Most of my readers know I believe in thorough medical testing and have certain set ideas about nutrition. However, I also think it’s important to take a step back and listen to other points of views and question ourselves from time to time. Today, I want to introduce you to an expert who has helped me do just that: Keith Littlewood.
Keith’s becoming a big name in the wellness world – he has a degree in Health and Fitness, has studied Neuroscience, Biomechanics, Functional Medicine as well as Neurology, and is currently doing a Masters in Endocrinology. He also teaches Neuro Kinetic Therapy. His experience and knowledge allow him to use a very holistic approach to help clients overcome a variety of issues from chronic pain to energy and digestion problems. Keith works internationally – I was actually introduced to him by a friend in the US – but he is based in Dubai. In fact, you may have already heard him on Dubai Eye’s “Eye on Health”. He’s also written two e-books, one of which I just finished reading called Happy Hormones. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the endocrine system better, especially the thyroid.
WM: One of the things you help clients with is nutrition. How has your approach evolved over time?
KL: Through my training and education I have learned a lot about different aspects of nutrition – and for many years, I prescribed clients paleo diets, which suggest they follow certain strict guidelines like cutting out sugar. It made sense at the time, but looking back, even though there could be mechanisms whereby that works for certain people, it’s not something I encourage today. Spreading the idea that sugar is bad is a bit harsh, can be quite confusing and at the end of the day, it’s biologically untrue.
WM: Isn’t sugar bad for you?
KL: I don’t think we should be eating it all the time, but sugar has been overly vilified. People are calling it addictive and toxic. In reality, there isn’t any solid research to back that up. Excessive quantities of anything can have bad effects on our body. Too much broccoli can be bad on biological levels. So can too much water. As they say, “the dose makes the poison”.
You have to remember, in hospital emergency rooms, the first thing they put into patients is salt and sugar to stabilize the system and make the body feel safe. Sugar in the right amounts is actually a stress reliever. One of the primary mechanism of stress is that when we have low blood sugar levels we go into stress response and if we don’t have adequate liver glycogen available, the body has to start breaking down fats and if it becomes excessive it has to break down proteins – to make this happen it needs to produce a lot more cortisol, the stress hormone.
My view would be eating sugar in balance with other nutrients shouldn’t be frowned upon. It’s a balance and everyone is different.
WM: So what should we be eating?
KL: It depends. You need to ask yourself, “Is this going to give my body the nutrients it needs right now?” A belly full of raw green vegetables might have a lot of vitamins and minerals, but it is hard to break down, produces a lot of bacteria and is tiring for the digestive system. If you are busy in meetings, running around or working out for a few hours, it might not be the best food for you at that moment. Whole greens are great, but if someone has a stressed out system, they need something that is easier to digest.
WM: What is your approach with clients today?
KL: First, I make sure that the client’s wants are congruent with their needs – we can quickly figure that out once they’ve answered a few questionnaires. For example, if a woman says their main objective is to lose weight but meanwhile they have trouble sleeping, low energy, low libido, are chronically stressed and anxious or have fertility problems, then weight loss really shouldn’t be their primary goal.
When I am faced with people in this situation, I ask them if they are willing to gain weight at first and let go of their ideas of what’s “healthy”. There is a reset point for a lot of people where they need to feel safe. When people start eating what their body needs, they may gain a little weight at first, but then their period comes back, PMS goes away, they become more regular, their sleeping patterns improve, they regain emotional balance and so on. These are basic needs that must be addressed and once they are, the weight issue almost always sorts itself out, but it’s the last thing we look at.
I know I can put people on diets that will make them lose weight quickly, but it won’t last and it’s almost always detrimental in the long run.
Instead, I tell them to spend one week doing everything they normally do and ask them to record a few key things: what, how much and when they eat, their body temperature, their pulse, sleeping patterns and other biological indicators their body is giving them. We assess this and modify their diet, take out the things that could be causing them problems and see how it goes. Usually, within a few weeks, clients begin to see results.
WM: What are some of the mistakes people make in their diet and lifestyle?
KL: It depends. Surprisingly, a lot of the women I meet are eating too “wholesome” – lots of greens, nuts, seeds and beans for example and too little good fats, fruits and carbs because they have been taught to be afraid of them. Another issue is not eating often enough and even skipping meals, which are strongly correlated to low body temperatures and pulse.
When clients start eating in a way that is more adapted to their system and lifestyle, we very often see that their temperatures start to improve. When it doesn’t, we may take a closer look at hormones like their thyroid and cortisol levels. I sometimes suggest they look into taking natural progesterone to help them with some of their symptoms.
WM: Why progesterone?
Our industrialized environment is pretty harsh, there are a lot of compounds in the environment that mimic estrogen and a lot of women experience stress. In times of stress, you might produce progesterone but it doesn’t get bound to the receptor so you may experience symptoms like low libido, low body temperature, anxiety, etc. Many studies show that progesterone is the ultimate endometrium protector so if you have PCOS, endometriosis or uterine fybroids, it can help. Also, progesterone helps increase bone density which becomes a concern for women as they age. It is definitely something women should inquire about.
WM: What about the thyroid? How is it related to digestion and stress in the body?
Any kind of stress – from the food we eat to over-exercising and chronic pain – can result in hormonal issues problems including the thyroid. Symptoms of hypothyroidism or low thyroid include constipation, Infertility, weight gain, low energy, poor sleep, aching muscles, low body temperature, miscarriages, digestive problems. For many a functional state of hypothyroidism can be resolved by eating on a regular basis.
WM: What is your take on cholesterol? Is it really the cause of heart disease?
KL: Cholesterol is a building block to all major tissues in the body and a precursor to many hormones in the body. It is usually sent to areas in the body that need repair. So when your body is producing high cholesterol levels, it is a symptom of something that is not working properly in your body. There are usually two main reasons someone would have high cholesterol levels: either they have a hypothyroid condition which hinders their metabolism or they have ongoing inflammation. For example, if you have arteries that are inflamed, they often calcify and cholesterol is often used to help repair these structures. Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the cause of that chronic inflammation is.
WM: You don’t believe in doing too much medical testing, why is that?
KL: I used to prescribe tests all the time. The problem is that they are very expensive and the truth is, there are lots of things you can do at home to improve your health without spending a dime. If they don’t work then sure, testing should be considered, but that’s not what I first suggest clients to do.
WM: If someone is experiencing digestive trouble, what do you suggest they can do at home?
KL: Temporarily, try to do the following:
- Cut out: things that are difficult to digest: pulses, nuts, seeds, brassica vegetables
- Avoid most vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc), they are terrible for you
- Eat: ripe tropical fruit, potatoes, good quality proteins, reasonable amounts of good quality saturated fats
- Eat: raw grated carrots everyday – carrots remove a lot of bad bacteria and endotoxins from the bowel and are easy to digest
WM: What message would you like to send to women who can’t seem to lose weight?
KL: Listen to your body – if you answer yes to more than one of these questions, you have more important issues going on. Deal with them before you address weight loss:
- Low energy
- Stress, anxiety
- Digestive issues
- Bad sleeping patterns (waking up in the middle of the night or trouble falling asleep)
- PMS, Fertility issues
- Low libido
Keith Littlewood – Balanced Body Mind
Visit his website: http://balancedbodymind.com/
Email: keith@balancedbodymind.com
Instagram: @tommolittlewood
