A lot of people struggle
with weight loss as their attempts are often unsuccessful. This could be a
consequence of a hormone, known as leptin, which prevents healthy weight loss.
It is released by the cells and its function is to balance the levels of energy
and the body weight. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and then binds to the
receptors in the center for appetite in the brain and signalizes the brain to
determine how much food the body needs.
Furthermore, it improves
the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, and thus, it encourages the fat
tissues to burn energy. However, in a lot of cases, the body can develop leptin
resistance. This may occur in situations when the blood doesn’t reach the
targets for appetite control or when the receptors bound by leptin fail to
function properly and don’t signal the cells to respond to the hormone. As a
result, the person is overweight or obese and is unable to lose weight.
High
levels of Leptin and the accompanying leptin resistance can also decrease
fertility, age you more quickly and contribute to obesity.
Another important hormone whose excess
level could lead to weight gain is ‘cortisol’.
Levels of "the stress hormone," cortisol, rise during
tension-filled times. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because
increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your
blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods.
Excess weight gain creates inflammation
and oxidative stress in the body, leading to additional accumulation of fat,
which in turn disrupts the hormonal balance in the body, and causes diseases
and various conditions.
If the leptin levels have
been high for a longer period of time, the individual could lose sensitivity to
it, which further results in the brain failing to obey the signals for speeding
up the metabolism and stop eating.
The following are the most common symptoms of leptin resistance:
v
Weight
gain
v
Cravings
v
Late
night eating
v Difficulty falling and staying asleep
v
Inability
to lose weight
v
Lack
of motivation
v
Need
for snacks after meals
v
Tiredness
after meals
Factors that Contribute to Leptin
Resistance
As
with all hormone issues, Leptin resistance is a complex issue with no singular
cause, but there are many factors that can negatively impact Leptin levels
including:
Ø Fructose
consumption (especially in forms like High Fructose Corn Syrup)
Ø Consumption
of a lot of simple carbs
Ø Overeating
Ø Exercising
too much, especially if your hormones are already damaged
Ø Grain
and lectin consumption
How
To Reverse Leptin Resistance And Maintain Hormonal Balance?
Is the resistance
treatable?
The answer is, yes. To burn belly fat, you need to balance
hormones regulation your the belly fat — insulin, leptin, cortisol, growth
hormone, and adiponectin.
Follow these 3 strategies to balance
your hormones and lose weight:
WEIGHT
LOSS STRATEGY NO 1: Foods you should stop consuming -
1.
Limit Fructose
Fructose is the
most metabolically dangerous sugar, as it does not signal the brain that you
are full. It goes directly to the liver where it gets stored as fat and
stimulates insulin and leptin resistance. This, in turn, causes inflammation, a
stressed liver, and belly fat.
2.
Avoid Gluten and Dairy Products
Gluten and dairy products
are the most common food intolerances, and their avoidance will help you lose
weight, and treat inflammation, and insulin resistance. Before buying packed
food check the label, if it contains gluten.
3.
Avoid
Sugar craving
Give up those sugary drinks for
just a few weeks and see the difference. Research also suggests that
carbohydrate at breakfast is important to help guard against abdominal obesity.
Quickly digested carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index (GI) – e.g.
white bread, refined cereals, pastries – are less effective at promoting weight
loss because they spike blood sugar and insulin, which can trigger hunger and
inhibit the breakdown of body fat. Stop consuming high-calorie beverages.
4.
Avoid
Alcohol
Avoid alcohol if you intend to lose weight. Alcohol has also been shown to inhibit the
secretion of leptin, which might explain why alcohol increases your appetite and subsequent calorie intake over 24
hours when consumed. Alcohol also increases insulin resistance. Alcohol interferes
with your sleep cycle once you’re out. A disturbed sleep, change the hormonal
balance in your body, which results in weight gain and increased belly fat.
WEIGHT
LOSS STRATEGY NO 2: Foods you should consume -
1.
Power up with protein
Adding protein to breakfast slows
digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness throughout the morning. Studies
suggest protein-rich solid foods curb appetite better than protein-rich drinks.
Breakfast foods high in protein include egg whites, cottage cheese, Greek
yogurt, regular yogurt, low-fat milk, turkey breast, smoked salmon and tofu.
2.
