Losing Weight Is Easy When You Get Rid Of Food Cravings
Have you ever wondered why obesity is so common when the solution is so simple? Eat less food and there will be less of you. You hear it everywhere. Yet more and more of us are being overwhelmed by this problem. It seems that the more solutions are available, the more common the problem becomes. Could it be that we missed something?
If the solution is so obvious, then why does it not work? Let me offer you an idea. We know that over eating leads to obesity, but does anything lead to over eating? In other words, don’t think about over eating as the cause, but rather as a symptom of something else. Is it possible that over eating and weight gain are caused by other factors?
You are not over weight simply because you over eat, the problem is that you want to over eat. Even if you are thin, as long as you crave more food than you need, you will have a weight problem. The solution is not to find a popular diet, program, pill, psychologist, etc., but find out WHY you crave too much food.
There are many reasons why we crave excess food. There is no one single cause. There is no miracle pill, magic exercise routine, cure-all book. Doctor prescribed eating plans don’t always work. Not even behavior modification programs will do the trick. The reason these are ineffective is that they are not personalized solutions.
You may disagree because eating plans and other solutions are made for the individual, but they are not truly personalized solutions. This is because they assume the problem can be solved by proper diet. They do not take the time to find out WHY you gained weight. They are blanket solutions, and that’s the problem. They automatically diagnose improper eating habits as the cause.
Do you think that they use this approach with other health issues. Imagine if a doctor were to treat bone fractures without finding the cause, “Johnny, this cast will have you jumping off roofs in no time.” Hmm, the doctor seems to have missed something.
Let’s look at this from another perspective. If you are told to follow a diet, exercise program, etc., what you are really being told is that your cravings are not the problem. You are being told that your problem is that you give into the cravings. Basically, in their eyes YOU are the problem.
They never stop to ask themselves if there is something unnatural about the cravings themselves. Is it really “normal” to want to eat too much food? Think about it. To say that it is normal to crave too much food is like saying it’s normal to want more air than you need. Yet this is exactly what these experts would have you believe.
Now don’t get me wrong. Experts often give good advice. But I do have a problem when they are unwilling to say, “I don’t know.” The reality is that experts sometimes don’t know the specific reason you gained weight. So where do you go? Following are two of the hidden causes of weight gain. Read on.
Hidden Cause 1: Candida
When most people think of yeast they imagine the wholesome smell baking bread. But have you ever wondered what causes the awful odor in your garbage can? This memorable smell is caused by another form of fungi.
There are literally millions of different types of fungi. Yeast are a member of this vast family. Fungi are plant-like organisms that must feed off other organisms because they have no chlorophyll. They feed on organic waste and decompose it. Some fungi (like yeast) even have the capacity to ferment carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide. For the most part, fungi are a good thing.
They can become a problem when they feed on live organisms. This causes the release of toxins, which can lead to disease. In some cases they can even lead to pneumonia, athlete’s food, candidiasis and others. Breathing their spores can cause allergic reactions. Ingesting fungi can cause reactions including mycosis. Mycosis is when the fungus resides in living tissue. It can also cause fungal infections. These infections can affect the skin, hair, foot and toe nails, muscles, organs, and blood.
Fungus is everywhere. We are in constant contact with it. It is found in soil, in humid areas of our home, air ducts, fruit, and many other places. Most forms of fungi are harmless. However, some are not. One of these is called candida albicans. In small amounts it is not harmful.
However, when it grows out of control it can have a sever impact on our health. This is called candidiasis. Candidiasis is one of the most common and least recognized ailments of our time. Some estimates suggest that more than half of the population have exposure to this problem.
The candida fungus feeds on sugars, antibiotics, dairy, and fungi. The product of its feeding is toxins. It releases these waste products into the blood stream. This release affects our immune system and causes a wide range of symptoms. These include sugar cravings, depression, irritability, fatigue, allergies, rashes, infections, food sensitivities, diarrhea, leaky gut, constipation, earaches, headaches, memory loss, mental fog, weight loss, and obesity, among others.
These effects can be devastating to the individual’s quality of life. This organism affects emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This article focuses on candida’s relation to weight gain, however, it is important to note that much of what people call “feeling down” or “having a bad day” is nothing more than candidiasis symptoms.
The human body has many forms of bacteria in its intestinal tract. Many of these bacteria kill fungus and keep candida albicans in check. However, under certain conditions the candida grows out of control. This may occur because the intestinal environment is too acidic and the good bacteria cannot thrive. Thus there little or nothing to stop the candida from reproducing out of control.
When this happens candida can become systemic. In other words, it grows beyond the intestines. It can grow inside tissues, blood stream, and every cavity in and outside the body.
