03:00 pm
Saturday 25 September 2021
I wrote – Asma Morsi
Hormones play a huge role in how our bodies function and each one is responsible for a very specific function. While one hormone makes us feel hungry, another does the exact opposite, and while one hormone tells our brain that we need to store fat for some condition, the other gives us a signal to start burning it.
In the following report, we mention 6 ways to activate the fat-burning hormones in your body, according to the Bright Site website.
1. The hormone that makes you feel hungry
Ghrelin is the hormone that sends a message to your brain that it is time to eat, and the interesting fact is that limiting calorie intake stimulates the production of ghrelin, and even after following a low-calorie diet for 12 months, its level is still high. Reasons why low-calorie diets don’t work long-term.
2. Eating Reducing Hormone
Our bodies produce hormones that signal the brain to use more calories and eat less.
Leptin is one of these hormones, and fat cells produce this hormone, which means that the fatter we are, the more leptin. Leptin resistance, a condition in which your brain cannot absorb the signals sent by leptin.
What to do?
The solution is simple, food rich in antioxidants increases sensitivity to leptin, the list of foods that are high in antioxidants is very long and you can always find something you like, losing weight has the same effect, and in the end, the more weight you lose, the greater the effect of leptin more powerful.
3. Glucose-absorbing hormone
The hormone insulin is very important to our overall health, as it regulates blood sugar levels and helps us recover after exercise.
Our body releases insulin when we eat carbohydrates and helps cells absorb glucose. In fact, it uses this glucose for energy, but excess food will turn into fat if we eat more than we need.
what should be done?
The solution is to get the most carbohydrates from low-GI grains, vegetables and fruits, and the lower the GI, the slower the glucose is released and the more time you have to use it all.
This does not mean that you have to stick to a strict diet, you just need to replace high GI foods with low GI foods, for example white rice can be replaced with brown rice or instant oats with traditional rolled oats.
4. Fat burning hormone
Adiponectin is also produced by fat cells, and the wonderful thing about this hormone is that it increases our sensitivity to insulin and encourages our bodies to burn fat and turn it into energy. It may seem a little strange, but it actually arises from fat and contributes to burning it. And unlike leptin, the smaller we are, the higher the level of adiponectin in our bodies.
What to do?
You can increase your adiponectin levels by moving more during the day and adding monounsaturated fats to your diet, such as those found in fish, nuts, avocados and olive oil. Eating low-GI carbs at dinner also boosts adiponectin production.
5. The hormone that uses fats
Glucagon is a hormone that works in the exact opposite way to insulin, and glucagon helps break down stored carbohydrates and fats and uses them for energy, and the more glucagon in your body, the less agile it is.
What to do?
The best way to increase your glucagon levels is to eat foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates, which are mostly tasty foods, such as fish, meat, seafood, tofu and nuts.
6. Hormone that reduces appetite
Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is released when we feel very strong feelings, fear or anger, which requires a quick reaction and that is why it is also called the fight or flight hormone.
Essentially, this hormone is released in very special situations when our brain tells us that we may need to prepare to be fast or strong, encourages the body to start using stored fats as fuel for energy, and suppresses our appetite until our body is ready for fast action.
What to do?
The best and healthiest way to increase your levels of epinephrine is to do intermittent high-intensity exercise.
HIIT is a relatively short exercise that should not be longer than about half an hour. It is a combination of short cardio exercises of 30 seconds to 1 minute in which you do your best, followed by an equal rest time. For example, you can jog Fast for 30 seconds, then walk slowly for 1 minute.
.
