Eating right and exercise are two of the most basic factors that can influence weight loss and help maintain a healthy weight. However, for many people, hormones can also play a significant role in managing your weight. If your hormones are unbalanced, you may not achieve the results you expect. A good understanding of the chemical process of weight loss can be the difference between success and failure in your goals.
Leptin and ghrelin are the two hormones most involved in weight loss and appetite control. While ghrelin is responsible for signaling hunger, leptin is responsible for the feeling of satiety. If one or both of these hormones are out of whack, it can become impossible to lose weight.
So how can you manage and balance your weight loss hormones from a lifestyle perspective? Biohack your hormones!
How to Biohack Your Hormones
Here are a few tips for biohacking your hormones and setting you on the path to more successful weight loss.
1. Stagger how you eat:
Here is an interesting fact: ghrelin is produced every four hours. To keep your ghrelin low and inactive, try a healthy snack every four hours before you start to feel hungry. This should not be a full meal, but a light, healthy snack with fruits or vegetables. Leptin levels reduce significantly during long-term fasting, which is generally considered to be between 24 and 72 hours; short, intermittent fasting can be more effective. Try eating after an 8-hour period, fast for 16 hours, and then eat again. This will help balance your leptin and keep you feeling fuller longer. Read more about Intermittent Fasting here.
2. Sleep for 7 hours every night:
Balanced hormone levels require sufficient sleep. Less than 7 hours of sleep a night can lead to higher ghrelin levels and decreased leptin levels, leaving you not only hungry but making it difficult to feel full. Aim for 7 hours of deep, restful sleep every night. Plan your sleep! If you need to get up at 6am for work, then you need to be asleep by 11pm minimum to get your 7 crucial hours of sleep. If you are having a difficult time sleeping try one of our natural sleep aids. Our top picks are available here.
3. Increase your intake of high-fiber, nutrient-dense food:
Ghrelin levels stay high until the food you consume stretches the walls of your stomach, giving you a full and satisfied feeling. Foods high in fiber and nutritional content help reduce ghrelin and increase leptin. Not only will they help you feel fuller longer, but they will provide you with the proper minerals and vitamins you need to lose weight. High fiber, lower carb foods include raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, artichokes, coconut, spinach, almonds and asparagus. Also try our top selling prebiotic fiber, Just Better. This is a powdered prebiotic fiber that you can add to anything and it disappears. It greatly controls appetite, reduces bloating, balances blood sugar, controls cholesterol and lowers triglycerides. Order Just Better here.
4. Avoid low-calorie diets:
Low-calorie diets may look attractive, but insufficient calories can have a huge effect on your hormonal balances. It is crucial that you consume at least 1000 calories a day (preferably around 1500 for women and 2000 or more for men); less than that can cause serious health issues. If you are unsure of how and what you should be eating for yourself, book a nutritional consultation here to get an individualized approach.
5. Manage your stress:
Managing stress is one of the hardest things to do in today’s chaotic world. However, extreme or sustained stress can disrupt your hormones, produce higher-than-normal levels of ghrelin and cortisol which can contribute to weight gain. Find a way that works for you to reduce stress, such as meditation, walking, deep breathing and other stress management techniques. Download my Stress Management Guide here.
Try one of our all-natural stress calming supplements here.
Biohacking your hormones may take some time and attention but it is very important to consider your overall diet and habits. By paying attention to the small things, like balancing your hormones, you will begin to see big changes in your weight loss. Take charge of your hormones and your health!
Please schedule a one-on-one consultation to achieve your health goals.
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