Two Critical Things May Be Making It Impossible For You To Lose The Weight

Are you stuck? Does it seem like no matter what you do, you're not able to see any momentum when losing weight?

It may not be your habits per se, but your physiology or body make up. What if you could change your body make up to kick start your weight loss?

Well you can and here are two things you can do immediately in order to see the progress you deserve. These two areas are most often overlooked and can play a vital roll in your over all health and ability to lose those extra pounds.

The Daily Mail recently published information related to some recent confirmations in their article How everything from painkillers, fizzy drinks and low-carb diets are stopping you from shedding the pounds and leaving you bloated

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who have a stable weight, or who lose weight, have a larger number of different types of microbes in their guts, eat more fibre and have a higher abundance of certain types of gut microbes.

And if bloating and/or poor digestion plague your life, then these bugs are most likely to blame too.

'A growing body of research suggests that having the right balance of probiotic [good] bacteria gut in the gut is important for health' says Arthur Ouwehand, professor of microbiology and an expert in probiotics, from the University of Turku, Finland.

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT
What's crucial is that our gut microbiota is in a state of balance - between so-called 'good' and 'bad' bacteria – but many things can knock it out of kilter.
'The balance of bacteria in our gut can be easily upset by a number of factors including stress, poor diet, illness and drugs such as antibiotics,' says Dr Ouwehand.

THE KEY OFFENDERS

*Antibiotics
While antibiotics kill the 'bad' bacteria that cause infections, they also destroy the 'good' bacteria in our bodies.

This can lead to further health problems such as thrush and gut issues such as bloating and constipation.

'It's important to begin taking probiotics from the moment you start antibiotics and continue for a few weeks after finishing the course,' says Professor Ouwehand,

'Take the probiotic between one or two hours after the antibiotic to get the most benefit.'

*Low-carb diets
Dr Ouwehand believes the current craze for low-carb diets may have a negative effect on our gut bacteria because they starve the bacteria of food which they need to grow and thrive.

Research carried out at the University of Copenhagen found that almost a quarter of people on these diets had 40 per cent fewer 'good' bacteria than are normally found in a healthy gut.

Processed food, high-sugar diets

Modern diets are full of processed foods which are often transported and stored for lengthy periods of time, says Dr Arroll. They also lack the dietary fibre that we used to consumed half a century ago.

Research in mice has shown that after just one day, a diet high in fat and sugar and low in fibre changed the composition of the microbiota in mice.

And in humans, children from rural Africa who have a diet very high in fibre have been shown to have a more diverse microbiota than children from urban areas of Europe (where the fibre intake is lower).

A poor diet rich in sugary or processed foods can cause good bacteria in your gut to become weakened, she adds.

'You basically provide an all-you-can-eat buffet for bad bugs to thrive on and take over.

'And a build-up of bad bacteria may result in health problems such as food allergies, yeast infections or inflammatory bowel disease.'

*Diet drinks
Artificial sweeteners are the most commonly used food additives in the world.

They provide a sweet taste without the calories and so are added to diet food and drinks.

But, there has been a huge jump in the use of artificial sweeteners in the past century, which coincides with the rise in obesity and diabetes.

Israeli researchers have found that sweetener use led to an imbalanced microbiota. This in turn raised the risk of glucose intolerance and other changes associated with both diabetes and obesity.

*Painkillers
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as aspirin and ibuprofen may also be playing havoc with your gut microbiota. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, older adults who did not use this type of medication had higher numbers of the good type of bacteria Lactobacillus in their guts.

*Stress
The gut and brain are connected via the brain-gut axis – the biochemical signalling that takes place between the gut and the nervous system, which plays an important role in healthy brain function.

Research has shown that exposure to stressful situations can disrupt the balance of bacteria, says Dr Arroll.

But we're also starting to understand this can go the other way, too – that a healthy and diverse gut microbiota can (in mice at least for now) help with the stress response.

By influencing the balance and types of bacteria in the gut, studies show it may even be possible to lower stress and boost mood.

Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress and protect the gut microbiota,' advises Dr Arroll.

The second area of concern when it comes to not getting any traction losing weight is a possible resistance to the hormone leptin that tells our bodies we are full after eating. So if you are active and eat like a pauper, then it may be your body's chemistry is out of whack.

https://youtu.be/MXYYPkBOJNE

Dr. William Cole at Mind Body Green recently detailed some things you can do if you think you may be suffering from leptin resistance in his article Is Leptin Resistance Making You Exhausted & Causing Your Weight Gain? Here's What To Do.

If you answer "yes" to more than one of these, I suggest finding out if you are leptin resistant.

1. Is it difficult for you to lose weight?
2. When you go on a diet, can you drop some pounds but still look flabby?
3. Do you hold onto weight in your midsection, no matter how much you try to lose it?
4. Do you have trouble keeping weight off?
5. Are you constantly hungry?
6. Do you crave sugary foods and get "hangry" if you don't get your fix?
7. Are you stressed out a lot?
8. Do you have high triglycerides?
9. Do you have high blood pressure?

Your leptin resistance reversal guide:

1. Find out for sure.

I run a simple blood test to measure leptin levels. Optimal fasting leptin levels should be 4 to 6 ng/dL. The reason why this lab is not commonly run in mainstream medicine? There's no medication for it. If there was—believe me—everyone would be tested for high leptin.

2. Clean up your sleep habits.

DVR Jimmy Fallon, turn off your smartphone, and get yourself to bed! People with poor sleep habits and subsequent altered circadian rhythms have increased rates of leptin resistance.

3. Don't eat too late.

For better leptin balance, avoid the late-night snacks. Eating after 8 p.m. has been associated with higher leptin levels and weight gain in various research studies.

4. Calm your life.

Stress is no bueno for your health in so many ways, but high levels of stress and cortisol definitely increase leptin—another reason to bring some mindfulness and self-care into your life. You can thank me later.

5. Get your omegas.

A healthy intake of omega fats from wild-caught fish is one of the best ways to balance out leptin levels. Plant-based omega fats such as flax oil can also be fine to bring into your routine, but the bioavailability can be low for people struggling with leptin resistance.

6. Calm your inflammation.

Since inflammation is one of the main factors in leptin resistance, bring anti-inflammatory foods into your routine. Try out my one-day diet to start balancing out inflammation levels.

So be sure you are eating the proper foods, getting enough exercise and rest. If that doesn't seem to be working, here are another few things to look at to make sure your body's physiology is in sync.

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