Creating a healthy weight-loss environment
July 30, 2024
Emotional Eating and Overeating
July 30, 2024We all have them, but where do cravings come from? Though this may be a loaded question with many answers at the end, there are a few common places we can start with. The most common cravings tend to lean towards sugar or carbohydrates. Understanding where these cravings come from is an important part of getting to the bottom of them.
The Science Behind Your Cravings
Sugar cravings come down to a hormone called leptin where its main role is to regulate fat storage and how many calories you eat and burn. When leptin levels are above the body’s predisposed threshold, your brain senses that you have enough energy which then regulates your cravings for sweet foods. Too much leptin and your body can become resistant to it. Once that happens your body has difficulty communicating to your brain that you aren’t hungry. So when you are changing the way you eat that can result in weight loss, fat cells lose fat, which then decreases the amount of leptin produced. Combine that with the sugar telling your brain that all you want is another cookie or pastry, and you end up eating even more sugar, which is stored as more fat, which releases more leptin. And so on and so on.
Taking Control of Cravings
| Avoid Processed Food: Perhaps this is an obvious choice, but try telling that to your brain, your stomach, AND Leptin at 8 pm on a Friday night when you’re getting ready to watch a movie. The biggest issue with refined foods is that they contain high levels of simple carbohydrates, which the body breaks down very quickly. This can lead to sugar spikes and drops which can affect the balance of insulin levels in the body. This can lead to unwanted weight gain, causing more leptin in the adipose tissues.
Increase Dietary Fibre: Increase Dietary Protein: Dietary Water Intake: Addressing Nutrient Deficiencies:
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