If it wasn't hard enough already, new research out of Monash University and now published in Nature demonstrates that as we age key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger!

We aren't talking about REALLY OLD here, according to Dr. Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist at Monash University:

"People in the age group of 25 to 50 are most at risk. The neurons that tell people in the crucial age range not to over-eat are being killed-off.

When the stomach is empty, it triggers the ghrelin hormone that notifies the brain that we are hungry. When we are full, a set of neurons known as POMC's kick in.

However, free radicals created naturally in the body attack the POMC neurons. This process causes the neurons to degenerate over time, affecting our judgment as to when our hunger is satisfied." In simple English, what is happening is that as we age (25 and up), free radicals are destroying one of the critical mechanisms that tells us not to eat when we are full… scary!

It's pretty hard to lose weight when your brain fails to tell you when you're full…

It turns out that one of the main culprits here are carbohydrates, especially simple sugars. So in order to reduce this effect, it would be wise to temper your sugar and junk carb intake. There definitely has to be some more research into this.

ARE WE DOOMED?

I think this research coupled with a lot of other factors in the Western world make it harder and harder to eat right. We all know if we are honest with ourselves that the only way to get to a healthy weight is to eat right and exercise consistently.

This means:

• Eating the appropriate amount of calories based on how many we expend


• Controlling insulin by reducing sugar intake


• Exercising regularly to normalize our system


• Having some kind of basic plan or general eating guidelines that we follow


• Getting our thyroid checked


• And measuring our results

A Shameless Plug and a Special Offer

Now for the shameless plug! Dr. Temes' hypnosis program for weight loss addresses the issues above and although it won't restore the POMC neurons, it will help you eat the right foods, eat smaller portions, follow your plan, etc…

So while you have all kinds of things going on in your brain that make it harder to lose weight, this program works with your brain to neutralize this effect.

I think this statement by Ann Carlo says it best:

"Enjoying Weight Loss is fabulous. Thought I forgot all about it yesterday, until I realized that I ate breakfast (which I rarely do), drank a lot of water, had a veggie dinner and DIDN'T EAT ANY SUGAR . . . A MIRACLE!

Can't convince me that this system does not operate on some level . . . even though you're not always conscious of it at the time.

Thank you, Hypnosis Network."

So that was my shameless plug! If you are reading this post, I will let you into to our special offer page where you can get this program at a nice discount AND TRY IT FOR 28 DAYS FOR JUST THE PRICE OF SHIPPING.

Here is the link:
http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/ewl/special

I hope you found this interesting and don't mind the plug – please comment.

Robyn

Monash University (2008, August 22). "Killer Carbs: Scientist Finds Key To Overeating As We Age." ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 26, 2008.

Does gaining weight run in the family?

Have you resigned yourself to gaining weight because it “runs in the family”?

Bad genetics doesn’t have to catch up with you. You can change your genes simply by making a few adjustments to your diet.1

When you eat certain foods, nutrients release hormones that switch your genes on and off. And the nutrients in low-glycemic foods turn off genes that lead to weight gain and diseases that may follow.

We found this out when we studied the response to the glycemic index (GI) in people who have metabolic syndrome.

The glycemic index measures how fast your food breaks down to sugar in your bloodstream. Metabolic syndrome is a medical term for overweight people whose cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels are high. It puts them at risk for diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.

In the study, one group ate foods with a low GI rating of 40-60. The other group ate foods with a high GI rating of about 80-100.

In just 12 weeks, the high GI diet increased the activity of 62 genes that lead to disease. These genes activate your stress response. It puts your body in a constant “fight or flight” mode. This lowers your immunity and causes damage to your cells.

But the low GI diet decreased the activity of 71 disease-causing genes, including hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL).2

High HSL is what causes fat to settle around your middle.3 But when scientists studied animals bred to have little HSL, they found the animals became resistant to obesity, whether it was hereditary or from diet.4

I suggest you eat a wide variety of low GI foods. Follow the example handed down by our primal ancestors. Choose foods you could have gotten either by hunting or gathering:

Eat fresh, low-glycemic foods. Look for grass-fed beef. Fish. Beans. Plenty of above-ground and green, leafy vegetables. Onions and garlic. Berries, nuts, and seeds. Fresh fruits.

Avoid high-glycemic foods. These include white potatoes, most grains such as rice, corn, and wheat, cereals, cereal bars, and low-fiber or sweetened foods.

Shun pre-packaged items and fast food. These products contain high-glycemic ingredients and artificial chemicals. Avoid sweetened foods. Diet foods. Foods like these turn on the genes responsible for weight gain and disease.5

Finally, if you have a family history of disease, you may want to supplement with additional nutrients:

• Pick up a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that contains high levels of B vitamins such as B12 and folate. These two vitamins directly contribute to DNA health. I recommend at least 100 mcg per day of vitamin B12 and 800 mcg of folate.
• MSM is a great detoxifier known to keep your DNA healthy. You can take 900 mg up to 3 times a day.
• SAMe is a nutrient you won’t find in food, but you can buy supplements at your local vitamin shop. This is one of the best-known for DNA protection. Take 200-1,600 mg daily.

 

1. D Ornish, MJ Magbanua and G Weidner et al., “Changes in prostate gene expression in men undergoing anintensive nutrition and lifestyle intervention.” Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 2008;105 8369–8374.
2. Kallio P, Kolehmainen M, Laaksonen DE, et al. “Dietary carbohydrate modification induces alterations in gene expression in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue in persons with the metabolic syndrome: the FUNGENUT Study.” Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1417–27.
3. Carlsson, E. et al. “The hormone-sensitive lipase C–60G promoter polymorphism is associated with increased waist circumference in normal-weight subjectsHormone-sensitive lipase and obesity.” International Journal of Obesity 2006, Sept;30: 1442-1448.
4. Sekiya M, Osuga JL, Okazaki H, et al. “Absence of hormone-sensitive lipase inhibits obesity and adipogenesis in Lep ob/ob mice.” J Biol Chem 2004;279:15084–90.
5. Salsberg SL, Ludwig DS. “Putting your genes on a diet: the molecular effects of carbohydrate.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 May;85(5):1169-70.
6. Paolo Raggi, et al. “Coronary Artery Calcium to Predict All-Cause Mortality in Elderly Men and Women.” J Am Coll Cardiol 2008 52: 17-23.