Weight Loss
 Discussing the factors affecting weight loss, a comment on popular diets associated with weight loss, the role of genetics and a look at a couple of interesting little hormones called Leptins and Ghrelins.
Weight Loss
Perhaps an unusual topic for a Medical Herbalist to focus on but it is a concern of many people I see as patients and for our society generally. The amount of advertising on the latest diet supplement, the promotion of weight loss clinics, books written and glossy magazines devoted to the new diet fads of the rich and famous must keep a significant number of the ‘Western World' in the manner to which they have become accustomed.
In this article I will discuss the factors affecting weight loss, a comment on popular diets associated with weight loss, the role of genetics and a look at a couple of interesting little hormones called Leptins and Ghrelins.
This is not an article that says eat less of this, exercise more etc etc but it is about a few practical things you can put into place as well as to explain the bigger picture of how people gain weight. It will cover aspects of diet and lifestyle without being dictatorial (hopefully).
Two people eat the same food, one puts on weight – why?
The are several factors involved in this including your individual Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), how much exercise you do and when, how well your thyroid functions, and it seems, how well your mother ate during her pregnancy and what you were fed as a baby and toddler.
The BMR is the rate at which your body works. The faster its metabolic processing the more energy it uses. This in turn is affected by genetic factors, age and thyroid function. We can't do much about the genetic input but you can make sure your thyroid functions well. It does need iodine and this is the reason why iodine was added to salt. If you are not using any salt then be sure to have a little seaweed daily. My suggestion is to use ½ tsp of granulated kelp in food. The rate of function of the thyroid may be unique to you and may not show up in the Lab test. That said the percentage of obese people where thyroid insufficiency is the major factor is relatively low.
When to exercise if you want to lose weight?
Exercise also affects the BMR but the earlier in the day the better. This sets the BMR for the day at a higher level and so burns up a lot more energy. So a 20min brisk walk or jog at 7am is better than the exercycle at the Gym at 5.30pm although the exercycle at 5pm is better than nothing. When you try to lose weight by reducing calories, you feel more hungry, but also your BMR drops so the early daily exercise is one way to alter this.
Taking care during pregnancy
It is now looking as though the pregnant woman's diet is really important in what happens to her child in later life. Not that we want to go around blaming our mothers if we put on weight easily but it is to be mindful of when you are pregnant. See insert for General Guidelines.
Nourishing babies and toddlers
Likewise apparently babies and toddlers develop fat cells early in their lives which sets them up for weight gain more easily later on. The following is the only dictatorial statement I will make – “Takeways, fast food, Macdonalds and too many sweets are not good foods for little people”!
About food
Yes of course it is about what food and how much but it is also about when you eat.
Why is breakfast important?
Our bodies are pre-programmed, they need to be prepared for survival in case of famine. Of course famine is not an issue for the West (in fact I think we have relative deficiencies and excesses) but it responds in a time honoured way to indicators of starvation. If you eat your last meal at say 6.30pm and then skip breakfast, your body goes into starvation mode and sets up the signals to ‘store' all in case of famine for the rest of the day. The saying ‘Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper' is really on to it.
What is good for breakfast?
Sorry, toast, butter and jam just isn't a good way to start the day but stewed apples and rolled oats are! There is recent research to suggest that apples should be considered a number one health food. They have pectin. This is a soluble fiber that triggers the sense of fullness, plays a role in controlling how much sugar rushes into the bloodstream after a meal and traps bile so it is not recycled. This means lower levels of recycled hormones like oestrogen, cholesterol, and environmental chemicals. That really is something we all want in today's world. More recently it is seen as one of the key pre-biotic chemicals. That means it ‘feeds' the bacteria we want in our digestive tracts and triggers the production of a chemical called ‘Butyrate' that has a number of health promoting properties.
How to change habits?
I suggest changing one thing a week. Changing your breakfast or having one could be the first one. Adding stewed apples, rolled oats with some natural unsweetened yoghurt is a delicious way to begin the day. This is easy for the busy family. Stew a large pot full of apples (hopefully organic from one of Gisborne's two great markets on a Saturday morning) – enough for your family for the week. Allow 1-2 per person per day.
Diets at a glance
This is such big business and works because there is a ‘Big Brother/Sister' telling you what to do. Some even increase the weight of their own bank balance by delivering the food you eat. You pay for it so you have a vested interest in making it work. Well the psychology could work if you said “I will treat myself to a massage for every two kgs I lose”- be your own ‘Big Brother/Sister'. I can't make a statement about the commercial enterprise that promotes this one but Diet Coke is not a healthy drink, not in any way you look at it – environmentally, addictively, nutritionally – any way! I do see people addicted to this in my practice. (The environmental issue is that for every litre of coke produced a subcontinent Indian is denied of 10 litres of water!).
What are Leptins and Ghrelins?
Our fat cells are like endocrine glands producing a hormone called Leptin which decreases the appetite and switches the fuel the body uses from glucose to fat. Our stomach produces Ghrelin a powerful appetite stimulant. Leptins are linked to insulin so if the levels of this are high due to too much white flour (breads and buns) and sugar and too little fiber, the body becomes resistant to to both. The body gets the message that “you are starving, eat and don't burn any energy”.
Now this is hard to change, will power won't do it, you basically have to starve for a while to change it. It is like an addiction. It is complex. If we starve our BMR drops so it's a double issue but for some people this may be what is needed to switch the Leptin response to normal.
In summary if you don't keep insulin in balance (and we know that many indigenous people around the world do not handle insulin well and subsequently a Western fast food, white diet) then the normal Leptin response doesn't happen.
That coupled with Ghrelin leads to an over consumption of food, and if that food is predominantly white flour and sugar it perpetuates the problem.
What does Herbal Medicine offer?
Cayenne pepper enhances the production of Leptin and reduces the production of Ghrelin. A few drops of extract at each meal is suggested.
Fiber
We don't eat enough of it and it appears as though several different ones are important. Inulin in foods like Dandelion root, and Elecampane, the fiber in Slippery elm, the Algin in seaweeds are all important along with the Queen of them all – Pectin from apples and citrus peels.
About Gymnema
There is this extraordinary plant from the Indian subcontinent which is known as ‘the sugar destroyer'. After taking a little of the extract it totally destroys your ability to taste anything sweet for around 20mins. It also normalizes pancreatic secretions but won't restore pancreatic function for those with Type 1 diabetes. Gymnema is very useful for those people who are sugar addicts or who crave sweets or chocolate.
Next Issue Continuing in this theme I will cover ‘The Pluri-metabolic Syndrome. The combination of High blood Pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, high Cholesterol and Weight gain.
General Dietary Guidelines
1. Make 2/3rds of all you put in your mouth, fruits and vegetables. Of those at least 2/3rds should be vegetables.
2. Make sure the remaining 1/3 includes some quality protein, some wholegrain carbohydrate and a small amount of fat or oil.
3. Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily.
4. Eat locally produced foods, organic and seasonal if possible.
There are no bad, unprocessed traditional foods; it is what we do to them that creates the problem. Wherever possible use fresh unprocessed organic food.
‘Nothing added and nothing taken away' is a good motto to remember.
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