Top 10 Diets » General

Thyroid and Weight Gain

BJ — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:16:05 +0000

Is your thyroid making you gain weight? Have you ever wondered if you have trouble losing weight because your thyroid is under active? Almost 10% of us have this problem, and many more of us have many of the symptoms of low thyroid, even though our blood test show our levels to be in the normal range.

Excess Cortisol May Be the Underlying Cause

Cortisol is your body's stress hormone. The more stress your body is under the higher your cortisol levels will go. Often you can tell by looking at a person just how high their cortisol level is. People with high cortisol levels will typically have significant belly fat, and often have a puffy face, hands and feet or thinning hair.

When your cortisol levels are high your body keeps sugar (energy) circulating in the blood so just in case you need a sudden burst of energy it will be there ready to be use. (That's part of the fight or flight in a human's makeup.) It does this by making your cells less able to absorb insulin.

The problem is, when the cells become less able to absorb insulin they often have trouble absorbing T3 thyroid, as well as a whole host of other things. When your cortisol level goes up, you begin to suffer from insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) and often have the symptoms of hypothyroidism – even though your thyroid levels are within the normal range.

How to Naturally Lower Your Cortisol and Raise Your Thyroid Levels

There are a number of things you can do to lower your cortisol levels, optimize and balance your thyroid production, and increase your cells' ability to absorb:

Things You Should Avoid

Don’t eat foods if you are allergic - even if you have only a slight allergy as this will increase the stress on the body and your cortisol.
Food and drinks high in starch and sugars - these would raise insulin levels and so would also raise cortisol. This would include wine and other alcoholic beverages.
Caffeinated food and drinks, such as chocolate, sodas, coffee and tea. (Some clear sodas such as 7up and Sprite have no caffeine; however the citrus flavored oil they use may suppress the metabolism.)
Herbal stimulants, such as bitter orange or ephedrine.

How to Reduce Cortisol and Raise Thyroid Levels

Take Vitamin C, shown to reduce cortisol levels, 1 to 2 grams daily. Take half in the morning and half in the evening.
Take Cod Liver Oil (1 Tablespoon Daily) to improve your body's ability to absorb vital nutrition. (Cod Liver Oil makes cell walls more penetrable by insulin, and other nutrients.)
Add selenium and iodine, along with other vitamins and minerals known to support the thyroid such as NOW Food’s, Thyroid Energy. (Take WITH food and start with 1 capsule daily and gradually increase the dose.)
In addition have regular servings of Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil. Begin at 1 tablespoon and then work up to 3 tablespoons a day. You can cook with this brand and use it in smoothies and shakes. (It tastes wonderful!)
Reduce Caffeine and Carbohydrate intake.
Exercise to use your blood sugar, stimulate the thyroid and relieve stress.
Go to bed earlier - more rest will reduce stress, and lower cortisol levels.

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Cortisol and Belly Fat

BJ — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:06:45 +0000

If you care about how you look – at all – you don’t want a fat belly. Though often no matter how much you diet there it is. You may lose weight in your arms and legs, but your belly is right out there in front, begging to be seen. What are you doing wrong? Why can’t you seem to lose that belly?

Well, insulin resistance and cortisol may be giving you a fat belly you don't really want. The reason for this visceral or belly fat, may be cortisol. The more elevate the cortisol levels, the bigger the belly. That’s because high levels of cortisol stimulate the storage of fat around the belly and abdomen.

And while there are a number of reasons your cortisol levels may be high, one of the biggest is insulin. It seems cortisol and insulin are fast friends. The more insulin you have in your bloodstream, the more cortisol you have. As your insulin goes up, so does your cortisol.

OK, So What is Insulin Resistance Anyway?

Insulin resistance is where your body has produced adequate amounts of insulin to handle the foods you eat, but is unable to absorb the insulin into cells in order to use sugar (carbohydrates) as fuel.

It's a rather dastardly problem. You have all this muscle fuel available, but rather than using that fuel, it continues circulating around your body in your bloodstream - doing damage to your arteries - while your muscles must now cannibalize themselves to keep going.

You see, the cortisol, has prevented your body from absorbing the insulin, and instead is breaking down the muscle protein into amino acids which can be converted into glucose (fuel) by the liver. You are now left with less fat burning muscle, and more cortisol that gives you a fat belly.

So, What Can You Do To Reduce That Fat Belly?

Make sure you avoid and include all the items listed in the article Insulin Resistance And The Cortisol Connection.
Begin supplementing your diet with at least an extra 1000 mg ascorbic acid vitamin C and 1 Tablespoon of a Omega 3 Fatty Acid like Carlson's Cod Liver Oil. The ascorbic acid should be taken 500 mg at a time, 2 to 3 times daily.
Overall dietary carbohydrate reduction.

