Two major factors push the body into an unhealthy sugar burning mode of energy production: 1) stress and 2) eating foods that are burned as sugar. Many factors, some obvious and some hidden, create a stress response. Usually diet is the biggest factor. Sugar and starch push your energy metabolism in the direction of sugar-burning, as does protein that is in excess of your daily needs. Healthy omega-3 fatty acids push your energy metabolism in the direction of burning fat, and unhealthy oils block your ability to burn fat.
Once you change your diet, it usually takes about 3 weeks to make the switch so that the cells in your body develop the habit of burning fat instead of sugar. The levels of insulin and leptin decrease, and your cells start paying attention to these energy-regulating hormones. In order to make that transition, you need to eat food that is high in good fat, virtually no sugar or starchy carbohydrates, and only a moderate amount of protein. After you have made the switch, you can often add back some sugar and starch, but only a modest amount of the healthiest kind. This is a good diet to follow for the rest of your life, and eating this way can improve both the quality and length of your life. Exercise and nutritional supplements are also helpful, but they cannot make up for a healthy diet.
At Triad Of Health Family Healing Center, we help patients understand these principles and support them through this transition. As a chiropractor in San Rafael, Dr. Skolnikoff has created a holistic approach that addresses not just diet, but also stress, hormones, and deeper root causes of weight gain and energy imbalance. I’d like to share this video with you where Dr. Skolnikoff talks about the issues related to weight loss—hoping you find real value in it.
