You Have Six Fat Burning and Three Fat-making Hormones, Each is Triggered by Different Things
I'm sure you've heard, many times, that the only way to avoid gaining weight is to burn more calories that you consume. "Calories in - calories out" is often heard. Recent studies although have increasingly exposed the effects that hormones play in affecting your metabolism, and ultimately your body's ability to burn fat.
Without having a good grasp of hormones, it might appear that all calories are the same and if you eat less you will of course weight less. But ultimately, accumulation of fat is the effect of a failing endocrine system and the glands and hormones of which this system is composed.
Hormones are chemical messages produced by the glands. These hormones are the primary driving forces affecting your metabolism, which in turn regulates fat burning.
You have six fat burning and three fat-making hormones, each is triggered by different things:
Trigger #1: The Absence of Sugar
Of all the things that have an effect on your metabolism, the most relevant one is sugar. Sugar triggers the powerful fat-making, fat-storing hormone insulin. In the presence of insulin not only is fat blocked from being used as fuel but sugar will be converted to fat.
Trigger #2: Vegetables
Vegetables have several qualities that advance. When eaten raw, vegetables are one of the most concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals. They are also high in fiber, buffering the fat maker insulin.
Trigger #3: Protein
Protein is a powerful trigger for fat burning hormones. Protein activates two hormones: glucagon and growth hormone.
Trigger #4: Fats
Fats typically do not influence fat-making hormones; although, they do tend to stress the liver, which indirectly affects hormone flows through the liver. Fat has little effect on fat-storing hormones, though, and although fats have the densest calories, they are neutral when it comes to fat making.
Trigger #5: Skipping Meals, Reducing Calories or Allowing Yourself to Get Hungry
When you skip meals your blood sugar decreases, stimulating several hormones. The stress hormone cortisol increases. This turns your body tissues into sugar fuel. If this sugar is not burned up completely, it will be changed into fat and specifically deposited around your vital organs in the abdomen.
Trigger #6: Gland Destroyers
Alcohol - Not only does alcohol trigger insulin and cause weight gain, but it also destroys the liver.
Caffeinated Products - Caffeine accelerates and weakens the adrenal glands and liver. It also irritates the gallbladder. It accelerates cortisol, which puts fat into and around the abdominal organs.
Drugs - Medications of all kinds have side effects on the glands, especially the liver.
Growth Hormones - The animals whose products we eat, including farm-raised fish, are fed growth hormones.
Endocrine Disruptors - Pesticides, insecticides, heavy metals, etc., can all mimic estrogen within your glands.
Food and Cosmetic Chemicals - Food preservatives, food dyes, synthetic sugars, and hydrogenated oils, all have a bad effect on our glands. Also, skin creams, makeup, shampoos and perfumes can easily absorb through your skin and end up in your liver.
Trigger #7: Water Retainers
A large hidden cause of being overweight is water weight. Monosodium glutamate is the big culprit in causing water retention. Other causes of water retention are artificial sweeteners, sodium, refined sugars, carbohydrates and alcohol.
Trigger #8: Exercise
A very interesting yet rarely understood fact about exercise is that few calories are actually burned during exercise. Although, the delayed fat burning effects from this exercise are quite significant. You will experience the majority of the fat burning 14 to 48 hours after the exercise -
Trigger #9: Stress
Stress can have a severe affect on your weight. Stress increases the hormone cortisol, which often leads to fat being deposited in and around the abdomen. This happens because the adrenal hormone releases a good supply of stored sugar into the bloodstream, causing insulin to change it into fat.
Trigger #10: Sleep
The fat burning growth hormone is active throughout the night while you sleep; although, it will increase during the first two hours of deep sleep, especially between midnight and 4:00 a.m. Omitting this period of sleep can prevent the fat burning effect.
Obviously you have to trigger your fat burning hormones, but even more importantly, you should avoid the things that prevent fat burning and proper mineral balance to begin with.
Dr. Eric Berg, DC is founder of the Berg Institute for Health and Wellness and the best selling Amazon.com author of "The 7 Principles of Fat Burning." Dr. Berg's intense research has led to the development of four basic body types, each with their own distinct characteristics and needs. To receive a free Body Type Guide and find your body type take this short survey at http://www.findyourbodytype.com
