There are many more factors involved in losing weight than just counting calories. Our body has amazing abilities to regulate the amount of energy we consume and expend, so we can eat whatever we want /of course without harmful or processed foods/ and continue to lose weight in a healthy way. But what about the work of other dynamic systems in the body?
There are many more factors involved in losing weight than just counting calories. Our body has amazing abilities to regulate the amount of energy we consume and expend, so we can eat whatever we want /of course without harmful or processed foods/ and continue to lose weight in a healthy way. But what about the work of other dynamic systems in the body?
Functional medicine is categorical that inflammation is a serious cause of weight gain.
There is compelling evidence linking inflammation to obesity. According to researchers, reducing inflammation can help with weight loss. While there are many ways to reduce inflammation in the body, researchers have found that certain dietary changes are more effective than others.
What is inflammation?
Weight gain is caused by a variety of factors, one of which is inflammation. If the term "inflammation" isn't familiar to you, that might be because it doesn't always mean something bad. When the body is attacked, inflammation is its essential response. Inflammation triggers wound healing, eliminates dead cells, and even protects against infection.
However, too much inflammation can lead to disease and obesity. The problem is that when the body is bombarded with inflammatory signals throughout the day, at some point it becomes difficult for it to keep up with the efficient burning of calories. To understand exactly how inflammation contributes to weight gain we first need to answer what are acute and chronic inflammation.
Depending on how long the inflammation lasts, it can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation occurs rapidly as part of the body's normal healing response as a result of illness or injury. Acute inflammation subsides after it has done its job and no more is needed. Chronic inflammation accumulates over time as a result of the body's normal response to a variety of health problems. When you have chronic inflammation, your body's inflammatory response can eventually begin to destroy healthy tissues and organs. Nowadays the occurrence of diseases, associated with chronic inflammation rises sharply. Chronic inflammatory diseases such as stroke, chronic lung disease, heart problems, cancer, obesity and diabetes kill three out of every five sufferers worldwide.
7 most common causes of chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation may result from the immune system's inability to eliminate the agent that causes the acute inflammation. This agent can be stronger than immunity and remain in the tissues for a long period.
1. Mental stress
The short-term effects of mental stress on the immune system often manifest as an individual's increased tendency to get sick or develop a cold after a prolonged period of stress. Although the long-term effects of inflammation are more pronounced in the body, they are difficult to see/grasp. Such inflammations can occur as a result of financial difficulties, toxic relationships, an exhausting profession or a hectic lifestyle.
2. Food intolerance - physical stress on the body
Some of the most popular foods that can provoke an immunological reaction in people are dairy products, gluten, eggs, sugar. Food intolerances/sensitivities occur when the body perceives certain ingredients in food as a "threat" and activates the immune system to fight them, and this increases inflammation. Most people with food allergies or intolerances experience a variety of symptoms including: aches, headaches, inflammation and swelling, weight problems, digestive problems, etc. Your body's immune defense mechanism uses inflammation to remove/eliminate something dangerous from the body. Many people are not aware of the fact that they are allergic or have an increased intolerance to certain foods and ingredients.
Chronic stress, be it mental or physical (food, toxins), causes the body to produce inflammatory cytokines, which further increases overall inflammation in the body.
3. Consuming processed foods
Since 70% of your immune system is located in the gut, eating unhealthy fats and oils, too much sugar, and not enough quality nutrients can alter the balance of gut flora, which affects how the immune system works. Chronic inflammation can occur after eating processed foods, incl. "healthy" and gluten-free processed foods. High caloric value, added sugar, saturated fat and trans fat, insufficient fiber and micronutrients, high energy percentage (E%) in a diet of highly processed foods are descriptions of a pro-inflammatory diet. Conversely, diets high in unprocessed or minimally processed foods contain a treasure trove of micronutrients with anti-inflammatory potential. This clearly shows the relationship between the level of industrially processed foods and their inflammatory potential.
4. Exposure to environmental toxins
Endocrine disruptors such as glyphosate are found in everything from plastic products to household and beauty products, even drinking water. Crops are heavily sprayed with these glyphosates, and they can damage human cells and alert the immune system to invaders in the body that must be urgently expelled. Unfortunately, we come into contact with these compounds on a daily basis, often without even realizing it, and thus increase the possibility of activating the immune response. Residents of industrialized societies are to a greater extent exposed to toxic environmental loads, which is associated with a strong increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases.
Two parallel studies show that the genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases can be explained by genetic factors, but it should also be known that their unlocking requires the presence of environmental agents that activate the genetic predisposition to these diseases. That is, the basis of diseases is not genetic predisposition, but the factors that trigger it.
