what your treatment and management options are for living with thyroid issues.

What Causes Thyroid Issus?

Thyroid issues occur when your thyroid either produces too much or not enough of the thyroid hormone. Since your thyroid plays such an important role in many different parts of your body, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can both be serious conditions that you need to have monitored and treated. 

There are several different conditions and risk factors that can lead to thyroid problems.

Hypothyroidism can be caused by:

• Autoimmune disease
• Thyroiditis
• Removal of part or all of the thyroid gland
• Iodine deficiency
• Non-functioning thyroid gland
• Medications, such as lithium
• Radiation treatment
• Damage to the pituitary gland
• And more

Hyperthyroidism can be caused by:

• Grave’s disease
• Thyroiditis
• Too much iodine
• Thyroid nodules
• Noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland
• Thyroid cancer
• And more

Can You Reverse Thyroid Issues?

Naturally, if you’re diagnosed with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and it is impacting your life, you’ll want to know if your condition can be cured. There are many different treatment options for thyroid issues and things that you can do to manage your condition, but unfortunately, science has yet to find a cure for them. 

Hyperthyroidism can be corrected with surgical removal of the thyroid gland, however, this can often result in the development of hypothyroidism. 

Fortunately, with proper treatment and management, many people with thyroid problems can live a full, healthy, normal life. 

What Treatment Options Are Available For Thyroid Issues?

Whether you have hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, there are many different treatment options available to you. It is important to stay on top of your thyroid condition, as they can turn quite serious if you do not. 

The main treatment option for hypothyroidism involves thyroid replacement medication, which adds the thyroid hormones back into your body. You typically need to take your medication for the rest of your life, but it controls your thyroid problems and allows you to find relief from the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

There are several treatment options for hyperthyroidism, such as:

• Anti-thyroid drugs, that stop your thyroid from making hormones.
• Beta blockers, that control your symptoms.
• Radioactive iodine that damages your thyroid so that it won’t produce high levels or hormones.
• Surgery to remove the thyroid.

How Can You Manage Thyroid Issues?

Thyroid problems can be managed in much the same way as many other issues can: through leading a healthy lifestyle. While not a substitute for the necessary medical treatment, a healthy lifestyle can improve your thyroid function.

Diet

Your diet can help with your thyroid issues – and it can worsen them. If you have thyroid problems, it’s important to consult with your doctor about your diet in order to determine any necessary adjustments. For instance, it is possible for nuts to improve your thyroid health, and it is possible for soy products to inhibit it. In order to determine whether or not you need to make any dietary changes, you will need to talk with your doctor.

Exercise

Exercise can improve some of the symptoms of thyroid problems. People who have hypothyroidism often struggle with fatigue and depression, which can make it difficult to move their bodies. Exercise can reduce some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as joint pain, weight gain, and more. 

If you have hyperthyroidism, you already have an increased heart rate, even when you are not exercising. As such, you will want to be careful when exercising and consult with your doctor about an exercise plan that is right for you. Certain exercises, such as weight-lifting, can help to normalize your metabolic rate, but it is best to consult your doctor before starting an exercise plan with hyperthyroidism.

Do You Struggle With Thyroid Issues?

Regeneration Health can help! Thyroid issues can often be worsened by aspects of our daily lives, and making changes to your diet and lifestyle can help you manage them. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you manage your condition.