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Secret #2: Hormones Affect Not Only Your Weight

but also your digestion, energy, sleep, blood pressure, metabolism and mood

The three glands whose hormones are most related to your weight are:

• Adrenals
• Thyroid
• Pancreas

The Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands secrete many hormones, and one of these hormones, cortisol, is related to weight loss, energy and sleep. Cortisol breaks down fat into sugar, and when there is a problem with cortisol, weight loss can be difficult. There are many quick and simple ways to check if your adrenal glands are functioning properly, and one of the easiest of these is called "Ragland's Test." 

Ragland's is a simple test to check the functioning of the adrenals by taking a person's blood pressure in 3 positions, sitting, followed by standing, followed by laying down. Your blood pressure should rise 10 points or more when going to the standing position and should lower 10 points or more when going to the lying down position. If it rises less than this or if it remains below the original blood pressure amount when standing, then this is indicative of Adrenal Gland Exhaustion. If it gets higher after lying down from a standing position, this too is indicative of Adrenal Gland Exhaustion. 

To rebuild these glands you would need to greatly reduce (eliminate) caffeine, reduce daily stress and take Adrenal Building Supplements.

The Thyroid Gland

Thyroid hormones are also involved with weight gain and fatigue. They speed up or slow down the conversion of sugar to energy in order to keep your body's temperature at a constant 98.6 degrees. 

People with slow thyroids have trouble losing weight, get cold easily, have dry skin, feel tired and can lose their hair. Thyroid problems may not always show up in blood tests. A simple test for thyroid function is to take your temperature under the arm for two minutes immediately upon awakening. It should read 97.6 degrees or higher. If your temperature is subnormal, there may be a need to supplement your diet with iodine and other vital nutrients.

The Pancreas

The hormones secreted by the pancreas affect your weight as they determine if food is converted to energy or fat. Carbohydrates and sugars are broken down during digestion into simple sugars. Insulin is required to have the cells take these simple sugars from the blood to use for energy. If there is a lack of insulin, these simple sugars do not go into your cells and your blood sugar rises. If this becomes chronic, this is Type II Diabetes.

The other pancreatic hormone is glucagon. This hormone is released when you do not have enough simple sugar in the blood to provide energy. Glucagon takes fat from your body and converts it into simple sugar. This causes weight loss. When insulin is even slightly high in the blood, your body determines that there is enough energy supply and glucagon is not released. As a result, fat is not broken down and you do not lose weight.

We consume on average over 120 pounds of sugar each year. The pancreas produces higher and higher amounts of insulin to handle this overload. At some point, the cells become "insulin resistant" and close their walls and stop allowing insulin to do its job. Insulin then builds up in the blood. The body becomes insulin resistant and glucagon is no longer released, which results in you not being able to lose weight. It is highly recommended that you stop drinking and eating all sugar products.

You control insulin levels by eating lean proteins, complex carbohydrates such as non-gluten whole grains, in addition to vegetables, and good fats. A high protein meal decreases insulin and increases glucagon levels, thus reducing stored fat and helping with weight loss.

Secret # 3: To Be Healthy You Must Eat and Drink those things that are healthy for your body. 

Stay away from Junk Food

Remember, trans-fatty acids such as: Margarine, vegetable shortening, and fried foods such as doughnuts, french fries, and other deep-fried fast food items, are dangerous at any level. Trans-fatty acids are also widely used in commercially prepared foods containing partially hydrogenated oils such as:

• crackers,
• cookies,
• cakes,
• pastries,
• microwave popcorn and
• other snack foods. 

According to Walter Willet, MD., of Harvard School of Public health: "Eating Trans-fatty acids, particularly margarine, kills form 30,000 to 100,000 people every year from heart disease." 

Each of us had heard that you must consume enough vegetables and fruits every day, but do you know why? 

Vegetables and fruits are a primary food source that contain the micronutrients that can destroy free radicals. The accumulation of stress, pollution and lack of nutrients results in the formation of an enemy to the body called "free radicals." 

A free radical is an atom that has been altered in the body. This highly reactive atom comes about from such things as tobacco smoke, toxins and/or pollutants. 

Free radicals can damage cells, proteins and DNA by altering their chemical structure. Over time, free radicals destroy the cells of your body. Vegetables and fruits contain micronutrients and antioxidants that destroy free radicals. 

According to the Institute of Food Research, having enough fruits and vegetables in your diet can drastically reduce your risk of cancer, heart attack and stroke. 

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of stroke. It was found that men and women who consumed 5 to 6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day were 31 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke, and that risk may decrease by as much as 6 percent per daily serving. 

Drink lots of Artesian, Mineral and/or Spring Water. 

The recommended amount of water that you should consume in a day can be determined by drinking 1 quart of water for every 50 lbs. you weigh, every day. So the old adage of eight - 8 oz. glasses would be enough if you weighed a mere 100 lbs. The more you weigh, the more you must drink in an effort to keep all your cells properly hydrated. 

In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, strong pain killers, tranquilizers, as well as those used in chemotherapy, have been measured in surface, ground, and tap water. 

By comparison, the U.S. water supply has 10 times the antibiotics as the German water supply! You must drink artesian, mineral water or spring only.