Natural Weight Loss Support in Scottsdale, AZ
Struggling to lose weight?
Feel like you have tried 'everything' and are frustrated to see the scale numbers moving in the opposite direction of your goal?
Sick of not being able to fit comfortably in your clothes and feeling embarrassed of your body?
Weight gain can be a complex issue, and by the time patients come to us, it is usually much more than a poor diet or lack of exercise that is contributing to their frustrating weight issues. Since the body is interconnected, it is essential to address the underlying root causes, which vary from person to person. Whether we are gaining or losing weight, weight can be viewed as a side effect or symptom of our overall health. The same rings true for our energy or blood pressure. Our symptoms, or lack thereof can alert us to areas that may need attention and improvement before more expensive and debilitating health issues occur.
We Address More Than Just Diet and Exercise!
At Hope and Healing Naturopathic, we address your comprehensive health and take your entire ‘puzzle’ into consideration vs. just looking at a few puzzle pieces. Our goal is to help you improve your overall health, so you may notice more energy, better sleep, less anxiety, AND maintain a balanced weight while reducing your risk of chronic disease. If your end goal is to simply lose weight, you likely will continue to feel discouraged and defeated as there is no magic medication, program, or supplement that is sustainable while at the same time promoting long-term health.
Can You Relate to These Patients?
When we address underlying contributing factors to weight gain, patients typically see results. Can you relate to some of these patients?
55 year-old female who had tried every diet, and worked out consistently 6 days a week.
38 year-old female who stated that she could “eat cardboard and still gain weight.”
59 year-old male who ate low carb and lifted weights, yet was steadily gaining weight.
63 year-old woman who “no matter what she tried” was gaining ~20 pounds a year.
29 year-old female who had previously lost weight easily, now is gaining weight and unable to fit into her clothes.
These patients were able to see results in their weight/fat loss goals, while also:
- improving their overall health (energy, skin, digestion, sleep, mood, etc.)
- understanding their body so that they can maintain a healthy weight in the future
- feeling more confident, accepting, and loving of themselves and their body
The above patients all had different causes for their concerns and, therefore, received different treatments. If we keep doing the same thing and getting the same result, it’s time to try something different, right? What we do at Hope and Healing Naturopathic is different than conventional medicine and even other natural practitioners.
Our Comprehensive & Naturopathic Weight Loss Approach
Diet, Lifestyle, and Nutrition
Most people know that our weight is so much more complex than simply counting calories, although the quantity of what we are consuming can definitely play a role. We consider your food quality and quantity, but also your relationship with food, your lifestyle, potential roadblocks with diet, your body image, your culture, and dietary preferences and aversions. For long term success, treatment needs to be practical and sustainable to help empower you to reach your goals.
Our patients are not coming to us eating McDonald’s and Coke or pizza and beer (at least not frequently;) and many have already tried many diets ranging from low carb, keto, gluten-free, or whatever the latest fad diet may be. Instead of guessing or putting everyone on the same restrictive diet (this doesn’t work, especially long term by the way), we get specific with you and your genetic make-up.
✨Food Intolerance Method
We are able to find the best diet for each individual patient and their body based on genetic intolerances through the Food Intolerance Method. This evaluation indicates which foods your body doesn’t have the enzymatic ability to break down. When we eat our intolerances, toxemia builds in our digestive tract, which is basically garbage rotting in our intestines. As you can imagine, this can contribute to bloating, indigestion, fatigue, and weight gain among other issues.
When patients are motivated to avoid their dietary intolerances, patients can notice more energy and a more content digestive tract within even 2-3 days! When we have less toxemia, we also may notice less cravings, more motivation, and more efficient metabolism resulting in potential weight loss.
✨Your Relationship with Food
We help patients work through mental blocks related to food, to help them succeed with healthier choices, less cravings, and the ability to feel empowered to fuel their body with food that nourishes them on a cellular and systemic level.
Once we give the body what it can properly digest without inflammatory reactions, everything else such as the quantity, timing, and quality of our food becomes less stressful or impactful, allowing us to reach our goals faster.
When our digestive tract is balanced, we are able to:
- absorb and use nutrients more effectively
- improve our immune function, mood, blood pressure, skin, and sleep
- resolve dysbiosis, ‘leaky gut’, reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
- rely on fewer supplements, medications, or interventions
- achieve a healthier weight
Mind-Body Connection
We can’t exercise away a poor diet, just as we can’t supplement or medicate our way out of past/current stress or trauma. The body holds on to all unprocessed ‘emotional baggage’ and this often results in carrying excess physical baggage (fat, weight, inflammation, pain). We understand the power that our mind plays regarding our relationship with food, body image, health, and weight, therefore, we place a strong emphasis on the mind-body connection so you can see the results that you deserve!
Our subconscious mind is responsible for ~95% of our operating system, including our thoughts, habits, and values. We utilize various techniques with patients to help shift the subconscious mind to work in alignment with our conscious goals, reduce stress, and resolve past trauma or stored emotion.
