HIDDEN5THE Causes

by Brenda Walding, DPT, FDN-P

of Belly Fat(AVOID THESE)

J O I N O U R 3 0 - DAY PA L E O C H A L L E N G E T O DAY !

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DisclaimerTHIS DOCUMENT is not intended to provide medical advice nor to take the place of medical advice and treatment from your personal physician. Readers are advised to consult their own doc-tors or other qualified health professionals regarding the treatment of medical conditions. The au-thor shall not be held liable or responsible for any misunderstanding or misuse of the information contained in this document or for application of any food or food source discussed in this book. The statements in this document have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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by Brenda Walding, DPT, FDN-P

J O I N O U R 3 0 - DAY PA L E O C H A L L E N G E T O DAY !

by Brenda Walding, DPT, FDN-P

HIDDEN5THE Causesof Belly Fat

(AVOID THESE)

4 J O I N O U R 3 0 - DAY PA L E O C H A L L E N G E T O DAY !

54 J O I N O U R 3 0 - DAY PA L E O C H A L L E N G E T O DAY ! The 5 Hidden Causes of Belly Fat

THE 5 HIDDEN CAUSES OF BELLY FAT (AVOID THESE)

Most of you realize diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors like sleep and hydration play key

roles in your ability to lose weight and achieve that sexy physique you desire. Many, however, report

that even after dieting and exercising, they still cannot get that stubborn belly fat to budge.

Although diet and exercise are critical—indeed, foundational—we aren’t going to talk about them today.

(Now, there are many “ineffective” diets and ways of exercising out there. If you want more infor-mation on an incredible nutrition and lifestyle program that can help teach you how to build a solid foundation for health and weight loss, go here.)

Now, let’s dig a little deeper …

Some less obvious or “hidden” factors can be essential players in the weight loss game. These con-siderations are often overlooked but could be integral components to achieving your goals.

Let’s look at five key factors that could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

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1) Low Vitamin D LevelsADEQUATE VITAMIN D levels are crucial for optimal health and the prevention of disease. And it just so happens that about half the world’s population (or more) is deficient. We also know

two-thirds of the US population is overweight or obese. It’s no secret we have an epidemic on our hands.

Vitamin D (a.k.a. the sunshine vitamin) is actually a hormone rather than an actual vitamin, and it has been shown to influence 10 percent of your body’s genes. This crucial nutrient is involved in a myriad of bodily functions and is vital to opti-mal immune function, bone health, and function-ing of the cardiovascular system. Low levels have been linked to increased risks of cancer, Alzhei-mer’s, type 2 diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, and, yup, you guessed it, weight gain.

In regards to weight, one study demonstrated that improving vitamin D levels in postmeno-pausal women resulted in improved ability to lose weight.

Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD—principal investigator of the study and member of the Fred Hutch Can-cer Research Center’s Public Health Sciences Division—says the results of the study suggest:

Women trying to lose weight might want to have their D levels checked by their provider

and replenish their vitamin D levels either through supplements or sun and then have

their D levels rechecked after a few months to make sure they’ve risen to a healthy level.

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight, but with copious sunscreen usage and fear of skin cancer, most people don’t actually get enough sunshine or vitamin D. In addition to sunlight, you can also get vitamin D through supplementation and a little from certain foods such as herring, eggs, blue-fin tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, beef liver, and pork. You cannot rely on food alone to acquire the amount of vitamin D your body needs.

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If you are struggling with weight problems, we recommend you:1) Get your vitamin D levels checked in one of the following ways:

• Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D status using a 25(OH)D blood test.

• Order an in-home vitamin D testing kit at grassrootshealth.net.

2) Get up to approximately 30 minutes of direct sunshine a day without getting burned.

The appropriate amount of sun varies based on person and skin color. Don’t use sunscreen during this time period as that would prevent you from getting the UV rays you need to make vitamin D. If you are out in the sun all day, protect yourself with a toxin-free sunscreen, but before you put it on, allow your skin to get some rays. Again, you want to avoid getting burned.

