Today we’re breaking down the fat burning hormone leptin. We’ll discuss what it is and how in the world do we regulate it in our favor, along with how to lose weight, gain energy and feel better.
Hormones, hormones and more hormones. There is so much information on the web about hormones and how to regulate them. But do you ever just throw up your hands in confusion?
First, they tell us to count calories, then to give up fat, now to eat fat and give up carbohydrates. What in the world is the answer?
I’m going to say the answer definitely isn’t found in counting calories, restricting macronutrients or food and working out in excess. Restriction, deprivation, and starvation have never worked, at least long-term.
The philosophy that we need to beat our body into submission is downright damaging to our hormonal flow.
So what is the answer? My go-to when I talk about hormones and our body is always this;
We have to learn to work with our body and our hormones instead of against them.
That starts by understanding what they are, how they work and then listening to see what they need. The basis is; the right environment, the right nourishment, and the right motivation.
The big three in health.
Today we’re breaking down one hormone, the fat burning one called leptin. What it is, why it matters and how to fix it to work with you instead of against you. Make sure you listen to the podcast to get all of the details. Then check out the blog to get more information on resetting leptin for increased metabolism and energy.
Don’t forget to check out my free one-day hormonal reset guide below.
Listen on iTunes | Listen on Stitcher | Listen on Google Play | Review the Podcast
what is leptin?
Leptin has been given a lot of nicknames in the health community. These include, “the satiety hormone,” “the starvation hormone,” and “the fat burning hormone.”
You might be thinking these all seem a little bit different, but as you learned about in the podcast, they all actually relate and stem from this powerful hormone that hasn’t gotten much publicity.
The quick breakdown on leptin is simply this:
Leptin is released from your adipose tissue {yes, your fat cells are a living endocrine gland} that interacts with areas of the brain that control hunger, eating behavior and metabolism.
The more adipose tissue you have the more leptin you will release.
Once leptin hits your brain it communicates to your brain how healthy your body is regulating metabolism, energy, hunger cues and body fat stores.
Essentially the less body fat stores you have the less leptin you will release. This means your body will lower metabolism, lower energy and increase body fat stores to provide.
We usually see this in time of true famine crisis {which is rare in developed countries} or during voluntary famines like calorie restriction, excess working out and the combination of both. Think quick weight loss.
NOTE: This also happens to be the reason dieting fails 99.9% of the time. Because leptin acts on your brain which works against your willpower.
the perfect combination
On the other hand, when we have the right amount of body fat stores {adipose tissue}, we’re sitting comfortably at our set point, leptin signals to the brain that things are going well. Your body then speeds up your metabolism, decreases your hunger {providing satiety} and allows you to burn excess body fat stores.
But that leaves out one group of people who aren’t at a healthy weight set-point. These people tend to be the ones who are trying anything and everything to lose some extra weight but they just can’t seem to shake it. Instead, they’re left feeling sluggish, tired, deprived and craving all of the things.
These people most likely have leptin resistance.
Leptin resistance
Leptin resistance is where your adipose tissue is pumping out so much leptin that your body simply stops responding. It gets overwhelmed and becomes resistant to the signals. Which means that if your brain is resisting leptin, it also thinks there is too little leptin leaving you stuck with excess body fat stores.
Not to mention, this interferes with the thyroid response in the body, which is sending out energy signals leading to possible hashimotos, hypothyroidism and what appears like a malfunctioning thyroid gland.
The question becomes, are your undiagnosable thyroid problems just leptin resistance?
how to fix it
There are endless tips on how to fix leptin but the biggest tip is a leptin reset {which is the same as a hormonal reset}.
Our body needs to be reset just like you would restart a computer. Without a reset, it gets more and more sluggish every day. The more cluttered and chaotic the hard drive gets the slower your metabolism works.
But the beauty of a reset is, it creates space and provides the big three – the right nourishment, the right environment, and the right mindset – to heal.
If you’re interested in learning more about this vital hormonal reset you can check out my five-day hormonal reset and try it out for free in this one-day reset. Trust me, you’ll notice drastic changes in just five days when you focus on the big three.
The better news, it’s family friendly. We all have hormones and we all need to reset them, no matter, age or gender.
one big tip
Inside the podcast, I gave you ten additional tips to reset leptin allowing it to work with you instead of against you, but there was one tip I wanted to dive into just a bit more called alternate-day fasting.
This is similar to intermittent fasting {which you know I’m a big fan of} but more of a continuation to it. Intermittent fasting is a daily practice of eating all of your food within a set period of time so you can fast the alternate hours. Preferably we would fast daily for at least 12 hours.
For instance, if you start eating at 8:00 am you would finish all of your food before 8:00 pm.
The idea is that women would work up to a 14 hour fast and men possibly to a 16 hour fast. Again, in both situations, it is best to listen to your body.
But another potential fasting regime has been known as alternate-day fasting. This is a periodic 24 hour fast that you may add weekly, bi-weekly or even bi-monthly.
It’s the ultimate break in digestion to help reset leptin levels quicker.
This means that when you stop eating the evening before, you would then fast for 24 hours, skipping breakfast and lunch and finishing with a healthy dinner.
Like I mentioned, there is a lot of research in the field of fasting and it has some tremendous support. But the key is always listening to your body. What works well for it and how does it make you feel?
Try it out, who knows it could be just the kick-start your body needs to refresh. But remember, this is not a means of quick weight loss or a means of trying to get your body to submit to you.
For some, this may be a “trigger” and if that is the case, skip alternate-day fasting and just stick with intermittent fasting.
reset your hormones
The best way to overcome leptin resistance, gain energy, lose weight and increase your metabolism is a quick hormonal reset. We all need it, no matter your age, gender or how healthy you appear to be!
Don’t forget to check out my 5-Day Hormonal Reset Program. The perfect guide to understanding how to nourish your body, provide the right environment for change. All with a healthy mindset. It makes the how-to simple and easy!
Not to mention, the recipes are delicious! You can check out a one-day sample below!
Make the investment in your health here and reset your hormones in just five days!
subscribe to the show
Don’t forget to subscribe to Simple Roots Radio to make sure you are notified as soon as another podcast comes out. Sometimes I can be a little slow to notify you and this ensures that you get the show right on your phone to listen anytime you want!
If you have some feedback to share or an exciting shout out on your own personal journey, leave a note in the comments below. I would love to know your reactions to the show and how you’re taking steps in owning your own story.
Finally, if you enjoyed the show I’d love it if you’d take a minute to leave a rating and review. Through these reviews, we can work to make the show better and align more closely with the information you need to live your best life. It only takes a minute and makes a world of difference in the life of this show.
i would be so thankful if you would
rate and review the show
Click here for instructions on how to rate and review the show
Missed an episode? Click here to listen to all of the episodes of Simple Roots Wellness.
