DR CABOT: Hello. My name is Dr Sandra Cabot and today I’m talking to you about some of the common challenges to losing weight. And I’m joined by naturopath Victoria Taylor.

VICTORIA: Good afternoon everyone.

DR CABOT: And mother and counsellor, Jodie Squires. Hi, everyone.

JODIE: Hi. How are you all?

VICTORIA: And Jodie is also going to be one of our Weight Loss Detectives, if you listen to our previous podcast.

DR CABOT: Yes. And we’re just having a general, friendly chat about why people give up trying to lose weight, because there’s too many challenges. And we’re saying that some of the weight loss programs out there are too challenging, because they demand too much of your time when you’re a busy person. And that’s true. I think it’s important to be able to do things at your pace and to feel comfortable, not overwhelmed. And that’s why we’ve developed our Weight Loss Detective program. And even though it sounds a bit technical, it’s only technical for us when it needs to be, because we analyze your blood tests and we analyze your diet. But we don’t overload you. We make it easier for you.

VICTORIA: And we make it understandable for you. We do the hard work so that you can just get on and do it!

DR CABOT: Yes. That’s right! So Jodie, you’re a lady who has tried to lose weight. Now you’re looking great, but you haven’t always found it easy.

JODIE: No. Lifestyle gets in the way. Children get in the way. Jobs, work, the house, everything around you, in general, get in the way.

DR CABOT: Yes. Well, that’s right! Because you’re looking after everyone else, putting them first as a mother.

JODIE: Yes.

DR CABOT: And that’s to your detriment. So that’s what held you back for a while?

JODIE: For a long time. The kids were small, the husband was busy, funds were low, there was no motivation. You were only ever the mother. So, you didn’t have to care about yourself. So, everyone else always came first. But you don’t need to be that way. There’s always someone who can help and things that can make lifestyle a lot easier. You can find out there are cheap alternatives and ways that you can go about things. There’s also things where if you have to fit in exercise, there’s ways that you can do it. And there’s always someone to listen to.

DR CABOT: Yes.

VICTORIA: And someone to listen to you. That is really, really important! To be heard. And considered to be the most important person in the case.

JODIE: Yes. You’ve got to make time for yourself. If you don’t, you won’t succeed. You just won’t.

DR CABOT: That’s right! And you’ve got to keep the focus.

JODIE: That’s right!

DR CABOT: If you keep getting distracted by other people’s needs or by stress, then it won’t be successful. You got to have the help to keep your focus.

JODIE: That’s right! And if you fall apart, the family falls apart. And you have to remember that. So, you have to be a little bit selfish in that respect, because you have to come first. So they’re looked after.

DR CABOT: Yes. I think that’s very important. And like for you, you didn’t realize that you had nutritional deficiencies.

JODIE: Nope.

DR CABOT: Of vitamin D and iodine and selenium that were slowing down your metabolism. Because you’d never being told about those things and how they help the thyroid gland. And you’ve never had the time to be properly checked out.

JODIE: Correct! I never took the time because everyone else came first. And now that I have learned so much more about it, I can look after myself better. I can look after my children better. And the household runs smoother. Just all works. And my mind’s clearer, which is a big help.

DR CABOT: Yeah. And you’re a working mother, too. You work full time.

JODIE: Yes. Kids at school, full time and husband and house to clean. Yes. It never ends.

VICTORIA: Oh! And the dog!

JODIE: Oh! And the dog!

VICTORIA: But that’s where the sanity focus is probably in the house.

JODIE: Yes.

DR CABOT: So, these are the challenges. People think it’s hard. It’s not hard! It’s priority, isn’t it? Having that priority.

JODIE: Yes. And that’s knowledge. Like they say, knowledge is power. If you have the knowledge, you can climb mountains. You can do anything you like. And having everybody here know all the benefits of losing weight, how to do it the easy way. There’s your knowledge. You can make every day so simple just by having that knowledge.

DR CABOT: That’s right! And very simple things can be obstacles to weight loss. Very simple things, like just having a little bit too much carbohydrate. You may think you’ve got a healthy diet. And there’s a lot of people out there who get 60 to 80% of their calories from carbohydrates, because we’ve normalized that. And we think that’s healthy. Get your fiber.

