5 reasons you aren't seeing results
Sometimes reaching your health goals can feel like this dark cloud. You have invested in yourself, you searched for answers, you implemented changes but you’re not seeing the results you want.
Its not always as easy as we want it to be.
Thats okay, I have some answers!
Consistent action.
This posts needs to start off with stating one of the biggest impactors of progress that is in your control.
A successful treatment plan requires consistency, intention and patience.
Consider before you begin a treatment plan
- Do you understand why you are implementing these changes
- Are you working toward a goal that is derived only from your desires for yourself, not based on what others want for you
- Do you have any questions before you start
- Are you willing to give time towards making these changes, if not, why?
Detoxification difficulties.
Detoxification involves the liver, kidneys, skin and lungs if were going to generalize it. We often forget that having consistent healthy bowel movements is a form of detoxification. If this system is functioning optimally you are able to metabolize and remove everything from your coffee and aspirin to your hormones and heavy metals.
As you can see the burden on the detoxifications system is heavy
Sympathetic State.
When we lack awareness of ourselves we tend to miss, deny or dismiss one of the largest propagator’s of illness and that is stress and the inability to move from a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic state.
There is a subset of people in this group that experience PLACEBO effect with almost everything they try. Immediately when they try something new they feel better, but it only lasts a few days or a week. Then everything goes back to baseline. Knowing this happens to you is AWESOME insight. It means there is work to do with mindset and the nervous system. Any information your body is giving you is information worth having.
Below are physical adaptations that occur when we are in a sympathetic state and the consequences each have on progressing towards your health goals.
Response to chronic stress
Constant low energy or exhaustion
Sleep disruption
Poor exercise recovery
Frequent colds
Anxiety
Physiological features
High or low cortisol at inappropriate time periods of the day
Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep
Inflammation.
The typical signs of inflammation is pain, redness, swelling, heat and loss of of function.This is what happens when we get a hang nail that is infected, an ankle sprain, broken bone, we can visually see and feel the inflammation present.
This is not always the case
Inflammation in the body can be tested through a blood draw as well the many potential sources of inflammation. Some of these include infection, insulin resistance, excess adipose tissue, dietary choices, heavy metal exposure, stress, trauma such as a concussion, eczema, arthritis and other inflammatory joint conditions.
Inflammation in many cases perpetuates or is a driver of disease. Although treating symptomatically may make you feel better temporarily if treatment does not involve treatment of the triggers and mediators and your inflammation is maintains then it is likely you will hit a plateau in your progress.
Infection.
I saved the best for last.
Without a doubt if you are following a well developed treatment plan with consistency and you either plateau in your progress or see no change then an assessment of potential infection or dysbiosis need to occur.
Infection involves a pathogen that has the potential to cause disease.
Dysbiosis is an imbalance of commensal bacteria that if certain strains overgrow can cause inflammation, biofilms and other local symptoms. These organisms are typically not pathogenic but can be the cause of disease and dysfunction.
In my line of questioning I am always checking for mould exposure, parasite infections, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, commensal fungal overgrowth, intestinal pathogens, previous Ebstein Barr infections (often resulting in mono), Lyme disease, H. pylori and chronic sinusitis or recurrent sinus infections.
If a functional assessment confirms the presence of infection then this becomes the number one treatment target before moving forward typically looking at a least a 3 month period before symptoms resolve.