Ross Walter Nutritionist and Naturopath health articles and blog - Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath

GLP-1 medications cause a loss of fat, muscle, bone and your health

15/1/2026

In my previous articles on GLP-1 medications I’ve been fairly tame in my opinions and comments, and I’ve just been informative of what these medications do and some of the risks of them. A number of people taking these medications have commented on these posts and saying how these medications helped improved their health. They have missed the point on the risks and effects on their long term health. Hence this article.

A warning! This article might be a bit triggering for some people… As I don’t hold back my thoughts in this one! But I’m not apologising for this.

Briefly, what do GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others do?

They reduce your appetite and stop hunger cravings, and slow digestive system function, to give a false feeling of fullness for longer, so you stop eating less CR@P foods, unhealthy junk and processed foods. There, I said it… but I haven’t finished.

So you basically eat less, or in reality, you STARVE your body of nutrients your body needs to function properly. When you don’t get enough nutrition, your body will access the required nutrients internally, if it can.

Less nutrition in your diet due to starvation on GLP-1 medications causes your body to break down your fat stores for energy. So you lose weight.

Less nutrition in your diet due to starvation causes your body to break down your muscle mass for protein it needs for many metabolic functions, hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes and more. So you lose more weight. But less muscle mass causes a reduced metabolic rate, which slows your weight loss, and can even start to put on weight again even though you are eating less.

Less nutrition in your diet due to starvation causes your body to break down your bones for necessary minerals for many body functions. So you lose more weight. But this turns into low bone density conditions of osteopenia and osteoporosis, which is happening even in people in their 30s on these medications. Low bone density is a massive risk for mortality (death).

GLP-1 medications are NOT weight loss medications or diabetes medications. They are STARVATION and MALNUTRITION medications. They DO NOT improve your health at all.

You can lose weight, reverse diabetes, and reverse other chronic health conditions, and keep your long-term health, in much better and safer ways.

Stay healthy!

Rapid weight loss from GLP-1 medications can cause toxins and heavy metals to be released from body fat stores...

15/1/2026

Following on from my recent article on GLP-1 medications and their effects on rapid weight loss, being from body fat (adipose tissue), but unfortunately also from lean muscle mass and bone mass too, there are some other unintended side effects of this weight loss which people don’t seem to understand but can be very bad for their health.

Our body fat stores are a biological and evolutionary advantage in some situations, such as in colder climates as it offers a level of insulation to the core organs and tissues. Our body fat can sustain life and body functions for longer in times of food shortages due to seasonal declines or the effects of severe weather events such as droughts which traditionally can limit food availability. But these advantages are much less of a benefit in modern Western cities and diets with an abundance of food.

But body fat can also be a disadvantage too. Body fat is a metabolically active tissue (Richard, White, Elks & Stephens, 2020), in that it produces metabolic hormones, which can affect your metabolism, appetite, immune system function, reproduction and fertility, bone health, and more. The hormones from increased body fat can create a vicious cycle of increased oestrogens (affecting female hormone balance, or having massive effects on male hormones), decreased satiety and increased hunger (due to leptin resistance), increased inflammation, which can all contribute to further weight gain.

Body fat can also be an area where your body will store toxins and chemicals and heavy metals, especially if your detoxification organs and functions are overwhelmed by the amount of these that you are exposed to in your diet or environment. Your body does not like having these toxins and chemicals going around the body in the blood all the time, so your body will cleverly get these toxins and chemicals out of the bloodstream into other body areas instead – into your body fat!

When you reduce body fat due to increased exercise or from reduced food intake or starvation (which these GLP-1 medications cause by reducing your appetite and hunger, and slowing digestion), your body will turn to your body fat as a source of energy.

Reduced body fat stores will also release these stored toxins and chemicals and heavy metals into your bloodstream again! (Jandacek, Liu & Tso, 2024). This will cause a LOT of toxicity, oxidative damage, and inflammation symptoms, and likely overwhelm your detoxification organs (liver and kidneys etc) and cause damage to them.

Recirculating toxins and chemicals will also affect your brain and affect your mental health, but also affect all organs and tissues, and therefore your overall health. The released toxins and chemicals and heavy metals may cause symptoms of fatigue, poor memory, poor concentration, headaches or migraines, increased mental health symptoms, inflammatory symptoms in the digestive system or on the skin, liver pain, or other symptoms.

Hence if you are using GLP-1 medications you need to take this info into account, and include in your health plan some ways to prevent the inflammation, oxidative damage and toxicity during your weight loss.

Additionally, due to the reduced nutrient intake from the reduced appetite and slower digestion, you need to include treatments to prevent the muscle loss and bone loss, and prevent other chronic health issues which result from the nutrient deficiencies or the muscle/bone loss.

Taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss or diabetes without these precautions will likely affect both your short-term and long-term health.

Stay healthy!

References:

Jandacek, R., Liu, M., & Tso, P. (2024). Interactions of Body Weight Loss with Lipophilic Toxin Storage: Commentary, Journal of Nutrition, 154 (3):801–803. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.01.018

Richard, A.J., White, U., Elks, C.M., & Stephens, J.M. (2020). Adipose Tissue: Physiology to Metabolic Dysfunction. Endotext [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555602/

GLP-1 Medications – The Real Story!

6/1/2026

I’m sure you have all seen the relentless advertising on social media and other sources, including even in “news” stories, of the latest “science” in weight loss, being the GLP-1 medications of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others. These medications are being prescribed for weight gain and obesity, or type 2 diabetes.

This article will go into detail on these medications, including how they came about, how or if they work, and their controversies and risks. Then you can see if these medications are right for you, or what might be some alternatives.

Firstly, what is “GLP-1”?!

GLP-1 is “Glucagon-like Peptide 1”, or a protein similar to Glucagon, which is one of your main metabolic and digestive hormones (Ohio State University, 2025), particularly of glucose metabolism. Both glucagon and GLP-1 are naturally made in your body, in the pancreas and intestinal tract, respectively (Runge et. al., 2003). Glucagon and GLP-1 act in similar ways in your body to:

Prepare the pancreas for insulin production and secretion following a meal high in carbs
Slows the stomach function
Tells the brain that we’ve had enough food (especially sugar/carbs).

The GLP-1 medications are known as GLP-1 Receptor Agonists. This means that they stimulate the effect of the natural GLP-1 hormone in the body, but for much longer than the naturally-made GLP-1 which breaks down quickly. The medication form of GLP-1 is synthesised with modifications to its chemical structure to the natural form, to allow it to last for, and have its metabolic effects for, approximately 1 week as opposed to just minutes for the natural GLP-1. These medications are administered via a weekly injection.

The GLP-1 medications were originally designed and used for people with diabetes to reduce blood sugar levels. But it was found that people taking the medication lost a significant amount of weight. This lead to people taking the medication for off-label use to lose weight instead. This is why some GLP-1 medications have regulator approval (ie, from FDA or TGA etc) for diabetes, and others are approved for weight loss.

One of the unnamed brands advertising GLP-1 medications in a weight loss program makes the following claims:

Using medications for weight loss is not cheating, but the smartest way! (Once you have read through this document, you should realise that it isn’t the best way at all!)
Weight loss isn’t about willpower, but biology!
80% of weight gain is genetic, so it’s out of your control! And hence why you should take these medications instead.

This is “marketing”, or also known as “lies”, to get you to buy into their product. None of these points are actually true.

How do the GLP-1 medications reduce blood sugars and diabetes?
GLP-1 medications allegedly work by lowering blood glucose levels, and therefore reducing the damaging health effects of glucose on causing weight gain and diabetes. In particular, these medications are prescribed also to reduce the cardiovascular and kidney effects and risks of high glucose levels (Collins and Costello, 2024).
High glucose is normally (ie, without using medications) mitigated by 1) reducing the carbs in your diet, and 2) the production of insulin by the pancreas, which enables the blood glucose to be taken up by your cells. The idea is that in diabetes in particular, the effect of insulin on blood glucose is reduced, so these medications further help the blood glucose levels and balance.

How do the GLP-1 medications reduce body weight? (ie, the MOA - Mechanism of Action)

The GLP-1 medications, because they reduce blood glucose, will reduce the effects of excess glucose on causing weight gain. Your excess body fat is just a storage of excess glucose changed into a form called triglycerides, ready for you to use at a future time.

The GLP-1 medications also assist with obesity and perhaps diabetes by suppressing the emptying of the stomach, to keep you feeling fuller for longer which can reduce your appetite and hunger to reduce your intake of food. The medications also prevent the production of another metabolic hormone of glucagon, which prevents the liver from releasing stored glucose (from glycogen), preventing glucose production, increased glucose uptake to the muscles, and increased satiety, all to further reduce blood glucose.

In effect, these medications are forcing you to starve yourself. So of course you will lose weight.
I don’t doubt that these medications work to reduce blood glucose, but then so can reducing the amount of carbs in your diet! Or reducing your response to stress, or doing more exercise, and addressing other root causes and factors to high blood sugar levels or weight gain. If you have tried to lose weight or reverse diabetes but are not getting the results, you haven’t found or fixed all the root causes in your situation.

How is GLP-1 made in medications? (ie, Where does the GLP-1 in medications come from?)