A symptom of this problem is sugar cravings. People who cannot stop eating sweets are often suffering from candidiasis. These people tend to think they have no willpower, or are destined to be overweight. Little do they know that there is a microscopic organism living inside them that is causing these cravings.
What causes these cravings is that the fungus robs the body of carbohydrates. So the body needs to replenish its sugar supply (sugar is a carbohydrate). It asks for what it needs in the form of cravings, and so it craves carbohydrates. However, these carbohydrate cravings are not your run of the mill cravings. They are massive. They cause binge eating. These binges cause the person to eat foods that not only contain carbohydrates, but also fats and protein. These excess calories are not consumed by the fungus nor the body. So they are stored as fat.
When these people try to diet, the sugar levels in their body will drop. The more they diet, the more the sugar level drops. Consequently, the lower the sugar level, the more powerful the sugar craving. The body will increase the strength of the cravings until the person gives it what it needs. The body is trying to survive. The side effect of this survival mechanism is weight gain.
And here you have a hidden cause of weight gain. There are people who have candidiasis and think they have a sweet tooth. They think they are weak. They are not. They have an organism living inside of them that causes them to binge on sweets.
So how do you know if you have candida. The best way is to have your doctor test you for it. They are the most reliable. However, there are home tests. If you decide to use a home test, it is best to use it only as a way to see if you need to be tested by your doctor. Don’t use it to self-diagnose.
A common home test involves putting about a tablespoon of saliva in a transparent cup of water. If the saliva forms strings that sink or the water becomes cloudy, you may have candida. It is best done in the morning before drinking or eating, and before brushing your teeth.
If you find that you do have candida, there are many anti-candida programs out there. The most popular tend to use Fluconazol and Nystatin powder. These are two very powerful anti-fungal medications. You need a prescription for them. Especially for Fluconazol since it can damage your liver. This is why you MUST use it under a doctor’s supervision.
The drawbacks of using anti-fungal medication is that they can leave you with fungi that are resistant to anti-fungal medication. Also, they tend to be expensive.
Another solution is supplements containing bacteria that feed on candida. The problem with using bacteria is that if you have an acidic digestive system, the bacteria may not survive. You can take bacteria supplements all day long and they will have little or no impact. For this reason it may be necessary to follow a low acid producing diet in conjunction with the bacteria. This diet consists of avoiding foods such as sugars, coffee, tea, fermented products, and others that tend to increase the acid levels in the stomach.
A popular bacterial supplement is called Primal Defense™. This product is designed to withstand stomach acid. You can find Primal Defense™ in your local health food store.
Another good solution is called Threelac™. This product is also useful for those who can’t follow the strict low acid producing diet. This product is designed to help the bacteria survive in an acidic environment. However, it is best to avoid refined sugars even with this product. Threelac™ vendors also offer a wide variety of supplements that help the bacteria thrive.
To learn more read the article on Cortisol. Or you can find all the hidden causes of weight gain in our eBook: The Many Causes of Weight Gain.
Hidden Cause 2: Cortisol
Imagine a human ten thousand years ago. Living out in the tundra. Dressed in fine animal skins and carrying a designer club. He sees a saber-tooth tiger. “Eeeee.” He puts his footwear to work, and makes a run for it. Safe at last he comes across a wild boar (I actually don’t know if there were wild boars in the tundra, but just play along). He thinks, “me eat.” But the boar won’t go down without a fight. So it charges the caveman. “Eeeee.” After a tough fight, victorious, the caveman gets ready for dinner.
What our good caveman just went through was two completely different experiences. One was a fight, and the other was a flight. But his body didn’t. His body went through the exact same experience twice. You may be thinking, “Two good workouts?” Well, unless your workout routine involves the possibility of being chewed, the answer is no.
His body went through two very dangerous events. But it reacted the same way in both. It fired a series of nerve cells and released chemicals into his bloodstream. This caused dramatic changes in his body. His respiratory rate increased to allow in more oxygen. Blood was moved from the digestive tract to the muscles and limbs for extra energy and fuel. His pupils dilated, and his sight became sharper. His awareness intensified. His impulses quickened. His sensitivity to pain diminished. His immune system mobilized and became more active.
In other words, his body got ready for war. Whether that war involved fighting or running away made no difference. His body was ready for action. This is called the fight or flight response.
Today we have markets. There is little need for the fight or flight response in the grocery aisle. Getting food can actually be quite boring.
However, there is another element to the fight or flight response. The body engages this response based on perception. When the caveman yells, “eeeee” he is perceiving danger. His body has no way of knowing whether the danger is real or not. It just responds without thinking. It responds to fear.
Although acquiring food is no longer a source of danger, today’s world has a few dangers of its own. There are events in our modern lives that we perceive as dangerous, but would not normally be considered dangerous. Like losing our job.
