Is it true that eating less helps You losing weight?
Before 1990 weight was not connected with the risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM2).
Over time, this idea changed and put obesity as one of the main risk factors to develop DM2.
How to know if You are overweight?
There is a simple formula, the Body Mass Index (BMI), that allows You to assess if You are underweight, normal, overweight and different degrees of obesity.
The formula is as follow:
BMI= Weight (kg)/ Height^2 (m2)
Values go from less than 18.5 to more than 40.
An index of more than 25 is indicative of obesity.
If weight is related to DM2, then is it true that eating less can prevent it? In other words, does eating fewer calories decrease the risk of DM2?
The answer is NO.
The problem does not reside in the calories but rather in the hormonal response to food.
If You eat fewer calories, as a response, Your body will slow down Your metabolism. This means that You will still get the same calories intake as if You were eating more.
As mentioned, the hormonal response is what matters.
There is a difference if You eat a slice of cheesecake vs grilled salmon with a green salad.
Calorically they may be similar but hormonally they are totally different. Here are some main differences:
Insulin response: a sweet (like cheesecake for example) has a greater response than salmon with salad. Insulin resistance is the first step towards the development of metabolic syndromes, DM2 and other diseases. Satiation: due to the higher insulin response, sweet tends to make You hungrier faster. Why? the insulin spike will shortly result in a faster decrease in glucose. When this happens You will feel starving.
Gut microbiome: evolutionary we are not made to function primarily on glucose. You are probably aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy gut. This is achieved via a proper diet coupled with certain environmental factors. When we eat sugars, refined and processed food, it will travel to our gut where bacteria will aid digestion and absorption. This low-quality food will negatively alter the gut microbiome exposing You to the risk of developing diseases.
Reproductive system: like all other organs, the reproductive system is also negatively affected by the so-called unhealthy food. This can favour and increase PCOS, libido, menstrual irregularity, erectile dysfunction.
Glucose metabolism: to be healthy and lose weight You need to shift Your metabolism from a glucose burning to fat ones. Why? Differently to the most common belief, fat is what we want and need to be healthy. Fat does not increase insulin, decreasing the risk of metabolic syndrome and DM2. But not only that, fat metabolism will help You breaking down fats as an energy source.
Fatigue, tiredness and brain fog: any food that increases Your insulin, intoxicates Your liver and harms Your gut, will have 360-degree complications on all Your physiology, comprehending the risk of developing DM2 as a consequence.
You can see it is not just about calories, but rather the hormonal consequences food has on Your body.
To summerise: Weight gain exposes to an increased risk of DM2. To solve it You should not focus on Calories alone but rather on the hormonal response of food.
Fat distribution is also important. Waist circumference is what determines insulin resistance. To be out of risk Your waist must be less than half of Your height.
Why? Because visceral fat (the one inside Your organ) is what predisposes You to diseases.
A Healthy Gut is necessary to achieve well being. Your intestine will remove toxins from Your body and help Your liver working more efficiently.
In the body, all organs are connected. That's why when DM2 occurs usually patients have other conditions (ie hypertension, thyroid diseases) and symptoms (tiredness, fatigue, brain fog).
Is this important is You suffer from Thyroid disease?
Unfortunately, Yes.
Thyroid diseases make You more prone to insulin resistance. Moreover, Gut disturbances, suggesting a gut dysbiosis, are common.
This means that the liver and pancreas are already struggling to keep You healthy.
What to do?
Instead of the saying "eat less, move more" we want to change it to:
"Eat Better and avoid Drugs as much as possible."
This is the only strategy to live healthier and treat Your thyroid diseases preventing any other pathologies.
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