Gut Clinic: How to heal your gut and lose weight at the same time
Did you know that poor gut health can contribute to weight gain? Research has shown a link between an imbalance in gut microbes and an increase in weight. I have previously written an article on the link between Akkermansia microbes and weight you can read it here.
I often have patients coming into my clinic asking about the relationship between hormones and weight, and while several hormones can impact your ability to lose weight, cortisol, thyroid imbalance, estrogen, one of the most underestimated factors is poor gut health.
Understand that research shows what’s happening in your gut can directly impact your ability to lose and keep weight off. Many practitioners still ascribe weight gain to the age-old calories-in-calories-out equation… science has blown this one out of the water. Several factors impact weight and metabolism, and the best way to achieve sustainable results is with a holistic review and approach.
In this post, I’ll spend some time discussing the gut and its influence on weight and metabolism.
Getting to the bottom of your own driving factors for the weight gain is a key component of a naturopathic approach, some of the things we’ll consider:
Early stage insulin resistance
Poor gut health
Hormonal imbalances
Chronic low grade stress
Long term use of certain pharmaceutical medications
Weight gain and IBS
I recently had a 55 year old woman Danielle sit across from me and tell me she had gained 10kgs over the last 2 years and her GP simply won’t believe her when she says she’s eating well and exercising daily. She had tried weight watchers, and other diet plans and the weight was continuing to creep on.
Danielle was feeling overwhelmed as her very well-meaning GP had told her that if she doesn’t start to lose weight it’s likely her markers for diabetes will warrant pharmaceutical interventions.
She had looked into her thyroid function and there was nothing abnormal, exasperated and on the verge of tears she confided in me that she felt she was banging her head up against a wall.
When I took a closer look, Danielle was following a relatively healthy diet with lots of fresh veg some fruit and clean protein with a small amount of carbohydrates and fats. Her portion sizes were also healthy. An hour of exercise most days of the week… she was doing everything by the book…so why the weight gain??
“Why can’t I loose the weight?”
In that initial consultation we took the deep dive into her health in order to get a better understanding of what may be contributing to her weight gain.
It soon became apparent that since making the transition into menopause she had been having constant gut issues, alternating constipation and diarrhoea and ongoing pain and abdominal bloating.
Beyond this her elderly parents were sick and so she was struggling under the stress of being a carer and holding down a full time job, on top of it all she was studying part time… needless to say stress was a factor for her. Chronic low grade stress can make it difficult to shift weight.
However the most significant link was that the stress seemed to be making her gut worse and she had noticed this cycle between her gut and her daily stress levels.
I ran a comprehensive stool test so that we could see what was happening and what came back supported my initial concerns.
Her Akkermansia species in her gut were very low, she had high levels of opportunistic bacteria in her gut, including a streptococcus species, and she had markers showing her gut permeability was elevated, commonly referred to as a ‘leaky gut.’ Her gut health was not only impacting her weight, but it was most likely also affecting her anxiety levels, and low energy and potentially contributing to very early stages of insulin resistance.
How can poor gut health lead to weight gain?
There are several theories but the research is just starting to come through…
There is some evidence that shows poor gut barrier function and inflammation in the gut itself can lead to changes in glucose regulation.
Elevated LPS- lipopolysaccharides can lead to metabolic endotoxemia (lot’s of scientific words there!) this means that the inflammation in the lining of the gut can lead to LPS running around in your body, and this can impact your insulin receptors and stop them from working effectively. Leading to a metabolic issue- insulin resistance.
Your microbiome (gut bacteria) also has its own metabolic capacity that influences the body’s ability to utilise and store energy. If your microbiome is disrupted, then so too will be your metabolism.
Your gut and the bacteria in it are key for managing weight. If you are ticking all the boxes with diet and lifestyle and still not losing the weight it may warrant a closer look the missing piece could be your gut health.
How can a naturopath help me loose weight?
So back to my patient…
Danielle’s recent blood work had shown her fasting insulin and glucose were within range however they were up the higher end of range which meant we really did need to improve her ability to metabolise glucose in order to avoid diabetes longer term.
We started off working on her gut function first:
We eliminated dairy which was a key aggregator for her while she knew it has always been a problem, Danielle needed some counselling and guidance around alternatives.
She including a variety of different fibres into her diet as well as started having some foods that positively impact the microbiome, some of the key items on that list;
Pomegranate juice
Green tea
Turmeric
Berries
We implemented some tools to help better manage the stress and overwhelm she was experiencing daily. Incorporating a combination of herbal medicines and nutritional supplements.
We did introduce a limited amount of time restricted eating. Keeping her eating window to 8 hours 3-4 days a week.
I prescribed some nutraceuticals and herbs, including:
Inositol
Chromium
Magnesium- Glutamine- Zinc complex
Custom Herbal formula to help with stress and resilience to get her through the next few months as life was then going to settle down with the completion of her studies and some other changes we discussed for her parents.
How long does it take to start losing weight?
I had my first follow-up with Danielle 2 weeks later, all digestive symptoms had started to improve, she reported by about 50 per cent, stools were a little more consistent, the bloating had almost gone, and there was little to no discomfort after meals.
There was no noticeable difference in her weight at this 2-week mark!
I then saw her again four weeks later (this is six weeks on the protocol total at this stage)
Danielle came into my office and the first words out of her mouth as she sat down was, “I’ve lost two and a half kilograms…finally!” You could see the relief and satisfaction on her face, knowing that she could shift the weight.
She said she was surprised the weight had shifted as she still ate the same amount of food and never felt hungry.
3-month follow-up- Danielle has lost a total of 6 and a half kilos, and she is now looking and feeling like a different human. She is very happy with her results and is looking forward to celebrating once she gets the final 4 kgs off. At the bottom of this post is a little testimonial from Danielle.
A revolutionary approach to weight loss:
Please watch out for one-size-fits-all approaches to weight loss or a fixation on a single cause for weight gain, like thyroid or perimenopause. You may just be missing the entire picture and wasting time on the wrong driver. An individualised approach is the key.
Not all of my patients who are struggling to manage their weight have a gut imbalance, refer to the list at the top of this post, there are even more factors than those listed here and understanding your unique body and circumstances become key for long term results in weight and metabolism.
An experienced naturopath will be able to take an in-depth case and uncover your unique picture and through a process of both elimination and perhaps some testing we can uncover for you some of the most likely factors tripping you up.
I often see challenging cases where there are several contributing factors, thyroid, gut and insulin resistance all impacting weight gain. Just know you can bring your body back into balance, it may take a little time and digging but it’s possible.
Testimonial from Danielle:
“I attended my first appointment with Krystle as a last resort, I had never been to see a naturopath before and wasn’t entirely convinced that it was the path for me. Krystle was patient and took the time to listen to me and explain the factors that were playing a role in my weight gain. At the end of our first session together, I was surprised by how simple some of her interventions were, and in all honesty, I felt that I was eating more on her protocol than I had been over the last two years.
The weight loss was slow, but I was more than happy just knowing that after years of trying, I was finally getting somewhere. Krystle is very knowledgeable, but beyond that, she truly cares. The improvements have gone beyond my weight to my general mood and ability to cope. ”
If you have any questions about your health or weight please book yourself in for a complimentary call down below.