Dr. Plank's Wellness & Weight Loss Nutritional Nuggets

Hi,

Welcome to my webinar: Cracking the Hormonal Code: Understanding Insulin Resistance and PCOS

Your Hormones and Your Health

Are you tired of feeling like your body is working against you? Do you struggle with the physical and emotional challenges of PCOS or insulin resistance?
You're not alone.

I'll explain Insulin Resistance and the root cause that must be addressed to get you a brighter, healthier future. I'll also discuss the connection between Insulin Resistance and PCOS.

I hope you find it informative!

Hi,

Welcome to another episode of Wellness & Weight Loss with Dr. Susan, in today's episode, I'll be discussing Insulin Resistance, Weight Gain, and the Energy Drain Connection.

Say Goodbye to Your Symptoms and Fear for the Future

Are you tired of feeling like your hormones are controlling your life? Do you feel like you're living in fear of what the future may hold?
It's time to take control of your health and wellness.

Hello and welcome to our show on Insulin Resistance. Today, we'll be discussing what insulin resistance is, its prevalence, and the risk factors associated with it.

Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's cells become less sensitive to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 88 million American adults have insulin resistance, with risk factors including a family history of diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, PCOS, and certain other medical conditions.

Insulin resistance can be caused by a variety of factors, let's delve into these a bit deeper:

Coming Next Week:

Interested in finding out more about Insulin Resistance?

PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, affects up to 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, making it one of the most common endocrine disorders in women. Despite its prevalence, PCOS is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, leading to unnecessary suffering and a significant impact on women's quality of life.

Today's show aims to raise awareness about PCOS, providing accurate information about its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. We will also share practical tips for managing the condition and improving your health and well-being.

Whether you are living with PCOS or simply want to learn more about this condition, we invite you to join the conversation and share your experiences and questions. Together, let's break the silence around PCOS and promote greater understanding, support, and care for all women affected by this condition. Thank you for tuning in.

Hi,

Hi!

Menopause can be a challenging time for women, with symptoms ranging from hot flashes to mood swings. One of the most frustrating symptoms is weight gain, which can be difficult to combat with diet and exercise alone. However, by incorporating a hormone balancing diet, women can not only manage their weight, but also support overall hormonal health during this transitional period.

Over the next couple weeks, we’ll explore the relationship between hormones and menopause weight gain, as well as provide tips and strategies for creating a hormone balancing diet that can help combat those pesky extra pounds.

Struggling with menopause, hot flashes, poor sleep?

Hi and welcome to another show!

This week we're talking menopause, buckle up because menopause symptoms aren't for the faint of heart. The

following is a women's thoughts...

"I wake up feeling exhausted even after a full night's sleep, my night sweats are affecting my sleep and intimacy. My mood swings, when I can recognize them, are unpredictable. The hot flashes make it difficult to concentrate at work, leaving me feeling embarrassed and that I am constantly on edge. I can't focus on anything, and my memory feels like it's slipping. It's affecting my confidence and self-esteem, and I feel like I'm not performing at my best. It's also impacting my relationships at home as I'm often irritable and short-tempered. I just want to feel like myself again and enjoy life without these constant symptoms."

Take Action

It's time to take control of your health and start feeling like yourself again. Don't let these symptoms hold you back from enjoying life to the fullest. By educating yourself, getting your hormones tested and taking advantage of the personalized support and care options available during my Hormone Harmony Webinar and Clinic, you can achieve optimal hormone balance and improve your quality of life. Don't wait any longer to take the first step towards a happier, healthier you.

Hi,

Going paleo is all the rage these days, but not everyone is sure where to start. The paleo diet is a popular dietary trend that emphasizes eating foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have consumed during the Paleolithic era. In this podcast I will cover the basics of paleo and explain how to do it well.

What is the paleo diet?

The paleo diet typically includes meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds while excluding grains, beans, legumes, dairy, processed foods, and refined sugars.

Why do people go paleo?

People choose to go paleo for a variety of reasons. For some it can be frustration around their weight or those with chronic issues with their digestion and some just want a healthier more balanced alternative to keto.