5. COVID-19
Monocytes are immune cells in the blood that serve as "foot soldiers" or the initial response to an emerging infection. They are susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2. As a result, these immune cells undergo pyroptosis (cell death caused by infection) which further worsens systemic inflammation.
Inflammation and COVID-19 are getting a lot of attention these days. Chronic inflammation can be caused by COVID, which at the same time is able to activate other latent viruses such as Epstein-Barr and thus cause additional inflammation.
6. Hormonal disorders
With age, the body's hormonal balance changes to an increased amount of cortisol and a decrease in estrogen and testosterone levels. Chronically high cortisol wreaks havoc on the body, causing everything from insulin resistance to a compromised immune system. Excess cortisol is also associated with decreased thyroid hormone levels. This is why many people struggle with excess weight, suffer from chronic infections, fatigue and other symptoms and conditions that further exacerbate the effects of inflammation. Researchers believe that inflammation is also a specific problem for women during and after menopause.
Inflammation caused by hormonal imbalance can lead to 75% of all autoimmune diseases in women.
7. Intestinal lesions
Gut health refers to the functional balance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. A healthy gut helps maintain overall health and well-being. The gut also contains healthy bacteria and immune cells that protect the body from harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites, all of which are necessary for the body to function properly. Bacteria in the gut also produce neurotransmitters (such as serotonin) that have anti-inflammatory properties. Dysbiosis occurs when the bad gut bacteria outnumber the good bacteria, and this leads to chronic inflammation and triggers a number of chronic inflammatory conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, inflammatory bowel syndrome).
According to studies, having a diverse flora of good bacteria in the gut can improve psychological symptoms, combat weight gain and improve immune system function.
How does chronic inflammation affect weight gain?
Researchers have discovered several ways in which chronic inflammation affects weight gain, but because of the very direct relationship between them, the situation resembles the question of which came first - the egg or the chicken.
⦁ Usually, hormonal and metabolic changes caused by weight gain raise C-reactive protein levels in the blood. These important indicators of inflammation are common and remain high until excess weight is removed.
⦁ In addition, the resulting inflammation reduces the body's ability to process insulin, which causes blood sugar levels to rise and causes fat to accumulate in the liver, which in turn further reduces the body's ability to process insulin. This of course can lead to even more weight gain, which in turn will increase insulin resistance and so on. A vital hormone, leptin, which acts as a signal in the brain to manage metabolism and hunger, is also negatively affected by obesity and inflammation. Reduced leptin levels interfere with any attempts to regulate weight - they lead to a reduced metabolism and increased feelings of hunger.
7 advice on reducing inflammation and controlling weight
1. Rainbow colored foods
Food plays a big role in gut health and inflammation. Reduce your intake of processed foods and increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, salmon, leafy greens, turmeric, olive oil.
2. Coping with stress
Coping with a stressful environment can be difficult, but it is not impossible to control and work through stress. Reduce stress through meditation, yoga, reading, deep breathing, stretching, and other self-care activities.
3. Improve sleep habits
Studies show that sleep deprivation has a negative effect on gut health and inflammation. For your overall health, it is recommended that you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Keep your phone and laptop away for at least an hour before sleep.
4. Optimize your intake of quality water
Cellular hydration is very important in reducing inflammation and weight. Make sure you are taking in enough clean, structured water.
5. Recognize your imbalances and treat them
The functional test shows underlying food sensitivities, intestinal infections, hormonal imbalances, parasites, fungal infections, mitochondrial dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and more. This is the only way to get to the root causes of your inflammation. Test your inflammation levels in your body to understand how your lifestyle affects them.
6.Nourish your body with the right supplements and nutrients.
Probiotics increase the beneficial gut bacteria and fight the bad ones. Other anti-inflammatory supplements are all B vitamins, Vitamin D, magnesium, Omega 3 fatty acids. Eat more mackerel, salmon, chia/flax seeds, hemp seeds, kelp, walnuts to increase your Omega 3 intake. These are excellent natural sources for reducing chronic inflammation.
7. Use red light therapy
Red light therapy reduces chronic inflammation by increasing blood flow to injured tissues and boosting the body's antioxidant defenses.
In summary
With obesity and overweight being a major problem today, we should all be aware of the weight gain cycle ---> Inflammation ---> gaining weight. Although it may seem exhausting, it is not at all difficult to reverse these negative effects. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle can help you reduce inflammation, start shedding extra pounds, and break the cycle.
If you want to get rid of stubborn pounds, chronic inflammation and the huge risks it poses, call Doris Clinics Medical Center to schedule a consultation and learn more about our protocols and therapies - Tеl: 0879 851 557; 0879 853 557
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