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Journal of an Herbalist
By Karima Burns, MH, ND 23/07/2001
Client: Zeineb
Complaint: Weight Loss
Zeineb came to me complaining that she could not lose weight, despite the fact that she ate healthy foods and was a very active person. The weight seemed to be a permanent part of her body, even though she had tried reducing portions and serving sizes; cutting out fat; eating healthier, and even not eating at all. She came to me to talk about trying some different methods of weight loss as she was tired of the "same ole" diets.
Journal:
Zeineb and I began addressing her problem by doing an iridology reading. In cases where a person does not know why they are futilely struggling with a health problem, iridology is a very reliable way to pinpoint the source of that problem. In Zeineb's case, her lymphatic system was very clogged and sluggish, which meant that she was not eliminating all the fats and toxins from her body after she ate. I prepared an herbal mixture that was designed to cleanse her lymphatic system and help her lose weight. Since Zeineb's eating habits were already moderate and healthy, we decided to focus on the kinds of foods she ate rather than the quantities of those foods. I also introduced Zeineb to more unusual methods of weight loss.
Although she had a healthy diet, Zeineb was still eating too much bread. I told her to stop basing her meals on "healthy bread" and to start using bread and meat more as condiments. She had fallen into the common trap of many people who change to a healthier way of eating and was now eating only "whole" and homemade foods that were grain based. Grains, however, are generally very fattening.
Zeineb would start the day with homemade rolls; then eat a sandwich for lunch; have homemade sugar-free and low-fat cakes, cookies and pretzels as snacks; and often have pasta for dinner. I suggested that she use vegetables or fruits as her "main dish" and use breads and meats as side-dishes or condiments. For example, she could have a fruit salad with some yogurt on top instead of having a dish of yogurt with a few pieces of fruit. For lunch she could have a big chef salad with some croutons and chicken instead of having a couple of large slices of homemade bread with salad and chicken between them. She could still have her pasta for dinner, but I suggested creating thick sauces filled with vegetables and serving a few noodles with the sauce instead of the other way around.
As a general guideline I suggested that she continue eating the same things she had been eating, but try to keep her starches down to 30% and her vegetable and fruit intake at around 60%. She seemed a bit skeptical that healthy bread and low-fat homemade treats could make her fat. So, I lent her two books that explained how grains create fat in the body -
The Zone Diet by Barry Sears and The Mcdougall Plan by John McDougal. I also explained to her that excess wheat and grain could raise the acidic environment in her body, thus resulting in an all pervasive sluggishness and dysfunction of various body systems. I lent her the book
Your Health...Your Choice by Ted Morter, MD, in order to help her understand the concept of an acidic body. We also decided that she should follow the diet he recommends in his book.
Zeineb also needed to recognize which foods are good for weight loss and which are not. According to Chinese and Islamic Medicine, bitter and sour foods and herbs are very effective for weight loss. The bitterest grains are: amaranth, quinioa, oats and rye. Sour foods include: pickles, homemade yogurt, lemons and grapefruit.
Sweet foods are very significant contributors to weight gain. I suggested that she keep her intake of sweet things - including juice, fruits and, of course, sugar - to a minimum. Most sweet fruits - like apples and oranges - hinder weight loss because they can cause an overall dampness in the system, which contributes to water retention and sluggish metabolism. Other good foods to assist in weight loss are: adzuki beans, celery, kohlrabi, asparagus, kale, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.
I also suggested some seasonings she could use in her cooking that would further assist in her weight loss regime. I explained to her that almost every "spicy" herb (e.g. cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom) would help increase her metabolism and help her lose weight more efficiently. I suggested she could use these herbs by drinking very weak coffee with cardamom or have green tea (which is also good for weight loss) with cinnamon and a dash of milk. However, I limited her to two cups of coffee
or tea a day.
I also recommended that she try to avoid foods she may be allergic to. Allergic reactions to foods make them hard to digest, and thus contribute to weight gain. Some common allergens include: soybeans and soy milk, wheat, oranges, peanuts, almonds, milk, bananas, chocolate and eggs. She already suspected that she might be allergic to some foods since she felt very fatigued after eating them. So, we decided to start her diet with a detox and then slowly add in the suspect foods after the detox was over. I suggested she undergo an all-vegetable and fruit detox. She would eat 30-40% raw vegetables, 30% cooked vegetables, 20% fruits and 10-20% grains. In-between meals she could snack on raw vegetables and raw carrot-celery or carrot-apple juice mixed with a green powder like Kyo-green or Barleygreen. These powders consist of a high-protein mixture of barley grasses, wheat grasses and seaweed that are very effective in weight loss regimes. They suppress the appetite and provide a natural form of many minerals and vitamins that "trick" the body into being "nutritionally full". If she could not find the powders, she could use any powder with barley grass and spirulina in it or simply snack on some dried seaweed and homemade barleygrass.
In addition to her dietary recommendations, I suggested she drink an herbal tea to help her lose weight. Oat straw, dandelion and alfalfa are all good for women's health and nutrition, as well as for weight loss and can be used in teas. The addition of burdock would cleanse her blood and liver and promote further weight loss. Using fennel and fenugreek would also help her to suppress her appetite, cleanse her liver and intestines and dissolve fat.
Zeineb also asked me which vitamins would help her lose weight. I suggested the book
Anti-fat Nutrients and added some B-complex vitamins to her diet, along with one tablespoon a day of lecithin granules.
To further help her lymph system and metabolism, I created an aromatherapy oil mixture for Zeineb. She was to massage 1 tablespoon of the oil into her feet or body once a day. Alternatively, she could add two tablespoons of the mixed oil to her bathwater. The formula I gave her was: two drops of juniper oil, two drops of bergamot, two drops of citrus, two drops of rosemary and two tablespoons of vegetable oil.
This would make a great natural perfume, uplift her energy levels, act as a natural diuretic, cleanse her system and liver, and keep her alert, cheery and full of optimism and determination! I also warned her to stay away from lavender, may chang and ylang ylang, which are counterproductive for someone trying to lose weight.
I explained to her that color therapy could also help her lose weight. Blue is a perfect color for weight loss as it decreases appetite. If a person eats on a blue plate or with a blue tablecloth they are less likely to overeat. Orange, on the other hand, will increase and encourage the appetite so person trying to lose weights should stay away from orange in the kitchen.
I also suggested she try a little reflexology at home, especially focusing her massage on the upper portion of her foot, corresponding to the lymphatic system; the middle of the foot under the arch on the inside of both feet, which corresponds to the stomach area; and the outside foot along the edge, which corresponds to the rest of the lymph system. I showed her how to apply pressure by supporting her thumb and grasping the other side of the foot with the other fingers. Slowly massaging the entire foot for ten minutes twice a week for six weeks would assist her metabolism.
Zeineb found the program easy to follow and the diet filling. She commented that the Barleygreen was very filling and that the aromatherapy oils were enjoyable. She also commented that having so many "little projects", such as the reflexology and the color therapy, had kept her busy enough that she was distracted from eating out of boredom. She lost 15 pounds in her first month and continued to lose weight even after the detox by continuing her herbal tea and aromatherapy treatments. I recommended she use her "special program" once or twice a year to maintain her weight but that for permanent weight loss she should read the book
Habits, Not Diets by James Ferguson.
Karima Burns is a naturopath and herbalist. She has published her own newsletter about natural healing for four years and has studied many aspects of natural healing from herbs to homeopathy to aromatherapy for the past 12 years. She is an herbal consultant and teaches people about natural healing from her home in Saudi Arabia. This is a journal of her experiences with her clients.
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