Download Keeping your weight under control by triggering metabolism

Keeping your weight under control
by triggering metabolism
by
Doctor
A.F. Speciani MD
www.docsalus.com
Keeping your weight under control
by triggering metabolism
1. THE NEW FOOD PYRAMID
Over the past few years, innovative food pyramids have been
proposed with the intention to help losing body fat and
preventing obesity. Most of the previous pyramids, now
revaluated, were characterised by great excess in
carbohydrates, often with no distinction between refined
flours and wholemeal grains. Eventually, given the failure of
old food pyramids and thanks to new research streams on
the importance of metabolism-activating “signals”, recent
years have seen every single meal (including breakfast) being
proposed with a balanced composition of carbohydrates,
proteins, fruits and vegetables. In practice, each of these
three types of foods must represent a volume of
approximately 1/3 of the plate. Furthermore, after years of
disapproval, the value of proteins has been restored,
according to the right amount of about 1 gram per kilogram
of body weight. Refined carbohydrates, sweet taste and the
absence of proteins from meals are among the strongest
signals to alter sugar metabolism and facilitate weight gain.
2. LOW-CALORIE
DIETS?
The history of mankind shows
that in populations that eat
less (and move more) is
uncommon to find obese or
diabetic people. This has
erroneously led science to
believe, in recent years, that
low-calorie diets could solve
the problem of overweight and
obesity, which are affecting the
world population more and
more.
However, reality shows daily
that when an overweight
person starts eating less,
relying on low-calorie diets,
they lose weight on the one
side (often more muscle mass
than fat), but on the other, they
get the same (and even more)
weight back as soon as the
strict food control ceases.
More worryingly, many people
experience an initial weight
loss, yet followed by a gradual,
slow and inexorable recovery
of the lost kilos despite the
continuation of the low-calorie
diet (due to the lower
metabolism caused by calorie
reduction itself).
3. THE LONG-TERM FAILURE
OF SIMPLE CALORIE CONTROL
Scientific studies have documented that the proportion of people
able to maintain the weight loss achieved with a low-calorie diet
for at least two years is, at most, 1-2% of the total, while nearly
80% of people “on a diet” have regained (sometimes with
interest) their previous weight within one year. This confirms that
a prolonged low-calorie diet may not be the solution to the
“obesity” problem.
It is essential to understand which signals should be sent to the
regulatory centres for hunger, metabolism, and even to those for
psychological motivation. Some very recent studies indicate that
a brief, intense period of calorie reduction (no more than 15-18
hours) can send a strong signal to the body, especially by
stimulating fat consumption. In contrast, following a low-calorie
diet for a long time sends a signal of nutritional poverty and
scarcity to the whole body, in response to which every organism
sets in motion defensive instruments against “famine”, which try
to accumulate fat even after introducing small quantities of
calories.
The quality and the wholeness of food, eating times, the way we
combine dishes and the control over warning and inflammatory
signals are all new factors that everyone should learn in order to
regain and maintain well-being. Something, at last, is changing.
4. SIGNAL DIETS
The most recent studies on metabolism have explained
how our entire body always responds to stimuli and signals
that are not just the amount of calories taken in, but many
others, such as inflammation, the relationship between
different foods on the plate, the time of food ingestion, the
emotional state and many more factors. Two similar
people, eating the same amount of calories in a day, may
show opposite responses towards various received
signals. A person, who tends to introduce 1200 calories (as
in a classic hypo-caloric diet) only at dinner time, all
presented in a unique dish consisting of only
carbohydrates, could probably accumulate fat. The same
person, eating a breakfast meal of around 1000 calories,
well balanced between protein, carbohydrates, whole
grains and fruit, and adding another 500 or 600 calories for
lunch or dinner (therefore using even more calories than
expected), while maintaining a balanced ratio between the
nutrients, would conversely receive a signal of metabolic
activation, that would lead to fat consumption if they had
fat excess, without suffering from hunger. By managing
intelligently all the metabolic signals - truly warning factors
for the organism - meal times, inflammation and many
other “messages”, we can finally gain and maintain our
fitness and shape in a more incisive way than just through
calories counting.
5. INFLAMMATION,
HYPERGLYCAEMIA
AND WARNING SIGNALS
Food related inflammation, namely
the production of inflammatory
molecules connected with the
intake of certain foods (for some
people these are represented by
dairy products, for others by
yeasts, for others more by gluten
and so on), is a common experience often described by people after
eating certain foods, when they
start feeling discomfort. That is a
danger signal for the body directly
affecting sugar metabolism and fat
accumulation as well as the
immune system: among the
inflammatory molecules, some
(such as BAFF and PAF, measured
using the test named BioMarkers,
Recaller and FIT) reduce insulin
sensitivity and promote a rise in
blood glucose and the accumulation of body fat.
