Every year, more and more Americans become overweight and/or obese, with the CDC estimating that over ⅓ of the population is obese, the second ⅓ is overweight, and only ⅓ of us are within a healthy weight range. Almost 10% of the population is severely obese, and not only is this such a common issue, it’s a serious and expensive one, as they result in further health concerns such as heart disease, higher medical bills, and more money spent on the plethora of “weight loss” treatments out there. 

With all the weight loss treatments out there, many promising you that you can lose the weight you want fast and with minimum effort, it can be discouraging when you still struggle to lose weight. But if you’re trying to lose weight, you may consider functional medicine help with weight loss. This is because rather than overlooking the cause of your weight gain, functional medicine help with weight loss involves getting to the root of the problem and customizing weight loss plans to you and your body. 

Not only is it easy to gain weight in the United States with the prevalence of fast food and the lower quality of our food compared to other countries, with things like corn syrup prevalent in pretty much everything you can get at the grocery store, it’s also very difficult to lose it. Over half of the American population is trying to lose weight, and the fact that as our bodies get older, our metabolisms slow down, making it even more difficult to lose weight doesn’t help. 

Functional medicine help with weight loss is a solution that doesn’t just sound good on paper – it actually works, because rather than putting your body into starvation mode or forcing it to do unnatural things, it works with your body to get to treat the cause of your weight gain and improve your overall health, rather than just targeting the symptom of those extra pounds you’ve put on. Here’s what you need to know about weight gain and how the ways functional medicine help with weight loss can work for you. 

Common Causes Of Weight Gain

While it’s true that weight gain can stem simply from lack of exercise and poor nutrition, there are other reasons why you gain weight and can’t seem to shed it which functional medicine help with weight loss target. 

Common causes of weight gain include:

• Hormone imbalances
• Gut problems
• Toxins
• Inflammation
• Thyroid problems
• A diet and exercise program that isn’t right for you
• A lack of eating well and exercise

There are other causes of weight gain that are less common, but we find that if you’re struggling to lose weight, more often than not, it comes down to one of the above issues. 

Issues That Block You From Losing Weight 

While sometimes the very cause of your weight gain could be what is blocking you from losing weight in spite of your best efforts, such as with thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and inflammation, there are other contributing factors that can make weight loss seem like an impossibly unattainable goal. These issues include:

• Depression and anxiety
• Poor sleep
• Stress
• Genetics
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Exposure to toxins
• Not exercising/not exercising enough
• Unhealthy eating

Why So Many Weight Loss Treatments Don’t Work

The reason why so many weight loss treatments on the market just don’t work isn’t because they’re a scam (although, some definitely are). You know how they say in order to lose weight, it involves a combination of a calorie deficit and exercising more? While in some cases, this is true, some weight loss treatments take it to the extreme. Everyone has a base amount of calories that their body burns simply by existing, not even by you doing anything other than sitting and breathing. 

The more active you are, the more calories your body needs in order to sustain your lifestyle. If you go into an extreme calorie deficit, this sends your body into starvation mode, which means that it stores all the body fat it can in order to keep your body going, especially if you’re very active, but not eating much. 

Not only are diets like this unsustainable, resulting in yo-yo dieting and weight swings because it’s just not something that your body is meant to do, and sticking with a plan like that in the long term can result in the development of an eating disorder, which wreaks absolute havoc on your body and results in further health problems. 

How Can Functional Medicine Help With Weight Loss?

What makes functional medicine help with weight loss different from all those other treatments out there that promise all these amazing results but really don’t do anything? Functional medicine help with weight loss actually works because when you go the functional medicine route, rather than just trying to lose weight without looking at what caused the weight gain in the first place and what could be blocking you from losing weight, your doctor will look beyond the symptom of weight gain to find out what caused it, how your body works, and what treatment would work best for you.

Functional medicine help with weight loss works because it doesn’t send your body into starvation mode, it doesn’t try to force your body to do anything it isn’t meant to do, and it looks to actual issues in your body. 

