Obesity is a massive epidemic in the US. It is now estimated that 70% of our country is either overweight or obese.
Unfortunately, being overweight is a massive health challenge as it affects:
• Hormone balance that is harmful to all body systems
• Is the cause of many cancers
• Increases cardiovascular and heart disease
• Cripples the immune system
• Is a massive source of inflammation, the cause of most illness
• Compromises the brain and leads to neurologic degeneration
• Dramatically increases dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Leads to Diabetes type 2
• Leads to Joint degeneration and overtaxes all joints potentially leading to joint replacement
• Causes chronic pain (think inflammation)
• Lowers energy levels
• Dramatically shortens lives
• Many more health issues are due to obesity
The biggest reason for this epidemic of an overweight, obese population is the high concentration of hidden sugars in our food supply (goggle the many names for sugars to identify them on labels), constantly eating which continually stimulates insulin release in response to food consumption and our lack of exercise.
Getting away from processed foods while eating higher levels of vegetables, natural and raw (non GMO) foods and healthy fats will be much healthier and stimulate weight loss.
Nevertheless, the amazing secret to predictable and significant weight loss is a concept / strategy called Intermittent Fasting.
Intermittent Fasting is a healthy, timed eating strategy in which you only eat within a 7-9 hour block of time (e.g. 11 am to 7 pm) and only consume water for the 15-17 hour block when you are not eating.
The strategy of Intermittent Fasting (IF) serves several purposes:
- IF allows the Gastrointestinal system (especially the lining of the stomach and gut) a time to rest and recover because it is not always involved with digesting (a highly intensive and stressful function of the body) 15-18 hours a day
- IF helps the immune system recover. 70% of the immune system is around the gut and eating is a stress to the gut and immune system
- IF helps with elimination and makes it more complete
- IF decreases the constant exposure of the body’s cells to insulin. 17 hours of insulin exposure when always eating (this was once called grazing) is very damaging to all your cells and leads to diabetes, aka insulin resistance to many
- IF’s key is that the 14-17 hours of fasting will burn up all the carbohydrates and sugar which then stimulates the burning and metabolism of fats in your body. Fats are a much healthier, efficient source of fuel Once you train your body’s enzyme systems to burn fat by Intermittent Fasting you will
- Metabolize fats all day long
- Lose large amounts of weight and fat efficiently
- Rarely feel hungry (feelings of hunger is low blood sugar without another source of energy)
- Have dramatically more energy
- Normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels
- Begin to resolve many other health issues as metabolizing fats is much healthier than just the sugar, carbohydrate metabolism
To those who want to become healthier and lose weight faster you can add one more metabolic “trick.” That trick is to incorporate physical exercise / activity before eating at 11 or 12 noon.
At the end of your Intermittent Fasting when all sugars and carbohydrates have been metabolized the only source of fuel for that exercise is fat. The physical exercise more quickly stimulates the body’s burning of fat and training of your Enzyme Systems resulting in efficient fat burning all day long.
Following these two strategies (Intermittent Fasting and exercising at the end of your fast) also has two other beneficiaries. The first beneficiary is the brain which will become much healthier (along with the brain chemistry) while reversing brain degeneration.
The second beneficiary is your cell’s energy factories called the mitochondria. Intermittent Fasting followed by fasting exercise have been shown to increase both the number and efficiency of mitochondria in your cells resulting in much more overall energy.
Those with weak or exhausted adrenals must proceed with Intermittent Fasting very cautiously. Also a great deal of care must be focused on hydration with water during the Intermittent Fasting. Not only does your body need the water but your liberated toxins produced during accelerated fat burning require this hydration to wash out the toxins.
I assist my clients with these strategies as a critical strategy on the way to optimal health. One of the critical goals in becoming healthy is to become a fat burner rather than a sugar consumer and metabolizer. The results are truly amazing and very predictable.
Your motivation to lose weight, gain energy and become healthier is a required component to this entire strategy. Without a client’s motivation it will not work. Nevertheless, the results are impressive.
Remember to Enjoy the journey,
Vital 100 Wellness Team