Is Inflammation Making You Fat?

**This Could Be the Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight**

Do your pants immediately feel tighter after dinner?

Do you find yourself noticing extra fat around your midsection?

If this sounds familiar, you know how frustrating bloating and stubborn belly fat can be. While self-pity is unproductive, there are things you can do each day to improve these issues by addressing the real cause.

The Real Reason You Feel Fat

Inflammation could be one of the reasons you can’t shed those pounds or get rid of inconvenient bloating. This is great news if you haven’t seen the results you’ve wanted from diet and exercise alone.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a component of the body’s defense mechanism. For short periods of time, it’s a good thing.

For example, your body will induce a temporary fever to help ward off foreign pathogens when you’re sick.

This causes an intentional inflammatory response aimed at making you better.

However, long-term inflammation is different. Long-term inflammation is caused by food intolerances, stress, and poor digestion. When left unchecked, this can cause fat-storing hormones to be released excessively.

How to Lose the Fat Caused by Inflammation

Here are some of the top inflammation-fighting practices you can get started on right now:

1. Remove Inflammatory Foods

These inflammatory foods tax your body and immune system and can lead to increased body fat. Try to remove the following foods and ingredients from your diet and household:

✦ Gluten
✦ Dairy
✦ Corn
✦ Eggs
✦ Soy
✦ Nuts
✦ Nightshades

tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, eggplants

✦ Citrus
✦ Yeast

baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, and fermented products like alcohol

2. Remove Added Sugar

Sugar has an immediate effect on the body and causes widespread inflammation.

A little natural sugar found in fruits is okay, but added sugar or sweeteners should be avoided.

Added sugar can even be found in food that doesn’t taste sweet, such as soup, bread and salad dressing. Get in the habit of checking nutrition labels and steer clear of foods with added sugar.

3. Reduce Your Salt Intake

Sodium blocks normal hormone signals that make you feel full.

This is why salty foods tend to make you overeat even when you’re not hungry.

Check the sodium content of foods and sauces in your home and keep track of how much you consume each day. When possible, prepare your foods at home and use spices instead of salt.

4. Take Curcumin (Active component inside Turmeric root)

Curcumin is the powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient inside turmeric that has incredible healing properties known to fight inflammation and oxidative stress.

Lowering oxidative stress can help regulate the release of fat-storing hormones, which makes it easier to lose weight.

This is a must-have in your daily routine if you want to combat stubborn fat caused by inflammation.

5. Try Icelandic Sea Kelp

Icelandic Sea Kelp contains fucoidan, an anti-inflammatory complex carbohydrate that fights oxidative stress.

The fiber in sea kelp also helps you feel full, which can help promote weight loss.

6. Add a Little Ginger To Your Drinks & Meals

Ginger is an amazing anti-inflammatory agent that helps support healthy digestion. It’s great for upset stomachs and can easily be added to water if your tummy needs a pick-me-up!

7. Astragalus

Astragalus is an incredible plant that supports the immune system, also known as an adaptogen.

Adaptogens are activated by stress and help lower cortisol levels in the body. Maintaining low, healthy cortisol levels is essential for weight loss.

8. Eat More Pineapple

Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which helps break down protein and reduce bloating.

Pineapples are one of the only fruits that leave alkaline residuals in the gastrointestinal tract to help decrease inflammation.

With a little patience and these tips, you can fight bloating and stubborn belly fat caused by inflammation. It's never too early to start, and this might be the push you needed to finally fit into those skinny jeans!

Hypothyroidism Lifestyle: Foods to Avoid, Essential Oils to Use & Activities to Do

If you are living with hypothyroidism or under-active thyroid—a condition that causes the thyroid glands to produce too few hormones, you may be living with reduced energy and increasing weight gain. Other symptoms may include depressive or irregular mood swings, slow heartbeats, cold sensitivity, and/or menstrual irregularities. The thyroid glands help to regulate the body’s metabolism (the rate at which food is converted into energy).

If you want to approach living with hypothyroidism in a natural way, follow the suggestions provided below.

Avoid Certain Vegetables, GMO’s and Nuts

Scientific studies have found that eating cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cassava, soybeans, and mustard greens, may hinder thyroid functioning. Nuts provide healthy fats, protein and a variety of helpful nutrients, but stay away from peanuts, peanut butter and pine nuts, for they impair thyroid functioning, as well. Choose almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and seeds (hemp, flax and chia). Steer clear from any foods labeled GMO, especially soy product.

