Medications That Cause Weight Gain
Can't lose weight? Feel hungry all the time?
Have you considered that it might be something that you're taking?
Many common medications cause the side effect of weight gain.
The worst culprits are:
1) HRT and the Birth Control Pill. Synthetic oestrogens and progestins interfere with insulin metabolism, thyroid function, gut flora, and neurotransmitter balance. They cause fat to be deposited on the upper thighs.
Reclaiming Rice
According to a study by the American Dietetic Association, people who eat rice are less likely to be overweight. They are also less likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes (1). There is a pervasive myth that rice is high glycaemic but the Australian CSIRO says that most varieties of rice are medium or even low GI (2). When eaten together with meat and vegetables, the GI of rice becomes smaller still.
So why do dieters fear rice so much? (And yet turn a blind eye to the refined sugar in sweetened yoghurts, fruit juice, cereals and muesli bars?)
Truth About Hunger
A struggle with weight is such a common experience now that many people do not realise that it was not always like this. When you look at photographs from 50 years ago, or even 30 years ago, something stands out: ordinary people were a healthy body weight. Our grandmothers were not working out at the gym and counting grams of fat. Why was it so much easier for them?
Intermittent Fasting
Lose weight and feel better by eating LESS often
The days of frequent, small meals may be over for some people. Research suggests that our human metabolism is better suited to eating less often. This makes sense because our ancestors would not have had access to food non-stop throughout the day. Three meals plus snacks is a strange artefact of modern living, and it puts considerable stress on our immune system and metabolic hormones.
Intermittent fasting alternates short periods of fasting (14-24 hours) with longer periods of normal calorie intake. Most of the fasting is done overnight during sleep, which is important because that works in concert with our circadian physiology. Sleep is the natural time for the body to detoxify, and to reboot metabolic hormones. In clinical trials, intermittent fasting does improve the sensitivity of metabolic hormones insulin and leptin. (1) Blood tests after fasting show lowered insulin and reduced inflammatory markers. Intermittent fasting reduces inflammation in a way similar to total calorie restriction, but without the calorie restriction (2). Fasting promotes a process of cell clean-up called autophagy, whereby the cell digests pathogens and junk proteins into useful energy.
The restriction of the timing of meals has been shown to improve weight-loss. When mice are restricted to eating within an 8-hour window, they are healthier and less likely to gain weight, even when total calorie intake is high. (3)
Is fasting different for women?
Most of the intermittent fasting studies have been done on men. Women may need a gentler approach, especially women with adrenal fatigue or a history of eating disorder. Women should begin with a short fast (12 hours) and take care to feel well.
Best Supplements for Weight Loss
Can nutritional supplements work for weight loss? Here's a review of the evidence, and the top four supplements that are most likely to work for weight loss.
Prana Index Diet
The Myth of Low Fat and Low GI
"Low-fat" and "Low-GI" numbers have convinced us that highly refined biscuits, cereals, and snack bars are nutritious. Processed foods are a large part of the modern diet, and according to the World Health Organization, they are to blame for the sharp rise in obesity and chronic disease (1).
10 Reasons You Cannot Lose Weight
We urge you to make an appointment with one of our friendly Naturopaths. We will prescribe an individualised weight loss program based on blood tests of your metabolic indicators.
1. Insulin
Almost 40 percent of people on a standard Western diet develop insulin resistance (1). What you thought were ordinary "ordinary" amounts of flour, sugar and alcohol cause a large amount of insulin to be released, and over time, your body's cells will stop responding properly to that insulin. Then carbohydrates will not be used for energy, but instead will be stored as fat. Some scientists think that pollution and environmental toxins are also contributing to insulin resistance. Please see Lara's Insulin Resistance article .
