As a Holistic Nutritionist I always want to give my clients the best options available that are a real fit for them. The trouble with nutrition is that it is completely individualized, meaning there is no one size fits all “diet” plan, so when working with clients it becomes a bit of a trial and error game, which can at times be tedious and lead to disappointment for both my client and me.
I discovered Metabolic Balance a couple of years ago, a fellow RHN was studying the program so I inquired what it was. I had been reading a lot about Metabolic Syndrome and the increasing prevalence of insulin resistance in people so this program was really peaking my interest. I watched her clients progress through the program and continued to be amazed with their results. Until finally I decided to dive in myself. I began the course in January of this year (2021) and loved the content so much! I devoured it and completed the curriculum and exams by the beginning of March. From there I began on my own Metabolic Balance journey. If you saw my previous post you will know a bit about Metabolic Balance and what it entails. If not, take a moment and go check it out... I’ll wait.
OK! Great. So now you know that Metabolic Balance uses your individual blood values to create a plan designed just for you! It provides all the foods that are best suited for your body and your nutritional needs to bring your entire body back into balance. This is what I love the most about it! There is no guessing.
I had to see the results for myself. I got my requisition for my blood work and took off for LifeLabs where they drained me of a few vials. Once my results were in I sent them off to Germany and patiently waited for my plan. The turn around time was pretty quick. I was pleasantly surprised. On March 11 I took pictures of myself as well as took measurements so I could see and track my progress. And then I got started!
I will say that I cannot guarantee what would be on your plan, you may end up having some foods you’ve never tried before which in my opinion is great! A new adventure in the kitchen. But you may also not have some of your normal staples. which is also great, because this allows you to try new things and you can know that your fave foods are not gone forever. All of the foods on your list are foods that you can easily find at your local grocery store. I was pretty happy with my plan, it had lots of options, a huge list of veggies, fruit and proteins. The meal plan is designed to allow you a lot of flexibility. You can mix and match your veggies and move meals around. For example, say you wanted chicken for lunch on day 1 but it’s only listed on day 2, no biggie, we can move it and that’s part of what I’m here to help you with.
The first phase of the program is a short phase, it’s just 2 days and it’s really just a prep phase that gets your body ready to start your metabolic healing. Phase 2 has two parts, the first 2 weeks are “strict” this is where you are converting your body to be more metabolically healthy and your body learns to be more efficient at using energy and burning fat when it needs to. After those first 2 weeks, you move into phase 2 relaxed. You stay in this phase until you reach your goals. Again this is where I’m here to help you.
For me the strict phase took a little bit to get used to. I wasn’t using any added fats in my meals or cooking with oils. But it didn’t last long and I was on to the relaxed phase and feeling great! I had released almost 10lbs and when I took my progress pics at the end of the 2 weeks you could see a huge difference especially around my tummy. That inflammatory hormonal bloat had decreased a lot!
I’ve been in phase 2 relaxed for almost 3 months now. I can honestly say I’m loving it! My skin has never looked this good, I have energy and a desire to workout again. Whether it was Covid or something else this past winter I really just lost all motivation for anything. And in these last few months I’ve really shifted back to a more healthy lifestyle. There are many ways to track your progress when it comes to improving your health that have nothing to do with your gravitational pull on the earth. I’ve started to add in some more healthy habits, like working out again. I’ve also noticed my sleep has improved. On days that I work at the nursing home I get up at 5:25am and I wake up actually feeling good! I don’t need the snooze button. I’ve added a few things to my morning routine like dry brushing, this is so great for your lymphatic system which doesn’t have it’s own pump so the only way to get it moving is through exercise or massage/dry brushing. (I’ll do a separate blog about this.) After I dry brush I hop into a cold shower! It’s quick, but it feels so good and I get out feeling really energized.
Metabolic Balance helps you balance your hormones and enzymes. Something that happened this month that I was particularly stoked about was the arrival of my monthly cycle. It was “late” or at least it was in comparison to previous months. What really happened was my cycle became less stressed. I had no PMS symptoms and ZERO symptoms when my cycle started. No cramping, no low back pain, no bloating, it was like Aunt Flow wasn’t even in town! It was fantastic! I’ll have to see what happens next month of course to see if this is something that continues, but boy, I sure hope so! Can you imagine a life where you just get to carry on about your day like normal, not needing to take any pain pills or collapse on the couch with a hot water bottle?!
Phase 3 begins once you’ve met your goals. This phase is even more relaxed. You start adding back in the foods that were not on your list and stop weighing your food. By this point in the program you have learned how to listen to your body cues, you know when you are full and satisfied and how much you need to eat. Then you move to phase 4 (the last phase) which is maintenance, you continue to use what you have learned during the program, but you are back to eating the foods not on your plan and are essentially back to your new normal while still following the Metabolic Rules most of the time. I like the 80/20 approach. This allows for long term success and also allows for life to happen and be enjoyed!
For me personally this is the best I have felt in a long time! I truly can't explain it, other than knowing the science behind it. Your gut is where a significant amount of your serotonin is produced, it's your happy hormone, and when your gut is feeling good and balanced your entire body feels this way too! It's like a down stream effect, hormones in balance, gut happy, you happy!
If this sounds like something you need in your life I'd love to chat and see if Metabolic Balance is a fit for you. Reach out through my contact page or head over to the Work with Me page and click the Metabolic Balance link to get started!