Processed or Enriched Carbohydrates

Processed or enriched carbohydrates, such as white flour and sugar, are foods that have lost valuable amounts of nutrients during food processing. Not only is refined foods null and void of vitamins and nutrients, they are considered to nutritionists as “dead food.” Processed foods bring about negative impacts on blood sugar, trigger mood swings, and are very acidic and inflammatory to the body (not good for people living with hypothyroidism, for it may lead to bloating and constipation). Too much gluten in the body from grains is also not the best for people fighting low production of hormones. Limit your intake of gluten (even the whole grain kind). Instead, replace your processed foods for fresh starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, squashes, sprouted grains.

Saturated Fats and Trans Fatty Acids

Saturated fats and trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are considered unhealthy fats that can increase the risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. Limit and avoid saturated (animal fats and animal by-products) and trans fats (often found in fast food, fried foods, processed meats and cheeses as well as cookies, crackers and processed frozen foods) and increase intake of omega-3 fats from krill, flax, hemp and chia seeds and nuts, such as almonds and walnuts. You will see your immune system functioning and brain respond better!

What to Eat?

One of the most potent and powerful foods in helping the thyroid to function normally is sea vegetables and blue-green algae because of the high iodine content. I suggest eating these foods daily: Iodized sea salt, seaweed, sea kelp, and other sea vegetables, small saltwater fish.

Tyrosine and selenium

Tyrosine and selenium are also important for proper thyroid function—to increase your intake of these compounds, consume fish, meat, chicken, turkey, dairy, avocados, almonds, seeds, wheat germ, and beans.

Supplements

“Consider adding both a B-vitamin complex and a fatty-acid supplement (such as fish oil) to your diet (using capsules) to further regulate your body's production of hormones. Fish oil has been shown to positively affect thyroid function. To reap these benefits, consume 5 to 10 g of a high-quality fish oil in capsule form daily.” (EHow)

Also, check out the use of turmeric and curcumin for incredible benefits!

https://lyfebotanicals.com/health/turmeric-benefits/

Essential oils

For people who use essential oils, the following essential oils are natural, soothing, contain antioxidants, and supports healthy gastrointestinal function and maintain healthy digestion*

➣ 10 drops Clove essential oil
➣ 10 drops Peppermint essential oil
➣ 10 drops Lemongrass essential oil

Use in combination with Fractionated Coconut Oil along spine and bottoms of the feet 2 times daily or in veggie capsules (3 capsules. One capsule for clove, one for peppermint and one for lemongrass).

➣ Place 1 drop of Frankincense Oil under the tongue (intra-oral) daily
➣ Rub 2 drops of Frankincense Oil on throat/thyroid area
➣ Rub Balance Oil Blend on bottoms of feet, nightly
➣ One a day Multi-Vitamins daily
➣ Diffuse Myrrh essential oils in the air

➣ Mix 3 drops of some or all of the following oils in a capsule and take every other day; Rosemary, Lemongrass, Geranium, Grapefruit and/or Clove

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These suggested products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Activities & Exercises

Aerobic exercises and strength training is very improves the metabolic functioning of the body, so light to moderate. Best exercises from Thyroid Guide recommends: rowing, swimming, walking, cycling, hiking and dancing—activities that get your heart pumping and cause you to sweat—as good aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and burn calories. Exercising is a great body circulation promoter and natural mood elevator and antidepressant that can help the depression that often accompanies an under-functioning thyroid.

If you do not have time for a brisk 30 minute walk 5 days a week (recommended), then strength training exercises done at the gym or in the comfort of your home will also do the trick to protect the joints, tendons and ligaments and build strength for handling everyday activities such as carrying groceries. Practice lunges, leg raises and pushups or work with light kettle bells.

Additional sources: Livestrong, Thyroid-Guide.org, webMD

Stress - What it Does to Your Body

Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.

Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you —and many things that you do yourself—put stress on your body. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts. The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Stress can be positive, keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges without relief or relaxation between challenges. As a result, the person becomes overworked and stress-related tension builds.

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress -- a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.

Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try and relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems.

Consider the following:

✦ 43 % of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
✦ 75% to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
✦ Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
✦ The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace.
✦ Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
✦ The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.
✦ Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors. Such threats are rare today, but that doesn't mean that life is free from stress.

