Leptin Resistance: The Little Known Hormone and It's Role In Your Fat Loss

Leptin resistance is a condition in which the body becomes less responsive to the effects of the hormone leptin. Leptin is produced by fat cells and plays a crucial role in regulating appetite and energy balance. It sends signals to the brain to decrease hunger and increase energy expenditure when fat stores are sufficient. However, in cases of leptin resistance, the body does not properly respond to the signals of this hormone, leading to disruptions in appetite regulation and metabolism.

Leptin resistance is often associated with obesity, as it is more common in individuals who have excess body fat. The exact mechanisms behind leptin resistance are not fully understood, but several factors may contribute to its development:

1. Elevated leptin levels: In obesity, fat cells produce more leptin, leading to higher circulating levels of the hormone. Over time, the continuous exposure to high levels of leptin can desensitize the brain receptors responsible for detecting and responding to leptin signals, resulting in leptin resistance.

2. Inflammation: Chronic low-grade inflammation, which is often present in obesity, can interfere with leptin signaling. Inflammatory molecules can disrupt the normal functioning of leptin receptors in the brain, reducing their sensitivity to the hormone.

3. Genetics: Some individuals may have genetic variations that predispose them to leptin resistance. Certain gene mutations can affect the function of leptin receptors or the production of leptin itself, increasing the likelihood of developing resistance to its effects.

Leptin resistance can have significant implications for body weight regulation. When the brain does not receive accurate signals of satiety and energy balance from leptin, it may perceive a state of starvation, leading to increased hunger and decreased energy expenditure. This can contribute to overeating, weight gain, and difficulty in losing weight.

Managing leptin resistance typically involves addressing the underlying factors contributing to its development. This may include adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle to reduce inflammation, maintaining a balanced calorie intake, engaging in regular physical activity, and, in some cases, medication or hormone therapy under medical supervision.

It's important to note that while leptin resistance can contribute to difficulties in weight management, it is just one piece of a complex puzzle. Obesity and weight regulation involve multiple factors, including genetics, environment, behavior, and overall health. Consulting with a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or registered dietitian, can provide personalized guidance and support for addressing weight-related concerns.

What is Leptin and Why YOU Should Care About It's Impact On Body Fat

Leptin levels are primarily determined by the amount of body fat a person has, as leptin is produced by adipose (fat) tissue. Therefore, the most effective way to increase leptin levels is to reduce body fat through a combination of healthy diet and regular exercise.

However, there are some other strategies that may help to increase leptin levels and improve leptin sensitivity, which is the ability of the body to respond to leptin signals. These include:

1. Eating a balanced diet: Consuming a diet that is high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, and low in processed foods and refined sugars, can help to improve leptin sensitivity and promote healthy weight loss.

2. Exercising regularly: Regular physical activity can help to increase leptin sensitivity and improve metabolism, which can lead to increased leptin levels over time.

3. Getting enough sleep: Poor sleep quality or lack of sleep can negatively impact leptin levels and sensitivity, so it's important to prioritize good sleep hygiene to support healthy leptin function.

4. Reducing stress: Chronic stress can increase cortisol levels, which can negatively impact leptin function and promote weight gain. Finding effective stress management techniques, such as meditation or yoga, can help to improve leptin function and support healthy weight loss.

5. Avoiding overeating: Overeating and can disrupt leptin levels and sensitivity, so it's important to eat enough to support healthy energy levels, but not to the point of excess.

Overall, by adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, good sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques, you can help to support healthy leptin function and promote healthy weight loss.

Insulin and Fat Storage: What You Need to Know

Have you ever heard of insulin? It’s a hormone that’s produced by your pancreas and it has a big impact on how your body stores fat. In this post, we’ll explain what insulin is, how it affects fat storage, and why it’s important to understand this relationship.

What is insulin? Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate the amount of sugar in your blood. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, and fruit, your body converts those carbohydrates into sugar. This increase in sugar in your blood signals your pancreas to release insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin acts as a key, opening up cells throughout your body to allow the sugar to enter and be used for energy.

How does insulin affect fat storage? Insulin not only helps regulate the amount of sugar in your blood, but it also affects the way your body stores fat. When insulin is released into your bloodstream, it signals your body to store any excess sugar as fat. This stored fat can then be used for energy later on, when your body needs it. However, if you constantly have high levels of insulin in your bloodstream (due to a diet high in carbohydrates), your body will constantly be storing fat, leading to weight gain.

Why is understanding insulin and fat storage important? Understanding the relationship between insulin and fat storage is important for maintaining a healthy weight. If you want to lose weight, you need to reduce the amount of insulin in your bloodstream. This can be done by eating a diet that is lower in carbohydrates and higher in healthy fats and protein. By doing this, your body will rely more on stored fat for energy, leading to weight loss.

In conclusion, insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas that helps regulate the amount of sugar in your blood. When insulin is released into your bloodstream, it signals your body to store any excess sugar as fat. Understanding this relationship is important for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the amount of stored fat in your body. By eating a diet that is lower in carbohydrates and higher in healthy fats and protein, you can help reduce the amount of insulin in your bloodstream and encourage your body to use stored fat for energy.

