If you follow a strict diet and you exercise regularly, but you still can’t lose weight, your weight loss hormones are probably not switched on.
Many processes in our body help us burn fat. They need specific hormones in order to happen. For instance, our metabolism relies on a healthy supply of T4 and T3 hormones from the thyroid gland. If the body lacks these hormones, it won’t be able to properly break down the ingested food.
Moreover, cortisol, glucagon, and insulin are other hormones that make calorie loss possible. If they don’t function properly, you won’t be able to lose a pound even if you exercise a lot.
So, what makes hormones inactive, or ineffective?
Well, today’s environment contains a lot of toxins that could damage our hormones.
Plastic bottles release BPA (Bisphenol A) and other xenohormones into our bodies, and this impedes the natural production of some hormones. What’s more, commercial body care products contain triclosan, parabens, and other chemicals which end up in our fat cells. So this too hampers the weight loss process.
Ditching plastic bottles and commercial beauty products are just two ways you can get your weight loss Ditching commercial beauty products and plastic bottles are just 2 ways to restore the proper function of your weight loss hormones. Here are 7 more ways to do this:
1. Get Lots of Protein
As we eat, our brain communicates with the hormone leptin. Once the consumed amount of calorie matches the amount we are burning, this hormone kicks in and make us feel full. According to studies, fatty, processed food causes inflammation in our brain, making it less effective at picking up the hormone leptin. On the other hand, healthy, organic protein makes our brain properly sensitive to this hormone.
Here are a few good sources of protein:
- Fish (organic and not farmed)
- Milk (hormone free and organic)
- Legumes and beans
- Nuts like pistachios and almonds or nut milk
2. Don’t Skip Meals
A lot of people think skipping meals can help them lose some pounds. But this is not true. As researchers explain, regular meals, especially breakfast, switch on weight loss hormones, increasing the efficiency of one’s metabolism by 10%.
3. Get Proper Sleep
Our body produces the hormone leptin while we’re sleeping. So, if we sleep less than 6 hours, the leptin levels in our body will most likely be low. In such cases, our body needs more food to make up for the insufficient energy, so we eat more. This can have disastrous effects on our bodies and health in the long run.
4. Lift Weights
Our body produces more testosterone when we lift weights. But why would you like that? First, it helps in building muscle, and second, it helps in losing weight according to some studies. We should all lift enough to make us feel for since that will stimulate the action of testosterone.
5. Breathe
Adrenal is a weight loss hormone, important for the strength and function of metabolism, and breathing exercises can improve its efficiency. In one research, participants had to breathe 27 times through each nostril, 4 times a day. After a month, they had a 37% increase in the resting metabolic rate.
6. Raise Your Oxytocin Levels
Oxytocin is a hormone associated with reduced stress and relaxation. This is important as stress can cause increased appetite and many unhealthy eating habits. There are many ways to increase your oxytocin levels, and some of the most interesting and fun ways are to interact with animals and to give at least 8 hugs a day.
7. Reduce Sugar
Insulin helps our body pull the excess sugar from the blood. If you make this hormone work extra hard, you might get insulin sensitivity, known as diabetes. To prevent this and to keep this hormone effective, avoid foods and drinks that contain high levels of processed sugars, such as sodas.
Via David Wolfe | Women’s Health Magazine | Psychology Today | David Wolfe