For the best deal and $5 off your 1st order of vitamin C and Carlson's Cod Liver Oil, follow the link to iHerb.com.

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Caffeine Free Drinks – Which One Tastes Best?

BJ — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:41:10 +0000

OK, first I'm going to admit this is a rather subjective issue. The Caffeine Free Drinks I think tastes best may not be the one you think tastes best but . . . We're gonna give it a go anyway. I actually like the taste of water myself.

But first lets look at some reason why you'd want to give up caffeine in the first place. There are a lot of reasons to give up caffeine. The original question that had me thinking about giving up caffeine was from a young woman who had recently found out she was pregnant.

Most doctors recommend you do away with caffeine while you're pregnant for the safety of your unborn child. One of the reasons is because caffeine crosses the placenta to your baby. So when you have caffeine, your baby has caffeine.

But that caffeine we love so much is a stimulant - it increases blood pressure and heart rate. It also works as a diuretic, increasing the frequency of urination and dehydrating the body. So for starters, if you're drinking soda because you're thirsty, you're going to get even more thirsty - rather than less.

Notice how all the diets you find tell you to give up caffeine? Your body needs fluid to burn that fat and to remove the toxins you build up when you burn the fat. If you are dehydrated, you can't lose weight very well.

But sometimes you just want a soda. Sometimes you just need something that makes you feel like you're not completely deprived of all the things you once loved. So which one tastes best?

My first choice would be a soda that never had caffeine in it in the first place. Like a Sprite or 7-Up. I like Fresca, which is a diet drink so it would be unsuitable for anyone who is pregnant, but these drinks all taste good for the very occasional soda. Sparkling (carbonated) flavored water is also a great choice. The brand La Croix is a favorite of many - and there are a ton of flavors.

Both Coke and Pepsi have caffeine free choices, though I'll have to admit without the caffeine these two giants lose their punch. To me, I'd rather have water than either of these. But that's just my opinion. There may be others out there who love these two as caffeine free.

There are also caffeine free Root Beers. Many have said these are quite good and if you like Root Beer, this might be an option as well. And of course decaffeinated coffee is a good choice too. Naturally decaffeinated coffee would be best but remember, decaffeinated coffees still have a little residual caffeine in them.

What is BMI?

BJ — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:49:37 +0000

What is BMI?

The body mass index (BMI), is a statistical measure of the weight of a person based on their height. It is useful as an average. Body mass index is defined as a person's body weight, divided by the square of their height.

BMI provided a simple numeric measure of a person's "fatness" or "thinness", which allows healthcare professionals to discuss over- and under-weight problems with their patients. It is meant to be used as a simple means of classifying an individuals body composition.

Check Your BMI

Imagination And Weight Loss

BJ — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:37:43 +0000

Use Your Imagination,

And Lose Weight!

Amazing as it may seem, many conditions can actually be improved when you use your imagination and weight loss just happens to be one of them. Here's how it works: you picture in your mind just how you want to look, and subconsciously you will begin doing whatever is necessary to get you to that point and to maintain the look.

It sounds crazy but it's true. As a result of this type of imagining, you'll become more positive about your body, and have a healthier self image. In addition, you'll be more accepting of your diet and more enthusiastic about any exercise routine you add. With these changes, you'll reach your goal weight more quickly and easily.

Change resulting from your imagining a desired outcome is much more accepted now than it was in the past. Psychologists don't really understand exactly why it works or how but there is little doubt our minds and bodies are not as separate as we previously believed. If you truly want something and can visualize yourself already enjoying it, you are more likely to make it happen - provided of course it is something possible, and within your power to control.

If you have negative feelings about your diet or negative reactions from friends or family members, start imagining yourself at your desired weight as often as possible. It works very much like 'self talk'.

Self talk is that little nagging internal voice we all have that tells us we're great or ghastly depending on how we feel we're doing at any given moment. And just as you should only allow yourself to use positive 'self talk', you should only allow yourself to indulge in positive imagery.

You should practice every day - morning and evening if you can. Find a quiet place and for a few minutes and imagine yourself at your ideal weight. For some this is easy, for others it will take a little time. If you have an old picture of yourself where you were at the weight you desire you may find it easier to simply look at that picture and imagine you still look that way. If you don't have a picture like that, try a picture from a magazine. Just replace the model's face with a picture of yourself. However you accomplish it, picture yourself with a thinner healthier body.

As you go through your day, think of yourself as already having reached your ideal weight. Create your own positive 'self talk' and repeat it as often as you remember, always speaking in the present tense ("I am glad I'm trim, fit and healthy", not "I will ..."). Over time, this will help you stick to your weight loss plan. You'll find that fattening foods just aren't as attractive as they once were and exercise is more enjoyable.

It will of course take you a while to lose the weight; the great thing about using your imagination is that it gives you a new body image immediately. Start imagining a new thinner you and make yourself a happier person right now!