It might surprise you to know that the real secret to lasting weight loss isn’t actually any of the following; eating low fat, counting calories or running endlessly on the treadmill.
While these things may show results in the short term, as soon as we revert back to our old habits, the weight comes back. With a vengeance.
The real secret to lasting weight loss lies in your ongoing detoxification capabilities.
We all need some fat for stored energy but unfortunately, many of us are simply storing too much. Aside from the strain excess fat puts on the cardiovascular system, there is a toxic element to obesity that many people aren’t aware of.
Toxins influence your metabolism.
This occurs by oxidative stress which affects hormonal regulation, your brain, mitochondrial and immune functions.
Toxins can alter the hormonal regulation of both hunger and weight through effects on insulin, leptin, thyroid, cortisol, adiponectin, resistin and gut hormones like ghrelin.
Fat-soluble toxins (ie. toxins that are able to dissolve in fat) are actually stored in your fat cells to protect your organs from their potential harm.
But unfortunately, they regularly release toxins into your bloodstream, which creates more work for your main detoxification organs to try to eliminate them, along with the other daily detoxification duties they need to carry out!
When toxins in fat cells become more concentrated, the fat cells become bigger and then separate in an effort to dilute these toxins. So the more toxic food we ingest, the fatter we become, no matter how few calories you may be eating.
Example: avoiding butter in favour of margarine because you are worried butter might make you fat? Aside from the fact that margarine is not actually food, it is also toxic! Most low-fat products contain extra toxic sugars and trans fats that do nothing good to the body, aside from make us fat and toxic. Or are you using sweeteners or “sugar-free” options? Aspartame and other sugar “substitutes” are toxic! Try a small amount of natural sugar like coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup if you must use sugar.
Embarking on a “diet” in the traditional sense by eliminating whole food groups like plant-based carbohydrates and essential, healthy fats, or solely restricting and counting calories, will not result in long-term weight loss if your detoxification capabilities are poor.
Detoxification is not deprivation, it is nourishment.
The real secret to lasting weight loss and better overall health is to minimise your exposure to toxins and work to effectively detoxify the toxins you are already exposed to.
Strengthening and supporting your body’s detoxification capabilities, particularly your liver, can help you go a long way to achieving weight loss, as well as improving your overall health.
Have you undertaken any traditional diets in the past that you’d like to share your experiences with? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you 🙂