Here are some common health conditions which have found improvement with going paleo:

1.      Weight loss: The paleo diet can lead to weight loss, as it emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods and eliminates processed foods and refined sugars.

2.      Better blood sugar control: The paleo diet can help improve blood sugar control, as it eliminates refined sugars and focuses on whole, unprocessed foods that are lower on the glycemic index.

3.      Improved gut health: The paleo diet can improve gut health by eliminating processed foods and increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits, which are high in fiber and prebiotics.

Hi,

Ketones are molecules that the body produces when it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Ketones are the reason keto works (for some people).

The keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet that allows your body to switch from using glucose (sugar) as its primary source of energy to running on ketones. If you have just started following the keto diet and are wondering what a ketone is, this guide will give you a thorough introduction.

By reducing carbohydrate intake, the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, in which it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This can lead to weight loss and improved blood sugar control for those with type 2 diabetes.

Hi!

Why is sugar so hard to quit?

Sugar addiction is a complex topic that has been studied extensively by researchers in recent years. The science behind sugar addiction suggests that it is a result of several factors, including the way sugar affects the brain and body, as well as psychological and environmental factors.

Let's do a deep dive into our dependence on sugar and sugar addiction.

Do you need support and accountability to help you break up with sugar?

Hi,

Welcome to another episode of Wellness & Weight Loss with Dr. Plank!

Your metabolism is the process within your body by which food is turned into fuel. Essentially, it's how you make energy for your body to function. Your metabolism determines how efficiently you are able to lose weight as well as how fast/slow your weight loss results are. 

Improve your metabolism, ideally alongside a well-balanced diet and physical activity, and you have a solid foundation for sustainable weight loss!

But there are blocks from really popular diets that cause you to hit a weight loss plateau.

Find out more as Dr. Plank discusses Mastering Your Metabolism: The Key to Sustainable Weight Loss

Let me know how you like it!

Dr. Susan

You may not realize it but...

No, not all individuals diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis require Synthroid (levothyroxine) or other thyroid medication, but unfortunately, this information isn't readily shared with you.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder, all autoimmune disorders are inflammatory in nature.  In Hashimoto's inflammation causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland, leading to inflammation and damage. This may cause a decrease in thyroid hormone production, leading to hypothyroidism but the key here is may.  There is definitely inflammation being triggered and further evaluation should be considered to find the cause of the inflammation!

It's the chronic inflammation that causes the destruction of the thyroid gland, which therefore over time affects the thyroid's ability to produce T4 and T3 the thyroid hormones.

In some cases, Hashimoto's thyroiditis may not cause significant thyroid hormone deficiency, and the patient may not experience any symptoms. In such cases, medication may not be necessary, and the patient may be monitored periodically for any changes in thyroid function.

Therefore, the need for Synthroid medication in Hashimoto's thyroiditis really depends on the individual case, and if further evaluation is done to determine the cause of the inflammation.

If you think about it logically, Hashimoto's is an inflammatory condition but being treated with thyroid hormone replacement medication.

Let me know if you enjoy this video!

Dr. Plank

Hi!

You may have heard of Blue Zones in the news. Well by making small changes to your daily routine you can make a big impact to your overall health and well-being.

These regions of exceptional longevity got me thinking if I can help educate and motivate you to adopt some of the habits and lifestyle practices that the residents living in the Blue Zones do, there's no reason why you couldn't improve your own health and increase your chances of living a long and healthy life.

I hope you enjoy it!

Dr. Susan

I have some healthy lifestyle events coming up later this month, hope to see you there, check them out:

Hi,

There's one thing most weight loss plans don't consider, and that's that certain foods are inflammatory: foods like cheese, milk, gluten, yogurt and other grains.  In this plan I'm going to give you support with meeting, videos and daily delicious recipes that remove common inflammatory foods so you can reclaim your health!

The short answer is the one that works for you!

Hashimoto's diagnosis, here's the scoop! 

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder. It is thought to be the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Hashimoto's is 5-8 times more likely to occur in women than men.

Hashimoto's Is Inflammation

Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder, which means your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in your body. For people with Hashimoto's, the immune system attacks their thyroid gland and causes inflammation within it.

Listen in to find out more...

