No Motivation? No Energy? How about Sugar Cravings? Too Stressed? Too Busy? What stops you from achieving your New Year’s Resolution for Health and Fitness in 2010?
How many times have you set yourself a new year’s resolution, only to sabotage it with all sorts of excuses about why you can’t achieve it? What if there really is a biophysical reason behind your excuses? I was speaking with a group of health industry experts just recently, about fitness clients with no energy, sugar cravings, and very busy lives. I was surprised to hear how many people are training to get fit, pushing themselves, all the while feeling unmotivated, depressed, fatigued and unable to maintain healthy diets due to sugar cravings. They struggle to lose weight, as they can’t stop eating the wrong foods. Perhaps there may actually be real issues with their health, that can be explained!
The No. 1 excuse is poor motivation and energy. These require healthy dopamine levels in the body and brain. Dopamine is a main ingredient of adrenaline. Dopamine deficiency can also cause low libido, low levels of excitement and happiness, or flatness in mood. Sometimes diet is the cause, sometimes poor nutrient absorption is the cause, either way, it’s easily corrected.
Stress with busy jobs and lives cause high production of cortisol. This is your stress hormone, and when produced in excess causes inflammation in joints, making injuries more painful, slowing down exercise. Stress also causes the “fight or flight response”. During this response, it’s difficult to do anything that relaxes you, as all your brain wants is to keep you busy and stressed! It’s a hard cycle to break, but possible, with the right tools.
Cravings can be caused by stress, which lowers serotonin in the brain. Serotonin requires carbohydrates, so your body sends out signals to add more sugar, pumping up the happy levels. Sadly, it doesn’t work, it just ruins your diet. Cravings can also be due to an imbalanced diet. Balancing protein, and carbs at each meal is important, or you could set yourself up for a sugar low within minutes of your last meal. It’s all about controlling your insulin. This you can learn, and can be rectified in hours. Finally, poor gut bacteria, infections or candida can all cause cravings. These need to be identified and treated if necessary, which can also contribute to low dopamine.
There are many more conditions that can keep you from achieving your goals, but in most cases, they can be treated quickly. If you would like to know more, book a free half hour consult to discuss your options on 5443 1987 or go to www.advancedwellness.com.au.
Jodi Chapman B.H.Sc Naturopath
Advanced Wellness & Behavioural Centre, Suite 8, 102 Wises Rd, Maroochydore