For example, if hormone imbalances are the cause of your weight gain, this means that your body just isn’t producing the hormones it needs in order to function properly. Through addressing these, metabolism is restored, energy is boosted, and weight management is made easier.

If the problem is inflammation, this often results from certain ingredients in the foods we eat. This can also vary from person to person. What is very healthy for one person can cause serious inflammation in another, which is why functional medicine help for weight loss works so well, because it looks at the individual and what affects them, personally. 

The bacteria in your gut is essential for your health, which means that if it isn’t balanced, this can cause problems in your digestive system. Functional medicine help for weight loss looks at dietary imbalances which could be impacting your gut health and treats them. 

There are many common causes for weight gain. By considering them, you can get started on better weight management for life, which functional medicine help with weight loss makes so much easier. 

Getting Functional Medicine Help With Weight Loss

As mentioned above, functional medicine help with weight loss involves getting to the root of the problem and treating that. When you get functional medicine help with weight loss, your doctor will go over your lifestyle and conduct tests in order to determine the cause of your weight gain. Functional medicine help with weight loss includes dietary recommendations, lifestyle changes, and other methods such as the skinny shot, aka lipotropic injections, which enhance your body’s natural ability to burn fat. 

Your body produces lipotropic nutrients, which affect the way in which fat is used. Lipotropic injections help with your body’s natural production of these nutrients, which increases its fat burning process, the bladder and liver functions, and reduce your appetite. Ultimately, the functional medicine help with weight loss you receive will vary, based on your individual experiences and needs. 

Losing Weight Is Possible!

Not only can functional medicine help with weight loss, it gets to the root cause of your weight gain in order to uncover the best treatment plan for you. Regeneration Health has a team of highly trained experts who will not just look at the symptoms of your problem, but also what’s causing it. We’ll customize a treatment plan specific to you and your body, which makes them successful, as we know there’s no “one size fits all” solution to health problems and weight management issues. Contact us today to schedule your appointment for weight loss treatment. 

Depression is a nightmare. Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses, and mood disorders like depression are the leading cause of disability in the United States. With the number of different kinds of depression ranging from major depressive disorder to situational depression, this makes sense why so many people suffer from it. Luckily, depression is not something you just have to deal with. It is a treatable mental illness.

If you’re wondering if you may suffer from depression, chances are, you’ve been feeling pretty low pretty consistently lately. Here’s what you need to know about depression. 

Symptoms Of Depression

Depression can manifest in a number of ways. Some people have a few of the symptoms, others have all of them. It depends on the person. How many symptoms you suffer from does not invalidate your depression, it just speaks to your personal experience with it. The number of symptoms you suffer from can also change based on the stage of depression, as it can swing from mild to moderate to severe and back again. 

Some of the symptoms of depression are:

• Persistent sadness or emptiness 
• Feeling hopeless, guilty, worthless, helpless
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
• Decreased energy and feeling tired even after getting plenty of sleep
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Weight changes, either significant weight loss or weight gain
• Recurring thoughts of death
• The desire to hurt yourself and/or hurting yourself 
• The desire to attempt suicide and/or suicide attempts
• Aches, pains, cramps, digestive issues, and other bodily problems that have no clear cause

This isn’t a comprehensive list of depression symptoms. If you think you have depression, it’s important to seek help right away. A therapist, psychiatrist, or doctor can all diagnose you and offer treatment suggestions. 

Untreated depression increases your risk for suicide, which is one of many reasons why it’s vital to get help as soon as you can. It’s important to know that suicide is preventable. If you feel suicidal, it is possible to work through this. Most suicidal people want to live, but they feel hopeless in their current situation and see no other way out. There is a way out, and it’s not suicide. 

Seek help immediately if you feel suicidal. Mental health professionals can help you find other personalized options to improve your life situations and how you feel. They help you get through this to a better situation. What you’re feeling isn’t permanent. Seeking help will help you feel better. It will. It is not hopeless.