The GLP-1 Receptor Agonist medications use a synthetic and modified form of GLP-1, so their manufacturer can trademark and register their medication to prevent other manufacturers copying the medication, and so they can make more money. Manufacturers can’t get a trademark or big profits on natural products.

Hence the GLP-1 in the medications is not the same as the natural hormone. The synthetic GLP-1 in Ozempic for example, came from synthesising a protein found in the venom of a lizard called the Gila Monster! (Science Alert, 2025) This lizard is native to the USA and Mexico.

The synthetic GLP-1 from lizard venom is modified to prevent it being broken down in the body within minutes. Hence it has its effects on your metabolism for much longer than it should.

Are you shocked or concerned that the GLP-1 medications are made from lizard venom?!

What are the risks and health issues of the GLP-1 medications? (ie, side effects)
There have been many minor or serious and chronic health issues resulting from the GLP-1 medications, including the following (TGA, 2025; Collins and Costello, 2024):

The most common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The loss of fluids and electrolytes from chronic vomiting and diarrhoea will lead to even more nutrient deficiencies and kidney damage
Partial or complete and sudden blindness – by reducing blood and oxygen supply to the eyes
Heart and circulation issues of dizziness, fast heartbeat (tachycardia), and headaches
Increased infections from a reduced immune system function
Development of autoimmune and allergic reactions to the GLP-1 medications
Liver and gall bladder issues, abdominal bloating and pain
Thyroid cancer
Low blood sugar levels
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Muscle loss – approximately 40% of the weight loss from these medications comes from the loss of muscle. This can cause more health issues from affecting your metabolic rate, causing reduced ability to lose weight, and increased rebound weight gain. In fact, most people gain at least 2/3 of their weight loss within 12 months of stopping these medications. And that weight gain is almost all body fat
Bone loss – a reduced bone density occurs from the chronic nutrient deficiencies caused by these medications. This can occur even in younger people, and can increase the risk of mortality due to bone breakages
Loss of connective tissue – due to the loss of protein and muscle mass, and other nutrient deficiencies caused by these medications. I’m sure you’ve seen people with the “Ozempic face”, especially in celebrities? Thin, gaunt, and emaciated faces are an early side effect of these medications, due to rapid muscle loss and connective tissue loss
Decreased appetite – this is one the main actions or “benefits” of these medications, that they suppress hunger and appetite so you don’t eat as much. Or more accurately, you don’t eat as much crap foods which would have been causing the weight gain and diabetes in the first place… You don’t need a dangerous medication to suppress your appetite – you need a better choice of foods. Did you know there are foods which can suppress your hunger for longer?
Lower energy and fatigue, due to not getting enough nutrition needed to produce energy, and a reduced metabolic rate.

As a result of the number and seriousness of the side effects of these medications, only 27% of people taking them can last 12 months on them (Mozaffarian, 2024).

The Product Information insert for these medications has a “black box” warning, indicating the seriousness of some of these side effects.

Frequent blood testing is recommended if on these medications, to find the above issues, before they become a bigger issue.

Are the GLP-1 medications right for you?

No. Never.

But there are some specific issues which would prevent someone from taking these GLP-1 medications including:

People with gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), as the medications make this worse
Having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, IBS, etc)
Having past history or family history of endocrine cancers or thyroid cancer
Having pancreatitis or a past history of this
Having severe kidney dysfunction
Pregnant women are advised not to take this medication, and women of reproductive age or who want to have children are recommended to use contraceptives or stop this medication for a minimum of several months before a planned pregnancy, due to reproductive toxicity and foetal toxicity (including deaths, and deformities)
Women who are breast-feeding should not take this medication, as it has been found in breast milk in animal studies.

Legal action from side effects of GLP-1 medications

The GLP-1 medications are so “safe and effective” that there are numerous lawsuits being filed against some of the manufacturers for serious side effects from using these medications (Reuters, 2025).

The irony…

In the course of human history, hunger and starvation from malnutrition has been an ongoing issue, even today in many under-developed parts of the world. Malnutrition has been the biggest cause of death ever in humans. These GLP-1 medications promote malnutrition, and so will also promote an early death.

Scientists developed the GLP-1 drugs, not for weight loss or to lower blood glucose levels, but to stop you eating! Eating less leads to starvation, which leads to loss of fat, muscle and bone, and causes chronic nutrient deficiencies and related chronic conditions. This is exactly what happens with these medications. They are not weight-loss medications, but dangerous medications which cause starvation and malnutrition.

The reduced muscle mass will also reduce your metabolic rate, which will forever make it very easy to put on weight again, and extremely difficult to lose it again.

Some reports indicate that one in 8 adults in the USA are taking these medications or have taken them, even though they don’t have diabetes or are obese! (Food and Wine, 2025). This seems to be from the misunderstanding that people can still eat crap, but just less of it, and not get the consequences of the crap diet, such as weight gain and diabetes, or other chronic health issues.

