Body Composition Analysis: Why It Matters for Overall Health—Not Just Aesthetics

A single number on the bathroom scale can’t reveal how fat, muscle, and metabolism work together to influence energy, hormones, and long-term disease risk. Two people may weigh the same but differ greatly in fat distribution and muscle mass—differences that drive very different health outcomes. Body composition analysis through bioelectric impedance analysis offers a far more complete picture.

How Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Works at Restore

Body composition testing uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)—a safe, quick, and non-invasive technology. A low, painless electrical current passes through the body. Different tissues (ie. muscle, fat etc) conduct the current in distinct ways. By measuring this resistance, the analyzer calculates different readings such as weight, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass and visceral fat.

These measurements are the foundation for more detailed insights. The values are used and applied to validated formulas to estimate values such as basal metabolic rate (BMR), body fat mass, waist-hip ratio, and an overall composition score. Together, they create a baseline and a way to track meaningful progress over time.

Why the Four Core Measurements Matter

Skeletal Muscle Mass
Muscle is a true metabolic powerhouse. It absorbs and stores most of the glucose from meals, helping keep blood sugar steady. Healthy muscle mass supports a strong resting metabolism, and it releases anti-inflammatory signals (myokines) that benefit the heart, brain, and immune system. Maintaining adequate muscle also protects bone density, preserves strength and mobility, and aids recovery from everyday stress or illness.

Visceral Fat Level
Visceral fat is the type of body fat stored deep inside the abdominal cavity, surrounding vital organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. This type of fat can drive disease:

• Disrupts blood sugar control, by driving insulin resistance and increasing risk for type 2 diabetes

• Raises blood pressure and harmful lipids, adding strain on the heart and blood vessels and increasing risk of heart attack or stroke

• Promotes chronic inflammation, linked to conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, certain cancers, and cognitive decline

• Disrupts hormonal balance, aggravating PMS, PCOS, and menopausal changes.

Weight

Weight is the anchor measurement for a full body composition analysis. It is used to calculate related metrics and interpretations such as basal metabolic rate or body fat mass.

Percent Body Fat
Total fat percentage affects more than appearance. Too much body fat contributes to insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation, and hormone imbalance. Too little can disrupt ovulation, thyroid function, and bone density.

Build a Health Roadmap with Restore

Body composition analysis is now included in all comprehensive initial visits and offered complimentary at your next follow-up for existing patients. Stand-alone testing is also available for anyone wishing to monitor fat, muscle, and metabolic trends over time.

Discover what your scale can’t show. Book a body composition assessment with Restore to understand—and track—how fat, muscle, and metabolism are shaping your long-term health.

References

• PMID: 15380917

• PMID: 21555168

• PMID: 18332882

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• PMID: 22949540

Underrated and Essential: The Role of Protein in Women’s Health

How prioritizing protein can help women feel stronger, more energized, and hormonally balanced.

When most women think about protein, they often picture bulky shakes or gym-heavy routines — but protein is so much more than a muscle-builder. It’s essential for hormone balance, metabolic function, immune resilience, and maintaining lean body mass. And yet, many women aren’t getting enough — especially during periods of stress, hormonal transition, or when trying to lose weight.

Protein Supports Hormonal Health
Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, insulin, and cortisol are built on amino acid structures. Without sufficient protein, the body struggles to create and regulate these crucial hormones. This is especially relevant during perimenopause, postpartum, or with conditions like PCOS, where hormonal balance is already under strain.

Protein Helps Preserve Lean Muscle and Metabolism
Women begin to lose muscle mass as early as their 30s — a process called sarcopenia. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it helps maintain a healthy metabolism. Protein intake helps protect this muscle, particularly during weight loss or aging, reducing the risk of metabolic slowdown and injury.

Protein Keeps You Full and Balanced
Protein slows digestion and helps stabilize blood sugar. Women who prioritize protein at each meal often experience fewer energy crashes, fewer sugar cravings, and improved focus throughout the day. A protein-rich breakfast alone can significantly impact appetite regulation and energy balance.