Inflammation represents an alarm
signal for the body, just as a lack of
sleep or prolonged stress, which
humans have learned to defend
themselves from by modifying
metabolism and by stockpiling.
Being able to control inflammation
through diet certainly helps regulate our metabolism and maintain
our fitness.
6. SUGAR AND SWEETENERS THAT PUT ON WEIGHT
Sweet taste has represented, for every human being, for hundreds
of thousands of years, a powerful message meaning “lots of
calories present here” and an incentive to push the body to
stockpile, leading to a reactive form of hunger, appearing a few
minutes after eating something sweet, whether that is cane sugar,
honey, fructose or other types of sugar.
Even if sweet taste is triggered by low- or zero-calorie
sweeteners, which do not contribute to any calorie in that meal, it
will still lead the organism to get what it was due at the next meal,
sometimes with interests (making weight gain easier), as recent
studies have shown.
Since the Palaeolithic Age, this is part of the humankind’s destiny,
which is written into chromosomes that are also present today in
every person. Those, who want to reduce body weight by
reducing fat body mass, can enjoy a healthy, home-made dessert
only during a few joyful “exceptional” occasions, first learning
how to reduce and then eliminate the use of any sweetener.
7. SWEET TASTE, FAT AND HUNGER
Eating or drinking something sweet (drinks included), or full of fat,
triggers a mechanism which is present in every man, from the
Palaeolithic Age to the present day, leading to look for more sugary
and fatty foods by stimulating hunger. The chromosomes of the
Palaeolithic man, identical to those of the modern man, lead us to
maximize the energy density of these foods by turning the calories
ingested into fat and by stimulating a repeated and frequent intake in
order to be protected against a possible future food shortage. There
are products stimulating a growing hunger for other foods similar to
those just eaten (as anyone sitting in front of the TV with a box of
biscuits certainly knows). Therefore, in order to lose weight, very fatty
and sugary foods should only be enjoyed in good company and by
carefully selecting the few occasions to do so.
8. BREAKFAST
AND EXERCISE
Breakfast in the morning is always one of the fundamental
metabolic stimuli, enabling the consumption of
unnecessary calories. It should be taken within one hour of
waking up and must contain the correct amount of proteins.
In the morning, however, the average Italian person usually
eats limited amounts of proteins. By combining wholemeal
cereals or bread with the right amount of eggs (also
prepared as crepes), almonds, hazelnuts, other nuts,
yogurt, ham or ricotta cheese, insulin sensitivity is
improved, energy decline and late morning hunger are
avoided, which all could otherwise lead to the subsequent
rise in blood glucose and fat accumulation. Walking briskly,
driving a car or using public transport as little as possible,
taking the stairs at home and getting off the bus a few stops
before are all effective tools useful to reduce physical
inactivity and generate health.
9. SOME TRICKS
TO LOSE WEIGHT
Sleep and rest allow one to
lose weight: it is possible to
dream of losing weight and
waking up really thinner. Lack
of sleep is a warning signal that
facilitates weight gain, while a
good night's sleep rebalances
many metabolic mechanisms.
Prolonged chewing enables
mechanisms that facilitate the
consumption of calories accumulated in the form of stored
fat,
and
thus
improves
well-being. Flatware should be
flat, next to the plate, between
one bite and another, while the
food being eaten is completely
chewed in the mouth.
When one is hungry, there
might also be thirst (the neural
centres dealing with hunger
and thirst are very close to
each other). Before jumping
onto food, a large glass of
water could be drunk, which in
many cases does help to hide
thirst and hunger. Only if
hunger persists, is it possible
to think about food.
Carbs and vegetables should
always be cooked a little al
dente; prolonged cooking converts
carbohydrates
and
makes them much more
absorbable, facilitating their
rapid
transformation
into
glucose and subsequently into
fat.
10. MOVEMENT
The key to an effective and lasting weight loss is based on a change
in lifestyle focused on the implementation of physical activity by a
marked increase in movement. The purpose of such a choice is to
succeed in losing all the unnecessary adipose tissue and, at the
same time, to increase metabolism. Regular activity (that is, a
healthier habit in life) helps consuming fat reserves for energy
purposes, while producing new lean body mass (these are all values
that can be assessed at the pharmacy by means of a bioelectrical
impedance scale). Such is the perfect liaison to obtain a new shape
and maintain it with ease. Physical activity also improves and
stabilizes mood, helping to improve the relationship with food and
with the scale.