Add healthy carbohydrates
Eating carbohydrate-rich foods
such as whole grains and fruit in the morning meal fuels your brain and
muscles. Foods with a low GI release sugar more slowly into the bloodstream and
don’t produce an outpouring of insulin. Low GI breakfast foods include grainy
bread, steel-cut and large flake oats, 100 percent bran cereal, oat bran,
apples, citrus fruit, grapes, pears, nuts, milk, yogurt, and soy beverages.
3.
Have Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
Eat Foods Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
Omega 3 Fatty Acids can help reverse the harmful effects of fructose and
is also high in other beneficial nutrients, so it helps you lose weight, and
improve your memory and learning skills. Taking more Omega-3s and
minimize your Omega-6 consumption (vegetable oils, conventional meats, grains,
etc) to get lower inflammation and help support healthy leptin levels.. Fishes like salmon, Mackerel, and
Herring are rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Also include walnuts, almonds, and
flaxseeds in your diet.
4.
Increase your Adiponectin levels
Adiponectin is a protein that is involved in regulating glucose levels as well as
fatty acid breakdown. Adiponectin
works between fat cells and the brain, so its low levels stimulate the storage of
fat in the body, and vice versa. If you raise its levels, your body will burn fat.
Therefore, consume more pistachios and pumpkin seeds, and get at least 35 grams
of fiber daily, to optimize its levels.
Vegetables like spinach have
certain enzymes and antioxidants which
stimulate the protein hormone. Pumpkins and pumpkin seeds also do
the same.
Monounsaturated fats: Research has found that replacing
saturated fat with monounsaturated fat caused increases in adiponectin levels.
Even better-monounsaturated fats seem to redistribute fat away from your
belly. You can find monounsaturated fats in Avocados, Olive oil,
Macadamia nuts, Peanuts, and Sesame Oil.
Exercise: Studies have shown that the
more you move… the higher your adiponectin levels. Any exercise will do, just
make sure to remain consistent. What I also like is that the fatter you are the
more adiponectin is created through exercise
WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY NO 3: Healthy
Lifestyle Changes -
1.
Practice
High-intensity interval training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
helps you burn body fat. This workout includes exercising at a high intensity
for 30-75 seconds, with a 2-3 minute break in between, consisted of exercising
at a lower intensity. Any exercise will do, just make sure to remain
consistent. Further, more adiponectin is created through exercise.
2.
A
Mini Fast
Intermittent fasting is an effective tool
to lose weight. Intermittent
fasting will help you reduce reducing visceral fat. It can help you eat fewer calories and optimize numerous hormones
related to fat loss. Insulin: Insulin increases when we
eat. When we fast, insulin decreases dramatically. Lower levels of insulin
facilitate fat burning. Human growth hormone (HGH): Levels of
growth hormone may skyrocket during a fast, increasing as much as 5-fold.
Growth hormone is a hormone that can aid fat loss and muscle gain, among other
things. Norepinephrine (noradrenaline): The nervous system sends
norepinephrine to the fat cells, making them break down body fat into free
fatty acids that can be burned for energy.
Research suggests an 18-hour window for women and a 16-hour window for men of intermittent fasting will help
you reduce reducing visceral fat and lose weight.
Leptin imbalance might also
be a consequence of sleep deficiency and sleep disorders; therefore, you should
get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily. All in all, if you have problems with
weight loss, make sure you check your leptin levels first. Research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has shown that sleeping
fewer than six hours reduces leptin and stimulates ghrelin: causing you to feel
hungrier and less satiated! You need to sleep 7-8 hours every night in order to
burn belly fat, as sleep controls cortisol and insulin levels in the body. Within
just four days of sleep deprivation, your body’s ability to properly respond to
insulin signals begins to diminish (University of Chicago researchers found a
30% drop insulin sensitivity caused by lack of sleep). When you’re not
responsive to insulin, fat cells are far less able to release fatty acids and
lipids to produce energy, the blood glucose remains higher, and any extra fats and
sugars circulating in your blood cause you to pump out even more insulin. When
you don’t sleep enough, your cortisol levels rise. Not only does cortisol
up-regulate food reward centers in your brain that make you want to eat more
food, but cortisol can also inhibit the breakdown of fat for energy and
increase the breakdown of muscle.
Chronic stress boosts cortisol
levels in the body, causing weight gain, storage of fat, and the breakdown of
muscles. Levels of "the stress hormone," cortisol, rise during
tension-filled times. This can turn your overeating into a habit. It is a must to find an activity
that relaxes you, such as meditation, exercise, walking, yoga, essential oil
baths, reading, etc.
Comments