Then there’s the financial cost of these medications… In the USA where you have to pay for everything medical, it can cost up to $16,000 per year to be on these medications (Mozaffarian, 2024). Even if every US adult were eligible for a discounted rate, it would still cost over $600 BILLION, which is more than the cost of ALL other prescription medications combined in the US!

But these medications are not cost-effective, as a study has found that the annual medical costs of those taking the GLP-1 medications actually DOUBLED due to side effects and ongoing health issues (Mozaffarian, 2024).

In Australia with Medicare prescription rebates and PBS subsidies, the cost of the GLP-1 medications is much lower, at around $30-$40 per month if approved and prescribed by your doctor, or $150-$700 privately (ie, not prescribed) (Fugen Health, 2025). The subsidised cost will be taken by the Aus government which will result in a likely massive bill to the taxpayer!

Or you can just improve your diet and lifestyle… for free!

In summary

Weight gain and diabetes are metabolic diseases which always have root causes and other environmental/epigenetic factors driving their development and progression. You CANNOT fix those root causes or factors with any medication! And medications ALWAYS cause side effects, as additional or worse symptoms.

Unless you find and fix all the root causes and factors to weight gain or diabetes in YOU, you will not lose weight or reverse diabetes. Weight loss and reversing diabetes is easy, but only with a personalised, holistic, and root-cause based treatment plan.

Your body needs NUTRIENTS to function properly, and for your ongoing health. However, these medications cause a reduced appetite, slower digestion, increased and longer fullness, natural hormone disruption, all of which lead to starvation and many nutrient deficiencies. Starving yourself just to lose weight makes no sense, when it’s at the expense of your health. And because you haven’t fixed the causes of your weight gain or diabetes, you will have the same problems when you stop taking these medications.

Using GLP-1 medications, instead of addressing your root causes, is a very dangerous idea which will rob you of your long-term health. What is the point of losing weight if you won’t have your health to enjoy it?

Are these medications really worth the massive and serious side effects they cause? Of course they aren’t! Especially when there’s better, safer, and cheaper ways lose weight and improving your long-term health!

Sometimes the latest trend or the latest medication is NOT the best way to health.

For further information or alternatives for help with losing weight or reversing diabetes, please see my website (here: www.rosswalter.com.au) or follow my Facebook page (here: https://www.facebook.com/rawnutritionist).

Stay healthy!

References:

Collins, L., & Costello, R.A. (2024). Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists. Retrieved 3rd January 2026 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551568/

Food and Wine. (2025). 1 in 8 People in the U.S. Has Taken a GLP-1 Drug and Food Brands Are Taking Notice. Retrieved 5th January 2026 from https://www.foodandwine.com/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-changes-food-industry-8770308

Fugen Health. (2025). GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications: How They're Changing What—and How—We Eat in Australia. Retrieved 5th January 2026 from https://www.fugenhealth.com.au/glp-1-weight-loss-medications-how-theyre-changing-what-and-how-we-eat-in-australia/

Mozaffarian, D. (2024). GLP-1 Agonists – A new recipe for success? Journal of the American Medical Association, 331(12):1007–1008. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.2252

Ohio State University. (2025). How to activate GLP-1 naturally. Retrieved 1st January 2026 from https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/activiating-glp-1-naturally

RACGP. (2025). Debate over ‘doctor-approved’ weight loss drugs obtained online. Retrieved 2nd January 2026 from https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/debate-over-doctor-approved-weight-loss-drugs-obta

Reuters. (2025). Lawsuits claiming Ozempic, other GLP-1s led to blindness become second mass litigation over the drugs. Retrieved 2nd January 2026 from https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/lawsuits-claiming-ozempic-other-glp-1s-led-blindness-become-second-mass-2025-12-15/

Runge, S., Wulff, BS., Madsen, K., Bräuner-Osborne, H., Knudsen, L.B. (2003). Different domains of the glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors provide the critical determinants of ligand selectivity. British Journal of Pharmacology, 138(5):787–794. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705120

Science Alert. (2025). Ozempic Literally Came From a Monster – And It's Not Alone. Retrieved 1st January 2026 from https://www.sciencealert.com/ozempic-literally-came-from-a-monster-and-its-not-alone

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). (2025). Ozempic: Australian Product Information. Retrieved 3rd January 2-26 from https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/auspar-semaglutide-201030-pi.pdf

You can download this article as a PDF file to keep or share by clicking on the download icon from the menu bar below:

GLP-1 medications for diabetes or weight loss do not fix the causes of your weight gain

9/12/2025

Recently (1st Dec 2025), the useless World Health/Hoax Organisation issued its first guidance on the new GLP-1 (semaglutide) class of medications (United Nations, 2025). These medications include Wegovy, Mounjaro and others prescribed for weight loss, or Ozempic prescribed for diabetes.