3) Supplement if you have to (sunshine is most effective but not always possible).

Here are a couple of quality sources of vitamin D supplementation:

• Thorne Vitamin D3/K2 Liquid

• Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil

NOTE: There are several recommendations on how to achieve optimal vitamin D3 levels. Chris Kresser, LAc (a

well-respected functional medicine practitioner and researcher), suggests targeting a level of around 35–60 ng/

dl based on the research he has reviewed to date. The Vitamin D Council recommends 40–60 ng/dl.

Recheck your vitamin D levels every three to four months to ensure you are staying in the optimal range and see if your supplement/sunlight exposure strategies are working. Work with a trusted practitioner to figure out what’s best for you and monitor progress. You can get too much vitamin D through supplementation, so don’t forget to recheck!

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2) Poor Gut HealthRESTORING A healthy balance of microbes in your gut may be a key factor in reaching your ide-al weight. Research reveals a connection between obesity and gut dysbiosis (imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut) as well as a condition known as “leaky gut.”

Our gut contains ten times more bacteria than human cells—crazy, huh? We are essentially more bacteria than we are human! Evidence is increasingly pointing to the significance of having enough “good” microbes in our gut to counterbalance the bad ones. Research indicates gut bacteria play a role in how we store fat, how well our metabolism functions, and how easy it is for us to lose weight.

This gut dysbiosis, or imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria, can lead to intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome, which itself is known as “the gateway to chronic disease.” Increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut causes unwanted particles and toxins in the digestive tract to enter the bloodstream, where they don’t belong, wreaking havoc on the immune system and creating inflam-mation. Inflammation is a crucial factor in all disease, including obesity.

Substances that cause leaky gut include processed food, grains, sugar, stress, and excessive medi-cation use.

If you are overweight, we highly recommend taking steps to improve your gut health. Not only might this help jumpstart your fat loss, but it can help you prevent and address chronic disease.

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Here are 6 tips to get you going in the right direction:1) Ditch the processed foods, toxic fats, grains, and sugar and incorporate a nutrient-dense, whole foods, Paleo Diet.

Go here to join our transformational 30-Day Challenge and learn how!

2) Incorporate foods in your diet that are rich in vitamins A and D, zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

By focusing on a nutrient-dense Paleo diet and eating a variety of quality meats, eggs, veggies, nuts, and seeds, you will be able to address this quite easily.

There are many nutrient deficiencies associated with leaky gut, one of those being vitamin D, which we previously discussed. Vitamin D is a key nutrient in maintaining the intestinal barrier, stimulat-ing renewal of the intestinal lining, and helping your body resist damage (another good reason to get your levels checked!). Other common nutrient deficiencies include vitamin A, zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

3) Consume quality probiotic- and prebiotic-rich foods (e.g., raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, kimchi, and oth-er fermented veggies) or supplement to improve your balance of gut bacteria.

4) Avoid overuse of antibiotics if possible.

Antibiotics can be helpful and often life-saving in certain situations, but they are grossly overused. The problem with chronic overuse of antibiotics is they destroy good bacteria in the gut along with the bad, which can cause an imbalance and lead to overgrowth of bad bacteria. Several natural rem-edies can often be used in lieu of antibiotics. High-quality essential oils, colloidal silver, and various herbal and homeopathic compounds can effectively combat colds, flus, and infections. Consider consulting a qualified alternative medicine or holistic health practitioner for assistance with this.

5) Incorporate homemade bone broth into your diet.

A superfood elixir, bone broth is a healing tonic for the body and gut. It contains gelatin, which heals and nourishes our cartilage, bones, skin, arteries, digestive tract, and various other tissues. The gelatin component also helps heal and seal the intestinal tract. You can make your own bone broth or purchase it from a trusted, high-quality resource to reap the healing benefits. It’s important to seek out the highest-quality bones available. Look for bones from pasture-raised animals (grass-fed beef bones or a pasture-raised chicken carcass) who have been eating their natural diet and not been exposed to pesticides and herbicides.