In general, the appropriate level of movement is achieved by
practicing aerobic exercise (swimming, walking, cycling and
running) for about 3 hours per week (approximately 30 minutes per
day), equivalent to about 10.000 steps per day. Getting used to
avoiding the elevator and doing small walks can help improve a
sedentary life. This way, you can enable the "hunter signal" sent to
the body to stimulate fat consumption. As probably our common
Palaeolithic hunting ancestors used to do, by alternating brief
periods of intense exercise (20-30 seconds) with short periods of
walking (another 30-40 seconds), such behaviour can stimulate fat
consumption with only 15-20 minutes of daily physical activity. This
represents a possible solution for those with limited time, preventing
anyone from finding excuses.
11. HOW TO USE THE SCALE
Knowing your weight is a useful tool to monitor your
own health status over time. However, at the same
weight, the body can change shape and size in
accordance with the different composition in
adipose tissue and muscle mass. One kilo of fat
occupies more volume than a kilo of muscle, and
the same weight formed by more muscle and less
fat is healthier and requires a smaller size of trousers
and skirts.
With the help of the pharmacist, through the use of
specific bioelectrical impedance scales, these
parameters can be evaluated easily and provide all
useful information on our fitness. The principle on
which these scales operate is impedance, that is,
the ability of the body to conduct electric current.
Muscles contain a lot of water (around 70-75%) and
are good electric conductors, while the adipose
tissue behaves as an insulator and limits the
passage of electric current. After stepping on the
scale, the body is crossed by an imperceptible
electrical signal.
Through a particular algorithm, based on the
average standard of the population and integrating
weight, height, gender, age and levels of physical
activity, the physical parameters measured by the
scale are translated into lean mass, fat mass and
hydration levels.
Proper weight loss should result mainly in terms of
decreased body fat, by helping muscle mass growth
through the right metabolic signals and by keeping
inflammation under control.
12. HOW TO USE THE MEASURING TAPE
The accumulation of fat excess in “wrong places” is the
aesthetic element that disturbs women the most. Moreover,
there is a clear correlation between the general health status and
the measure of the abdominal circumference. The more the
waistline increases, the more the visceral fat is, which is
associated with an increased cardiovascular and diabetic risk.
With a simple non-elastic measuring tape, such value can be
easily monitored, even at home. The tape should be positioned
at waist level, following an imaginary horizontal plane parallel to
the floor. The waist is the narrowest part of the abdomen and it
is usually located above the upper part of the lateral edge of the
iliac crest (that is, above the hip). If this area is not evident, the
measure should be taken at the level of the navel.
This is an indirect but practical method, as well as cost-effective,
and provides a discrete level of reliability to follow the progress
of a health course.
These are reference values, different between men and women, which indicate waist
circumference, which should not be exceeded.
13. THE TESTS HELPING
TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES
Strategies to obtain the right shape and facilitate
the loss of fat mass also require clarification of
certain blood tests, which help understand if there
are warning signals sent by the organism (such as
inflammation) or metabolic alterations that drive
the body to accumulate fat.
With a doctor, the values to be monitored can be
chosen, but the most attentive pharmacists can
now provide various real-time support services to
help to make the right choices. Through the “lipids
profile”, for example, it is possible to learn about
the most classic features, such as the value of the
HDL cholesterol (indicator of physical activity) and
the glycaemic- and triglyceride-related levels
(often those eating an excess of carbohydrates
late in the evening present these values high).
General profiling is also linked to the measurement
of plasma proteins, which represent a true
reflection of a proper protein intake in the diet.
At the moment, the levels of inflammation are
indicated by BAFF and PAF values, which are
cytokines
signalling
possible
food-related
reactions, and represent real warning signals to
the organism. These are measured through a test
called “BioMarkers, Recaller or FIT”, the results of
which also indicate how to choose foods in
relation to the personal nutritional profile in order
to improve insulin sensitivity and increase the
efficiency of dietary changes necessary for proper
weight loss.
14. WHAT TO DO IN PRACTICE
The indications leading to weight loss and to the long-term
maintenance of well-being and fitness are those that can help
everyone change their lifestyle. The most important signals are
those generated from food quality (not refined) and physical
movement, from the reduction and then the elimination of daily
sweetening, from the control of food-related inflammation and
the proper use, in each individual dish, of the right amount of
protein.
In practice, therefore:
Always combine carbohydrates and proteins within the same meal.
Choose, when possible, foods with low glycaemic index.
Use mainly whole grain carbohydrates, rich in fibre.
Reduce and, where possible, eliminate simple sugars and
sweetening.
Do physical activity on a regular basis to increase insulin
sensitivity.
Distribute daily meals in such a way that breakfast is richer in
nutrients, while lunch and dinner should gradually be reduced
in quantity.
Taste and chew food for a long time before swallowing;
smelling a dish before eating, enjoying it while chewing induces
strong signals of satiety.