Ridiculously, the WHO says that increased weight and obesity is a chronic DISEASE, and not the result of lifestyle choices! They clearly don’t have a clue about health, weight gain or nutrition!

We’ve had nearly 50 years of a weight gain and obesity epidemic, despite the alleged “health” advice over that time from the WHO, government food guidelines, doctors, and dietitians, and we are actually having even higher levels of obesity and chronic health issues related to increased weight than ever before, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancers. Probably because the diet advice was all wrong.

There are an incredible number of dangerous side effects for these medications, which I will expand on in another article soon. But in short, the side effects include digestive symptoms, muscle wasting (muscle loss), lower bone density, arthritis, suicidal ideation, and more (RACGP, 2025).

Unless the root causes of YOUR weight issues are found and fixed, treated or removed, no amount of dieting or exercise will help you to lose weight. Weight loss is actually very easy, with a personalised treatment plan. Standard weight loss plans, being the same for everyone, simply do not work!
Taking a medication for weight loss doesn’t work either! Medications don’t ever fix the root causes of your weight gain, and they always introduce new symptoms as side effects. And as soon as you stop taking the medication, all the weight will come back again, and you end up worse than before due to the side effects too.

Weight gain absolutely is the result of your choices of foods and lifestyle. Hence improving your diet and lifestyle can reverse the weight gain! This can be a much safer, and more sustainable way to achieve your healthy goal weight.

Stay healthy!

References:

RACGP. (2025). Examining the pros and cons of semaglutide. Retrieved 3rd December 2025 from https://www1.racgp.org.au/.../examining-the-pros-and-cons...

United Nations. (2025). WHO backs wider use of weight-loss medicines, calling obesity a chronic disease. Retrieved 2nd December 2025 from https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166477

Eggs are good for you! Eggs do not raise your cholesterol!

2/4/2019

A little while back, the humble egg was demonised and many people were warned off eating them because they (shock, horror!) contained cholesterol and FATS! As a result, many people still have issues or an aversion to eating eggs because they believe they are unhealthy or cause weight gain or other health issues. But is this belief actually true?! Read on...

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were plenty of health warnings about not eating foods which contained fats or cholesterol, as it was believed that fats and cholesterol caused heart disease. This theory was quickly disproven, and shown to be the result of very poor research at the time. Many recent scientific studies proves that fats can be good for you (even saturated fats!), as they do not cause heart disease (yes, especially saturated fats and cholesterol!) or weight gain or diabetes or other chronic health conditions. It seems that old beliefs are hard to change in some people, despite all the recent scientific evidence! I have written several articles on heart disease, saturated fats and cholesterol in the past, so have a look for those below.

But back to the eggs... can they be good for you? Absolutely yes! BUT they have to be the right type of eggs, stored properly and even cooked properly for you to get the best benefits! The best quality eggs will be high in protein, and contain healthy anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, the same as those found in fish, which is why they are good for you!

The best eggs - are certified organic, fresh (they completely sink when submerged in water), and are from free-range chickens who have access to the sun and grass OUTSIDE!

What to avoid - cracked or old eggs (which float or partly float when submerged), those from chickens fed on grains (as these contain less or no omega-3 oils, but a lot of inflammatory omega-6 oils, and not to mention antibiotics and possible hormones added into their feed), or caged eggs from battery operation chickens (inside in cramped and tiny cages which stresses and weakens them).

Cooking eggs should be done carefully to not overcook them (especially the yolk!). Omega-3 oils are quite intolerant to heat for long periods, but still shouldn't be overcooked. Eggs should be poached or lightly boiled so the yolks are still runny for the best benefits! Eggs are also a great source of proteins, and many other vitamins and minerals.

So it is safe to eat eggs regularly! What are your favourite ways to eat eggs?

new research shows artificial sweeteners cause weight gain

18/7/2017

I have written and warned people before about the dangers of some artificial sweeteners (see my other articles below or on my Facebook page), but some new research has been published which again confirms some of the major dangers of these chemicals (Azad et al., 2017).

This new study, published today (17th July 2017), reviewed 37 other studies on over 400,000 people and up to a 10-year follow-up. The study focused on artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose, usually found in diet soft drinks and cordials, and weight loss shakes or protein powders, to name just a few products they are in. The study also looked at studies on stevioside (Stevia extract).

