Bemidji's Dr. Alan Christianson releases 'Hormone Healing Cookbook'

Jun. 17—BEMIDJI — For some, facing adversity is required in order to become successful.

As a New York Times bestselling author, world-renowned endocrinologist and thyroid specialist, Dr. Alan Christianson of Bemidji learned early on that sometimes things need to go wrong before they can go right.

After fighting to take control of his health, practicing naturopathic medicine and writing eight bestselling books to inspire others to take the reins on their lives, Christianson released a dietary cookbook in early June to help reverse hormonal weight gain, fatigue, insomnia and more.

The

"Hormone Healing Cookbook"

includes solutions to hormone imbalances with 80 recipes to help tailor the best meal plans for all different body types and hormone levels — because in the words of Christianson, health isn't just about the weight you lose, it's about the life you gain.

"This book is different from the others I've written. It's primarily a cookbook. My last three books got good attention and they all had programs for various purposes, which included some meal plans and a few dozen recipes," he said. "But one thing that my readers have kept saying is they wanted more recipes."

According to Christianson, everyone's well-being is dependent on hormones. As hormones change from lifestyle, diseases and aging, so does one's quality of life. The top five symptoms of hormone imbalance are weight gain, fatigue, hot flashes, brain fog and insomnia.

Thankfully, the right foods can help regulate and heal hormones and simple changes in the kitchen can make all the difference. With recipes, photos and dietary solutions geared towards alleviating these symptoms, the cookbook aims to return the body to a state of balance.

"The (target audience) for this book is probably a woman in her late 40s. There's a stage leading up to menopause that goes on for often two to five years and we call this perimenopause. There's a lot of transition that goes on and people often don't expect it," Christianson said. "This cookbook can guide them further and define safe ways for them to feel their best so they can be the best mom, wife and person they can be."

While Christianson's passion lies in taking care of himself and educating others on how to do the same, that wasn't always the case, as he's had his share of setbacks, too.

Facing setbacks with his health early in life, Christianson admitted he was obese, epileptic and diagnosed with a motor disability called

cerebral palsy

when he was younger.

"I had seizures and a lot of health issues. I was a really, really clumsy kid," he recalled. "My mom said that when I tried to run, it was like the blades of a rototiller — my legs kind of went out to the side."

Christianson was adopted as a newborn by a couple who could not have children of their own. They lived on a farm just a couple miles east of Bemidji.

He explained how although his hard-working parents didn't have much to offer him when it came to materialistic things, one day, they came home with a gift — an encyclopedia book set.

Christianson read each of the books from cover to cover, leading him to fall in love with learning. But with his sedentary life as a bookworm, he started to gain weight.

"I didn't fit in and got teased about my weight. It hurt," he said. "Adolescence is a tough time for many people, I was pretty introverted and definitely not a social or sports superstar. I took it pretty hard and that's an understatement. It was devastating."

As a way to escape the harassment of his peers, Christianson turned to books. At age 12, he spent his free time in the Bemidji Public Library reading any health book he could get his hands on. The books taught him about good food, exercising and health information that would eventually change the entire course of his life.

"There wasn't a lot of data back then, but I did learn things like minimizing highly processed foods, reducing bread intake and avoiding sugar. I also read about exercise being something you build up to gradually," he said. "There were several times where I decided I was going to become fit and I would dive into something, doing more than I could which resulted in becoming injured, sore and miserable — so I didn't want to do it again."

Applying the information from the books he read, he started watching his food intake, focusing more on fruits and veggies and avoiding second servings. He even built himself an exercise program with the goal of being able to eventually run long distances.

"My parents' kitchen was set up where there was almost a loop around the dining room and into the kitchen again. That loop was probably like 40 or 50 steps and no kidding, I used that as my track," he said with a laugh. "I would do like two or three laps around that little track and I was shot. But then, I started to do four or five laps, and then six. I kept that up for months until I could go a meaningful distance down the block."

Far from being a natural athlete, the number of setbacks and injuries he faced would have made many in his shoes give up — but with knowledge and persistence, Christianson kept fighting for control over his life and his health. He started running 5K's, half marathons, triathlons and eventually qualified for the Boston Marathon.

"I was able to improve my health from there and the more I progressed, the more I realized this was my passion. I soon came to be known as someone people would ask for health advice like about diets, fitness and whatnot," Christianson said. "Then, my first gig in health I suppose was at Harmony Natural Foods in Bemidji. I worked there in the 80s as a clerk and I tried my best to answer people's questions about supplements, herbs and stuff like that."

He knew medicine was his calling, but as he shared his passion for diet and nutrition, many doctors told him that was not part of the standard medical practice. One even told him that if he pursued "that stuff" he could lose his license.

Then one day, Christianson stumbled upon an ad for a new medical school opening its doors in Arizona that featured naturopathic medicine — a field that embraced the best of conventional technology along with diet and natural treatments.

"I thought, 'Wow, that's it,'" he recalled. "That was exactly what I wanted to do, so I pursued it."

Christianson went on to become licensed as a Naturopathic Physician in 1996 and as it became more clear that thyroid disease and hormone care were his main focus, he specialized as a Naturopathic Endocrinologist.

"I've come to think that someone who develops a chronic condition and engages in it can come out of that on the other side healthier than they were before and healthier than their peers that have taken their health for granted," Christianson said. "The body has amazing resilience. I want people to know that you can feel as good as you want to feel."

Christianson knew he wanted to be a doctor and he knew he was going to move to Arizona full-time to practice medicine in Scottsdale. But 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 starting multiple businesses together, something inside him knew his heart was still in Minnesota.

As both of their children started college, the newly empty-nested couple recently made the move back to the Bemidji area to spend more time with family.

"It was good in Arizona. We were thrilled with the practice and the kids got a good start there and it was all fine, but Bemidji has always been home," he said. "I'm just sitting here right now looking at the lake and the trees and just yesterday, Kirin and I were out paddling on the lake and there was a loon swimming by. We had a quiet moment, sitting alone and I said to her, 'I'm as rich as I can get right now, I don't need anything more than this.'"

As Christianson moves into semi-retirement, he still plans on doing occasional virtual consults, writing blogs and working on future books.

With his medical background and

Kirin's recent crowning as Mrs. Minnesota,

he said they mostly spend their time volunteering in the community and enjoying the serenity of the Northwoods.

"I love the culture here and the people, I missed that," he said. "I love being here and I love being a part of this community."