Keep the inflammatory signals under control, such as those
coming from food reactions, eating those foods “in rotation”, to
regain food tolerance.
Always guarantee a significant intake of vegetables in every
meal.
Drink plenty of water.
Eat the right amount of food in each of the three meals,
avoiding snacks or hunger stoppers, even if made only of fruit,
because these can interrupt the fat-dissolving action triggered
by the distance from the last meal.
15. DIVIDE ANY DISH INTO THREE
AND INCREASE THE FIBRE CONTENT
For many years, the study of metabolism has been focused
around the importance of the number of calories that should be
introduced into the body. Only a few researchers have revealed
how important it is, instead, to choose the right time of the day to
eat certain types of food. A study published in the Journal of
Nutrition in June 2014 made clear, once and for all, that the best
effects in stimulating our metabolism are achieved by distributing
the daily protein intake in a balanced and correct way among all
three meals of the day. Signal diets suggest the use of
well-combined quantities of proteins, carbohydrates, fruit and
vegetables in each of the three meals. In our recommendations,
such a ratio is linked to an amount of about one third for each of
the groups mentioned. By altering these values, insulin resistance
may be triggered, which provokes weight gain, diabetes, obesity
and other metabolic or cardiovascular conditions. A relative
excess of carbohydrates represents a “warning signal”, similar to
that triggered by food-related inflammation, stimulating the
accumulation of fat in a similar way. The World Health
Organisation (WHO) recommends between 0.8 and 1.0 g of
protein per kilogram of weight as the daily amount of protein
required by a normal person. Therefore, a person weighing 70 kg
should eat about 70 grams of protein in a day, and it is useful that
such a quantity is symmetrically distributed, i.e. 25 g in the
morning, 25 g in the afternoon and 20-25 g in the evening
(combining every dish with similar volumes of complex
carbohydrates and vegetables).
16. HOW MUCH PROTEIN ON YOUR PLATE?
A healthy 70 kg person, wanting to lose body fat,
needs to eat 65-70 g of protein during the whole day.
A piece of fish (or of turkey) weighing about 100
grams contains around 18-20 g of protein. That
person should eat about 3 slices of fish to reach the
amount required, or 200 g of Parmesan cheese (33 g
per 100 g), 400 grams of soft cheese (18 grams per
100 g) or three beef steaks of 100 g each (22 g per
100 g). These are quantities that cannot and should
not be taken in at only a single meal (like most
Italians do at dinner), but instead should be
distributed throughout the day, possibly integrating
other protein-rich foods such as wholegrain cereals,
eggs and oily seeds from the beginning of the day,
using the correct quantities and also choosing
vegetable proteins.
17. GLYCAEMIC INDEX AND SIGNALS
There are foods with low glycaemic index, such as
wholegrain cereals, some types of fruit, almost all
vegetables, wholemeal bread and pasta and especially
legumes, which are very good in preventing the blood
glucose levels from skyrocketing. Sometimes, you just need
to replace high glycaemic index foods, such as white bread,
sugar, commercial or packaged desserts and refined grains
with the correspondent whole foods, in order to boost
metabolism, to control glycaemic rises and activate a
greater fat consumption. Generally, fruit does not trigger
blood glucose changes, although some people, because of
individual reactivity, should eat it more cautiously. Therefore,
our body responds to simple signals that can be activated
and maintained through the right choices of food, in order to
balance sugar fluctuations.
18. SUPPLEMENTS AND SIGNALS
No supplement or drug can produce the same
results as a change in lifestyle. It is possible to
lose weight through correct exercise and certain
food choices as we have outlined in these
pages. However, many supplements can help
control inflammatory warning signals and put
the organism in a position to make best use of
its resources and make the most of the dietary
changes introduced.
For example, various cooking spices can be
used such as ancient ones, used for centuries
for their ability to normalize glycaemia, for
example cinnamon or turmeric root.
It is possible to choose to accompany a specific
diet with food supplements like chromium, zinc,
magnesium
and
Omega-3
(Perilla
oil,
blackcurrant oil, fish oils), which are known for
their action in improving insulin sensitivity and
the inflammatory reduction effect.
Other supplements, containing inositol (which
also improves insulin sensitivity), act as a
second messenger in the fine regulation of
metabolism.
The pharmacist should always discuss with his
client the most useful and effective choices
available.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In his practice, Dr Attilio Speciani uses the latest immunological
scientific research in combination with an innovative nutritional
approach in treating a variety of inflammatory, metabolic and
autoimmune diseases. In addition he has carried out his own
extensive research into the relationship between food and
inflammation and is a prolific writer on the subject. Through his
published work, he has become very well known in Italy.
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