Protein is Crucial During Stress and Recovery
Periods of stress — whether emotional, physical, or hormonal — increase the body's demand for protein. It’s required for tissue repair, enzyme production, neurotransmitter balance, and immune support. Recovery from workouts, injury, illness, or burnout is significantly impaired when protein intake is inadequate.

Many Women Aren’t Getting Enough
Despite its importance, many women — especially those skipping meals, dieting, or following plant-based diets — are under-consuming protein. Signs of insufficient intake can include fatigue, hair thinning, cravings, poor recovery, or plateaued weight loss.

How Do You Know If You’re Getting Enough?

If you’re unsure whether you're meeting your protein needs, it’s worth speaking with a qualified healthcare provider. A nutrition or naturopathic assessment can help identify if you're falling short — and whether that’s playing a role in how you’re feeling. Common signs of low protein intake include:

• Persistent fatigue or poor recovery from workouts

• Muscle loss or body composition changes

• Hair thinning or brittle nails

• Frequent sugar cravings or blood sugar crashes

• Poor immune resilience or slow healing

A thorough intake and dietary review can uncover subtle deficiencies — and guide small, targeted changes that support bigger results

Simple Ways to Add More Protein to Your Day

• Add collagen or protein powder to smoothies or oats

• Start your day with eggs, turkey, or high-protein plant options

• Snack on Greek yogurt, hummus, or roasted chickpeas

• Add legumes, tempeh, or organic meats to your meal

• Focus on protein-rich foods you enjoy and digest well

Final Thoughts

Protein isn’t just for athletes — it’s a cornerstone of women’s health. Whether you're navigating hormonal shifts, recovering from stress, or trying to feel more energized and balanced in your daily life, protein may be a foundational piece that's missing.

If you’re unsure whether you’re getting enough — or what the right (and safe) amount looks like for you — reach out. Personalized guidance can make all the difference in helping you feel stronger, more nourished, and truly supported from the inside out.

References:

1. Phillips, S. M. (2016). A brief review of higher dietary protein diets in weight loss: a focus on athletes. Sports Medicine, 46(Suppl 1), 9–13.

2. Layman, D. K., et al. (2015). Defining meal requirements for protein to optimize metabolic roles of amino acids. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 101(6), 1330S–1338S.

3. Leidy, H. J., et al. (2015). The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 101(6), 1320S–1329S.

4. Paddon-Jones, D., & Rasmussen, B. B. (2009). Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 12(1), 86–90.

5. Mangano, K. M., Sahni, S., Kiel, D. P., Tucker, K. L., & Hannan, M. T. (2015). Dietary protein is associated with musculoskeletal health independently of dietary pattern: the Framingham Third Generation Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(2), 362–370

6. Mettler, S., Mitchell, N., & Tipton, K. D. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 326–337.

Why Your Weight Won’t Budge: 5 Root Causes of Resistant Weight Loss in Women

If you're eating well, moving regularly, and still not seeing changes in your body composition, it’s not about a lack of willpower. It’s often a sign that your body is protecting you — not failing you.

Resistant weight loss occurs when deeper metabolic and hormonal imbalances override the effects of a calorie deficit. In other words, even when you’re “doing everything right,” your physiology may be working against fat loss.

Here are five science-backed root causes of weight loss resistance in women — and why addressing them can change everything.

1. Insulin Resistance

Insulin is your blood sugar–regulating hormone, but it also plays a critical role in fat storage. When you eat carbohydrates, insulin helps shuttle glucose into your cells. But when your cells stop responding efficiently — a state known as insulin resistance — your body compensates by producing even more insulin.

Even if you’re eating in a calorie deficit, chronically high insulin levels block fat burning, promote belly fat, and increase cravings — especially for sugar and starch.

In women, insulin resistance is especially common with PCOS, chronic stress, and perimenopausal hormone shifts. Until insulin sensitivity is restored, weight loss remains stalled.

2. Chronic Stress & Cortisol

Stress is more than just mental strain — it’s metabolic. When your body perceives a threat (even overtraining, under-eating, or sleep deprivation), it raises cortisol, your primary stress hormone.

