Читать книгу Turn Back Time - lose weight and knock years off your age - Carole Malone - Страница 22

1. Avoid calorie restriction diets. Prolonged calorie restriction increases ghrelin, reduces leptin and causes insulin and leptin resistance.

2. Avoid processed foods. These damage the metabolic system, causing insulin resistance, and also damage the leptin receptors.

3. Eat enough good-quality protein. This helps to control appetite and regulate ghrelin production. The recommended amount of protein is two portions per day. One portion is roughly the size and thickness of your palm for meat, fish and mycoprotein (such as Quorn), or two organic eggs.

4. Exercise is also important, but what type of exercise is the most effective? Historically, weight-loss advice was centred around low to moderate aerobic activity, such as walking, running, cycling or swimming. Research over the past ten years has actually shown that this type of exercise stimulates an increase in ghrelin and a reduction in leptin production, thereby stimulating hunger and increasing appetite. Prolonged aerobic exercise has also been shown to reduce testosterone levels. The initial increase in metabolism appears to stop after three months as a result of ‘metabolic adaptation’ and we hit a ‘wall’ with respect to weight loss; weight then starts to increase again, despite exercising. Prolonged aerobic exercise has also been shown to increase levels of cortisol. Research has shown that there are two types of exercise that (a) burn abdominal fat and control appetite and hunger, and (b) control weight gain in the short and long term. These are:

 ‘Burst training’. This involves exertion at 90 per cent of your maximum for thirty seconds for five sets, three times a week. Exercise intensely for thirty seconds then rest for forty seconds, before repeating the exercise. During the rest period, it is best to keep moving and not to sit down. You should be able to complete this in 10 to 15 minutes per session.

 ‘High-intensity interval training’ (HIIT). This has been shown to be the most effective exercise for reducing hunger and appetite, and controlling weight in both the long and short term. It is important to note that metabolic adaptation can decrease the efficiency of any exercise, so it is important to change the exercises every three months. There is also evidence to show that exercising first thing on an empty stomach gives the greatest benefits with respect to improving glucose tolerance and ghrelin/leptin balance.

5. A good night’s sleep (seven to nine hours). Sleep deprivation has been shown to be associated with poor ghrelin/leptin balance. Good-quality sleep has been shown to better regulate appetite and the desire to eat unhealthy snacks in comparison to exercising later in the day, after eating.

6. Reducing and managing stress has been shown to result in a favourable ghrelin/leptin balance, and so weight management. Chronic stress results in raised cortisol levels, which has a negative effect on metabolism, ghrelin/leptin balance, and can result in insulin resistance. Finding the time for meditation, mindfulness and relaxation is important.

7. Avoid high glycaemic index (GI) foods (these are foods, namely carbohydrates, that release sugar very quickly into the blood supply), and those high in sugar and artificial sweeteners. These include:

• cakes, biscuits, cookies, pastries and other sweets, chocolate and ice cream

• fizzy drinks and drinks with a high sugar content

• pizza, white bread, pita, rolls and wraps

• salted snacks like crisps

• foods fried at high temperatures

In conclusion, there are lots of weight-loss systems and clinics out there. Some are more scientific than others, but they all present us with a system, and some even prescribe slimming pills, which can be very dangerous (in that they are based on stimulators, such as amphetamines, which can have adverse effects on your heart and can cause psychological problems). Research has shown that none of the previously used systems actually work and that most people will regain the initial weight they lose because the systems are not sustainable as a normal lifestyle.

Despite billions spent each year on weight-loss programmes, the incidence of obesity, metabolic disease (such as type 2 diabetes) and environmentally determined diseases continues to rise. My hope is that this book will serve to educate and guide you to making informed and intelligent changes to your lifestyle in order to ‘turn back time’ and still continue to enjoy a long, healthy and happy life.