Hormones rule, did you know that? I’m not talking just sex hormones though in teenaged boys and middle aged women they are certainly at the top of the pecking order most days.
Everything we eat has a hormonal consequence, some helpful, some down right harmful over the long term.
Insulin is a hormone and is responsible for getting blood sugar somewhere it can be used or stored. Grehlin and leptin are the push me-pull yous of the hunger and satiety dance. These three food related hormones are in direct communication with our other messengers such as glucagon–the fat-burning hormone. Called into action when food is scarce, glucagon converts stored fat into sugar and uses it for energy. These 4 hormones worked in perfect harmony before the introduction of grains and industrial food production when all hormonal hell broke loss. It’s been a steep slide towards disease and women on the verge ever since.
So what can be done? Keep an eye on this blog cause it’s one of missions to let women know about how to eat for hormonal balance, and grab this book if you want some science and some recipes.
Dr. Michael Aziz is an internist with a practice in Manhattan; Midtown Integrative Medicine. Frustrated early on in his medical career that so many young people were coming in with cancers, diabtetes, and allergies that he couldn’t heal as well as all ages of people who had weight issues, he went in search of some answers. What he found was this connection between key hormones and the foods we eat. The main culprits?
Sugar, grains, processed fake foods like margarine, and the endocrine disruptors found in the chemicals used to increase shelf life, texture, color, etc. One of his findings goes along with mine of late–low fat diets are partially at fault in the rise of diabetes, obesity, and hormonal chaos. “The results of the research is clear, eating fat does not make you fat. Rather it’s the lack of natural fats in your diet that makes you gain weight” writes Aziz. He continues, “Natural fats are essential for your cells to work properly. Fats slow down the absorption of food, stabilize blood sugar levels, decrease, cravings, and make you feel full.”
And blood sugar levels will make or break our health over the long haul. I’ve included a link to a 2.5 minute video of Dr. Aziz live, he explains his philosophy and his book a bit more. His solution is an easy, delicious way of eating, protein, fat and fresh fruits, veggies, beans and legumes pretty much.
It’s becoming harder and harder to hide from the latest message on food as medicine–eat what’s natural, eat foods you can recognize as such, don’t fear the fat, and eat organic (meats and dairy) and grass fed (meats) when you can. In case you don’t remember how delicious a dollop of half and half is in your coffee or whole egg poached or fried–it’s The Yumm Factor to the 10s. You may have to let go of some long held beliefs to take on these new ideas but if you find hormonal heaven vs a daily roller coaster from hell, wouldn’t it be worth it?
Dr. Michael Aziz
According to former FDA chief, David Kessler in his new book, The End of Overeating, millions share what he calls “conditioned hypereating” _ a willpower-sapping drive to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when they’re not hungry.
His book is being published next week and his research supports the disturbing conclusion of numerous brain studies: Some people really do have a harder time resisting bad foods. It’s a new way of looking at the obesity epidemic that could help spur fledgling movements to reveal calories on restaurant menus or rein in portion sizes.
Kessler told the Associated Press that ”The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to keep on eating. It’s the next great public health campaign, of changing how we view food, and the food industry has to be part of it.”
Amen to that. It’s not that people with conditioned hyper eating can’t remain in control of their choices it’s just that it’s more difficult and for some people, especially for those under too much stress, feels impossible. It’s hard to argue with a hormonal response triggered by the scent of a warm chocolate chip cookie because the whole things happens without any input from you or me.
So will Dr. Kessler’s book change the way big business goes about the business of creating addictive foods? Maybe, maybe not but do you remember the energy he put in to getting the tobacco industry to admit that tobacco is addictive and causes cancer? Did you know that he’s the reason we have accurate and easy to understand nutrition labels on foods?
I think he will at least bring the conversation out into the open and shine a two ton high beam on the culpability of food manufacturers who use formulas intended to get people hooked on certain, highly profitable foods. You do know this is about money right?
Bravo Dr. Kessler, this is an important conversation whose time has come as 1 in 5 children in the US is overweight or obese. And more and more adults and children are succumbing to diabetes and heart disease.
As someone on Twitter pointed out a few minutes ago, this story is a law suit waiting to happen. It seems United Airlines is going to charge overweight passengers twice to fly with them. The airline says passengers who are “too large to fit into a single seat, buckle the seatbelt, or unable to put down the armrests, will be forced to buy a second ticket or upgrade to a premium class, where the seats are larger. If a flight is full and an obese passenger is unable to buy another seat, they will be bumped from the flight.”
Wow, talk about balls. Southwest toyed with the idea last year but we never heard about it after the initial musings. Plenty of people have complained about being seated next to someone who overflows their seat and hogs the armrest etc. No doubt many of us have judged and mentally ranted about “those people.”
Well United says they instituted this policy as a response to all of those “average sized flyers” who complained.
Since when do carriers like United listen?
The United website has the entire policy which starts with “For the comfort and well-being of all customers aboard United flights, we have aligned with other major airlines’ seating policies relating to passengers who” Do you know of any other airlines doing this?
The airline is waiving seat and flight change fees for those who might have to purchase a new seat or an upgraded seat immediately before boarding which ordinarily would carry a whopping fee or be price prohibitive. Well I’d hope so.
Want to complain about flying with your chubby hubby? You’ve now got permission. Couples flying together who can fit in adjoining seats are exempted “unless one of them complains,” a United spokesperson said. So what happens now, the fat spouse gets the boot, faces humiliation, and goes postal in first class where he actually fits and has been wanting to sit all his life but not exactly for this reason?
Policing this policy however is left to gate and ticket agents who have been asked to size up their larger customers – deemed “seatmates of size” – for the potential fat fee.
Chicago Sun-Times writer Craig Newman asks, Here’s the big question, especially for gate agents: How do you determine who’s too big to go in one seat? Are they supposed to pull people out of line who look a little too hefty? Will calipers and Body Mass Index charts be issued and hanging next to the luggage check scale? Are there measurements involved?
What about other annoying flight risks like children whose parents don’t care if they kick your seat?
Screaming babies even if you do feel for them, drunks who get nasty, folks who snore loudly: should their be an annoyance duty?
I’ve seen polls galore today asking what side of the seat belt people sit on. And you? Care to share your thoughts?