Chronically elevated cortisol:

• Promotes belly fat storage

• Increases blood sugar and insulin resistance

• Intensifies cravings (especially for sugar and carbs)

• Suppresses thyroid function and reproductive hormones

It also keeps your nervous system in a “fight-or-flight” state, making the body feel unsafe to let go of energy reserves. Creating safety through nervous system regulation, restorative practices, and adequate nourishment is essential to long-term fat loss.

3. Reproductive Hormonal Imbalance

Reproductive hormones — estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, LH, and FSH — don’t just influence fertility. They are deeply interconnected with metabolism, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, appetite, and fat distribution.

Throughout a woman’s life — from the menstrual years to perimenopause and menopause — hormonal shifts play a massive role in metabolic function. These imbalances often override the effects of diet and exercise, contributing to weight loss resistance. Here’s how each hormone may be involved:

• Estrogen helps regulate blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and support healthy fat storage in subcutaneous areas like the hips and thighs.*2 When estrogen is elevated relative to progesterone, it can lead to bloating, fluid retention, and increased fat storage in these same areas. As estrogen declines during perimenopause and menopause, insulin resistance worsens, fat storage shifts toward visceral fat deposition* often in the abdomen, and resting metabolic rate may decrease — all of which contribute to weight gain. (Note: Menopausal weight gain is more complex and will be explored in a dedicated blog soon.)

• Progesterone plays a calming role in the nervous system, supports restorative sleep, and helps stabilize blood sugar. Chronic stress, anovulatory cycles, and aging often reduce progesterone levels, leading to symptoms such as anxiety, poor sleep, increased cravings, and estrogen dominance. Low progesterone also worsens insulin resistance and can disrupt metabolic flexibility, making weight loss more difficult.

• Testosterone, while present in lower levels in women, is essential for maintaining lean muscle mass, motivation, and metabolic rate. In excess — such as in PCOS — it can drive central fat gain, insulin resistance, acne, and irregular cycles. When testosterone is too low, women may experience muscle loss, fatigue, and a slower metabolism, all of which contribute to weight plateaus.

• DHEA is a precursor to both estrogen and testosterone and plays a key role in mood, energy, and hormonal resilience. When DHEA is elevated — especially in adrenal-driven PCOS — it can lead to androgenic symptoms like acne, hirsutism, and menstrual irregularities. When DHEA is low, often due to chronic stress or aging, it’s associated with visceral fat gain, poor recovery, reduced metabolic flexibility, and lower resilience to physical or emotional stressors.

Hormonal imbalance often flies under the radar — especially when lab values fall within conventional ranges. But symptoms like bloating, fatigue, irregular cycles, poor sleep, and weight plateaus are strong indicators that hormones are out of sync. Supporting hormonal rhythm helps your body feel safe to shift into a fat-burning, metabolically responsive state.

4. Gut Dysfunction & Microbiome Imbalance

Your gut doesn’t just digest food — it also plays a critical role in metabolic regulation. The trillions of microbes in your gut influence:

• How you extract calories from food

• Inflammation, which impacts insulin and hormone signaling

• Hunger and fullness cues, via hormones like GLP-1, ghrelin, and leptin

Dysbiosis — an imbalance in the gut microbiome — is linked to insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and cravings. Even with a clean diet, a disrupted microbiome can lead to bloating, poor nutrient absorption, and a stalled metabolism.

Improving gut health through targeted nutrition, digestive support, and microbiome balance can significantly improve metabolic flexibility and fat loss outcomes.

5. Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Your mitochondria are the energy-producing engines inside your cells. They convert the food you eat into ATP, the energy your body uses for everything — including fat burning.

When mitochondria are damaged or sluggish — due to toxin exposure, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, or nutrient deficiencies — energy output drops. This can manifest as:

• Low resting metabolic rate

• Chronic fatigue

• Poor workout recovery

• Weight plateaus despite consistent effort

Restoring mitochondrial health with certain nutrients like CoQ10, B vitamins, magnesium, carnitine, and antioxidants, along with reducing toxic load and improving sleep, helps reignite fat-burning potential at the cellular level.

Final Thoughts

Weight loss isn’t always about eating less and moving more. For many women, especially those in high-stress states or transitional hormonal phases, fat loss resistance is a protective biological response to deeper dysfunction.

