BEMIDJI — Some people have to face adversity to succeed.
Dr. Alan Christianson of Bemidji, New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned endocrinologist and thyroid specialist learned early on that before things go right, things can go wrong.
After fighting to control his health, practicing naturopathic medicine, and writing eight best-selling books to encourage others to take the reins in their lives, Christianson went on to find hormonal weight gain. In early June, I published a food cookbook to improve , fatigue, insomnia, and more.
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contains solutions to hormonal imbalances and includes 80 recipes to help you tailor the optimal meal plan for different body types and hormone levels. Because, in Christianson’s words, health isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about living longer.
“This book is unlike any other I have written. It is primarily a cookbook. We had programs for a variety of purposes, including: “But one thing my readers keep saying is they want more recipes.”
According to Christianson, everyone’s health depends on their hormones. As lifestyle, disease and aging change hormones, so does a person’s quality of life. The top five symptoms of hormonal imbalance are weight gain, fatigue, hot flashes, fog and insomnia.
Thankfully, the right foods can help regulate and heal your hormones, and simple changes in your kitchen can make a big difference. With recipes, photos and dietary solutions to alleviate these symptoms, this cookbook aims to bring your body back into balance.
“[The target audience]for this book is probably women in their late 40s. , people often don’t expect it,” Christianson said. “This cookbook can guide them further and define safe ways to feel their best and be the best mothers, wives and best people.”
Christianson’s passion lies in taking care of himself and educating others how to do the same, but that’s not always the case, as he has suffered setbacks too. bottom.
Christianson admitted to facing health problems early in life, being diagnosed with obesity, epilepsy and movement disorders.
when he was young
“I had seizures and a lot of health problems. I was a really, really clumsy kid,” he recalled. “My mother said that when I tried to run, she was like the blade of a rotary cultivator and her legs went out to the side.”
Christianson was adopted as a newborn by a couple who were unable to have children of their own. They lived on a farm just a few miles east of Bemidji.
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He explained that his industrious parents hadn’t given him much materially, but one day they returned with the gift of a set of encyclopedia books.
Christianson read each book from beginning to end and was immersed in learning. But as he continued his sedentary life as a bookworm, his weight began to increase.
“I didn’t fit in. People made fun of me for my weight. It hurt,” he said. “Puberty is a tough time for many people, but I was pretty introverted and not a social or sports superstar. bottom.”
Christianson turned to books as a way to escape harassment from his colleagues. At the age of 12, he spent his free time at the Bemidji Public Library, reading any health-related books that came his way. These books taught him about good eating, exercise, and health information that ultimately changed his entire life.
“There wasn’t a lot of data at the time, but I learned things like minimizing highly processed foods, eating less bread, and avoiding sugar. I read that,” he said. “There have been a few times when I decided to get healthy, committed myself to something, and did more than I was capable of, resulting in injury, pain, and misery. I didn’t want to.”
Applying information from the books he read, he began to watch his food intake, focusing on fruits and vegetables and avoiding refills. He built himself an exercise program with the goal of eventually being able to run long distances.
“My parents’ kitchen was set up in such a way that it would loop around the dining room and back into the kitchen. The loop was probably 40 or 50 steps, but I’m not kidding. I used it as my track,” he said with a laugh. “I did a couple of laps around that little truck, and I got shot. I did that for months until I was
Far from being a natural athlete, the numerous setbacks and injuries he faced would have given up on many in his position. But Christiansson, with his knowledge and tenacity, continued to fight for control of his own life and health. He started running 5 kilometers, half marathons, triathlons and eventually qualified for the Boston Marathon.
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“From there I was able to improve my health and the more I progressed, the more I realized this was my passion. It’s now available,” Christianson said. “After that, I think my first job in health was at Bemidji’s Harmony Natural Foods. I did my best.”
He knew medicine was his calling, but he shared a passion for food and nutrition that many doctors said was not standard medical practice. Some even said they could lose their license if they pursued “that sort of thing.”
One day, Mr. Christianson stumbled across an advertisement for a new medical school in Arizona. Naturopathic medicine, a field that incorporates the best of the prior art in addition to diet and natural remedies, has featured naturopathic medicine.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is it,'” he recalls. “That was exactly what I wanted to do, so I pursued it.”
Christianson qualified as a Naturopathic Physician in 1996, and as it became more apparent that thyroid disease and hormone care were his primary focus, he specialized as a Naturopathic Endocrinologist.
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“People who have and are working with chronic conditions have come to believe that coming out of it will make them healthier and healthier than their peers who took their health for granted. said Christianson. “The body’s resilience is amazing. I want people to know that they can feel as good as they want to feel.”
“Bemidji was always at home”
Christianson knew he wanted to be a doctor and knew he would move full-time to Arizona to practice in Scottsdale. However, not long after he graduated from medical school and started practicing, he met Kirin, who would later become his wife.
After 27 years of marriage, two kids, and multiple businesses together, something in his heart knew his heart was still in Minnesota. .
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With their two children off to college, the newly nested couple recently returned to Bemidji to spend more time with their family.
“It’s been good in Arizona. We’re excited to practice, the kids are off to a good start there, everything’s going well, but Bemidji is always home,” he said. “I’m sitting here right now looking at the lake and the trees, and just yesterday the giraffe and I were paddling in the lake and a loon was swimming. We sat alone and were quiet. I had a great time, and I said to her, ‘I’m as rich as I can be now, and I don’t need anything more.’
Christianson is transitioning to semi-retirement, but plans to do occasional virtual consulting, write a blog, and work on future books.
With backgrounds as doctors and the recent crowning of Giraffe as the first lady of Minnesota, they mostly spend their time volunteering in the community and enjoying the tranquility of the Northwoods, he said.
“I love the culture and people here, but I missed it,” he said. “I love being here and I love being part of this community.”
