Leptin is an important hormone that helps us to control hunger and regulate body weight. When we start experiencing abnormalities in leptin, weight gain can occur. This can cause someone to keep eating without any sense of satiety. One would think that a person who is extremely overweight would have very low levels of leptin but that isn’t necessarily the case. Many times their levels are very high but now it’s not signaling the brain to stop eating.
This is bad news for dieters in this category since following any kind of restricted eating plan will be much more difficult for them. So if you are one of these people that have a hard time losing weight, it’s not that you don’t have discipline – leptin resistance may be one of your issues. Some clues that may indicate leptin resistance besides difficulty losing weight are blood sugar abnormalities along with low levels of thyroid hormone, estrogen, testosterone and vitamin D.
BELOW ARE 5 WAYS THAT CAN NATURALLY HELP LEPTIN SENSITIVITY.
1. REGULATE INSULIN LEVELS
Following a high carbohydrate low – fat diet is probably going to make things worse for leptin resistant individuals even though this plan may be good for some. Counting calories alone and inhibiting fat consumption sounds logical but becomes flawed when too many carbohydrates are consumed. To improve insulin sensitivity and feel full after eating, adding more protein and fat along with plenty of non-starchy vegetables to your diet can help you control your cravings and hunger.
2. GET YOUR SLEEP
When you miss out on sleep you produce more of the hormone ghrelin which induces hunger and reduced levels of leptin. Sometimes people with sleep apnea and poor sleep quality may find themselves with trouble losing weight for this reason.
3. WATCH YOUR SUGAR
Eating sugar, especially diets high in fructose seem to negatively affect leptin resistance. Examples of seemingly harmless breakfasts would be gluten free waffles topped with excess maple syrup and fruit or a non-fat fruit flavored Greek yogurt with honey. You would be better off with an organic omelet stuffed with vegetables even though it may be higher in fat.
4. CUT BACK ON INFLAMMATORY FOODS
There are plenty of foods that can trigger inflammation and leptin resistance. The Standard American Diet is rich in Omega- 6 fats and not enough Omega-3 fats. Limit your consumption of vegetable oils and opt for oils such as flaxseed and walnut. Olive oil has a combination of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. Additionally fatty fish, avocado, and even some eggs are a great source of Omega -3’s that can bring inflammation down. It’s not even a bad idea to consider eating your left over salmon for breakfast.
5. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR STRESS LEVELS
It’s tiring to hear that you need to reduce stress, especially when life is challenging. Although, chronic stress can induce leptin resistance (among other health conditions). Whether you find exercise, yoga or talk therapy useful to blow off steam – try to apply one of these techniques daily so your stress doesn’t build up into a bigger problem.