What Causes Depression?

Depression can have a number of causes. It can be brought on by genetics, by situations, by trauma, by an environment, and more. Depression can happen at any age. There are many children and teenagers who suffer from depression, though it often happens in adulthood. 

Depending on the age of the onset, there can be different things contributing to the development of depression. A child might become depressed from bullying, while an older adult could from a serious physical illness. Regardless of age, there are certain risk factors that increase your risk for depression. 

Here are some of the most common causes that increase your risk of depression.

• Family members who have depression.
• Trauma or extreme stress.
• Major life changes.
• Medical issues.
• Substance abuse. 
• Some medications and birth control options can cause depression as a side effect. 

Depression can also have causes within your body, not just your brain. Some issues in your body can increase your risk for depression. You’ll likely find if you go to a doctor about depression that they’ll have your thyroid levels tested. This is one such cause. Other complex issues within your body that can lead to depression are:

• Inflammation
• Oxidative stress
• Adrenal dysfunction
• Mitochondrial dysfunction
• Gut dysbiosis
• Intestinal permeability

What causes your depression depends on individual factors that vary from person to person. It could be genetic, it could be from trauma, it could be from an issue within your body. A professional can help you find the cause of your depression, as well as offer solutions for treatment. Just because you have depression doesn’t mean you must live with it forever. There’s hope. It is entirely possible to be happy and hopeful and enjoy life again.

What Treatments Can I Get For Depression?

Depression has multiple treatments. Depression is easiest to treat when it first onsets, but it’s vital to know that it does not matter how depressed you are; you can be treated. Even the most severe, rock-bottom cases of depression can be treated and people can go from suicidal in a psychiatric hospital to living a happy, healthy life. 

More Traditional Treatments

Some of the most common treatments for depression include medication and therapy, typically combined. 

There are a wide variety of medications for depression that work to improve the chemical function in your brain. Medications usually take a few weeks before people start noticing a difference, and sometimes it can be a case of trial and error in order to find the right one for you. 

Talk therapy is another very beneficial treatment for depression, which involves a number of different kinds of approaches meant to help you solve problems and rewire how your brain thinks. Talking to a therapist gives you a safe person to confide in who can offer an outside perspective and professionally trained guidance to give you the tools to manage your depression better.

There are a number of treatment options in addition to these, too. Some of the other treatments include electroconvulsive therapy and other such brain stimulation therapies. 

Other Treatment Options

Some of the less traditional treatment options for depression include functional medicine approaches. Functional medicine believes in using your body’s natural healing capabilities and working to enhance them. 

One such natural method is Hormone Replacement Therapy. With how depression can be tied to hormone fluctuations, hormone replacement therapy can regulate those fluctuating hormones to create more stability. 

Other methods include dietary changes and treating inflammation in the body, as these could be culprits for your depression too. 

It’s important to note that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” treatment for anyone, for anything. Depression is no different. What works miracles for one person could not do anything at all for another. This does not mean that that treatment is ineffective, just that different things work for different people. 

If you try one treatment method for depression and it doesn’t work, don’t lose hope! It just might not be right for you, and the method that will work best for you you just haven’t tried yet. This is why there are so many different options available, so that there is something for everyone.

Other Things You Can Do To Help Depression In Addition To Treatment

There are a number of ways that you can help manage depression in addition to proper treatment. These include:

• Trying to stay active
• Getting outside
• Trying not to self-isolate and spend time with loved ones
• Don’t expect an immediate change – know that it will take time
• Setting realistic goals
• Celebrate the small wins (making it out of bed, showering, putting laundry away, etc)

While no substitute for professional help, these things can help. And you want to take advantage of everything that could help you manage your depression.

Do You Need Help With Depression?