JODIE: It’s what we grew up on.

DR CABOT: And it’s in the media. And we think, okay, we’ve got to have our fiber. But for a lot of overweight people, they really need to cut the carbs way down. But they need to know what to replace the carbohydrates with. What’s the healthy protein. What are the healthy fats. And it doesn’t have to be super expensive.

JODIE: No, it doesn’t! And that’s all part of this learning.

VICTORIA: I’m always very surprised that it actually works out cheaper than a lot of processed food. A lot of people eat highly processed food, and that’s manufactured for a profit margin. And if you really eat real food without barcodes, it’s far more affordable to most people’s income.

DR CABOT: And it’s more satiating because your protein and fat builds you up and it lowers your hunger hormones, and it lasts a lot longer in your gut. So, you’ve satisfied for much longer.

JODIE: And one of the best things I heard, I’m not sure who it was from in here, but the best diet to be on is for foods that are single ingredients. So, you’ve got vegetables and meats and milk and things like that, that are all single ingredients that you can feed the kids. You can feed your husband. You’ll feel happier, you’ll feel healthier. It just works.

DR CABOT: So, how do you avoid not buying all of the chips and pretzels and chocolates and things?

JODIE: Well, I do a lot of cooking at home for the snack-side of things, so I know what’s going in it. And so, a lot of the recipes off our website, you can use them for snacks. So, the balls, they’re great for husbands. Send them off to work with a trayful of balls.

DR CABOT: What do you put in the ball?

JODIE: The Superfood!

DR CABOT: Oh, the Superfood!

JODIE: Yeah! It’s fantastic!

DR CABOT: Do you put any kelp powder in it?

JODIE: I haven’t done yet, but that’s probably…

DR CABOT: Just a little bit to add some extra iodine.

JODIE: That’s more into the stews and the soups, I believe.

DR CABOT: Well, we have great recipes on the Weight Loss Detective website and on Cabot Health. So, that’s what the Weight Loss Detectives are designed to do. Is to give you knowledge, which as Jodie said, is power. And also to support you, keep you focused and make it easier. Because it’s often the simple things that really hold people back. They’re powerful, even though they’re simple. Things like an iodine deficiency or a zinc deficiency or your gut microbiome is out.

VICTORIA: Not enough sleep. You know how tempting it is to stay up late to watch just one more TV program, and that can really interfere with everybody’s best weight loss. Efforts, even low carb. Not enough sleep can jigger everything.

JODIE: I remember when the kids were small. I used to use the excuse overnight “I’ll just sit up and watch this now because I can. I’m alone.” Now, I just go “Oh well, I’ll go the bed.” And I go to sleep because I’m alone. And it’s just so much better. It really is. Instead of me sitting up, having a biscuit and a cup of tea. Start small! It’ll work out. You just need small steps.

DR CABOT: What time to go to bed now?

JODIE: Usually by 10 o’clock.

DR CABOT: Perfect! Because it’s between 10 pm and 6 am that your circadian rhythm is meant to strengthen your adrenals.

JODIE: There you go!

DR CABOT: And your adrenals are your survival glands. They give you energy. They give you endurance. So, sleep’s so important. And the other one thing about sleep, is when you go into a deep sleep, all the spaces inside your brain open up. Physically, they open up so that the Cyril responder fluid that washes the brain can flow much faster and wash your brain out and detox your brain.

JODIE: Oh, that’ll help!

DR CABOT: It does! So, you wake up in the morning and you can think clearer. You don’t have so much brain inflammation, so you’re in a better mood. So you’re less likely to go “Give me chocolate!”

JODIE: Well, that’s great!

DR CABOT: Sleep is so important for our weight and for our hormones. If you’re adrenal glands are exhausted, you’re going to turn more to carbohydrates for energy. So, all these little things are addressed, and it works for the average person out there. And Jodie has shown that in her own life. And so many of our patients have as well. So, thanks for listening to this podcast from the Weight Loss Detectives.

JODIE: Thank you.

VICTORIA: Thank you. Bye bye now.