Hashimoto's Disease or Other Auto-Immune Diagnosis?  

Hey!

Welcome to another episode of Wellness & Weight Loss w/ Dr. Susan.

Welcome to another episode of Wellness & Weight Loss w/ Dr. Susan, your weekly dose of inspiration and motivation for a healthy mind, body, and spirit.  Today we're going to dive into metabolism, healthy aging, sharing tips and strategies specifically for Parkinson's Disease with expert Dr. Emma Wilder.

Should you be concerned if you are forgetful?

Is there a way to differentiate a slow metabolism from the process of aging?

You Betcha!

Aging can affect metabolism, and your metabolism can affect aging.   Listen in to learn more about the factors that affect brain health and Parkinson's.

What is TSH?

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, more commonly referred to as TSH, is a hormone that is released by the pituitary gland. The purpose of TSH is to be a messenger sent from your brain to stimulate and regulate your thyroid gland to produce and secrete its hormones.

What are the thyroid hormones produced in the thyroid gland?

The thyroid gland produces two different types of thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. T4 is known as levothyroxine and is considered to be the storage form of thyroid hormone. It’s converted into T3 once it reaches your cells and tissues. T3 is known as triiodothyronine and is the active form of thyroid hormone.

Want to take control of your health but don't know what to do?

Know something is wrong but you haven't gotten any answers from your medical provider?

This is your chance!

Hey,

Hey!

I know when you don't feel well it's hard to get motivated.  Even more so, if you've been feeling frustrated around your weight!

Are you stuck, struggling and frustrated over How to Lose Weight?

That eat less exercise more advise is lame and honestly a bunch of crap!

Hi, I’m Dr. Susan Plank and I specialize in hormone issues and how they relate to your bloat, fatigue, and weight gain. It bothers me that hormones are rarely checked which leaves you struggling with these symptoms. Weight loss truly is a medical issue, and you need to know what’s happening in your body, the root cause, that's what is holding you back from reaching your potential and feeling and looking your best.

I'm sponsoring this event and would love to meet you there!

Hey Happy New Year!

Do you finally want your resolutions to get results?  Listen in now as Dr. Susan Plank discusses setting successful weight loss goals and how to stay motivated and getting results.

Losing weight is difficult. Most people who try—give up! In this podcast, you'll learn specific goals that will keep you determined and on the right track to successful weight loss for life.

Low-carb diets have become increasingly popular over the past few decades. Many people have found that they help them lose weight and improve their overall health.

How many carbs should you eat?

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are the body's main source of energy. The amount of carbohydrates you need each day depends on your weight, activity level and how much you're trying to lose.

Carbs are an important source of energy for your body because they provide some essential vitamins and minerals — B vitamins, vitamin C and iron — as well as fiber, which helps keep your digestive system healthy by regulating bowel movements.

The first step to counting carbs is to decide what you're tracking. The most popular choices of carbs aka carbohydrates; sugar, starch and fiber but there are distinct differences in how these affect your blood sugar, energy and weight.

We all live with stress, negative thoughts and the occasional comfort food — but if any of these gets too intense, they'll rob you of joy, leave you feeling defeated about your health and wear you out. No matter your age or gender, it's time to take a deep dive into your stress, negative thoughts and feeling.

We often give ourselves a hard time when things aren't going our way. We drag out past mistakes, dwell on past failures and replay them over and over again in our minds. Similarly, we rehash our insecurities, putting ourselves down and placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves.

I frequently see this with weight issues, someone's past failures holding them back from moving forward. Do you ever find yourself doing any of the above? If so, then it's time you checked-in with your thoughts and feelings.

This is a gold nugget, it's not what happens to us that determines how anxious or depressed we feel, it's the meaning we give to the event.

When we attach a negative meaning to something, it can lead to stress, depression and anxiety. This is because we aren't separating our thoughts and feelings. Our interpretation of an event, a trigger, affects our feelings, which in turn affects our thoughts.

So, while I think it's very important to be able to challenge your thoughts, your triggers and stressors might still be there which creates cravings for comfort. Being aware of your need for comfort whether from food, sweets, nicotine or alcohol. All of these are avenues to handle stress and our pent-up emotions in an unhealthy way.