Addressing these five areas — insulin resistance, chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, gut dysfunction, and mitochondrial health — creates the conditions where weight loss becomes possible again.

When the body feels supported and safe, it will let go of what it no longer needs.

* Subcutaneous fat is stored just beneath the skin, most commonly around the hips, thighs, and arms. It is generally less inflammatory and more metabolically protective. This is the predominant fat storage pattern in premenopausal women.
* Visceral fat is stored deeper in the abdominal cavity around internal organs. It is more inflammatory, strongly linked to insulin resistance, and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. This type of fat tends to increase during perimenopause and menopause as estrogen levels decline.

References:

 Shulman GI. Ectopic fat in insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and cardiometabolic disease. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(12):1131–1141.

Epel ES, McEwen B, Seeman T, et al. Stress and body shape: stress‑induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosom Med. 2000;62(5):623–632.

Lizcano F & Guzmán G. Estrogen deficiency and the origin of obesity during menopause. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:757461.

MacGregor KA, Gallagher IJ, Moran CN, et al. Relationship between insulin sensitivity and menstrual cycle is modified by BMI, fitness, and physical activity in NHANES. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021;106(10):2979–2990.

Barber TM, Hanson P, Weickert MO, Franks S. Obesity and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Implications for Pathogenesis and Novel Management Strategies. Clin Med Insights Reprod Health. 2019;13:1179558119874042.

De Pergola G, Triggiani V, Giorgino F, et al. The free testosterone to dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate molar ratio as a marker of visceral fat accumulation in premenopausal obese women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1994;18(10):659–664.

Turnbaugh PJ, Ley RE, Mahowald MA, et al. An obesity‑associated gut microbiome with increased capacity for energy harvest. Nature. 2006;444(7122):1027–1031.

Bournat JC & Brown JM. Mitochondrial dysfunction in obesity. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021;12:624801.

Red Light Therapy: Shedding Light on its Benefits

Red light therapy has been gaining attention as a non-invasive and useful approach for various health and wellness concerns. This therapeutic technique involves exposing the body to low-level red and near-infrared light, which stimulates cellular function and promote healing. In this blog post, we'll delve into the fascinating world of Red Light Therapy and explore its numerous potential benefits for both physical and mental well-being.

Enhances Skin Health:

Red light therapy has shown promise in improving the health and appearance of the skin. The wavelengths used in red light therapy penetrate deep into the skin, stimulating collagen production and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots. It can also help in managing skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis by reducing inflammation and promoting healing.

Accelerates Wound Healing:

By enhancing cellular metabolism and increasing blood circulation, red light therapy can accelerate the healing process of wounds, cuts, and burns. It aids in the formation of new blood vessels and collagen, leading to faster tissue repair and reduced scarring.

Relieves Joint and Muscle Pain:

For individuals suffering from chronic pain, red light therapy offers a drug-free and non-invasive alternative. The red and near-infrared light penetrates deep into the tissues, promoting cellular regeneration and reducing inflammation. This therapy has been found beneficial for relieving joint pain, arthritis, muscle soreness, and sports-related injuries.

Boosts Mood and Energy Levels:

Red light therapy has been shown to positively impact mood and energy levels. The light exposure stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and well-being, while also regulating the body's natural circadian rhythm. This can be especially helpful for individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or those experiencing low energy and mood during darker months.

Supports Hair Growth:

Red light therapy may aid in stimulating hair growth and preventing hair loss. By increasing blood flow to the hair follicles and promoting cellular activity, it can help revitalize damaged hair follicles and improve hair thickness and density.

Improves Sleep Quality:

The use of red light therapy before bedtime has been reported to improve sleep quality and help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The exposure to red light promotes the natural production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, helping to establish a healthy sleep routine and improve overall sleep patterns.

Red light therapy has emerged as a promising tool for promoting health and well-being in a non-invasive, drug-free manner. From enhancing skin health and accelerating wound healing to relieving pain and improving mood, its potential benefits are diverse and wide-ranging. So, why not bask in the gentle glow of red light therapy and explore the potential it holds for your own well-being?