Why The Number on the Scale Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, many of my clients first seek me out because they want to lose weight. While weight loss can sometimes be a side effect of implementing nourishing dietary and lifestyle practices, it is never my main focus. Why? Because the number on the scale is one of the least reliable indicators of overall health.

Body weight is easy to measure, but it doesn’t reveal what’s truly happening inside your body. Real health is reflected in markers such as:

• HbA1c (blood sugar control)

• Triglycerides (sugar stored as fat)

• C-reactive protein (inflammation)

• Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D (nutrient status)

• Liver enzymes (liver function)

Additional tests like thyroid function, antibody testing, and hormone panels (cortisol, insulin, estrogen, testosterone) can also uncover underlying imbalances that affect your energy, mood, and metabolism—none of which the scale can measure.

Other key indicators of health include sleep quality, stress resilience, mood stability, and daily habits. Ask yourself: Am I sleeping well? Handling stress? Moving my body regularly? Nourishing myself with whole foods? These markers are far more meaningful than any number on the scale.

The best part? Many of these markers naturally improve through consistent nutrition and lifestyle practices—like eating nutrient-dense foods, managing stress, moving daily, and getting restorative sleep.

When we address root causes—such as “leaky gut,” insulin resistance, inflammation, poor digestion, hormonal imbalances, or metabolic dysfunction—the body will naturally adjust its weight as a reflection of restored balance. Along the way, you’ll notice deeper benefits: better sleep, more energy, better mood regulation, clearer thinking, and improved mobility.

I understand that seeing the pounds drop on the scale can feel motivating. But just as the number can encourage, it can also discourage. Imagine waking up after a great night’s sleep, feeling energized, pain-free, and motivated—only to step on the scale, see a higher number, and spiral into despair. In that moment, the progress you made—better sleep, stronger joints, improved mood—gets dismissed, even though the weight gain may simply be muscle growth or healthy fluid balance.

Next time you step on the scale, remember: true health is about what’s happening inside your body and how you feel—not just what you weigh. After all, you are so much more than a number.

Is Fibre Really All That Good For You?!… Fibre, Starches & The Gut Microbiome

Fibre and starches, though often considered essential components of a healthy diet, can pose significant challenges for individuals with compromised digestive systems. While insoluble fibre helps bulk stool and supports regularity in a healthy gut, it can irritate the intestinal lining in those with conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, or leaky gut. Similarly, resistant starches and fermentable fibres (like those found in legumes, grains, and certain vegetables) can ferment in the colon, producing gas and bloating, and exacerbating inflammation or dysbiosis (imbalance of gut bacteria).

Starches are long chains of sugar molecules (polysaccharides) that must be broken down by digestive enzymes before absorption. In individuals with insufficient enzyme production or damaged gut linings, starches are poorly digested and become fuel for harmful bacteria and yeast, leading to further microbial imbalance. This contributes to symptoms such as gas, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and brain fog. As well as behaviour issues, such as ADD, ADHD, OCD, Addictions, Mood Swings & Autism Spectrum Disorder . Excessive fermentation also damages the gut barrier, potentially leading to systemic inflammation & autoimmune responses.

To address these issues, therapeutic diets like the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Nutritional Protocol and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) have been developed. Both are designed to reduce digestive burden and restore gut integrity by eliminating complex carbohydrates and disaccharides that feed pathogenic microbes and irritate the gut lining.

The GAPS diet, developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, is an intensive healing protocol aimed at repairing the gut lining, balancing the microbiome, and supporting neurological and immune health. It focuses on nutrient-dense, easily digestible foods such as “meat stock”, fermented vegetables, healthy fats, and well-cooked non-starchy vegetables. The diet progresses through structured stages, starting with the most gentle, healing foods and gradually reintroducing others as gut function improves.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, created by Dr. Sidney Haas and popularized by Elaine Gottschall, also removes all grains, complex starches, and most dairy. It permits only monosaccharides (single sugars) like those found in honey, ripe fruits, and certain vegetables, which require minimal digestion and are readily absorbed without feeding harmful microbes.