Some of the findings included that the artificial sweeteners can:

1) have adverse effects on glucose metabolism
2) affect your gut microbiome (digestive bacteria) by acting as an antibiotic
3) affect appetite control by stimulating appetite and preventing fullness after a meal, so you eat more and put on more weight
4) increase fat stores, thus contributing to obesity
5) increase the risk of various heart disease symptoms, including high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related events
6) increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study concluded to say that they found "the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners was NOT associated with weight loss", and that "the evidence does not clearly support the intended benefits of non-nutritive sweeteners for weight management", and "routine consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners may be associated with a long-term increase in weight and elevated risk of cardiometabolic disease".

This study highlights the importance of checking your product labels for these chemicals - aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955), and stevioside (E960), and avoiding these products. Install an additive app on your smart phone so you can check the additive numbers while you are shopping!

If you feel you need to use artificial sweeteners to lose weight, then you are not focusing on the causes of weight gain, and you can be making your weight worse.

If your weight is an issue, I can help by identifying all the causes of your weight gain, and resolving those to help you to achieve a healthy weight! This can be done with personalised consultations, or our weight loss program.

Please contact me for more information.

for weight loss, find and fix the causes, Not calories!

7/8/2016

As a nutritionist and naturopath, I still see and hear of the common (mis)conception that to achieve weight loss, you need to eat less and exercise more, or to expend more calories in exercise than you take in as food... This is such an outdated and incorrect theory that it's hindering people who really want to improve their health. And to do this you supposedly need to count calories going in as food and calories expended as exercise. Who really has the time and dedication to do this?! I don't, and why I don't recommend this for anyone!

There are a great many causes of weight gain, and the only way to truly lose weight and keep it off is to find and address ALL of the possible causes in each person, in a personalised and holistic way. One person's weight gain will be due to eating the wrong foods for their body, but another person's weight gain will be due to stress, or inflammation, or artificial sweeteners and other "diet" products (which have NO calories - oh, the irony), poor sleep quality or quantity, toxins in chemicals in foods or environment, the contraceptive pill, medications, hormone conditions, exposure to artificial light, genetics, increasing age, imbalance of gut bacteria, use of antibiotics, and many more causes...

In reality, as I see in practice, weight gain is very much a combination of several or many of these factors, and NOT just about how many calories someone is eating or not expending.

Can you see yet that calories are irrelevant?

Someone can be eating the best diet possible together with regular exercise, but still put on weight because of these other factors! Simply eating the "right" foods and exercising more will not correct all of the possible causes of weight gain in most people! This is why diets don't work and people who follow the diet/exercise theory almost always gain their weight back again, after all their efforts.

Counting calories is a waste of time! It doesn't work to help anyone lose weight. Focus instead on getting some help and advice on a holistic and personalised plan for you! I'd love to help you improve your health!

weight loss is not about calories in vs. calories out

12/6/2016

As a Nutritionist (and now Naturopath) I don't believe in the idea that weight gain is a result of a deficit of calories (ie, more calories in vs. less calories out). This idea has been disproven many times in recent research.

There are MANY causes of weight gain (as I have written about previously in my articles below) so having to weigh all your food, count the calories of all the macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats etc), restrict your food intake, struggle through craving...s and hunger, and all while exercising more, is all pointless! It just doesn't work!

Restricting foods because of their calories leads to nutrient deficiencies, chronic disease conditions (ie, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression and many other conditions) and even more weight gain - as your body adapts to the reduced food intake to slow down metabolism to store more fat instead!
Your health is not determined by how many (or few) calories you eat! Just because something is low in calories (ie, the carcinogenic artificial sweetener, aspartame) doesn't mean it is healthy, or that something is high in calories (ie, an avocado) doesn't mean that it is unhealthy!
The calories from the macronutrients are all used differently in your body, and differently again in other people!
Things that are important for a healthy weight are:
1) what nutrients your foods actually contain
2) how your foods are used in your body, or how they affect your body
3) your genes and your ethnicity
4) whether you are stressed, as you will not digest or absorb your foods well
5) when are you eating, how you cook your meals, and how much you eat
6) composition of your meals - % of carbohydrates, proteins and fats
7) how well your digestive system is functioning
8) and many more factors!

There are many things that need to be taken into consideration to losing weight, which is what I look at, for helping people to lose weight!

What are the right foods to eat, or the wrong ones to avoid? That can be a very individual thing - what may be good for someone else may not be good for you! Contact me to see how I can help you with a personalised plan!

sleeping difficulties are no laughing matter

11/2/2016

Getting a good nights sleep is not just something you need to recharge your batteries at the end of the day! Sleep is needed for:

1) Growth, particularly in children
2) Maintenance and repair of the body
3) Memory consolidation and learning
4) Detoxification and waste processing
and other purposes too!

Sleep difficulties are no laughing matter for people who can't sleep well. Symptoms of poor sleep include:

1) Difficulty getting to sleep
2) Waking during the night
3) Waking up tired
4) Poor concentration and memory
5) Poor immune system function and frequent infections
6) Depression
7) Weight gain.