On the contrary, you undoubtedly face multiple demands each day, such as shouldering a huge workload, making ends meet, taking care of your family, or just making it through the morning rush hour. Your body treats these so-called minor hassles as threats. As a result, you may feel as if you're constantly under assault but remember: you do not have to let stress control your life.

Understanding the natural stress response

If your mind and body are constantly on edge because of excessive stress in your life, you may face serious health problems. That's because your body's "fight-or-flight reaction" — its natural alarm system — is constantly on.

When you encounter perceived threats — a large dog barks at you during your morning walk, for instance — your hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.

Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with regions of your brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

Stress Overload

The body's stress-response system is usually self-regulating. It decreases hormone levels and enables your body to return to normal once a perceived threat has passed. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels and other systems resume their regular activities.

But when the stressors of your life are always present, leaving you constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The less control you have over potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes.

This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

⚠ Heart disease
⚠ Sleep problems
⚠ Digestive problems
⚠ Depression
⚠ Obesity
⚠ Memory impairment
⚠ Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema
⚠ Lower gastrointestinal functions
⚠ Lower immune reaction -> higher risk for infections
⚠ Lower sexual functions

Sources: MayoClinic, WebMD, WomensHealth.com

Carbs Are Making Us Fat

Carbs Are Making Us Fat.

❯ Simple science has shown that carbohydrates spike insulin.
❯ Insulin creates sugar.
❯ Sugar turns into fat.
❯ Fat packs on the pounds.

With so many years of our government’s famous food pyramid base promoting the consumption of simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes), it is no wonder obesity rates are skyrocketing in numbers.

Most people actually do not know how to prepare meals without such carbohydrates. Think about a breakfast without starches, for example.

We've been programmed to incorporate carbs (especially processed carbs) into our three meals and many snacks so that we can have balanced nutrition. Or so we’re told.

First thing’s first.

There are many types of carbohydrates which are all a part of the family of carbohydrate compounds:

❧ starch sugar
❧ milk sugar
❧ vegetable sugar
❧ fruit sugar

Not all carbohydrates are created equally. Carbohydrates consumed into the body from an apple is vastly different from the same amount of carbohydrates taken from a chocolate bar.

Sometimes labeled the “good” carb, complex carbohydrates, like whole grains and legumes, contain longer chains of sugar molecules; these usually take more time for the body to break down and use.

There are many sides doctors, nutritionists, athletes and even people with diabetes take when it comes to whether or not carbs should be a part of a person’s nutrition.

Scientifically speaking, carbs in the diet supply our brain with glucose when we study or do any mental work. Also, carbs give the body quick energy during exercise and dietary fiber is also a carb in a very complex form that is indigestible in the human body.

It forms the bulk in our stool and is essential for normal bowel function and evacuate of waste from our bodies.

From the side of “Carbs are making people fat,” one of the most offending of the carb family is grains (which many people think are healthier than they really are).

Why?

These grains fall into a category called “refined carbohydrates.” Once harvested and shelled, all the protein, nutrients (vitamins and minerals) are taken away (or refined), leaving just a complex carb that has an immediate effect on the body, and raises insulin levels.

When insulin levels rise, it drives calories into fat tissue. Even when you are utilizing your body for active movement—work or exercise, your body can only process so much of the carb at a given time.

What is not used up is stored as fat. What people do not necessarily know is that this constant act of raising insulin is also making people accumulate fat.

Another point to understand between carbs and the rise in weight is the modern processed carb and what they are made with.

Today’s carbs are processed with incredible amounts of refined sugar and reached new heights in the glycemic index—(meaning it has a lot of sugar in it and causes a faster and higher spike of insulin in the body to be released to balance blood sugars).

Remember:

more insulin=more fat.

There are many studies that report the secretion of insulin beginning with the first thought of foods with carbohydrates!

Below is a link to a great info flow chart on how exactly carbs are making us fat: https://foodtechconnect.com/2012/01/26/infographic-of-the-week-carbs-are-killing-you/

Our bodies are very smart and will give us the urge to crave carbohydrates (if we listen and obey our cravings, we will be more functional, balanced and free from chronic ailments).

The problem is the quality of modern processed foods and the frequency in which we may consume them. These fast and processed foods create an addiction (not different from drug addiction) that tells our brains we need more and more so we may be craving the “bad carbs”fats).

Especially with the high amount of added sugar to the high carb and fatty food—ice cream, cake, doughnuts—and you have a double whammy. High-sugar foods increase your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and increases cravings.