Here at Regeneration Health, we want you to know that you are not alone. We care deeply about helping treat depression in a natural way. If you have depression, we have a number of functional medicine treatment options available to you. You’re not alone. We care. We want to help you through this. For more information about the treatments we offer or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at Regeneration Health today. 

Sex is a normal part of being human. Sex deepens relationships, can lead to families, and is one of the most natural ways to connect with one’s significant other. Sometimes sexual problems arise, though, leading to a lack of pleasure and intimacy. But how do you know when you should see a doctor for sexual problems?

Let’s Talk About Sexual Health

You’ll probably be able to tell if you’re sexually healthy. A sexually healthy person can typically perform with no frustrations with their body. They can orgasm normally, and aren’t bothered by their sex drive. If you’re sexually healthy, your sex life will be more satisfying, any sexual relationships you have will be improved, and you’ll probably feel healthier. However, there are sexual problems that can impact your sexual health.

How Do You Know You’re Having Sexual Problems?

If you’re dealing with sexual problems, you’re probably experiencing some frustration with your sex life. Maybe your sex drive isn’t what it used to be, and you don’t feel the desire to have sex, even if you wish you did. Maybe when you do have sex, you can’t orgasm. If you’re a woman, maybe sex hurts because of vaginal dryness or pain. If you’re a man, maybe you can’t get an erection. These are some of the sexual problems you can face. If any of these issues are affecting your sexual wellness, a doctor can help.

Doctors understand the sensitivity of sexual problems, and can work closely with you to get to the root of the problem. There are often underlying conditions that cause sexual problems, so, especially if you never struggled with them before, you should ask for help. The majority of sexual problems are treatable, so you needn’t worry about being frustrated forever.

Treatment Options

There are a number of treatment options available to you in order to treat your sexual problems. Some of these include: hormone replacement therapy, o-shots, and p-shots. Here’s what these treatments entail.

For Women:

Hormones affect many aspects of the body, and as we get older, our bodies produce less of them. If you have a female body, this means that as your hormone levels decrease, you’ll find yourself with less energy, a lowered metabolism, and sexual problems. Hormone Replacement Therapy is a treatment where hormone replacement pellets are injected under your skin. These pellets match the ones your body naturally produces, meaning that Hormone Replacement Therapy can help sexual problems by increasing your sex drive and sexual responsiveness.

Hormone Replacement Therapy does take three to six months before you start to notice results.

Women can also get an o-shot. Also called an orgasm shot, this helps treat multiple vaginal issues, including dryness and pain during sex. The o-shot generally boosts your sex drive, ability to orgasm, and decreases vaginal dryness. The o-shot typically gives results within the first week and can last anywhere from 12-18 months.

For Men:

Testosterone levels also dip as we get older, leading to low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual problems, as well as other problems like hair loss. Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy is a treatment for this, similar to Hormone Replacement Therapy. This treatment involves testosterone injections and pellets, right into the bloodstream.

Men can get a p-shot. This helps the blood flow to the penis through the use of platelet-rich-plasma. The p-shot is injected into the numbed penis, and instantly starts working on cellular regeneration and repair. The p-shot increases your sex-drive, your ability to orgasm, your stamina, and your erections. The p-shot starts working immediately, but sexual activity is not recommended until at least 4 hours after the procedure.

Other methods of treatment for sexual problems include: vitamins, nutrition, low-intensity shockwave treatments, and more. 

Are You Ready To Take Back Control Of Your Sex Life?

If you’re suffering from sexual problems, know that they can be helped! There’s no need to suffer pain, frustration, or dissatisfaction during sex due to treatable issues. If you wish you had more of a sex drive or that you didn’t have sexual problems, you can reach out for treatment, and regain control of your sex life.

Do You Need Help With Sexual Problems?

Here at Regeneration Health, we care about your ability to take control of your sex life. We offer a multidisciplinary approach to identify the root causes of your sexual problems. Let us help you improve your sex life! If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact us at Regeneration Health today!