Do you need help with your fitness journey? Book a call with me today!

Autophagy: The Secret to Better Health

Autophagy is a natural process that occurs within our cells and helps to clean out damaged and unwanted components, such as cellular waste and misfolded proteins. This process has been shown to have numerous benefits for our overall health, from reducing inflammation and improving cell functioning to extending lifespan. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of autophagy and how it can improve your health.

1. Anti-Aging

One of the most promising benefits of autophagy is its potential to slow down the aging process. Autophagy helps to clear out damaged cells, reduce oxidative stress, and prevent inflammation, all of which contribute to aging. By activating autophagy, you can help to extend your lifespan and keep your cells functioning at their best.

1. Reduces Inflammation

Autophagy plays a critical role in reducing inflammation, which is a root cause of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. By clearing out damaged cells and reducing oxidative stress, autophagy can help to reduce inflammation throughout the body, leading to improved health outcomes.

1. Supports Weight Loss

Autophagy has been shown to play a role in weight loss and metabolic regulation. By removing damaged cells and reducing oxidative stress, autophagy can help to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, both of which can contribute to weight gain. By activating autophagy, you may be able to improve your body’s ability to regulate weight and metabolism.

1. Supports Brain Health

Autophagy has also been shown to support brain health by clearing out damaged cells and reducing oxidative stress. This can help to prevent age-related cognitive decline and protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

1. Supports Immune Function

Autophagy is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. By clearing out damaged cells and reducing oxidative stress, autophagy can help to improve the function of immune cells, which can help to protect against infections and diseases.

In conclusion, autophagy is a crucial process that helps to keep our cells functioning at their best and improve our overall health. From reducing inflammation and supporting weight loss to supporting brain health and immune function, autophagy offers numerous benefits that can improve our quality of life. By incorporating practices that activate autophagy, such as intermittent fasting or exercise, you can reap the benefits of this powerful process and live a healthier, happier life.

Do you need help with your fitness journey? Book a call with me today!

5 Books Every Fit Person Needs! - Read / Listen [2 Books FREE Inside!]

Ask anyone that you deem to be successful and they’ll almost always suggest that you read (if not daily) often. Many of us have used the, “I’m too busy” excuse when it comes to reading, but luckily technology has given us gifts such as Audible that allow us to transform our commutes, our cardio sessions, and even our chores into a classroom. Below are the 5 books we feel every Fit Person needs in their physical OR audio Library. Enjoy!

1). Educate Yourself on What You're Putting Into Your Body!

The Book It Starts With Food is a GREAT place to start when it comes to nutritional education. Written by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (creators of the Whole 30) this books is exceptionally well written and easy to understand. Often the largest hurdle we see for many people is not always the food quantity, but the QUALITY of what they're putting into their bodies. If reading's not your thing, here's a 2 Week Free Trail + 2 Free books on Audible so you can listen to it instead!  

2). Don’t Live With Aches, Pains, and Immobility Any Longer!

As technology begins to take the role of leisure and age begins to take the place of youth, many of us find ourselves with these lingering aches, pains, and lack of efficient ranges of motion we once had as a child. Dr. Kelly Starrett has written what could be considered the holy grail of human maintenance (like an automobile repair manual, but for the human body). Becoming a Supple Leopard is THE definitive anti-aging book! Grab your copy today!

3. Winning Is a Result, Not a Goal. Character is What Matters.

Ben Bergeron is known for not only being the Flowmaster of one of the most successful functional fitness facilities in the United States (CrossFit New England), he’s also known for being former Fittest Woman on Earth, Katrin Davidsdottir and current Fittest Man on Earth, Mat Fraser’s Coach! As the story of the CrossFit Games plays out during the book, it’s the mentality that Ben’s instilled and explains that has the greatest impact and takeaway. Chasing Excellence could add value to anyone (or Team); in and out of the gym.

4. Confidence is Key!

Rachel Hollis’ new book Girl, Wash Your Face may not be a “fitness” book, but it tackles the silent enemies that many Women suffer from and keep them from achieving their fitness goals. More often than not, we are our own worst enemies. We hold ourselves back from progress and tell ourselves the lies needed to maintain our comfort zones (which we all secretly hate). Grab the audio version of this book and hear Rachel add some ‘off the script’ trinkets to narration.

5. Ownership…. The Extreme Type.

Jocko Willink’s a former Navy SEAL Commander and all around badass. His book, Extreme Ownership launched him into stardom and he’s now an authority in the self help space. While this book is not directly fitness related, the stories told and the message it sends of being 100% responsible for one’s self are the tools needed to be successful in any journey (especially in the Fitness space). While being a Navy SEAL may not resonate with most of us, being accountable, tackling hard times, and being under extreme (relative term) pressure does. Jocko’s book is a MUST read!

We hope the above info has been helpful! Please feel free to share this with your friends, family, and co-workers or leave a comment! Thanks! :) 

5 Nutrition Hacks to Help You Start Losing Weight NOW!

Whether you are extremely educated on nutrition or you haven't the slightest clue where to start, we hope the following 5 nutrition hacks can help get you moving in the right direction! 

