Lighten up
What a wonderful summer we've had, brilliant and bright months of wellness boosting warmth and sunshine. But summer can be a season of excess, leaving us carrying some excess. Here's the easy way to lighten up.
Weighty issues
Weight isn't the issue - wellbeing is, and weight-loss is just a tool to get there. Your healthy weight and shape is unique to you and may not be the lean, mean look we often fool ourselves that we need.
Set goals specific to your body and biology. The important measures are blood pressure, heart rate, healthy cholesterol. These vary with age, gender and ethnicity so you need your doctor or naturopath to measure and interpret yours. Then comes enjoyment of exercise and the ability to recover from physical exertion, these are key to maintaining healthy weight and active living. If these are all in good shape then you are too. If not, it's time to get to work.
Fat is not the only issue
Eating too much isn't the only cause of excess weight, it can be affected by factors like;?Genetic makeup - number and size of fat cells in the body that are programmed into your predestined genes.
Metabolism - the rate at which your body breaks down the nutrients in food to produce energy, and it varies for all of us.
BMR: basal metabolic rate is key, it's the amount of calories your body uses to run normal cellular processes. If you're of a slim build your BMR will be lower than if plus size. Exercise increases your BMR.
Low serotonin - the 'happy' brain chemical - influences eating behavior. Diets low in protein (amino acids) increase the appetite and craving for carbs.
Nutrition deficiencies - lacking essential fatty acids, chromium, protein, fibre and iodine can increase body fat and cut muscle.
Hormonal imbalance - steroidal, thyroid or oestrogen, progesterone imbalance and insulin sensitivity may increase weight by increasing fat or water retention.
Understanding what controls your weight helps you choose effective strategies to your ideal weight.
