What’s the best way to fuel your body?
Pharmacist Michelle Gray says people come into Gray’s Compounding Pharmacy every day asking about nutrition. They want to lose weight but don’t know where to start.
“The majority of diets boil down to ‘eat less, move more’ and they have an extremely high failure rate. Initially you’ll lose weight as you eat less, but then your thyroid adjusts to the lower food intake by lowering your metabolism,” she says. “Once your metabolism has reset, it doesn’t matter how faithful you are to your nutrition plan – you’ll gain weight.”
Your body’s fridge and deep freezer
Gray says more people are starting to explore the ketogenic diet, which does have its own pitfalls if you don’t monitor and understand your body.
“I can coach you on strategies to avoid the ‘Keto-Flu.’ A lot of it has to do with understanding what happens when you eat.”
When you eat carbohydrates they turn into simple sugars in your bloodstream, which triggers an insulin response. What’s insulin’s job? It takes sugar out of your bloodstream and into the body.
“If you’re really physically active the sugars will go to your muscles. But for most of us our muscles already have enough fuel, and so it goes to your liver,” Gray says. “I call the liver your refrigerator — easy access to fuel when your body needs it.”
As long as you keep eating carbohydrates, Gray says, insulin will keep filling your liver with sugar. When your liver is full but the carbs keep coming your body stores excess sugar as fat — cholesterols.
“The fat is your deep freezer in the basement, where you put extra meals when your fridge is full,” she says.
Ketosis
The solution, Gray says, is drastically reducing your carbohydrates and replacing them with healthy fats. You’ll trigger your insulin response far less, and your body can open the refrigerator (your liver) for energy. Only once the refrigerator is empty your body will access the deep freezer (your fat).
“Once you’ve gotten rid of all that stored sugar you’ll train your body to run on fat fuel and feel a tremendous amount of energy. Your brain will feel full and you’ll stop having cravings. The reduced calories from less carbohydrates must be replaced with fats. Fat doesn’t trigger an insulin response and with the higher calorie intake your thyroid won’t reset your metabolism.”
Grays Compounding Pharmacy offers a 12-week program to guide you through the early stages of the keto plan, including weekly testing from a Bio Impedence Analysis machine to adapt your diet and medications as your body adjusts.
“Your body is going to change quickly! As a pharmacist I have a good understanding of the disease states and medications, and can stay in contact with your doctor. Type 2 diabetes, blood pressure issues and congestive heart failure can all benefit from getting your body into ketosis.”
The 12-week one-on-one coaching program is $399. Ask about a special rate for couples. Call
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