Hi and welcome back!
As I talked yesterday about the effects of hormones on our bodies with regards to appetite, I thought it would also be good to understand another key hormone in this area which is ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone that makes sure we eat enough and if you remember from yesterday, leptin (The world leptin means “full” in Greek) is the one that works alongside ghrelin to make sure we feel full and satiated.
Higher levels of gherlin have been found in people who have less sleep than those who have more so it is now thought possible that lack of sleep leads to higher levels of ghrelin, which in turn triggers the appetite and leads to obesity (although scientists are not completely certain whether obesity raises gherlin levels or high gherlin levels lead to obesity.) Higher levels of gherlin also create less leptin and so the appetite supressent doesn't get to kick in and do it's job! In addition, high levels of ghrelin have been found to suppress the amount of fat used by the adipose tissue. This implies that those with high levels of ghrelin in their bodies will not only feel hungrier than those with low levels, but may burn fat more slowly as well.
I have read that high levels of blood sugar trigger the overeating behavior. In other words, binge eating or out-of-control feeding, called hyperphagia, is associated with a malfunction in the brain’s hunger signals. The level of ghrelin depends on the state of nutrition and hydration of an individual. So its effect does not end with hunger, it affects thirst as well.
So, bearing all this in mind, this is why the recommendations for aiding fat loss are to eat less sugars and refined carbohydrates in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels, drink plenty of fluids to keep well hydrated and increase activity and exercise so that you are not just mentally tired from your busy day, but physically tired as well and more likely to sleep well.
And what are we trying to encourage you to do on this FAT-SCRAP Programme?
- Eat healthily by eating less sugars and refined carbohydrates in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels, - drink plenty of sugar free fluids to keep well hydrated and drink less alcohol which we know contains sugar and dehydrates the body
- make exercise part of your routine to help you get fitter and sleep well!
Sue x
FAT-SCRAP MAY 2010 DAY TWENTY FOUR
FAT-SCRAP MAY 2010 DAY TWENTY SIX
2 comments:
Hi folks
Not such a good day - really tired still.
Had a flapjack and coffee for breakfast
Then an apple
Lunch was a sandwich (with bread!) with cheese and salad
Then a small latte in the afternoon with a banana
Tea was stirfry
Tea with soya
Didn't drink as much water and feel like a bloated balloon:(
See you tell me I can have a little of hat we'd cut out and I completely fall off the wagon!
Feel disappointed in myself and no exercise!
Worked late so not home till 7 and now I am vegging in front of the telly - and I feel a headache coming on.
Hi Claire
What makes you think you have fallen off the wagon? Ok so you had some bread, but that was the only wheat you had all day by the look of it. And as for dairy, well yes, with the cheese and latte you had more than usual and this might account for you feeling bloated. It's interesting that you decided to work late because I had to cancel your training session. This shows that having these sessions booked in your diary is important to help you commit to exercise. Don't worry, it is early days yet, it does take a little while to get into these healthier habits, and as you have seen today, too easy when you are not focused, to slip back to old ways. Just keep believing that you can change, if you really want to, and that it will get easier to make the healthier choices the more you feel the benefits! x
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