Go here to buy high-quality Kettle & Fire bone broth made from the bones of grass-fed animals.

6) Implement a gut healing and balancing program.

It is ideal to work with a functional nutrition or functional medicine practitioner who can create an individualized program suited to you. To completely heal the gut, you must also address the possible presence of infections, parasites, and heavy metals. A professional can help you with this process.

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3) Obesogens … Obese-o-what?ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS, also known as obesogens, are lurking all around us and may be a key factor in making America fat and sick. As we’ve discussed, obesity is an epidemic, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes continue to escalate.

So … what role do obesogens play?Obesogens are environmental toxins found in items such as food, water, insecticides, plastics, clean-ing products, and cosmetics. They negatively affect metabolism and may predispose some to weight gain. Obesogens mimic our own hormones and confuse or disrupt natural hormone production.

These chemicals can alter your body’s ability to properly regulate weight by:

• increasing the fat cells you already have

• reducing your metabolism

• stimulating an increase in appetite

In addition to being a possible factor in the obesity epidemic, obesogens may also pose a serious health risk in the development of chronic disease. These chemicals tend to accumulate, have syner-gistic effects that magnify their negative impact, and ultimately wreak havoc on the entire body.

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According to Rick Irvin, toxicologist at Texas A&M University:

Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to human health.…

The diseases we’re beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of

this century and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin. (excerpt from The Hundred Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald)

It may be near impossible to avoid all the harmful chemicals in our environment. But there are some things within your control that can help decrease your chemical exposure, and doing so may help you lose weight and prevent disease—totally worth it!

Here are some ways to avoid obesogens:• Avoid canned food

– 85% of food cans in the US contain BPA.

• Drink out of and store food in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers versus plastic to avoid BPA.

• Use chemical-free, natural makeup and body care products.

• Use naturally de-rived, chemical-free household cleaners.

• Use essential oils or open windows to freshen the air versus air fresheners to avoid phthalates. To get more informa-tion on high-quality essential oils, email oilsandinspiration@gmail.com.

• Steer clear of nonstick cookware and switch to cast iron, ceramic, or stainless steel cookware to avoid perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

• Drink clean, filtered water to avoid herbicide and pesticide runoff, pharmaceutical residue, and chemicals like atrazine (which slows your thyroid).

• Avoid fake, manufactured foods, especially high-fructose corn syrup, soy, and artificial sweeten-ers.

• Choose pasture-raised or naturally raised animal products free of hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals.

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4) GMO … OMG!!!GMO STANDS for genetically modified organism.

You may be asking, “What the heck is a GMO?” and “What does it have to do with weight gain?”

Let’s first talk about what GMOs are.

Many people are clueless as to what GMOs are despite eating them every day—often for every meal.

I was watching a documentary on GMOs the other day and was shocked by how little Americans know about them and how they may be impacting our bodies and health. Other countries ban them and see protests in the streets, while we in the United States carry on with our lives unconcerned.

Genetically modified organisms are crops such as corn and soybeans that have been genetically altered in a laboratory for the purpose of making them capable of withstanding high doses of her-bicides and pesticides. This alteration increases output and produces crops that don’t get destroyed by insects and pests.

GMO corn, for example, is modified to produce large amounts of Bt toxin in its flesh to withstand high doses of herbicides. It is essentially a pesticide factory. The plant inactivates the Roundup or herbicide to prevent it from harming the corn. The Bt toxin kills insects by destroying the GI tract of the animal. Some scientists speculate that the “inactivated” herbicide may become active in the hu-man gut when digested. Yikes!

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According to the Non-GMO Project, the top GMO crops are:• Alfalfa (first planting

2011)

• Canola (approx. 90% of US crop)

• Corn (approx. 88% of US crop in 2011)

• Cotton (approx. 90% of US crop in 2011)

• Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approx. 988 acres)

• Soy (approx. 94% of US crop in 2011)

• Sugar beets (approx. 95% of US crop in 2010)

• Zucchini and yellow summer squash (approx. 25,000 acres)

GMOs are also present in many other crops … and the list continues to grow. Don’t be fooled—many other sneaky ingredients are derived from genetically engineered substances, including maltodex-trin; “natural” and “artificial” flavors; and xantham gum.

