Do you sometimes wonder why, despite eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight?
Check out these five major saboteurs of your metabolism, and how to mitigate them.
Saboteur #1 – Your genes
We are still learning about the implications of different gene variants to our health, and how different dietary and environmental factors can influence gene expression.
There is now good evidence around how certain genetic variants can have an impact on metabolism.
One of these is the FTO gene, also known as the ‘fat mass and obesity-associated gene’ since it can impact weight management and body composition. This gene’s role in the body is related to metabolic rate, energy expenditure and energy balance. Variations of it can lead to differences in the metabolism of fats and proteins.
Other genes of interest include the GLUT2 gene, which codes for the GLUT2 protein, involved in regulating glucose levels. Some variations of this gene may make glucose transport less efficient, resulting in sugar/carb cravings.
The ADRB2 gene codes for a receptor that binds to fatty acids during exercise, moving them into your cells to be used as energy. Some variants of this gene predispose you to lose THREE times more weight than people with other variants when engaging in regular, vigorous exercise.
The effects of all these gene variants can be mitigated by specific changes to diet and lifestyle. If you want to learn more, please get in touch.
Saboteur #2 – Stress
Stress activates your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, initiating a cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters to prepare the body for fight or flight.
That’s a neat feedback system designed to keep us alive when we lived a very different way! Nowadays we don’t tend to do much of the fight or flight, and are more likely to get stressed sat behind a laptop screen… so now all these hormones have turned up with nothing to do – cortisol being particularly troublesome.
When chronically elevated, cortisol causes fat to be stored around the middle. This can start a vicious circle of weight gain if not addressed, as belly fat also tends to carry more hormone receptors.
Saboteur #3 – Hormones
There is no getting away from the fact that our weight is directly related to our hormones.
There are many hormones that can influence metabolic function – some may be more familiar to you than others: insulin, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, cortisol, oestrogens, and growth hormones.
This article would be way too long if I cover them all, so I’ll focus on insulin and oestrogen.
Insulin is one of the most important of these when it comes to weight management. Insulin manages the storage or conversion of the sugars (glucose) in our bloodstream. If you tend to regularly eat high glycaemic foods that cause large amounts of insulin to be released, then over time, a condition called insulin resistance can develop. This results in a feedback loop causing the body to release still more insulin to try and reduce blood sugar, ultimately resulting in inflammation and weight gain.
Oestrogen, when balanced, promotes the right amount of fat storage to help carry out female reproductive functions.
However, when there’s too little or too much oestrogen, weight gain often results. Higher oestrogen levels have been associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and therefore a tendency to gain weight around the middle. Individuals with specific variants of the CYP19A1 gene have been found to be pre-disposed to higher circulating oestrogen levels, although there are lots of other factors with can have an affect on hormone levels in the body.
Conversely, around menopause, a decline in a type of oestrogen called estradiol which helps to regulate metabolism, can lead to weight gain.
Saboteur #4 – Dehydration (hypohydration)
Increased water intake is associated with increased fat burning (lipolysis), whilst conversely, research suggests that chronic hypohydration (water deficit) may drive metabolic dysfunction.
Drinking more water has been shown to lead to increased cell volume and thereby increased insulin sensitivity – a desirable state for weight management and loss. In addition, increased levels of hydration may enhance mitochondrial function and therefore metabolic activity. Aim for a minimum of 8 cups, spread throughout the day – regular drinking is far more effective at hydrating the body than downing your daily water allocation in one sitting!
Saboteur #5 – Alcohol
I saved the best ‘til last – although this one may not be a surprise, as we all know the carbs and calories in some alcoholic drinks can cause weight gain. But did you know that alcohol has also be shown to reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin, which means that less sugar is removed from your blood stream?
Alcohol also raises cortisol levels, and over time, high cortisol levels encourage fat storage around your belly.
Lastly, in women, alcohol is also thought to impair the metabolism of oestrogen in the liver, resulting in excess circulating oestrogen which can have a negative effect on metabolism when it is either too high or too low.