1). Stop Consuming Liquid Calories. 

While Coconut water and bullet proof coffee are (healthy) often staples in the diet of many fitness community members, if you're not tracking your caloric intake and these items are part of your daily routine, they may be just the reason you aren't losing those lovehandles. Track your intake! 

2). MEASURE Your Nut Butters!

One of the easiest to over consume (and most calorie dense) foods on the planet are nut butters. Now, we all know just how difficult it is to only eat 2 TBSP of Peanut/Almond Butter, but if you have aesthetic goals, we HIGHLY suggest you grab a TBSP measuring spoon and use it every time you pop that jar. 

3). Replace Cow's Milk with Almond/Cashew Milk. 

While the debate for / against human consumption of dairy (for health purposes) will always have people on both sides, what we do know for certain is that Cow's Milk and Dairy products in general are VERY calorie dense. Swap out cow's milk for some unsweetened vanilla Almond milk (it's best ice cold) and report back. 

4). PLAN Your Meals Ahead (Meal Prep)

Have you ever heard the saying, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."? Well, that's especially true when it comes to your diet/nutrition. You are 100x more likely to default to a "quick fix" (i.e. Fast food or junk food) if you do not have meals prepped. You don't have to even go "all in" and prep an entire week's worth of food. Start with prepping the one meal a day you struggle to make the best decision for (lunch for most people) and prep those. Like now, go do that now! :) 

5). Educate Yourself on What You're Putting Into Your Body

The Book It Starts With Food is a GREAT place to start when it comes to nutritional education. Written by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (creators of the Whole 30) this books is exceptionally well written and easy to understand. Often the largest hurdle we see for many people is not always the food quantity, but the QUALITY of what they're putting into their bodies. If reading's not your thing, here's a 2 Week Free Trail + 2 Free books on Audible so you can listen to it instead!  

We hope the above info has been helpful! Please feel free to share this with your friends, family, and co-workers or leave a comment! Thanks! :) 

Protein Power Waffles Recipe! - NUTRITION

We often hear of people not sticking to their macros or diet because they're "bored" with what they're eating. Although we won't take that as a valid excuse, we're also of the mindset that if you disagree with something, you must provide the solution for that problem. 

These Protein Waffles (Recipe by NPC Bikini Competitor, Kami Pellerin) are sure to kick the monotony right out of your standard breakfast (or lunch, or dinner.. haha). Whip these up and let us now what you think!

Ingredients:

• Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes Mix

• Quest Vanilla Protein Powder

• Flavor God Chocolate Donut Seasoning

• Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

• Mix One (1) 53g Serving of Kodiak Cakes Mix, One (1) Scoop of Vanilla Quest Nutrition Vanilla Protein Powder, and a sprinkle of Chocolate Donut Flavor God Seasoning & Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon together in a bowl. Add water (Milk or Egg whites if you need to adjust the macros) slowly until you have a thick, but pourable mixture (cake batter thickness).  

• Pour mixture onto waffle iron (we suggest the Presto FlipSide Belgian Waffle Maker) and follow your machines instructions 

• Note: To calculate Macros, simply add the ingredients macros up and divide them by the number of servings your mixture produces. You can also add fresh fruit (we prefer blueberries) and other macro friendly toppings (like Truwhip) to really set the recipe off! 

We hope you've enjoyed this recipe! Please share your creations with us on Facebook or Instagram!  

5 Books Every Entrepreneur MUST Read - BUSINESS

1). How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

Some Entrepreneurs are very outgoing, personable, and make friends easily. Others may struggle with the social aspect of business and that could be the very thing that is holding you back. Regardless of which category you fall into, How to Win Friends & Influence People is a MUST read!

2). #AskGaryVee - Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is USSR Immigrant that's a real life 'rags to riches' story. He started out in the liquor business and was an early adopter of the internet, google, and most social media platforms. Gary's crazy intuition has landed him some very profitable investments in and his social media savvyness is second to none. #ASKAGRYVEE is amazing on audibook as well! 

3). The E-Myth Revisited - Michael Gerber

The E Myth Revisited is one of those books that we ALL need to read, but don't realize it until we do. Many of the mistakes outlined by this brilliant story of a woman an her bakery are the problems EVERY business owner experiences, we simply don't know it. Reading this book may just be what saves your business. 

4). The 10X Rule - Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone has this special way of reminding us that the only way to get what we want is to WORK HARDER! The 10X Rule is Grants way of expressing his insane work ethic to us and showing us just how obsessed you must be to achieve great levels of success! 

5). The 4 Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss

Whether it's your dream to sip mai tai's on the beach in Costa Rica, working only 4 hours per week or you simply wan to run your business more efficiently, The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss is an absolute MUST have for any serious entrepreneur. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our recommendations! We some of you may not be too keen on or have the time to read often. If that's the case for your, we suggest signing up for a FREE TRIAL Membership of Audible and turning your commutes into learning time. Please feel free to share this with your friends!