GMOs exist in most processed and packaged food (75%) and fast food restaurants in America. Eighty percent of all food consumed in the US is processed. One in four Americans visit a fast food restaurant every day. Suffice to say that according to these statistics, most Americans are consuming large amounts of genetically modified foods daily.

What are the possible health implications of consuming GMOs? Is there a connection between

GMO consumption and obesity?

Quite possibly so.

A ten-year project was conducted in Norway in which researchers examined the effects of feeding animals GMO foods. Animals fed the GMO diet had larger appetites, got fatter quicker, and kept on the weight compared with the animals fed the non-GMO diet of the same crop. These results rang true for rats, mice, pigs, and salmon across the board. The same results also occurred when animals (rats) ate fish who were eating genetically engineered grain.

In the article “Obesity, Corn, and GMOs,” Anthony Samsel makes the following statement about this Norwegian study:

Translated to humans, the study suggests: if you dine on meat from an animal which was

fed GE (Genetically Engineered) grains or consume products made from GE grains like

corn, you could get the same adverse life-altering effects. You could get fatter faster and

retain the weight. These GE foods transfer their effects to you.“

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Beyond weight gain, studies with animals demonstrate serious and disastrous health consequences of consuming GMOs, making them a likely culprit behind many of our modern disease epidemics such as diabetes, IBS, autism, and autoimmunity. Animals fed GMO foods demonstrated alterations in the immune system, liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands, reproductive organs, and digestive system. These animals had difficulty digesting proteins and experienced changes in their intestinal lining.

If you’re overweight, want to avoid being overweight, or wish to protect your health, here are 3 things you can do to avoid GMOs:1) Choose organic fruits and vegetables.

That extra dollar for organic doesn’t sound so outrageous now, does it? Not only is it worth paying a little more to achieve your weight loss goals and better health, but you end up saving long-term on medical expenses.

2) Avoid grain-fed, conventional meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.

If the animal eats the GMOs and you eat them, you indirectly ingest the GMOs. Seek out organic, grass-fed/grass-finished beef, pasture-raised meats, pastured eggs, and wild-caught fish.

3) Look for foods with the Non-GMO Project label.

This organization labels products free from all GMOs.

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5) Stress: The Muffin Top MonsterSTRESS IS a huge and often overlooked factor in the weight loss game. If you eat well, exercise, and detoxify your environment but are still under a significant amount of stress, you will often find it extremely difficult to lose weight.

I repeat, you will find it extremely difficult to lose weight.

The stubborn belly fat around your middle that won’t go away is a sign that stress is involved. Your body secretes a hormone called cortisol (and a whole cascade of other hormones) in response to stress that helps us effectively deal with an acute stressful event. It’s a beautiful survival mechanism.

When this response is ongoing due to chronic stress, however, it creates imbal-ances. When too much cortisol is secreted in your body, day after day, it causes a rise in blood sugar, makes you crave sugar, impairs your ability to burn fat, creates hormone imbalances, causes your body to store fat around your midsection, and ulti-mately can create disease in the body.

The reality is that in these modern times, most people are operating in a perpetual state of stress.

Most people think of stress as being psy-chological or emotional. This is one ele-

ment of stress that can impact your life and waistline in substantial ways. Yes, the soul-sucking job you loathe, volatile relationship you’re in, challenge of juggling being a supermom or superdad while working full-time, or demands of caring for an ailing parent are all examples of stressful situa-tions that may create psychological or emotional stress.

“Stressful” events happen and will continue to do so. Occurrences like earthquakes and accidents may not be in your control, but many other things are.

Think about it. You are the one who continues to stay in that soul-sucking job rather than taking ac-tion to create a new possibility for yourself. Yes, you have the power to do that—even though it may seem impossible at times!