Stress, whether it is a physical stress like running, or an emotional stress like being stuck in traffic, can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone associated with increased abdominal fat. We work with patients to find a lifestyle that can support healthy cortisol rhythms whether we focus on improving sleep and stress resilience, adjusting workout routines, or eliminating stored trauma that the body was carrying without conscious knowledge.
By addressing our limiting thoughts, beliefs, and underlying stressors, we can change the physiology of our cells allowing for a more peaceful and confident life, allowing our body to naturally shed excess weight, fat, or inflammation.
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones may include everything from insulin and cortisol to thyroid or sex hormones. The endocrine system, responsible for hormone production and regulation, is closely linked to metabolism and weight. This system is easily overwhelmed and sensitive to sources of toxicity, including plastics in our kitchen and chemicals in our cleaning products or cosmetics.
Many people think that prescribing sex or thyroid hormones is the answer for everything, but this isn’t necessarily addressing the cause. We look for the underlying reasons WHY there may be thyroid dysfunction, insulin resistance, or sex hormone imbalances. We then work WITH your body to identify and treat the root causes of your weight concerns. There is no cookie cutter approach to anything that we offer at Hope and Healing Naturopathic and everything is customized to you and your goals and lifestyle.
Toxicity
This category is often overlooked and often a contributing factor to weight (and health) issues. If we make a simple analogy of our lymphatic system and detox organs to garbage buckets and conveyor belts, think of what happens when we pour too much in, and don’t take the garbage out or clean the conveyor belt frequently enough. Things pile up, stink, and cause issues. Our body is no different!
Many of us have genetic mutations or ‘DNA struggles’ that may predispose us to certain conditions, but that does not mean that we can’t avoid those through epigenetics (what we eat, drink, think, breathe, etc.). According to the analogy above, if we have smaller garbage buckets or shorter conveyor belts than some others, we may need to be more intentional with ‘pouring less garbage in’ and ‘emptying the garbage more frequently’. This is possible, with some knowledge and guidance, which we try to empower our patients with.
If we start our day with caffeine and sugar, then slather our body with toxic lotions and cosmetics, consume hot food/drinks out of plastic containers, use air fresheners and chemical cleaners, go through our day in STRESS overdrive, and eventually wind down with some alcohol and/or meds to help us sleep, can you see how our body may not be able to keep up with trying to maintain a balanced weight or life?
All of these seemingly ‘normal’ things in society take a toll on our health, metabolism, and weight. We assess where you may be able to ‘pour less in’ whether it’s using cleaner products, avoiding your food intolerances, or improving your stress resilience. We also help educate and empower you how to ‘take the garbage out’ by encouraging your body’s detox organs to efficiently eliminate through sweating, urinating, breathing, and having regular menstrual cycles and bowel movements.
Lifestyle Factors
Poor sleep, sedentary habits, and a life of excess (food, alcohol, travel, exercise, stress, etc.) can hinder weight management efforts.
While restrictive diets or conventional weight loss methods MAY provide temporary solutions, they also come with risks. These methods are not addressing the reason for the weight gain in the first place, nor are they helping to improve your overall health.
By addressing the above factors, our patients find that they are able to reach their weight/fat loss goals as well as gain a better understanding on how to best support their body/mind for optimal health, now and in the future. As the body heals, people can notice better sleep, more balanced emotions, improved energy, and more balanced weight since weight is indeed a side effect of health.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive and sustainable solution to end the frustrating and confusing journey of battling with the scale, we would be happy to help you reach your goals at 602-836-HOPE.
My Commitment as your Naturopathic Doctor
My commitment is to listen to you and your body and find the causes that are holding you back from living the life you deserve. I don’t treat symptoms, nor do I limit my focus to one aspect or treatment as you deserve so much more than that. I take into consideration ALL contributing factors and teach and empower you how to heal on all levels.
About Dr. E
Dr. Shawna Eischens (Dr. "E."), is a Naturopathic Doctor, and owner of Hope and Healing Naturopathic is an expert in finding the cause of your concerns so you can live a life free of pain, anxiety, fatigue, or other symptoms that are holding you back from enjoying the life you deserve! Dr. E attracts motivated patients who are ready for a health advocate who is non-judgmental, passionate, experienced, and determined to help you THRIVE instead of just survive! Dr. E is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, a mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a volunteer for Naturopathic Medicine Institute, and nature-loving outdoor enthusiast.
Dr. Eischens is a licensed Naturopathic Physician in Arizona and Minnesota.
She has received additional training and is certified in:
Dr. Eischens is a member of:
- AANP (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians)
- NMI (Naturopathic Medicine Institute)
- AZNMA (Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association)
Hope and Healing Naturopathic was awarded "BEST OF THE VALLEY" in 2024 for the "Naturopathic Medicine" category.
Other Common Conditions We Help People Overcome