Both diets emphasize the importance of healing the gut wall, restoring microbial balance, and reducing systemic inflammation. By eliminating fibre and starches that are poorly tolerated, they allow the digestive system to rest and repair—leading to improvements in not just gastrointestinal symptoms, but also mood, skin health, immunity, and cognitive function.

If you would like to learn more about the GAPS Nutritional Protocol or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet you may wish to read:

Gut and Physiology Syndrome & Gut and Psycology Syndrome, by Natasha Campbell-McBride

Or

Breaking The Vicious Cysle: Intestinal Health Through Diet, by Elaine Gottschall.

Or

Contact a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN)/ Certified GAPS Practitioner (CGP), I happen to know one who is local to the Ridgeway area - wink, wink.

Alyssa Doherty RMT, RHN & CGP

Ultra-Processed Food, What Makes It So Addictive & What Is It Doing To Your Health

Not long ago—in the 1980s—the average household kitchen contained approximately 68% real, whole foods and only 32% ultra-processed foods. Today, those numbers have flipped.

But what exactly is ultra-processed food (UPF)? UPFs generally contain large amounts of commodity crops such as grain, wheat, soy, and sugar, along with byproducts of these crops—namely, high-fructose corn syrup and seed oils like canola, vegetable, and sunflower oil. They also include MSG, various food additives, and flavor enhancers to improve taste and mouthfeel, as well as artificial colorings to make them more visually appealing. These foods are often far removed from their original form and are heavily loaded with synthetic chemicals. For this reason, UPFs are sometimes referred to as “Frankenfoods,” as they are largely created in a lab.

Ultra-processed foods are often described as addictive because they are engineered to hijack the brain’s reward system. They are designed for hyper-palatability, formulated with an ideal combination of sugar, fat, salt, flavor enhancers, and refined carbohydrates. This formulation creates an artificial “bliss point” in the brain, which causes intense cravings—similar to the way addictive drugs work.

When you eat UPFs, you’re not only consuming unhealthy calories that lack nutritional value—you’re also chasing a dopamine hit. These foods trigger a surge of dopamine in the brain’s reward center, particularly in the nucleus accumbens—the same area activated by substances like nicotine, cocaine, and alcohol. This creates a cravings-reward loop, driving you to consume more, even when you’re not truly hungry. Moreover, the synthetic chemicals in UPFs bypass and override the body’s natural satiety hormones, such as leptin and GLP-1, disrupting the signals that tell you when you’re full. This encourages overconsumption with little satisfaction. To make matters worse, these “food-like” substances are widely accessible and convenient, which can lead to habitual and even automatic consumption.

So, how might UPFs affect our physical and metabolic health?

The flavor enhancers, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers added to these foods can interfere with and alter our gut microbiome—think of this as the “soil” of our digestive system. The microbiome consists of trillions of microbes that help us break down and absorb nutrients from food. It also plays a vital role in regulating the immune system and producing serotonin—a key neurotransmitter that influences mood, emotions, sleep, happiness, memory, and learning. Additionally, a healthy microbiome keeps parasites, yeasts, molds, and candida in balance.

An unhealthy gut microbiome, on the other hand, can negatively impact mental health, impair cognitive function, and contribute to anxiety, depression, and metabolic dysfunction. It’s no coincidence that the rise in UPFs in our food supply has paralleled an increase in both mental health issues and metabolic disease.

Knowing what we now know about ultra-processed foods (UPFs), it’s easy to feel defeated when trying to reduce or remove them from your daily diet. But don’t worry — here are a few tips to help make the process easier.

1. Start by adding more real, single-ingredient whole foods.

These are foods you can plant, farm, or pick. It’s nearly impossible to overeat nourishing, natural food. For example, devouring a bag of Doritos in one sitting is easy — and by design. But eating a whole bag of apples? That’s unlikely. Your hunger and satiety hormones (like leptin and GLP-1) respond well to real food, signaling when you’ve had enough.

2. Prioritize satiating foods: protein and healthy fats.

Think: fatty fish, whole eggs (not just the whites), grass-fed butter and meats, chicken with the skin on, avocados, and nuts and seeds (if well tolerated). Whole-fat Greek yogurt and organic dairy products (also if well tolerated) are good options too. These foods nourish you, keep you full longer, stabilize blood sugar, and help prevent mindless grazing.