In fact, high sugary carbs enhance the memory storage in our brains and release feel-good hormones and endorphins when consumed.

Studies conducted by scientists at the University of Washington found out that junk foods high in carbohydrates and fat destroy the brain cells that control weight, leading to a vicious circle of obesity, scientists have revealed.

The study also showed the part of the brain containing neurons that control body weight, was inflamed. Surprisingly, after test subjects were taken off the high carb and fat diets, the inflammation stopped a few days later but then recurred after four weeks.

What are the dangers of eliminating or not consuming enough carbs in our nutrition?

Many Registered Dietitians argue that most people should always try to have at least 150 to 200 grams of carbs a day because our bodies can only process and utilize about 200 grams of carbs a day.

Not enough carbohydrates will force most bodies to:

♦ Borrow protein from our muscles and immune system to make more carbs to keep us going.

♦ Makes us binge-eat carbs until our system is reloaded. It takes 24 hours to re-load all our carbs after exercise greater than 30 minutes. Athletes will binge-eat every 3 days if they do not have enough carbs in their diet.

♦ We can eat some carbs at least every 4 hours every day to continuously replace the carbs we are using for daily routines and for exercise.

Take away:

Listen to your body and nourish it and give it energy by choosing fresh, made by Mother Earth carbs in the forms of vegetables, fruits and beans, legumes and sprouted whole grains* (barley, corn, oats, quinoa, rice and any other grain that contains the bran, germ and endosperm of the grain).

Limit or eliminate processed and refined carbohydrates that cause inflammation in the body.

*Whole grains contain all of the parts of the original grain without being processed. They are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and contain some antioxidants that are not found in fruits and vegetables.

Resources: NutritionAssessment.com, FoodandConnect.com, DiabetesMine.com, NPR, CalorieLab.com, MayoClinic, Livestrong, LivingWell.com

Why Being in a Relationship May Be Making You FAT

Why Being in a Relationship May Be Making You FAT: Social Eating, Relationships and Weight Gain

Did you know that the average person will gain up to 7 pounds in the first year of a new relationship, and couples in a relationship will gain 21 pounds each after 10 years of matrimony? That is what a study published in the journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine discovered. In fact, research across several different countries attributed the relationship weight gain to emotional stability and spending less time exercising due to lack of time. As statistics and polls reveal, year after year, when people are in relationships, (especially new and happy ones), they tend to eat meals out more often and have trips to the cinema or movie nights at home regularly, so it’s easy to see how the pounds can creep on.

According to Women’s Health, new love is time-and mind-consuming, and people tend to skimp gym time and trade that for more snuggle time. Weight gain does not just happen in new relationships; married women fall prey to this phenomenon, too. Certainly, physical attraction plays a huge, initial part in relationships and compatibility – it’s one of the reasons why people are first attracted to each other in the first place. Typically, people “in the market” put more effort and energy into their appearance when they are beginning new relationships and first dating. But once those month and year anniversaries become too many to keep track of, chances are people become so comfortable in their relationship that impressing their partner is no longer the utmost first priority anymore.

Let’s take a gander and see possible reasons why.

1. Motivation, Where Did you Go?!

When people are single and looking for love, chances are they take more time and attention to their appearance by perhaps eating healthier and exercising more because they want to impress future love matches. Cooking healthy meals at home and going to the gym regularly may probably be on the agenda. Once they finally hook up and fall in love, however, people do not feel as motivated to look good because they already have their partners hooked. Love has a way of making you feel special, no matter how much weight you gain, especially if your boyfriend doesn’t acknowledge your body’s changes. And once you are married, other responsibilities may become more important –children, home, finances, career, expenses – and looking good takes a back seat.

2. My Partner Is Rubbing Off On Me

Friends and family can certainly tempt you to stray from healthy eating habits, and our partners are no different. Our social culture teaches us that eating with someone is always more fun, and we feel less guilty about indulging in fatty foods when someone else is right alongside us, too. If your partner is less of a health-conscious eater to begin with, you may start to inherit your partner’s fast food, pizza, and beer diet as a way to bond or because it is a convenient and easy solution to dinner. If your significant other is not regularly active, it might be difficult for you to get up for that run when he/she is pulling you back on the couch to cuddle. Remember it is always more of a challenge to remain healthy in the face of temptation.

