The last two chapters in Spent focus on the acclimation process that is required after completing the six-week program on restorative healing and finding your natural rhythm.
Dr. Lipman shares his professional experience with us and notes that 80% of his patients feel better after six weeks and the other 20% still need to focus on troubleshooting to improve their natural rhythm.
Dr. Lipman reminds us again that our genetic make-up is still consistent with the hunter-gather civilizations that we evolved from thousands of years ago. I recall reading about the Pima Indians of Northern Mexico that lived as hunters and gatherers several hundred years ago until they settled into the Arizona deserts and reservations. Scientists were alarmed to see that 50% of the Pima Indians developed obesity and diabetes in the U.S. but their counter-parts who still lived remotely in Mexico were lean and free of chronic diseases. The scientists developed the “thrifty gene” theory to explain how easy access to processed foods with high caloric content combined with decreased exercise would create this metabolic imbalance. The genetic make-up of the Pima Indians served them well in times of famine when they lived as hunters and gatherers, but in the modern world with easy access to food, the “thrifty gene” worked against them.
He also introduces the concept “food sensitivities” and cautions us to introduce some of our favorite foods or beverages slowly. Specifically he recommends that we keep a food diary to record our response to all the foods we re-introduce to our bodies and note any specific symptoms. Certain foods may be more taxing for your digestive and hormonal system and could impact the rhythm you have achieved in the six-week program. Increased fatigue, sluggishness, aches and pains, constipation or weight gain can all be symptoms of food sensitivity. Be careful and observant to your body’s needs as you begin to re-introduce the foods you cut out of your diet the past six weeks.
Are you one of the lucky 80% who has re-set their circadian rhythm and is ready to maintain a more balanced lifestyle? Tune in to the Ignite Live Chat online next week (Tuesday, July 21 at 3:00 p.m.) to share your thoughts and insights with us. You can pre-register now for the Live Chat.
I look forward to a lively and Spent-free discussion next week,
Dr. Tony Linares