3. Stay well hydrated and drink herbal teas.

Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. We may reach for a snack when what we actually need is fluid. Especially in warmer months, add electrolytes to your water, or include slices of citrus, cucumber, or a pinch of sea salt. Herbal teas like ginger, basil, nettle, or lemon balm can support digestion and may help regulate blood sugar.

4. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

The center aisles are filled with pre-packaged UPFs. Better yet, shop at your local farmers’ markets — here in Niagara, we have dozens! A good rule of thumb: if it comes in a box or bag and has more than 2–3 ingredients, it’s likely a UPF. Stick to foods you can plant, grow, pick, or farm.

5. You’ve likely heard the phrase “everything in moderation”…

But as mentioned above, UPFs are designed to be addictive, which can make moderation difficult — especially for some individuals. This is tied to the gut microbiome (which I’ll dive into in a future blog). The solution? Don’t buy it. If it’s not in your home, you can’t eat it. Instead, keep your fridge and pantry stocked with real, whole foods: apples, cherries, watermelon, hard-boiled eggs, dried dates, herbal teas, nuts, seeds, and pre-cut vegetables. Make healthy snacks easy and accessible.

I often hear people say that eating healthy is expensive. But in reality, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are far more costly — not just in dollars, but in terms of your time, your health, and those pharmacy co-pays down the road. Plus, you end up eating more of them. So, pay the farmer now, so you don’t have to pay the pharmacy later.

If you’re not sure where to start, consider consulting a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. I’d be happy to support & guide you on your journey toward achieving optimal health.

Diet vs Nutrition, What’s the Difference

Diet industry will have you measuring, restricting, tracking and counting. A diet will make you think you have to loose weight, in order to become healthy. Weight loss on its own is a false sense of health. Where as, if we approach the body from a Nutrition/Nourishment standpoint, shifting the focus to healthy outcomes first, be it inflammation reduction, metabolic health, hormone health, better sleep, balanced mood, better stress management, lower blood pressure, lower glucose/insulin levels, better cognition, improved digestive health, improved elimination & detoxification, and improved neurological health, then the result of better health, will automatically equate to a reduction in weight.

The human body is not a math equation that can be manipulated. It is not a matter of calories in vs calories out. This model works only temporarily. Long term, this approach can lead to metabolic disfunction and shut down. Think about the tv show “The Biggest Loser”. Ever wonder why they haven’t hosted a “Where are They Now” episode?. The majority of contestants have gained back the weight that they have lost, and then some. This can also be said for those who have followed along and participated in other popular “diet” trends, such as Dr. Bernstein, Ozempic, or Weigh Watcher’s. Calories do matter, but it is more about their quality, how we absorb them, how we utilize them and how they “Nourish” the body, rather than their quantity. When utilizing food for its true capabilties, Nourishment & Medicine then we don’t have to count calories, or step on a scale. We don’t have to restrict. We put health first, over calories and we remove interferences that interrupts metabolic function. When we do this the body is then able to shift into it’s innate healing processes, for “Your Body’s Ability to Heal is Greater Than Anyone has Permitted you to Believe”.

Additionally, a “Diet” approach will have you thinking an “all or nothing approach” is neccessary to succeed. That you must “go big, or go home”. This type of “perfectionist” approach can lead to increased stress, as well as feed into dysfunctional and unhealthy/addictive behaviours, ultimately, leading to failure. This type of approach is counter-intuitive to the long term goals you are wanting to achieve. This type of approach doesn’t have your physical & mental health, and longevity at the forefront. It is also important to consider that weight gain is a symptom, a “check engine light” if you will, to notify you that something metabolically has gone awry. To focus on loosing weight alone, is only masking a symptom, but not addressing the root cause.

