Overweight and Leptins
THE RULESRule 1: Never eat after dinner — and finish eating dinner at least three hours before bed. Allow 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast. This rule is designed to allow leptin, melatonin, cortisol, and other chemicals to balance during the night. Night-eating syndrome individuals have abnormal hormonal patterns apparently associated with nocturnal eating. Additionally, this allows the body to operate in fat burning mode for many hours, using fat as fuel while sleeping. Rule 2: Eat three meals a day. Allowing 5-6 hours between meals, this rule, simply put, cuts out the snacks. Timing is crucial so that insulin levels can drop, glucagon (produced by the liver) can rise, and fat metabolism can kick in. If this occurs a couple of hours before more food is eaten, fats stores can be utilized until the next food is consumed. Snacking between meals sends the insulin back up and fat stores remain untapped. Snacks are, therefore, to be avoided. Rule 3: Do not eat large meals. Eat slowly and, if overweight, always try to finish a meal when slightly less than full. Eating slowly allows time for hormonal signals to reach the brain before overeating occurs. Smaller meals allow for better digestion, do not overstretch the stomach and easily decrease overall caloric consumption. If weight loss is desired, portions are estimated as protein the size of the palm of the hand, carbohydrates to match that amount, and vegetables as desired. Remember that peas, carrots, and corn, due to high glycemic value, are counted as a carbohydrate. |
Rule 4: Eat a breakfast-containing protein. This helps set the hormonal cycles for the day and for the night. Compromising this can have hormonal effects during the day and into the night, disturbing sleep. An increase in dietary protein from 15% to 30% of energy can produce a significant weight loss, presumably ‘mediated by increased central nervous system leptin sensitivity.’ Rule 5: Reduce the overall amount of carbohydrates eaten. Although some carbohydrates are needed, unless one is already conscious of carbohydrate load, chances are too many carbohydrates are routinely consumed. Regarding carbohydrate influences, one study found that; ‘Compared with the low-carbohydrate diet, the high-carbohydrate diet caused a 27.5% increase in plasma triglycerides and a similar increase in [very low density lipoprotein]-cholesterol levels; it also reduced levels of HDL cholesterol by 11%.’ Richards & Richards note a simple test to determine if too many carbohydrates are being consumed. Weigh in the morning and again at night on a day of normal food intake when rules 1-4 are followed. If more than two pounds are gained, too many carbohydrates were consumed. Exercise has been shown to improve insulin resistance (Bogardus et al 1984). Frequent exercise, perhaps 30 minutes daily, is likely to help with leptin-based weight control. Richards & Richards clearly point to the importance of lifestyle management. In addition to suggesting adequate sleep, good food choices and following the five cardinal rules, they also note; |