Monthly Archives: March 2014

Leptin Resistance and Obesity…is this the problem in losing weight? What can we do about it?

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There was a study that came out recently.  In a nutshell:  Research subjects were then given diets intended to maintain their weight loss. A year after the subjects had lost the weight, the researchers repeated their measurements. The subjects were gaining the weight back despite the maintenance diet — on average, gaining back half of what they had lost — and the hormone levels offered a possible explanation.  Their hormones were working against them!

Crave-Foods-Could-be-your-Leptin-levels-how-to-fix-it

One hormone, leptin, which tells the brain how much body fat is present, fell by two-thirds immediately after the subjects lost weight. When leptin falls, appetite increases and metabolism slows. A year after the weight loss diet, leptin levels were still one-third lower than they were at the start of the study, and leptin levels increased as subjects regained their weight.

Other hormones that stimulate hunger, in particular ghrelin, whose levels increased, and peptide YY, whose levels decreased, were also changed a year later in a way that made the subjects’ appetites stronger than at the start of the study.

It was determined that the dieters are putting their bodies into a circumstance that it will resist.

A solution might be to restore hormones to normal levels by giving drugs after dieters lose weight. But, researchers just do not know enough about obesity to prescribe solutions.  GREAT!??!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/health/biological-changes-thwart-weight-loss-efforts-study-finds.html?_r=0

SO, what do we do?

Dr. Mercola (well-known writer/doctor) writes about Leptin resistance.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/29/leptin-resistance.aspx

Dr. Mercola’s Leptin Resistance Summary

Insulin and leptin resistance are core factors in obesity, which in turn is a risk factor for cancer and may boost tumor growth. But the answer lies not in a pill. To reverse insulin and leptin resistance:

  • Avoid, sugar, fructose, grains, and processed foods
  • Eat a healthful diet of whole foods, ideally organic, and replace the grain carbs with:
    • No-to-low sugar and grain carbs
    • Low-to-moderate amount of protein 
    • As much highly quality healthful fat as you want (saturated and monosaturated). Most people need upwards of 50-70 percent fats in their diet for optimal health. Good sources include coconut and coconut oil, avocados, butter, nuts, and animal fats. Also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil

Similarly, while researchers investigate the pharmaceutical avenues to convert white fat cells to brown in an effort to reduce the potential for cancer growth, other research has already shown that this can likely be achieved through exercise.

80 percent of the health benefits you reap from a healthy lifestyle comes from your diet, and the remaining 20 percent from exercise – but it’s a very important 20 percent, as it acts in tandem with and boosts the benefits derived from a proper diet. For maximum benefits, you’ll want to make sure to include high-intensity interval training.

Can you take leptin or supplements to stimulate leptin to help?  There is no proof of it helping, except in very rare cases.  The suggestions are rather than taking supplements that haven’t been fully proven to help, overweight people have other options to aid leptin functioning.  So therefore, you have to reduce resistance to insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar) and to bring down high levels of triglycerides (a blood lipid).

Insulin resistance generates leptin resistance. The practical advice is: Get your insulin down by cutting the sugar down, and your insulin resistance would improve and that would help with the weight loss.

sugar

So, we are back to sugar again as the enemy.  CUT OUT SUGAR AND cut down on UNHEALTHY carbs.  Stick with only natural healthy carbs! And watch the amount of fruit you eat.  Fruit has fructose (sugar).

My Weight Loss Rules That Made Me Skinny and Kept me Skinny, and I EAT!

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 rulesfat
So, if you want to lose weight, you have to choose to eat better.  You have to make a difference, makes some sacrifices and make a lifestyle change because you have allowed food addiction to rule you and take over your body.
If you choose to lose, here are my rules.  I am still a size 2 (down from a 10 or 12), two and a half years after I changed my ways, and you can be a lower size too.  You are allowed 50-100 carbs a day.  So, you have to count and you will get used to it.

Basically what I do:  6 meals a day, every two to three hours.  You eat every 3-4 hours because you will get hungry and when you eat, then your metabolism will not slow down and burn off slowly.  Believe it or not, eating this way makes your body BURN!   You might even feel hot. 
1.  I basically have a meat and veg salad two times a day, lunch and dinner
2.  I have two small fruit servings a day
3.  I have  an egg, and try to have it different most days and I might make an omelette and throw a piece of low fat cheese in it.
4.  Spinach helps lower food cravings.
5.  If you are hungry, drink something or have a small protein to tide you over, like low-fat baby bell cheese or some kind of low fat cheese or meat.
6.  I eat three protein snacks a day and I vary it between something from Lindora.com, or a protein bar or shake.
7.  Also, you can have nuts and seeds as a protein.  You are better off with unsalted and you need to measure it out.  For example, a measured cup of mixed nuts can be 30g of carbs.  If you want to lose weight, that is like a third of your day’s carbs. So, have half a cup and a piece of cheese, but you are better off not eating an entire cup.  Sunflower and sunflower seeds has a similar carb count at 28g for a full cup.  (sugar is low, so you that is good)
1.  Breakfast:
PROTEIN NUMBER ONE.  I do an egg.  If it makes you happy, have an egg with some bacon or turkey sausage by Jenny-O.
Have a piece of Fruit.  You are better off with berries or citrus.  So have half a grapefruit or some strawberries.  Go ahead, spray whipped cream on it–no carbs or sugar.
Look at the portion size of fruit in the paperwork.  I do half a banana, but I stick to the lowest in carbs–berries and citrus.  Some fruits like Apples and Bananas are high in carbs/sugar.
2.  Snack:  
 
PROTEIN NUMBER TWO: A protein of your choice.  
PROTEIN CHOICES:  Eggs, cheese, turkey, chicken, sausage, hot dog, etc. You can do a yogurt, but you should try Greek Yogurt, tastes SO much better than regular yogurt and healthier too.  Dannon lite and fit makes a GREEK YOGURT that is really good and low in carbs and sugar.  Get the cherry or raspberry one.  They use beatles for color in their strawberry and blueberry one and that makes me want to puke.  There is low-fat Cottage Cheese too.
Another kind of protein you can do is a protein bar….pick one from the choices and the right size.  Power Crunch bar, the chocolate one and the peanut butter one are two very good flavors. These taste like delicious wafer bars.  There are more at Smart and Final, but these two are the best and Trader Joes prices are slightly better.  The Trader Joe’s protein shakes in a can are really low in carbs (taste better cold).  These are not the thickest shakes, so if you mix in some almond milk, that would be better.
You should try UNSWEETENED vanilla almond milk.  LOW in sugar and carbs and really not bad at all.  Healthier for you and better for a diet.  It is in the refrigerated section near the milk in Trader Joes.
 
3.  Lunch: 
PROTEIN NUMBER THREE: 
I have a protein, but I throw the protein in a salad and make it a big salad.  You have to have salad twice a day.
There is a choice of two veggies (check portion size) to put in the salad if you want.
2 cups lettuce in that salad.  I just do a good salad and I throw in
You can have a fruit serving.  Check size.
4.  Snack:
PROTEIN NUMBER FOUR:
A protein again.  (see above)
5.  Dinner:
PROTEIN NUMBER FIVE:
just like lunch.  (see lunch)
6.  Snack:  A protein again.
PROTEIN NUMBER SIX:
I do a small Carbolite (now only at a few places like the yogurt store next to Ralphs on Ventura and Topanga and a few out-of-the-way places) or low sugar ice cream like Breyer’s has or Dreyers (usually says no sugar added).  Just a cup of it.  Measure and look at the serving size and carbs on the label.  But, you have to look at how many carbs have added up to pick.  Most proteins have no carbs.  You can have another power crunch bar too.
 
Miscellaneous:
You can drink Splenda type soda, but get in 80 ounces of fluid a day!
Coffee:  Non fat dairy creamer can be used and Splenda type sweetener
Non Fat salad dressing on salad, I use Trader Joe’s Ginger Soy Non fat and it is so good.  Look at labels.  Balsamic vinaigrette is good and low fat Ranch is usually good.
Take Potassium Glutonate and a multi vitamin daily.
 
Consider a multi B vitamin to keep your energy up!  I get two B shots a week and weight often.  You should weigh daily and see how it is going!
You can do a grain or bread instead of a protein, but only 3 times a week and look at the size.  Instead of a protein, for example, you can do a slice of wheat toast.  Oatmeal is only half a cup.  Get bread that is low carb and high fiber.  Dave’s Killer Bread at Pavillions and other places…you can look online.  It is good and high in protein and a lot of fiber.  Ezekiel bread at Trader Joes is one of the best.  But, only two slices a week!!  There are low-carb tortillas available at Trader Joes and Costco.  There is a huge difference between a regular carb tortilla and low-carb tortilla.  One is almost 40 carbs and one is under 10.  Also, Western Bagel has low carb (10g) Perfect 10 bagels.  They are tasty and such a great carb count!  And they have protein too.
Restricted diet!!!    But, it works and if you are eating about every 2-3 hours, you won’t die!

Spinach Curbs Appetite

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No wonder the plateau diet wants you to have spinach once a day.  Spinach is an appetite suppressant, who knew?

The article that just came out on it is a medical article.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/reasons-why-you-should-eat-spinach-thylakoids-make-you-feel-more-full-regulate-blood-glucose-271079

According to a Swedish study, researchers have discovered that spinach contains thylakoid, a compound common in other green leaves that slows down food digestion.  When prepared properly, spinach has the potential to be an appetite suppressant, with the effect of making people feel fuller and curbing over-eating.  In addition to lower blood glucose levels, the thylakoids were able to suppress people’s appetites for longer, which could be useful for those who are trying to lose weight while battling constant hunger pangs.

So have it in an omelette, a smoothie or in a salad….but despite kale being a great source of iron, it is spinach that will curb your appetite and allow you to be more successful in a weight loss program.

spinach-smoothies-5911

Here is a recipe for a LOW CARB spinach smoothie.  Most smoothie recipes call for a banana.  Bananas spike blood sugar and are high in sugar and carbs (18g per medium banana).  So, here is an alternative.
1 c. water
1 c. unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or unsweetened almond milk (Trader Joe’s has a great one in the refrigerator section)
1/2 mixed frozen berries (this is what helps give it the smoothie-like consistency and temperature, although I suppose you could leave it out to dip under 10 g. of carbs)
4 cups spinach leaves (or kale, chard, dandelion, mustard greens, etc.) I’ve read its best to switch out your greens each day, so I buy 2-3 at a time. Spinach has the mildest flavor, so you might want to ease into green smoothies with this first.
3 tsp. flax seeds
1 Tb. almond butter

Blend and serve! Should be more than enough to drink and share.  Can replace a meal(out of six), salads and your fruit for the day.  Should be about 17g of carbs if you drink the whole thing!  It is less carbs if it is in a salad.  There is about 1 carb per cup of spinach.

To Bread or Not to Bread

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I follow Food Babe’s blog about what healthy foods we should be eating and what are actually just making us sick.

Bread is a big issue for me.  It is loaded with carbs and I don’t do well with gluten or wheat.  However, once or twice a week, I like to have something like a decent piece of bread.  I really like Western Bagel’s Perfect 10 Bagels because one whole bagel is just 10g of net carbs.

But, as far as regular bread.  It turns out a lot of bread has some pretty disgusting ingredients in it, like the stuff that they put in yoga mats.

yogamatbread

http://foodbabe.com/2014/02/24/healthiest-bread-on-the-market/

So, I am turning to Food Babe’s suggestions.  She really like Ezekiel bread.  Good and good for you!  It is available at many places, including Trader Joes.

My husband tried Dave’s Killer Bread, because it is also filled with good organic ingredients.  There are two kinds at his market, Vons Pavillions–the cracked wheat one 21g of carbs, 5g of fiber (making the next carb 16g) and 5g of protein. The sprouted wheat one is at 17g of carbs, 4g of fiber (making the net carb 13g) and 6g of protein.

Look at all of the good things about it!  It is Organic, GMO free, Vegan, 100% whole grain, has a lot of fiber, protein and Omega 3.

http://www.daveskillerbread.com/breads/

Remember, if you want to lose weight, the number of carbs per day should stick to between 50 and 100g a day.  So, if you do have a slice of bread once or twice a week, make sure it is tasty and heatlhy, with low carbs and high protein.  Have it in place of a fruit out of your two fruits for the day.  Use real butter like KerryGold and try to steer clear of GMO and non-organic food, which will only bloat you and confuse your metabolism with toxins.

Kickstart Your Diet! Stop the Sweets and Detox with this Sweet Anti-Inflammatory Drink

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Food Babe’s Ginger Berry Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
drink
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
Servs: 1
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons Nutiva hemp protein powder  (you want an organic protein powder and not all are)
  • 2 inch piece of ginger (peeled if not organic)
  • 2 cups of leafy greens (kale, collards, romaine, spinach, chard, etc.)
  • 1 cup of celery
  • 1 cup of mixed frozen berries of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, etc)
  • ½ cup filtered water
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 min or until smooth
  2. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for up to 1 day
Notes
***Please choose all organic ingredients if possible***

Chipotle Diet Plan

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My husband told me he is on a mission to lose some weight and buff up!  All right, he has come to the right person!

So, we went to Chipotle and I told him to order differently.  He usually gets a bowl, because he thinks it is healthier than the burrito (the tortilla is about 41g of carbs).  However,even the rice/bean bowl is fattening too–based on what you put in it.

Chipotle is great in that it is organic, fresh and they have a nutritional menu builder, where you can pile on things and watch the calories or carbs grow.

HIS OLD WAY:

So, if he were to have a bowl with chicken, salsa, cheese and beans and rice, that is 53g of carbs, which in my book–is a lot of carbs!  The rice is about 20 plus grams of carbs, and the beans are about the same too.  If you add corn to that, it is another 15g of carbs–making this full bowl about 68g of carbs.  If you are only supposed to have between 50g to 100g of carbs per day to lose/maintain weight–then that is a lot of your count in ONE meal.

chipotle bowlMY WAY:

So, he tried the way I eat at Chipotle.  I had the chicken salad bowl.  Only has lettuce, meat (chicken), a little dressing, sour cream, cheese, salsa–all at 7g of carbs.  

chipotle-chicken-salad_0

He ate it and guess what?  HE LOVED IT!  He said, “Why didn’t you tell me that it was this good?”  He loves it because the lettuce is so fresh and everything tastes so good.  Also, their dressing is zingy!  So, now, that is all he will eat there.  (I did tell him, he just chose not to hear me)

Guacamole is extra, and it is an extra 8g of carbs, but with the fiber in it, net carbs is only about 2g and it is a healthy fat.  So, don’t worry about guacamole, but consider it your one of two fruits for the day.

So, try it this way and save yourself over 50g of carbs and still enjoy your meal!  And skip the chips at 70g of carbs per bag!

http://www.chipotlecaloriecalculator.com/