When we approach health from a vantage point of “ Nourishment” we can guide the body and “Nuture” it into a state of natural/optimal healing. It’s important to meet yourself, where you are at. Keep expectations of your capabilities and progress realistic. For example, if you’re not a very active person, then don’t set a goal to start out by running 5 km. Instead aim for 100 steps after each meal and then build up to a 20 minute walk once a day, then twice a day, and so on and so forth. If you’re trying to manage hormones and insulin through fasting don’t start with a 15 hour fast. Instead add in more protein and essential fatty acids to your meals in order to make carbohydrate reduction more attainable. From there, try to refrain from snacking in between meals, making the next step being no meals three hours before bed, gradually moving on to a 8 to 10 hour fast (during hours of sleep), and then into a 14 hour (recommended for most women) or a 15 to 18 hour fast (recommended for most men). Apply positive stresses to the body as it can tolerate and adjust to them. Too much all at once will create more resistance, more inflammation, and more discomfort, along with more stress, and thus more failure, equating to more disease. We need to keep in mind that the body is always striving to maintain homeostatsis, meaning harmony. This is something extreme “Diet” trends negate to consider. If you allow the pendulum to swing too far in either extreme, of poor health or unrealistic, too big, too soon, goals of good health, you may end up creating more dis-ease for the body.

Making “Nutritional” altercations can be challenging, but it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. A “baby steps” approach makes it manageable and over time, these small altercations lead to compound change.

If you’re struggling on how to get started, and wanting to address the “root cause” to your symptoms of dis-ease, then it is helpful to work with a skilled professional. Consider working with a Registered Holistic Nutritionist to help you attain your health goals.

Alyssa Doherty RMT, RHN & CGP

What I Learned Upon Entering the Realm of Holistic Nutrition

As mentioned in my previous blog, what I had known about nutrition, prior to embarking upon my education at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, was a speck of sand, compared to what I was about to learn. Moreover, most of my previous knowledge was inaccurate, and based off of “Diet” industry and the “Canadian Food Guide” standards. I was lead to believe both were created for our health and well being, but have since learned otherwise.

What I discovered was that our mainstream understanding of nutritional science is an absolute dumpster fire. Few topics have been more misunderstood, misrepresented, misinterpreted and flat out lied about than nutritional science.

“Diet” mentality will have you counting and resirticting calories, and following fads, while the “Food Pyramid” or “Standard American Diet” will have you over-consuming one macro nutrient, specifically carbohydrates, while severely under-consuming other’s, being Essential Fatty Acids & Essential Amino Acids. Both directive’s are entrenched in false narratives, based on commodities, quota’s and financial gains, that are set by special interest groups. In short, neither of these two directives have the public’s health and well being at the forefront. Nor do they possess the fundamental know how on the utilization of food as medicine, when it comes to disease prevention or disease reversal. Neither take into consideration one’s “bio chemical individuality”. Meaning, what might be good for some, may not be good for all. Both “Diet” philosophy along with “Food Guide” recommendations are generalized, not individualized.

Each of us have our very own unique chemistry. Some of which is based on genetics, ancestral heritage, geographic location, environment, race and epigenetic’s. We all have unique nutritional needs and requirements. Factor’s that need to be taken into consideration include one’s development, stage in life, stress level, medication intake, preexisting dis-ease and malnourishment, along lifestyle practices.

One might have adequate amounts of digestive enzymes to assist in the breakdown and absorption of certain nutrients, while another may be lacking. Some may do just fine with raw vegetables, while others, like those who have Chron’s, IBS, Colitis and Hypothyroidism may have an inflammatory response to consuming certain raw veggie’s.

We have all been told that whole grains are good for us, but if a “leaky gut”, “celiac disease” , “lectin resistance” or “insulin resistance” is your malfunction, then these foods may be constributing to your dis-ease, rather than correcting it.

For ethical reasons, one may be consuming a plant base “cleansing” diet, but their nervous system may require more “feeding”, nourishing foods in order to feel calm, satiated and safe.

One may be practicing intermittent fasting, because it’s trendy to do so, while unknowingly creating more stress hormone as a result, which can elicit an autoimmune response.

Basically, what we are being instructed to eat, from “Diet” industry and “Food Guide” recommendations, may not be suitable, and in some cases even detrimental to one’s individual, biochemical needs. This is the knowledge I have gained by pursuing a diploma in Registered Holistic Nutrition. Not only that, I learned how to recognize these conditions, along with many other’s, and I learned how to CORRECT for them.

