How Avoiding Gluten Can Prevent Acne + Help You Lose Weight

How Avoiding Gluten Can Prevent Acne and Help You Lose Weight! (Part 1)

Avoiding gluten may help you lose weight and clear up your acne for so many reasons. Some people say gluten avoidance is just a trend, but I know from personal experience that leaving gluten out of the diet will help with overall health and so many people can drop weight and get smoother, more clear and even-toned skin. It’s not a trend; gluten is bad news, and not just for those with Celiac disease. Avoiding gluten can prevent acne and help you lose weight and we are going to tell you how today!

Why Say No To Gluten?

Gluten (which is the protein found in wheat, barley and rye) is extremely prevalent in many types of processed foods. You’ll find it in everything from packaged energy bars, cereals and even soy sauce. Even if you don’t think you have a problem with gluten because you feel fine after eating foods that contain it, gluten could be the culprit if you are having trouble losing weight or getting rid of pimples/zits (ugh!). It has sticky, glue-like properties, which is not great for optimizing digestion! Not everyone with a gluten sensitivity knows they have it, and they keep dieting and trying new skin products to no avail.

Gluten + Inflammation

Inflammation and Acne Gluten sensitivity can trigger inflammation. If you are sensitive (not the same as celiac disease or an allergy), the gluten in your food can irritate the inside and outside of the digestive tract, but it does not actually destroy the intestinal wall the way Celiac disease does. The body thinks the gluten is an intruder (which, in reality it is), so it initiates an immune system response: inflammation. Inflammation doesn’t stay localized and only cause digestive discomfort. Instead, it spreads. And because there’s a link between gut health and your skin, acne appears. The best way to determine if you are having inflammation issues to due to gluten is to have a food sensitivity test.

Gluten Is Lurking in Foods You Shouldn’t Really Eat Anyway.

You will generally lose weight and notice clearer skin when you skip the foods gluten is in simply because you’ll be eating less processed food and more whole fruits and vegetables that nourish your body. However, you will experience a decrease in inflammation and cravings for junk food may also subside.

“…. Prior to doing the test, I experienced bloating, sluggishness, and very dry skin. My results were very easy to read and showed that I had an intolerance to many foods that I had been consuming daily! Coffee was the biggest culprit on my list of “to be avoided” items. The ALCAT representative [at New Leaf Wellness] helped me with a plan to eliminate these from my routine and just a few weeks later, I started to feel better….”

– Angie R., New Leaf Wellness Patient

These benefits work in tandem with the superior diet to contribute to better skin and a naturally slimmer figure much more quickly and easily (and your results will be effortless to maintain!).

If you are committed to avoiding gluten to at least give the gluten-free lifestyle a trial run, you should know that it shows up in some unexpected places, like:

  • Soy sauce
  • Some pickles (if malt vinegar was used)
  • Licorice
  • Veggie burgers (not all, but some. check labels)
  • Processed grains (try to get oat groats or steel cut, and ones labeled as manufactured in a gluten-free facility)
  • Processed meats
  • Ice cream
  • Some soups
  • Dressings
  • Sauces (including soy sauce)
  • Snack foods
  • Chips and crackers
  • Beer

*unless specifically marked gluten-free

“…. The first thing I noticed was my bloating and stomach pain started to subside. I no longer felt sluggish and my complexion started to shine again. The dry skin I had experienced before was no longer an issue. Although it was difficult for me to eliminate coffee from my diet, I feel it has made a huge difference in the way I feel each day. I am grateful for what I learned through the ALCAT test and feel more educated on what I should be putting into my body!”

– Angie R., New Leaf Wellness Patient

None of these have a beneficial place in a healthy diet when you are purchasing the pre-packaged, processed version at the grocery store (like most soups, sauces, and dressings). If you want a burger without the meat, you can make your own alkaline grain burgers from millet and amaranth flour instead of taking a chance with the store-bought ones.

Learn the fascinating science behind how you’re FEELING and the FOODS you’re eating! Come for a Food Sensitivity Test at a nearby New Leaf Wellness Center! Schedule it now by contacting us here or calling 888-728-7555!

Supplements Every Guy or Gal Needs

Mixed messages, misguided information, supplement companies partnering with other industries  as ambassadors for their brand and it is all so confusing what to believe. So, today we can at least shed some light on supplements every guy or gal needs.

Supplements Every Guy or Gal Needs

You try to eat healthy, but there are still those splurges on nachos, beer, and pizza (and that’s just the short list of your cheat foods). So, you are likely nowhere close to getting all the nutrients you need each day. You are not alone. Who really eats nine servings of fruits and veggies every day? That’s where a few well chosen capsules can help.

