Leptin is the master hormone that controls hunger and feelings of satiety. It interacts with areas of the brain that control hunger and eating behavior. Research suggests Leptin resistance can contribute to weight gain and issues with obesity. Are you cutting calories and working out but still struggling with your weight? You may be suffering from leptin resistance.
6 symptoms of leptin resistance
- Do you crave junk food especially at night?
- Do you eat but never feel full?
- Do you workout regularly but continue to gain weight?
- Are you starving yourself but still not losing weight?
- Are you 15 or more pounds overweight with most of the fat located in your abdomen?
- Are you feeling stressed or having difficulty sleeping?
Highly processed foods, a sedentary lifestyle and a stressful life can trigger leptin resistance. Leptin is a peptide hormone produced by fat cells. It lets your brain know you are full and you have consumed enough calories. Leptin is produced primarily by your fat cells and its production is controlled by the amount of body fat you have. Your levels of leptin will change depending on your percent of body fat. As you gain body fat, your body will produce more leptin. When the level of leptin increases, you should feel less hungry which helps keep us from gaining too much weight.
Recent research shows some obese individuals do not respond the way they should to increased levels of leptin. These people may suffer from leptin resistance and leptin no longer stimulates weight loss but rather increases fat storage. High levels of leptin in individuals suffering from leptin resistance is associated type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, infertility and rapid aging. Genetics, environmental factors, diet and lifestyle combined with leptin resistance may cause cellular changes, insulin resistance and inflammation.
What can you do if you suffer from Leptin resistance?
- Stop exercising
It sounds crazy but your body needs to rest and heal. Continuing to exercise will cause additional damage and stress to your body.
- Manage stress levels
Try yoga or meditation to reduce stress. Daily meditation can alter your brain’s neural pathways. Just a few minutes of meditation or deep breathing every day can help reduce stress.
- Reduce or eliminate sugar from your diet
Sugar and highly processed foods damage your body’s response to leptin. You will experience a temporary burst of energy but your body processes these foods rapidly leaving you hungry after just a short period of time and causing a surge of leptin and after a while your body becomes resistant to the hormone.
- Increase the amount of clean protein in your diet
Eating two eggs in the morning instead of unrefined carbohydrates promotes satiety and will increase your metabolism.
- Change your workout routine
Don’t workout for more than 45 minutes. Too much cardio will add additional stress and damage to the body. It is better to workout for shorter periods of time at a higher intensity allowing short periods of rest between exercises.
- Schedule an appointment at the Anti-Aging and Wellness Clinic
Leptin resistance is a complex problem involving the endocrine system and can be a difficult to treat. Your body believes the body fat is protective and it wants to hold onto it making it very difficult to lose excess fat. Don’t get frustrated. Instead seek help from the professionals at the Anti-Aging and Wellness Clinic.
Our mission at the Anti-Aging and Wellness Clinic is to develop a customized health program that will enable you to achieve your optimal physical and mental performance. We want to help educate and empower you to take charge of your health, allowing you to live a longer, happier and more productive life. So many things can get in the way of successful weight loss including; food intolerance, hormone imbalance, environmental toxins and the right balance of nutrition.
The professionals at the Anti-Aging and Wellness Clinic can help identify potential issues and develop a plan to overcome or reverse those problems. Our services include:
- Comprehensive blood screening
- Food intolerance testing
- Bio-identical hormone therapy
- Human growth hormone
- Weight loss and nutritional counseling
Schedule an appointment today and start feeling better tomorrow.