I discovered that our medical doctor’s, nurse’s and specialist’s, those who we tend to navigate to for guidance in Nutrition, receive a mere 12 hours of education on the topic. All this can become further complicated by the magnitude of access to so called “health & wellness influencer’s” on social media. It can all be downright confusing and overwhelming, and further contribute to stress hormone production, which can be counter productive to one’s goals in achieving and maintaining “optimal health”.

Your body is a miraculous creation, resilient & intelligent, and capable of HEALING, when provided with the right NOURISHment & care.

The role of a Registered Holistic Nutritionist is to get to the “root” cause of malfunction and dise-ease, and to filter through the complicated, and sometimes contradicting information in the nutrition space, in order to provide you with the correct nourishment for your bio-chemical individuality and your specific health care needs.

An RHN is here to guide you, support you and educate you on “functional” nutritional requirements to help you not only survive, but to thrive, in your pursuit of “optimal” health. For further assistance please contact me to discuss how working with an RHN may help you achieve your health goals.

I want to “thank you” for taking the time to read my blog post. I also want to “thank you” for trusting in me and my education & expertise in guiding you along, in your pursuit in “optimal” health.

Always Appreciated

Alyssa Doherty RMT, RHN & CGP

Why I Became a Registered Holistic Nutritionist

I love being a Registered Massage Therapist, and I have been since 2004. It is an extremely gratifying occupation to have. It is rare to have a patient be upset with me at the end of their treatment. However, after 20 years, and maybe even a bit before this timeline, I realized massage is only one of the many modalities & components that facilitate in achieving “optimal’ health. Massage treatment can be limited, and its intended outcomes can be temporary. I was beginning to understand why the “burnout” rate for RMT’s was so high. The job was physically demanding on the therapist, the demand and need for the occupation was high, and the intended outcomes were limited. I wanted to be able to offer my patient’s more, something that could last longer than a few weeks. I wanted to gift them the tools and the “know how” to make better decisions about their health. I wanted their decisions to lead to greater and longer lasting impact on their health. I wanted to help empower them, and let them know that their health outcomes are their responsibility and they can feel as good as they want to feel, by applying nutritional tools and knowledge that would help them achieve their health goals.

Hippocrates was noted for saying “Let food be they medicine and medicine be thy food”, and Thomas Edison, stated “The Doctor’s of the feature will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with NUTRITION” This got me thinking, If the disease process is often associated with, or caused by our dietary choices, and EVERY day, on an average of 3 times per day, we choose what we eat, then what we choose, could be the best approach to prevent or reverse dis- ease. It then made sense for me to look into studying NUTRITION, so that I may educate my patient’s on how to make healthy food choices that could assist in disease prevention and maybe even dis-ease reversal, and to help them achieve optimal health outcome's. We all need nourishment to survive, and that nourishment comes from the foods we eat. We all need to eat!

Often, we think of food and nutrition from the standpoint of the “diet” mentality. Meaning, we focus on calories, and count calories taken in, verses calories worked out. Or we think of food as just providing us with energy to feul our day. Food and what we choose to eat is much more than that. Food is nourishment, food is NUTRITION. It is messaging that impacts our thoughts, moods, feelings & behaviours. Nutrient’s act as neurotransmitter’s creating signals (communication) across a neuro synapse from one cell to another.

Nutrition influences physiological sequences and outcomes in the body that affect our heart rate, circulation, blood pressure, digestion, detoxification, and hormone synthesis. Nourishment is restoration & repair, as well as the building blocks for muscle, bone, joints, tendons & ligaments.

Making good nutritional choices can reduce/prevent inflammation, eliminate metabolic disease, as well as prevent & eliminate autoimmune disease, some allergies, food intolerance, & sensitivities and most chronic illnesses. Studying Nutrition seemed monumental and foundational in being able to provide and care for my patient’s in more ways than just through massage. So I enrolled in the Registered Holistic Nutrition program, at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

Little did I know, that what I was about to embark upon was going to blow my mind wide open. What I thought I had known about Nutrition was a speck of sand, compared to what I was about to be introduced to. Just as suspected “Food truly is medicine” and I was about to learn how to utilize it as such….. More on this in my next blog. Please stay tuned for future informative & insightful blog’s, to be posted to the website on a monthly basis.

Always Appreciated

Alyssa Doherty RMT, RHN & CGP