“Supplements won’t counteract poor eating habits, but they can help to make a healthy diet better.”   – Dr. Robert Sieman, Medical Director of New Leaf Wellness

In other words, while you still need all the fruits and vegetables you can stomach, on those days when you opt for a beer rather than a smoothie, the right supplements can help to fill in the gaps from a less than ideal diet.

Like Multivitamins

No rocket science here, but it’s surprising just how many guys and gals still do not take a multi. The key to making them work is to make them part of your routine. Instead of stashing the bottle on a shelf, keep it by your toothbrush or coffee pot- something you hit every day without fail.

 

We have carefully crafted a multi for both guys and gals that helps fill in the gaps to ensure you are getting the most nutrition everyday. So, if you want to splurge on the nachos on Friday night, go for it.

Learn more about Xena Vitality Women’s Multi Complex or Alpha Vitality Men’s Multi Complex at:   https://nlrxnutrition.myshopify.com/

 

Feel like you need more than a multi? Are you struggling with a disease that is attacking your immune system? Do you have a bug and no time to let it run its coarse? Check out our IV Therapy options!

 

Male Menopause?

Male Menopause? What’s that?

Even though there is more public talk about women and menopause, men also encounter a hormonal imbalance as they age (andropause). Because women tend to have a more abrupt hormonal change they are more likely than men to realize that their symptoms are from a hormonal imbalance. Men tend to have a more gradual change–with symptoms slowly appearing over 20 year period. Often the symptoms are not seen as a hormonal decline.

Male menopause (called andropause) has many different symptoms. These symptoms come from a drop in Testosterone.

Andropause (male menopause) Symptoms:

  • depression
  • irritability
  • decreased morning erections
  • longer recovery time from workouts
  • stiffness and pain in joints and muscles
  • decreased concentration
  • decreased ability to build muscle
  • lowered mental acuity
  • loss of the competitive edge
  • overall loss of vitality
  • fatigue
  • sleep disturbances
  • and more

A man may still have a good libido (sex drive) but be suffering from a decrease in his Testosterone levels because he does not realize that Testosterone performs many functions in the body. Testosterone is not just a “sex” hormone.

“I feel back in balance. I have more energy and feel more focused.”
– Charlee P., New Leaf Wellness Patint

Strong associations between low Testosterone and…..

  • bone loss (osteoporosis)
  • dementia
  • type 2 diabetes
  • elevated LDL cholesterol
  • arthritis

There is a lot of incorrect information about the negative side effects of Testosterone and when you research the studies you will find that when bio-identical Testosterone is prescribed and monitored by a hormone specialist, Testosterone is a benefit to the overall health and vitality of men and has not been shown to cause cancer or heart disease. Proper hormone balancing for men results in a man who feels great, thinks clearly, moves easier, and enjoys life better.

We at New Leaf Wellness like to help you live life better. To get started, contact us for a complimentary consultation.

Testosterone Series: Men & Hormones

Men are more likely to have their hormonal imbalance under diagnosed than woman are. New Leaf Wellness has provided a simple questionnaire that you can use to determine if you (or the man you love) may have a hormonal imbalance.

Man and woman on couchINSTRUCTIONS: Please answer the following questions with none, mild, moderate, severe, or extremely severe. Your answers will help you to better understand the severity of your hormonal imbalance if an imbalance exists.

Are you experiencing the following symptoms?

  • Decline in your feeling of general well-being (general state of health, subjective feeling)
  • Joint pain and/or muscle aches (lower back pain, joint pain, pain in a limb, general increase in aches and pains)
  • Excessive sweating (unexpected/sudden episodes of sweating, hot flushes independent of your activity level)
  • Sleep problems (difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up early and feeling tired, poor sleep, sleeplessness)
  • Increased need for sleep, often feeling tired
  • Irritability (feeling aggressive, easily upset about little things, moody)
  • Nervousness (inner tension, restlessness, feeling fidgety)
  • Anxiety (feeling panicky)
  • Physical exhaustion/lacking vitality (general decrease in performance, reduced activity, lacking interest in leisure activities, feeling of getting less done or of achieving less or of having to force oneself to undertake activities)
  • Decrease in muscular strength
  • Depressive mood (feeling down or sad, on the verge of tears, lack of drive, mood swings, feeling nothing is of any use)
  • Feeling that you have passed your peak
  • Feeling burnt out, having hit rock bottom
  • Decrease in beard growth
  • Decrease in ability/frequency to perform sexually
  • Decrease in morning erections
  • Decrease in sexual desire/libido (lacking pleasure in sex or desire for sexual intercourse)

How To Determine Results:

After answering the above questions, look at how many you answered with mild or more severe symptoms. This will give you an idea of the severity of your hormonal imbalance.