This is where our mental health and physical health converge through our triggers, feelings and thoughts. And when we reach for comforting foods, we want comfort in the moment but we're actually self-sabotaging our mental and physical health.

I want to share with you some ways to challenge your self-thoughts, but I want to make you aware of the adrenal stress hormone cortisol and how it’s coming into play and making you feel worse.

This is a powerful episode!

When you were younger the weight crept on, but you were able to drop the extra pounds pretty quickly.  But now-weight gain, saggy skin, hot flashes and vaginal dryness have you frustrated- is this really MY body?

Help is available and it starts with balanced hormones especially after menopause!

You might not give much thought to the idea of low testosterone, but the moment you turn 40, it should have been a top priority. You start making less testosterone every year for the rest of your life.  Low testosterone level in men can often be correlated with erectile dysfunction (ED) or sexual dysfunction. It can even cause problems such as loss of muscle mass, increase in body fat, lower bone density and declining overall health.

We understand that carrying around extra weight contributes to our risk of heart disease but is your doctor connecting the dots between your hormone balance, your weight and healthy heart biometrics?

Listen as Dr. Plank discusses aging, and the overlooked consequences of unbalanced, deficient and rarely recognized hormones have on your overall health.

In this special video episode see what you should be eating, using Dr. Plank's Plate Portion diagram and understand why certain veggies can get you in trouble.

Hi,

This episode is very special for peri- and post-menopausal women.  We will link your hormones and your gut issues, sit back and connect the dots, or your symptoms!

Gastrointestinal symptoms in midlife are an important unaddressed area of women’s health.

While most cases of IBS in women are diagnosed before the age of 35, we can’t lose sight that midlife changes of a woman’s body and imbalanced hormones may contribute to gut symptoms in midlife.

IBS is known as a multifactorial gut-brain condition. Remember IBS is an accumulation of symptoms that are undiagnosed as another disease process.

Women between the ages of 40 and 65 typically experience multiple challenges brought on my menopause.

Experiencing gas, bloat and an occasional unladylike passing of gas happens to the best of us but when it happens frequently or is accompanied by nausea and right sided abdominal pain under the ribs...now we'll pay attention.

Gallbladder disease develops over time.  It's prominent and expected specifically outlined as we were taught in anatomy and medical school of the 5-F's: female, forty+, fetus (have children), fecal (history of constipation) and the fifth F is dreaded, fat.

If you fall into these categories and show up in an ER with upper right sided abdominal pain, BE prepared, the recommendation will be surgery.  But it's doubtful it'll be emergency surgery.  Yes, you'll be doubled over in pain, really bad pain, but it's all so avoidable.

It could be your thyroid!

So, you've gone to your doc complaining of how tired you've been, and they run some tests.  Chances are they'll miss early and suboptimal thyroid function, why?  Because many doctors still only order a TSH (blood test for general thyroid function).

You deserve answers and adding on a few other specific thyroid tests will give you (and your doc) the information you need.

In this episode Dr. Plank discusses all things thyroid.

Gas, bloat and constipation can happen occasionally and for a variety of reasons but when it causes you pain and affects your lifestyle it's time to get some help.

Gas, bloat and constipation can benign or more problematic, either way finding relief is the goal!

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the primary cause of low thyroid function.

What is Hashimoto's?

Will thyroid meds make you feel better?

Should dietary inflammation be considered as another cause of Hashimoto's?

Listen as Dr. Plank discusses Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in depth.

Underactive Thyroid Symptoms:

In this episode we start our discussion of the various overlooked hormones and how they can affect your mood, intimacy and confidence.  Hormones affect your overall health and specifically your weight but are rarely tested.

Hi!

On today's episode I want to delve into the ethical, medical and nutritional issues of oral birth control pill usage.

“The pill” was first marketed in the 1960’s, it’s purpose was contraception, but with any medication comes side effects and quickly, the pill side effects included increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular events.

Interestingly, the manufacturing companies listened and lowered the dose of estrogen in the original pill due to these concerns.