There can be many reasons or causes for you not sleeping well, and can include dietary, environmental, lifestyle, stress and other factors. I have a range of options to help you sleep better, as it is something that I had difficulty with for a while too. Improving your sleep can make a huge difference to your health, your life and how you feel!

If sleep difficulties are a problem for you (or someone you know), please contact me!

Is the paleo diet all it's cracked up to be?

24/12/2015

The Paleo diet seems to be all the rage these days, if you watch or hear the media. So is it really that good?! Or is it unhealthy, as some health and media commentators suggest?

Firstly, paleo is a really bad name for this "lifestyle". It is NOT a diet! It is a way of life, a lifestyle. Diets are too hard to stick to, restrictive in nutrients, very unhealthy, and the body will adapt and change to the lack of nutrients and actually start putting ON weight! But that's another topic...

Critics of the paleo lifestyle get carried away with the name, saying that our paleolithic ancestors were lucky if they lived for 30 years, and this shows that paleo is useless and just another dangerous fad diet.

So what really is paleo all about? The main ideas behind this lifestyle are:
1) Eat organic foods (uncontaminated by toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers etc)
2) Buy or get foods locally, fresh from your own garden, or farmers markets - so you know they have not been in storage for 2 years or lacking in nutrients, and don't have a high "carbon footprint" by needing to be transported long distances
3) Eat seasonal foods - they are cheaper and fresher, again not likely to have been in storage
4) your money goes direct to farmers, not a pitiful percentage that the supermarkets pay them
5) sustainable production of foods.

That all sounds good right?! Yes!

What is confusing is that there's no one paleo diet either! There are many variations on this theme. The is also a misconception that paleo is high in protein (ie, meat), or low in carbs - which is also incorrect. Generally, however, what is true is that the foods allowed in this lifestyle include:
1) grass-fed meats
2) organic and fresh vegetables and fruits
3) eggs
4) nuts and seeds (except peanuts which are actually a legume!)
5) healthy fats and oils.

This is a "whole food" lifestyle!

Foods that are not recommended include the following:

1) grain-fed meats
2) whole grains and any grain products (breakfast cereals, breads, bakery products, pasta etc)
3) legumes (beans, lentils, soy, peanuts)
4) dairy products
5) sugar
6) potatoes
7) processed foods (and packaged foods)
8) refined vegetable oils (canola, margarine, and other nut/seed-based oils).

There are no set rules about this lifestyle, as it is flexible, and you can occasionally have other foods without feeling guilty about it! Critics of the paleo lifestyle (ie dietitians in particular) jump up and down that you can't remove a whole food group (such as grains) from their unhealthy, corrupt and industry-funded food pyramid model! With paleo, you don't miss out on any nutrients, as the lifestyle allows for substitution of common foods with healthier alternatives, such as nut milks instead of dairy, and healthier nuts and seeds instead of grains. There's nothing in grains that you can't get from other foods or food groups! Actually I don't necessarily recommend cutting all grains as some are better than others. It's mainly wheat and corn that I recommend avoiding.

There are very good reasons why paleo is a good nutrition lifestyle to follow, but it does depend on which variation you look at. Paleo can improve your health, help you to lose weight and reduce various symptoms that you may be experiencing.

The reasons for the exclusion of certain foods will take too long to explain but some are found in my blogs or articles here. More information on the paleo lifestyle will be coming in early 2016 as I am putting together a paleo seminar and workshop where you can find out more! Please let me know if you are interested in learning more about the paleo lifestyle in my upcoming seminar or workshop!

Sun Exposure doesn't cause skin cancer...

17/10/2015

Now that it's getting sunnier and warmer here in Brisbane, it's time to think about being sun-safe again - but perhaps not in the way you expect, as you will find out when you read on...

Did you know that your bodies make vitamin D from direct sunlight on exposed skin? Vitamin D is needed in our bodies to boost the immune system, enable calcium from foods to be absorbed and used for strong bones, to help with sleep, reduces inflammation and stress, reduces depression and other mental health issues, reduces the risk of most cancers, assists with weight loss and many more benefits!

Despite the fact that we have a high number of sunny days in Australia, that most Australians are deficient in vitamin D even in summer! This is due to the "sun safe" programs, supposedly to protect people from skin cancer. Unfortunately the real science shows that sunlight does NOT cause skin cancer - sunlight and vitamin D protects against cancer!

One study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2000 (entitled: "Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma"), it showed that people who used sunscreens did NOT have a reduced risk of malignant melanoma, that they spent more time in the sun and got melanoma even if they didn't get sunburnt, and there was an increased risk of melanoma from sunscreen use.

