Don’t mess with your hormones. You’ve probably heard me mention it a few times around here and today I’m shouting it from the rooftops. We must stop messing with our hormones, or they’ll start messing with us. Of course not intentionally but as a byproduct a mistrust and misuse.
Today we’re talking about another hormone – a powerful one in weight and energy control – leptin.
Yes, leptin is one of the big players in our metabolism and why it’s episode #2 of our metabolism series. Speaking of that, if you didn’t listen to episode #1 you must to fully understand this one. But to give you a little playback – we officially debunked why calories in = calories out and what the missing component is to that popular equation.
Head over here to listen to that podcast.
But today, make sure you take a listen to this episode telling you exactly what you need to know about the hormone controlling weight and energy. Yes, this show is all about leptin, leptin resistance and how to reset it inside your body.
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what calories in = calories out is missing
The missing component in the simplistic equation calories in equals calories out is caloric storage – or how our body uses or stores different nutrients in our body. The very reason that no two people can eat the exact same diet and live the exact same lifestyle and experience the exact same results. It’s because we all handle caloric storage differently amongst ourselves.
Which is also why calories in = calories out doesn’t work. Not because those two things are false but simply because it’s not the full story. Unfortunately, though, it’s nearly impossible to measure caloric storing and how our body is either burning or storing energy on any given day. Of course, we do know it takes into account several factors such as:
- environment
- emotional status
- stress level
- nutrient density
That’s all on top of exactly how many calories in and how many calories out.
Again, another reminder at just how sophisticated our bodies are.
the role of leptin
The role of leptin is pretty straightforward given it works with a lot of different inputs. Leptin is the hormone to signal the brain that you one, have plenty of stored energy {fat + nutrients} in the body or two, you’re low on stored energy and need more.
Leptin is released from many different organ systems including the stomach and salivary glands. However, the number one place organ producing leptin is fat cells. Most often it is released in relation to how much fat you have. The more fat cells you have generally the more leptin you create and release.
So say you have plenty of stored energy, leptin is sent to the brain where it interacts with receptors on the hypothalamus to signal that we are living in plenty and therefore to reduce hunger and cravings, turn up metabolism and start burning energy rather than storing it.
On the flip side, if you don’t have enough leptin, this also signals to the brain, in the absence of it to increase your hunger and cravings, slow down metabolism and start converting and storing energy in the form of body fat.
By now you’re probably getting the idea that we want more leptin – the biggest influencer in the rate at which our metabolism revs.
the big problem
But there is a big problem, and you may be picking up on it. The problem is when you have excess body fat, you can’t seem to lose an ounce, and yet you’re hungry and craving all the things.
Are you wondering what in the world happened to your leptin?
Fair question.
The answer may or may not be what you want to hear. Don’t worry there is hope so keep reading. But the answer is most likely that your body has become leptin resistant. This means your fat is producing and pumping out lots and lots of leptin, but it’s not reaching your hypothalamus.
There are lots of reason this occurs some of them include:
- Sugar molecules are interacting with leptin changing the shape and inhibiting it from binding to the receptors on the hypothalamus.
- Ghrelin – your hunger hormone preceding leptin – is constantly firing because you aren’t providing enough nourishment to turn it off.
- Stress in an unknown reaction is changing the receptors on your hypothalamus or the shape of your leptin causing it not to respond in the brain.
There are other reasons and speculations, but most often the big players in leptin resistance are the same in many other diseases:
- nutrient restricted diets – including diets that are calorie restricted
- too much sugar
- excess stress
- not enough sleep – or poor circadian rhythm cycles
- lack of exercise or too much exercise
- excess toxins
- lectins – sugar molecules found in grain products like wheat
- constant food consumption
Researchers have some additional thoughts researchers are answering – like how our genes play a role in this and the interaction of leptin being released in the placenta during gestation. But those are the big players or at least the ones we can control.
fixing your leptin
Like anything in our body – there is always a way for us to help alleviate the problem. In most cases, it’s to work with your body instead of against it. Like I said at the beginning – to stop messing with your hormones.
So how do you fix your leptin? Like you would any hormone – give it the right environment to do the job it was designed. Space, nourishment, sleep, and trust.
fix your hormones
Of course, the best thing is to fix your hormones – and fixing just one snowball into fixing them all. Because really it’s less about “fixing” them and actually about nourishing them. That’s precisely what I teach inside my 5 Day Hormonal Reset.
If you haven’t checked it out – this is the number one program I recommend my clients and for a good reason. You can see the results quickly. Honestly, it’s pretty simple. I lay out exactly what you should be eating, lifestyle changes to make for the five-days and give you the time constraints to get it all done.
Plus there are some pretty delicious recipes you can use during the reset and for months to come.
If you want to fix your hormones, then invest in this program. I promise, five days can be the start of a lifetime of health. Click here to sign up.
resources
If you’re looking for more resources from today’s show here are some helpful articles and podcast:
- intermittent fasting
- craving cure
- hormones
- lectins
- stress
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