You may be unable to change the circumstances of having to care for your ailing mother, but you can change the way you perceive the situation. It could either be a dreadful burden or an opportunity to soak up the last remaining years with the woman who gave you life—same event, two different ways to look at it. One creates stress and resentment, the other peace and fulfillment. Each produces dif-ferent outcomes within your body and the quality of your life experience. What matters is how you perceive the “stressful” events in your life and how you choose to respond to them.

Your mind is powerful. Negative thoughts produce depleting emotions, which sets off a cascade of thousands of physiological responses in the body. Emotions are primary drivers of our physiology. Staying in a state of chronic resentment, anger, anxiety, or sadness causes an ongoing stress re-sponse that can ultimately cause you to pack on the pounds or even perpetuate into chronic disease.

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To destress your life and lose weight, consider implementing some stress-reducing strategies:• Watch your thoughts and how you perceive the events of your life. You have the power to choose

which thoughts you entertain and how you respond.

• Slow down. Take time to be still. Meditate. Pray.

• Spend time in nature; go for a walk.

• Practice yoga, qi gong, or tai chi.

• Engage in some kind of exercise you enjoy.

• Breathe. Take a few minutes to belly breathe or engage in vari-ous breathing exercises.

• Use high-quality essential oils to help your body relax and de-crease cortisol levels.

• Do more of what you love.

• Make time to play. Play is not a luxury … it’s a necessity.

• Connect with others and make time for the relationships that matter to you.

• Spend time being creative or enjoying the arts. Paint, dance, listen to music, or plant flowers.

Psychological and emotional stress isn’t the only type we encounter, though. Other stressors that effect your body include:

• Toxins in the environment, food, and water

• Poor digestion or leaky gut*

• Chronic infections*

• Inflammation*

• Liver congestion*

• Inadequate sleep

• Sedentary lifestyle

• Exercising too much

• Musculoskeletal imbalances and poor posture

• Hormone imbalance*

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Consider working with a functional medicine practitioner to address hidden internal stressors (de-noted with the * in the preceding list). Work with a physical therapist, chiropractor, or CHEK practi-tioner to address musculoskeletal imbalances.

Otherwise, do what you can to make adjustments in your schedule; your surroundings; and the way you think, live, and perceive your life’s events. These may be crucial factors in your ability to lose the weight you want and achieve the body and life you love!

ConclusionAS PREVIOUSLY mentioned, diet, exer-cise, and lifestyle fac-tors such as sleep and hydration are founda-tional for anyone look-ing to lose weight and feel amazing.

Again, if you want help with this, we highly recommend joining our 30-Day Challenge. Go here for more informa-tion.

If you have already addressed factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep but the scale still won’t budge, take these five things into consid-eration:

1. Low vitamin D levels

2. Poor gut health

3. Obesogens

4. GMOs

5. Stress

The beautiful part about everything mentioned here is that addressing these issues not only may help your waistline but will ultimately make you healthier—and even happier!

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Resources

Low Vitamin D Levelshttp://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/6/1678S.full

http://chriskresser.com/vitamin-d-the-new-super-nutrient/

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/Pages/overweight- obesity-statistics.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2630864/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/21/vitamin-d-on-weight- management.aspx

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19543765

Poor Gut Healthhttp://chriskresser.com/could-a-leaky-gut-be-making-you-fat/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084636

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-gut-bacteria-help-make-us-fat-and-thin/

ObesogensThe Hundred Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals That Are Destroying Your

Health by Randall Fitzgerald

http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/endocrine-disruptors-hidden-chemicals-that-make-you-sick-and-fat/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/05/01/ obesogens-the-environmental-link-to-obesity

GMOshttp://www.naturalnews.com/045247_GMOs_weight_gain_obesity.html

http://www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products/

http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/07/obesity-corn-gmos/

Stresshttps://chriskresser.com/10-ways-stress-makes-you-fat-and-diabetic/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16353426

https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/stresscortisol.html

HIDDEN5THE Causes

by Brenda Walding, DPT, FDN-P

of Belly Fat(AVOID THESE)