Sunscreens generally block the UV-B light (which is what we need to make vitamin D), and they allow the UV-A light to penetrate our skin, but this is the one that actually causes skin damage and skin cancers! Sunscreens give people a false sense of security to allow them to stay out in the sun longer and be exposed to more UV-A light, which increases their risk of skin cancer. This is the real issue. Then there's the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals actually found in recommended sunscreens!

An expert Dermatologist, Dr Bernard Ackerman, who has published 625 research papers on skin cancer says that there is no proven link between sun exposure and melanoma. And people with melanoma have it on less exposed body areas.

In the Cancer Epidemiology Markers and Prevention Journal in 2011, 49000 women were studied over 15 years, and the research showed that there was no evidence of cumulative UV exposure increasing the risk of skin cancer. In the same journal in 2011, 38000 women were studied over 15 years, concluding that sun exposure reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and dying from any cause.

Please check your sunscreens, and do your research on the ingredients in them - even the ones promoted by the Cancer Council have very toxic ingredients including neurotoxins, or they affect fertility or cause DNA damage (ie cancer), or disrupt your normal hormones.

For your family's health, get some sunlight on your skin in small doses (but not enough to burn) and use a natural sunscreen that does not have toxic ingredients in it, from a health food shop.

References:
Vitamin D deficiency in Australia - study on 24,000 people:

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-great-aussie-paradox-vitamin-d-deficiency-rates-soar-20121023-282kg.html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2012.04398.x/full

Swedish study – sunscreen use and malignant melanoma (2000) - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1097-0215(20000701)87:1%3C145::AID-IJC22%3E3.0.CO;2-3/full

2011 study - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551241
2011 study - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21297041
Hormone-disrupting parabens in sunscreens: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/02/toxic-parabens-on-breast-cancer-patients.aspx and http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/chemicals-in-your-cosmetics---parabens/

Benzyl alcohol in sunscreens:
http://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-benzyl-alcohol-another-irritating-preservative-unsafe-for-infants/
toxic sunscreens:

http://www.novamagazine.com.au/article_archive/2008/08_12_toxicsunscreen.htm

What do I specialise in?

31/8/2015

I've had some people recently ask me what is my specialty, or what conditions do I help with. My specialty is helping people with cancer. Strangely enough, somewhat related to cancer is weight loss and type 2 diabetes, which I do help people with too!

There is a well known fact that the typical unhealthy western diet contributes to weight gain, which in turn leads to diabetes and cancer. Conversely, improving your nutrition can relieve the symptoms of weight gain and cancer. This can only be achieved with a holistic approach which includes specific nutrition and lifestyle advice, stress relief, emotional healing, and a lot more.

Cancer has been a major interest of mine for many years. While I don't treat cancer as such, I treat and support the whole body to relieve symptoms, reduce the side-effects of cancer treatments, reduce pain, and generally improve quality of life. There is much recent research that an intake of good nutrition (together with specific supplements) can do all of these things, and I only use scientifically proven treatments (ie "evidence based") to help improve peoples' health.

If you know anyone who is looking for a more natural, gentle approach to weight issues or cancer, I'd be grateful if I were able to help.

Weight loss basics...

14/2/2015

I'm sure you have heard it before and I heard it again recently that weight loss is just about taking in less calories than you are actually expending, leaving a calorie deficit. This idea is an extremely simplistic view and so absolutely wrong it is degrading to all those people who are trying their hardest to lose excess weight and exercising and for whom this may not be working.

Firstly I do not recommend calorie counting anyway, as it is not necessary and people who do this tend to become obsessed with it and actually eat less real nutrients that their body REALLY needs in order to function. Such dieting can therefore lead to nutrient deficiencies (and subsequent disease conditions), cravings for more food, and the often inevitable giving into those cravings and further weight gain.

So if it is not the excess amount of calories that people are eating that is causing weight gain, then what is it? I'm glad you asked! Here is a list of SOME of the major causes of weight gain:

- Genetic predisposition,
- Type of food/drinks consumed,
- Lack of exercise,
- Stress and emotional issues,
- Slow/low metabolism, menopause, hormone conditions,
- Quantity of food/drinks being consumed,
- When do you eat, and with whom, how fast, where…
- The food that what you ate – what did it eat? (ie animal products)
- Medications (corticosteroids, antibiotics, antidepressants etc)
- Artificial sweeteners, chemicals in foods,
- Increasing age,
- Lack of sleep,
- toxicity in the body and in foods,
- food allergies and sensitivities,
- Imbalance in gut bacteria.

If you are doing all you can to be a healthy weight but can't, please contact me on 0417 632 464 to make a booking for a consultation so I can determine what your cause may be, and help you to achieving your perfect weight!

Good health to you!