Losing your job is not inherently dangerous. Nevertheless, our brains perceive it as dangerous because we understand that running out of money can have severe consequences. In that same way, everyday concerns can trigger the fight or flight response.
The problem is that we cannot respond physically to these triggers. While tempting, tearing up a phone bill does not remove the charges. Running out of the bank does not pay an overdraft charge. The threats remain. So we get stuck in the fight or flight mode. We get stuck with the chemicals released into our system.
One of these chemicals is called cortisol. Cortisol helps to metabolize carbohydrates, control inflammation, and cardiovascular function. In the fight or flight response it increases blood sugar levels and blood pressure to help us fight or run away. These are good things.
However, when too much cortisol stays in the system for too long it can have negative effects. Cortisol increases appetite. This desire for more food is necessary to replenish the energy used in the fight or flight. However, if no physical activity occurred, then the increased appetite only serves to gain weight. Consistently high levels of cortisol without physical activity can lead to chronic overeating.
Cortisol also causes the body to store fat. If the high levels of cortisol last longer than normal, so does the signal to store fat. This too can lead to weight gain. If a person is always stressed, they are likely to always be in fight or flight mode. This means they may always have elevated cortisol levels.
There several ways of dealing with this.
Exercise. Use the fight or flight chemicals to your advantage. Exercise will satisfy your body’s need to fight or flee. Exercise can help normalize your blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Cortisol levels can decrease. And the other effects can be removed.
Yoga can be particularly helpful as it can help lower cortisol levels. More importantly, however, its calming effects can help prevent cortisol levels from rising in the first place.
Relaxation techniques such meditation can also be helpful. Stress reduction techniques are very effective. These techniques are different from relaxation techniques in that they help you remove stressors from your life. As opposed to relaxation techniques which calm you, but don’t deal with the cause of stress.
Supplements. There are excellent products on the market nowadays. Cortislim™ is a series of three supplements designed to keep cortisol levels within a healthy range. The first is Cortiplex™ designed to help control cortisol levels. The second is Leptiplex™ intended to control appetite, increase energy levels, and stimulate metabolism. The third is Insutrol™ which helps maintain healthy glucose (sugar) levels.
Cortislim™ is a good product because it is ephedra free, but it doesn’t come cheap. There are other products that can help. Theanine, valerian, and magnolia bark extract can help modulate cortisol levels. These are also good products, and are more affordable.
When considering supplements that deal with cortisol, it is important to remember that cortisol is not the cause. Stress causes cortisol levels to rise. If you deal with the cause, then you don’t have to worry about the effect. There are plenty of nutrients to help you handle stress. Let’s take a look at some of these.
The B vitamins are eleven different nutrients that help support a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has the ability to process series one prostaglandin. These are beneficial in that they may affect your mood. B6 has been shown to successfully alleviate symptoms of depression. It is also associated in dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) synthesis. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects our pleasure response to food.
Vitamin B6 deficiency has been shown to cause weak muscles, fatigue, irritability and depression. Among other factors such as diet, B6 depletion can be caused by prescription medications.
B12 is an essential vitamin for nerve-tissue metabolism. It is necessary for a healthy nervous system since it nourishes myelin. Myelin is a sheath that insulates nerve conduction.
B3 (niacin) deficiency can lead to stress. Low levels of B3 can cause apprehension and emotional instability. Folate has been associated with depression as well.
DHEA levels are reduced by elevated levels of cortisol. DHEA levels can also fall due to physical and emotional stress. DHEA seems to help the body respond to stress. This has caused researchers to think that DHEA can be used to manage stress. It is important to know that there is no established daily recommended dosage for this nutrient.
Good old vitamin C. Researchers have found that it reduces the stress hormone levels in the bloodstream. It has also been shown to reduce of indicators of stress, such as enlarged adrenal glands and changes in the thymus.
Kava is a supplement that seems to work on the limbic system. This is the part of the brain that is central to the emotions and survival functions. Kava promotes relaxation and improved sleep. Several European countries have approved kava preparation for the treatment of anxiety and restlessness. It also helps with sociability, memory, reaction time, and minor depression.
Relora is an extract from the Magnoliaceae plant family. It is effective with anxiety, irritability, and nervousness. It is non-sedating and may have anti-depressant properties. It is not yet on the market, but should be out this year.
Ginseng is known to help with fatigue. One of the ways it accomplishes this is be dealing with stressors. It helps the body cope with physiological, emotional, and endogenic (toxins) stressors. Although how it accomplishes this is not known.
Ashwagandha is an Aryuvedic herb. It is also known as winter cherry or Indian ginseng. It is used to help with nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, among other conditions.
Holy Basil is used to reduce stress. It has been reported to reduce stress by balancing the blood corticosteroid levels.