3. I Don’t Have Time to Exercise!

New couples tend to spend a lot of time together, forgoing the activities they did when they were single (unless the gym routine or exercise program is part of both of your daily regimens). Your alone time becomes your couple time, especially if you have a busy schedule with work or other priorities. If you both skip a workout here and order some greasy takeout there before you know it, you will both have more than just butterflies in your stomachs—you will both have some bread baking on the side of your waistbands. Visits to the gym and those solo after-work walks around the neighborhood get put on the back burner in favor of spending time with your partner. Women are also (typically) the caretakers in the relationships, so they are more prone to put their needs, healthy and otherwise, last on the list. Women in relationships typically have more influence over a couple’s habits than the man. That is because women tend to do more of the grocery shopping and cooking, and tend to incorporate fresher, healthier foods into their diet in general. Couples that are married and busy with kids and other responsibilities may tell themselves that they do not have the time or the energy to even think about exercise!

4. Stress

Good stress, known as eustress, can actually fuel relationship weight gain. Even happy, euphoric feelings (unfortunately) can make people turn to the fridge in almost a celebration mentality. However, people will probably experience the bad kind of stress when relationships take a few hits down a bumpy road. One of the most common ways people deal with stress is to emotionally eat it away, which almost always, backfires.

5. You Eat Out...All the Time

When people are single, they are more likely to eat smaller, healthier foods at home. But once people are in relationships, dinner dates are followed by caloric brunches and co-late night snacking. Couples bond over food because it is a special ritual in their relationship. That is not good news for your waistline: A Men's Health magazine analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories. (And that does not include appetizers, sides, or dessert).

6. You Are Always in Bed or Sitting

A study last year in the journal Obesity found that couples who live together for two or more years are less likely to be physically active and the women are more likely to become obese. As positive as relationships can be, they also change your routine. People begin scheduling more couple's events and less “personal” time to themselves. The gym and other fitness choices seem to take a back seat to dinner and drinks with your new hottie.

What are some tips to avoid getting fat in your new or existing relationship?

1. Go On Fitness Dates

When your sweetheart suggests a Sunday matinee and early dinner, counter offer with an outdoor hike and a picnic packed with fresh fruits, hummus and other low-fat foods. Exercising together is one of the most motivating tools for weight loss, and also one of the most effective. Go for a walk after dinner, even just around the block. Just move your bodies together! It does not have to be in a big aluminum warehouse filled with big electronic machines.

2. Tell Your Partner to Stop Tempting You

It may be cute when your partner dangles a delicious piece of chocolate over your mouth and proceeds to devour it without gaining a millimeter in his/her waist or thighs, but if you cannot resist temptation, simply ask your partner to stop tempting you. Out of sight, out of mind just may help in your fight against relationship weight.

3. It’s Not a Competition! Don’t Match Bite for Bite

You resolve to order the low carb and fiber packed salad at dinner, but your partner goes for the burger or large pizza and finagles you into eating half of it. If you’re going to give into your main squeeze, at least go 60/40. Common mistake partners (especially women) typically make is splitting a meal down the middle. Ladies, remember that men have a higher caloric intake and can eat more without gaining weight. Just because your appetite matches him, doesn’t mean your portions should.

4. Eat In More Often

Cooking together can be intimate, because the food is very sensual, especially when couples take turns tasting it. Eating in allows people to control what goes into the food, including the fat and calorie content. When you do dine out, eat a healthy snack that contains protein and fiber a few hours before your meal. When people skimp on meals all day, especially when they are going to go out that night, their bodies are left so hungry that they end up overdoing it. Nonfat yogurt, a piece of fruit, a dollop of almond or nut butter or a small bowl of cereal with low-fat milk are all smart choices.

5. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself: Weigh in Often.

It's great to accept your body and not obsess over every last calorie, but it's hard to feel good about yourself when none of your pants fit. To prevent eating habits from spiraling out of control, check yourself with regular weigh-ins on a scale and write it down in a journal or log. Studies show that once people pass the five-pound mark, weight gain can take off like a runaway train. Seeing the scale creep toward that mark and documenting the process can be a call to action.

6. Get Your Partner Involved

A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who exercised with a partner lost more weight than those who sweat solo. When people do something together, they are more likely to stick with it. Sign up and train together for a 5-K, go for a bike ride instead of watching a movie, or join the same gym. When you do not feel like going, your partner will be there to motivate you and do the same for your partner.

Sources: fitsugar.com, mayocinic.com

This Could Be the Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight