Are you struggling to lose weight but not seeing the results that you want? It could be that your insulin levels are out-of-whack. Dr. Mark Hyman discusses how insulin and body fat are connected and what you can do about it.
Dr. Hyman says that insulin is the “fat storage hormone” for your body. When your insulin levels are high it signals your body to create more fat around your belly area. This causes increased weight gain, but also other problems such as inflammation, elevated triglycerides, changes in blood sugar levels, and other issues. If left unchecked you can become insulin resistant.
Another problem connected to insulin is leptin. This is another hormone that signals your body when you feel full after eating a meal. The problem is that as you become insulin resistant these leptin hormones are no longer able to tell your body that you should stop eating.
So how does our insulin levels become unhinged? According to Dr. Hyman, the main culprit is sugar. Sugar, especially fructose, doesn’t have any meaningful calories and causes your liver to start creating fat. He estimates that Americans are consuming between 22-30 teaspoons of sugar every day.
To combat insulin resistance and weight gain, Dr. Hyman suggests:
- Eating whole, real foods, especially green vegetables.
- Control your stress as stress cause you to want to eat sugary empty carbs.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Moderate your intake of alcohol.
- Work out.
- Check to determine if you have any sensitivities to certain foods.
Ultimately, changing your insulin levels means addressing your overall health: determine the kinds of food you are putting into your body as well as lifestyle issues. However, it is possible to reverse the damage caused by sugar and change your health.
Want to learn more about how insulin and body fat are connected? You can read the full article here: 7 Ways to Permanently Banish Belly Fat.