If this questionnaire has shown you that there may be an issue with your hormones, then the next step is to get your hormone levels evaluated by your New Leaf Wellness provider who specializes in hormone balancing.​

Contact us to get started!

Call 888-728-7555 or e-mail us.

 

The Benefits of Testosterone

Modern science has taught us much about the benefits and importance of the body’s hormones. Scientists and doctors now understand how important the balance of hormones in our bodies is, and how critical it is to maintain that balance.

Imbalance Side Effects

The side effects of a testosterone imbalance can be dangerous, and this is true for both men and women. In men, low testosterone is most commonly linked to a low sex drive, causing disruptions in romantic partnerships, as well as self-esteem issues. Clearly, the issue goes far beyond sexual performance.

Pros of Testosterone in Men

Properly balanced testosterone in a man results in decreased fat and increased muscle mass, impacting cardiovascular and muscular health. Recent studies have also found an interesting link between low testosterone and life expectancy. Men with less testosterone are statistically more likely to have shorter lives than men with high testosterone.

Women too?

Women also feel the effects of testosterone imbalance. Common knowledge holds that testosterone is just for men, but that’s not true. Low testosterone in women results in a wide variety of hard to diagnose symptoms: fatigue, anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, and weight gain are some common symptoms. These effects are commonly seen after menopause, but hormone imbalances can happen at any age. Properly balancing the body’s natural testosterone and estrogen levels prevents these symptoms.

Men + Women

In both men and women, imbalances in testosterone result in health issues like diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis. So testosterone is important for more than just men’s health issues; it crosses gender boundaries and affects all areas of the body. The Providers at New Leaf Wellness are aware of the risks and inconveniences that imbalanced hormone levels bring to the human body, and we are pleased to offer Natural Hormone Therapy to our clients.

NHT works to reach a targeted level of hormones in your body, restoring your body’s natural ability to keep healthy and fit. Hormones are beneficial at any age, but most commonly we administer the therapy to people in their 40’s, when your body naturally begins to slow production of certain hormones. Supplementing these declining hormones can keep your body fit and active for much longer. Bio-identical hormones are made from plants and are identical to the hormones naturally produced by your own body. We never use synthetic hormones, which have been shown to increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Benefits of Natural Hormone Therapy include:

  • Increased bone density
  • Weight loss
  • Sleep improvement
  • Increased vitality and energy
  • Higher libido
  • More muscle mass

Our clients love the results and energy they’ve get once their hormonal levels are fully balanced. Because hormones are so important, we’re proud to lend our medical expertise to ensure all our hormonal treatments are tailored to your specific needs. If you’re curious about NHT, you can take a short quiz to see if NHT would be a good fit for your body.

For MEN

For WOMEN

Hormone Replacement Therapy

 Many people are turning toward hormone therapy due to its many benefits and long lasting healthy effects on the human body. These hormone replacement therapy methods are mostly required as a person gets older, probably in their thirties or after. People turn towards NHT because there must have been changes in his or her body and life that could be interfering with productivity, healthfulness, pleasure, vitality, and enjoyment. Hormone treatments are not just taken up by everyone, blood analysis is used to determine what will best suit for that specific individual.

Estrogen/testosterone therapy:

Women go for estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy. Mostly, men think about testosterone hormone replacement therapy to aid them in proper erectile function and improve their muscle tone. NHT also improves immunity and recovery, enhances cognitive abilities, stimulates production of thicker and fuller hair, enhances memory and concentration, improves sexual functioning, desire and also is known to lower cholesterol levels.

Anti-aging benefits:

For some people HT is a lot about the anti-aging benefits that you can get with it. The list of physiological enhancements talks about the inner working of the body like improved regeneration of new cells of skin, hair, muscles, nails, bones. All this along with improved lean muscle mass of a physically toned body and a lot more. Keep in mind that each of the main types of hormone replacement therapy that are used in adults has a particular purpose. It is not just a treatment that will help you age gracefully without putting your lives basic functions at rest. Detailed blood testing is what will show if any of these vital levels has declined in the body, and if you are in need of a hormone treatment or not, if so, which ones and to what extent.

Take our Hormone Health Quiz!

For WOMEN

For MEN