Hello Readers,

Stubborn belly fat or extra pounds often persist despite the best dieting attempts - because there are non-dietary factors that can resist weight loss.

Lemongrass Essential Oil can be used to transmute Resentment into Embracement, and Should into Spontaneous.

Are you a Gallbladder body type? Take the quick quiz to see if you might be.

As a reminder, my 12-week Emotional Wisdom Coach Training course is only about halfway through. This is a deep dive into Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils, particularly for practitioners of all types, but also beneficial for individual use. There is still time to join in so you can participate in the live interactive sessions with myself, LeeYen Anderson and the other students. Videos of all completed sessions are available so that you haven't missed anything.

As always, I hope and trust that these newsletters help you enjoy a happier, healthier life.


Health and Happiness,
Dr. Carolyn Mein

Non-Dietary Factors in Weight Gain & Retention

Are You a Gallbladder Body Type?

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Have you tried every possible diet, only to find you can’t lose those stubborn extra pounds? The problem may not be related to what you are (or aren’t) eating. It’s common knowledge that stress affects digestion in a way that can lead to weight gain and retention. Even in the absence of stress, the digestive system itself may need supplemental help – especially after 40. These same issues can also cause underweight situations in some people, which can be problematic in their own way.


Stress

We tend to think of stress as emotional. However stress may actually originate from a physical source, such as overexertion, as the body requires significant energy for digestion. Environmental factors – water, air, food toxicity, and even EMFs and 5G radiation – can all produce stress in the body.

Stress triggers the adrenal cortex, which produces excess cortisol (the “stress hormone”) in response, which in turn produces the flabby weight that accrues around the waist. Alternatively, stress can result in loss of appetite, causing some to be underweight. When underweight or losing weight, muscle mass is sometimes lost.

Muscle mass can also be lost by certain dieting patterns. Yo-yo dieting (cycles of gaining and losing weight), and even fasting, can cause the body to seek high quality protein by absorbing its own muscle mass – which is why you feel good when fasting. When regaining this weight it’s important to incorporate appropriate exercise – otherwise the weight returns as flab rather than muscle mass.


Digestion

While digestion is affected by stress, you may have digestive issues even when life is not stressful. Digestion is important because it’s the first step in converting foods into fuel for the body. Digestion is a sequence of chemical reactions, and if part of that sequence is affected, then nutrients aren’t assimilated properly into the body. Besides weight variations, this can eventually affect stamina and overall health.

Foods contain fat, carbohydrates and protein in different ratios. We categorize foods based upon their predominant content – for example, bread is much higher in carbs than in fats and protein so we call bread a carbohydrate food. A major difference between the different body types is the time of day they have the energy to assimilate various types of foods. For example some body types have trouble digesting proteins later in the day and need to consume them early, while most other body types can assimilate a protein-heavy dinner.

Digesting fats is essential in order to digest carbs and protein. It’s equally important that the body is able to process each of these.

The gallbladder produces the bile (generated in the liver) which digests fats, which is why those with gallbladder issues or even removal have reduced ability to digest fats.

Carbohydrates, which includes starches and sugars, are processed by enzymes produced in the pancreas. Ginger and peppermint help with the production of digestive enzymes. I find commercially available digestive enzyme products to be hit-and-miss, some are helpful and some aren’t. Diabetes is the condition where the pancreas isn’t fully functioning to produce these enzymes. Rut eating – eating the same thing frequently or even daily – is an especially common practice for breakfast. This can deplete the pancreatic enzymes and cause problems digesting carbs. Age is also a factor – after about 40 the body produces less enzymes.

Digesting proteins requires HCl (hydrochloric acid). Salt (NaCl, or sodium chloride) breaks down to produce HCl in the body. That may sound odd – we’re often told salt isn’t good for you. That isn’t true – but the quality and source of the salt is key. Refined salt is problematic, because the heat-dry process and grinding process using metal screens contaminates the sale with heavy metals like nickel. I recommend pink salt, which is air dried, and contains important trace minerals. An affordable, quality pink salt is made by Premier Labs.


Food Quality

Wheat is highly problematic for many Americans these days, as compared to European wheat. There are two primary reasons for that.

American wheat is a hybrid grain. The body recognizes it as a foreign substance, not a food, and reacts protectively. That’s why so many experience bloating or fatigue after consuming breads.

The processing of American wheat is also problematic. In the old days, wheat was cut and left in the fields to dry, then collected and beaten to release the grain. Now, to speed up the process, instead of being left to dry naturally, a chemical process is used involving glyphosate (Roundup), which tears up the digestive tract.

Other grains – like oats or semolina – are often better choices. Quinoia, rice, and potatoes are easier to digest for most. Consult the “Ultra Support” and “Basic Support” food lists in your body type profile booklet to see which grains are most supportive for you – and avoid hybrids and GMOs where possible.


Water Quality

Drinking enough good quality water is important for all bodily functions including proper digestion. Divide your weight (in pounds) by two to determine the number of fluid ounces of water to drink daily. Coffee, soda, tea and other beverages are processed as food, not water, by the body – so don’t include those ounces towards your daily total.

A good time of day to drink most of this amount is in the morning, which stimulates bowel function. Even when retaining water, be sure to drink enough daily, otherwise the body will hold onto more fluid to protect itself. Sometimes water retention is caused by not drinking enough. Drinking water during a meal dilutes digestive acids, but before a meal is a good time for water consumption.

The quality of water is important. Drink the cleanest water available. When drinking tap water, add lemon juice. Pink salt and peppermint essential oil are also good additions to any drinking water.

Don’t know your body type yet?
Determining your body type is easy using my online body type test:

Women with Gallbladder body type can range from petite to average in height with shoulders relatively even with hips. They have a straight-to-defined waist, and may have small, deep-set eyes. Legs are slender with very little or no weight gain except for upper inner thighs. Torso is solid, and most weight gain accrues in lower abdomen.	Men with Gallbladder body type range from short to average height with medium to large bone structure. Shoulders are relatively even with, to moderately broader than, hips. They have a strong, stocky torso with solid musculature and a soft layer covering the abdomen which makes it difficult to attain muscular definition. Weight gain accrues as soft rolls around the waist and solid layer over the abdomen.
Pictures of Women's Body Types	Pictures of Men's Body Types
Celebrities with Eye Body Type include Bea Arthur, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Klugman and Harvey Korman.

Don’t know your body type yet?
Determining your body type is easy using my online body type test:

Women's Body Type Video

Men's Body Type Video

Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus) inspires and improves mental clarity. It supports good circulation, and has an ORAC anti-oxidant score of 17,765. It can be used for purifying, and for dietary support.

Lemongrass Essential Oil supports overall well-being, and the digestive system. It is my first choice for tendons, ligaments, joints and sore muscles. It’s an excellent oil for your first aid kit.

Resentment is a core emotional issue for the Gallbladder body type. When you are basically a giver, it is easy for other people to come to rely on you. Unfortunately, when things get out of balance, resentment sets in. Resentment can be released using Lemongrass essential oil, transmuting it into Embracement. It can also be used to release Should (“should do this, should do that”) which transmutes into Spontaneous.

Lemongrass has powerful antifungal properties, is antibacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory. It may regenerate connective tissue and ligaments, and may also dilate blood vessels, improve circulation, and promote lymph flow. It is often used for purification and digestion, bladder infections, respiratory/sinus infections, fluid retention, varicose veins, and Salmonella. Its fragrance promotes psychic awareness and purification. Applications: Dilute l part Lemongrass with 4 parts vegetable oil, apply 1-2 drops on location and on chakras. It may also be directly inhaled and diffused.