The market for the pill became fierce, to improve marketing and the manufacturers financial bottom line, birth control pills started being marketed for:

Today we’re talking women's health, we’ll be talking hormones, hot flashes, symptoms and birth control pills.

Most women report getting some combination of symptoms such as bloating, mild cramps, headaches, and moodiness, all of which are totally normal. 

How many of you at some point in the last week when you were sliding into your favorite shorts or maybe the swimsuit said to yourself, “I have to lose some weight?”

What’s happening?

Why do we know we want to eat differently, but consume food without thinking about it's nutritional value or what it's doing to our bodies?

There’s a science to weight loss, nutritional imbalances drain your energy and cause weight gain - I do labs, find the cause and get you losing weight easier than ever before.

Does this interest you?

When has your doctor had a discussion with you about your weight?  At a recent speaking engagement I did not a single woman said their doctor had talked to them about their weight.

Our healthcare system doesn’t have an answer for weight other than stimulants, and stomach stabling or banding which is what they do now.

There’s a science to weight loss, nutritional imbalances drain your energy and cause weight gain - I do labs, find the cause and get you losing weight easier than ever before.

Does this interest you?

A 2019 Harvard study is quite alarming and the study reveals that nearly 50% of the population will be obese in 2030.  To slow and reverse this epidemic we must understand why you gained weight in the first place.

There’s a science to weight loss, nutritional imbalances drain your energy and cause weight gain - I do labs, find the cause and get you losing weight easier than ever before.

Does this interest you?

We're coming out of a pandemic with everyone concerned about returning to normal.  I for one do not want things to go back to "normal"!

Yes, of course we want the pandemic to end but we've had an epidemic in this country for decades toward obesity, heart disease and diabetes and who is leading the charge against it?

Where is our medical profession?

You see most medical schools still don't require a (one-singular) nutrition class in their curriculum.  So as we continue to eat ourselves into an early grave there's no medical professional that's going to take you aside and say..."Mrs. Jones, you've gained 20 pounds since the beginning of the pandemic, let's set you up for an extended appointment so we can teach you how to eat to improve your health."

Can you imagine?!

No, you can't, I can't, for a couple of reasons ...

We're coming out of a pandemic with everyone concerned about returning to normal. I for one do not want things to go back to "normal"!

A CDC report says half of all adults have some type of chronic illness. That report was from 2012!

We've had an epidemic in this country toward obesity, heart disease and diabetes and who is leading the charge against it?

Where is our medical profession...

Dare I say, women struggle with body image maybe a little bit more than men?  How many times lady's do you say to yourself, "I can't wear this."  Maybe it's more like this..."These shorts makes my hips look big" and don't get me started about our thoughts around bathing suit shopping, ugh!

Unfortunately, these thoughts are creeping in to women's minds at an earlier and earlier age.  As moms, grandmothers, sisters and aunts lets be aware.  If we have had these thoughts about our bodies, chances are the younger women in our lives have had the same thoughts.

Start a conversation with these young people, maybe we should start a movement of Body Bold, challenging the negative self talk around our body image.

Goals of more energy, being more active and losing weight start out motivated and ambitious.

But what if you know you need help but not sure what to do?

This podcast will start to outline the 5 Pillars of Health that are the building blocks for losing weight and reclaiming your health.

One in eight women develop breast cancer but 1 in every 100 cases of breast cancer affects men.

While hereditary estrogen production is thought to be the primary driving cause of breast cancer other factors such as diet, liver enzyme function, poor detoxification and environmental estrogens are also contributory.

Hey, are you alright?

What a year!  I think things are going to get crazier before they get better but what can you do to protect yourself?

Actually a lot.  

The cause of frustration, fatigue and weight gain are frequently overlooked but are lifestyle factors within our control.  These lifestyle factors like; poor diet, to little sleep and lack of exercise cause imbalances and dysfunction to our:

1. Neuro-endocrine system (emotional stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia)

2. Digestive system (gas, fatigue)

3. Detoxification system (constipation)

Dr. Plank addresses these overlooked causes of fatigue, digestive dysfunction and weight gain in this episode of Dr. Plank's Weight Loss & Nutritional Nuggets podcast.

Not a resolution person but want to have a plan?