EKOMEDICINE

Emotional Weight 

Do you Really Want to Eat?

Animals eat to obtain energy and building materials for cells to construct their body.

Unlike animals, humans have other reasons for eating, and in most cases, it's not due to hunger. Here are some examples:

  😋  Boredom.

  😋  Traditions: birthdays, funerals, wedding feasts, guests, business lunches.

  😋  Clinical depression, a mood oppressed by troubles.

  😋  Eating as a habit, part of a daily routine.

This way, a person spends money, buys products, and consumes more calories than they expend. If they do not find a more useful way to spend these calories, they go to the gym, use dietary supplements, etc., to get rid of them. In Latvia, almost half of the population has problems with excess weight.

To lose excess weight, motivation is first necessary (for example, because it's hard to walk). If you have this motivation and really want to get rid of excess weight, then you should set a basic rule for yourself – eat only when you want to and not otherwise. Hunger and appetite are entirely different things. Appetite has nothing to do with hunger. Hunger occurs when glycogen starts to run out in the liver, and the body says it needs to eat something fatty or sweet, even though there is no food nearby. Meanwhile, appetite is when, for example, you have just eaten, walk past a café, see tempting foods that stimulate your appetite, and you decide to eat, but when you start eating, you realize you don't want to eat.

The feeling of false hunger is caused by taste enhancers, ranging from chemically synthesized to various spices, because flavors stimulate appetite, which most often ultimately leads to eating more frequently and in larger volumes. There are variations with six tastes – sweet, salty, spicy, hot, bitter, and sour – which can be in various combinations. As a result, feelings similar to drug addiction arise, misleadingly called ‘’the body craves for...’’, which has nothing to do with true hunger. Moreover, the desire to eat is definitely provoked by sugar and products containing it, as well as not drinking water (water should be drunk slowly).

Incorrect Eating Pattern

It's not entirely correct to count calories mathematically; various aspects must be considered, such as how they were ingested, with what, and when, the glycemic index, and the insulin index, which characterizes how protein and fat-containing products raise insulin levels in the blood. Often, dietitians recommend eating a little, in small portions, and frequently, but with this approach, fat burning is hindered unless there is heavy physical exertion. It's pointless to "burn" sugar reserves because soon you'll want to eat again. You need to burn fat. If you follow dietitians' advice, who say – eat a little, in small portions, and frequently –, with this approach, fat breakdown will never begin unless you subject yourself to very heavy physical exertion and resist the temptation to snack on something sweet.

Eat less, but a sufficient amount of protein-containing products. Carbohydrates, especially fast ones, should be minimized, except for greens.

How does it happen? A person eats fast carbohydrates, sugar enters the blood, the necessary insulin is produced to guide sugar into the cells. Usually, a little more insulin is released than needed, and soon hunger appears again, followed by fatigue, moreover, calories converted into glycogen and not used are turned into fat, creating adipose tissue. Simultaneously, insulin resistance develops, maintaining hyperglycemia, which further provokes hunger and the craving for snacks. A prediabetic condition forms, and if nothing changes, it leads to type 2 diabetes.

Physical activities can burn about 20% of excess fat, the rest can only be eliminated through a healthy diet and intermittent fasting. Eating less frequently, insulin will be released less, and by switching to a keto diet, it will be needed even less, thus further relieving the pancreas.

What Happens with Energy?

Fats are conserved energy. They consist of water and energy. There's nothing else. Even when they break down – it's water and energy. We receive energy from fats, which was in a conserved form. One molecule of fat generates 32 molecules of ATP. The most energy is found in plant and animal fats. For energy to be released, hydrolysis must occur. This happens in the duodenum in an alkaline environment. If the environment isn't alkaline, no carbohydrate hydrolysis will occur, and they, entering the bloodstream, will accumulate. All the energy we consume ultimately breaks down to glucose.

Honey provides energy immediately because it contains ready glucose, but its main component, fructose, can directly enter cells without insulin involvement. Other sugars present in honey - sucrose and maltose - later in the duodenum become glucose through hydrolysis. This doesn't happen instantly but with a time delay, therefore honey can be considered a slow carbohydrate.

If we receive more calories than we expend, the difference is stored as fat. However, counting calories is a waste of time. Weight loss achieved through calorie restriction rarely lasts long. If you drink enough quality water and eat "live" (enzyme-rich) food, weight will drop. Fasting should never be considered a weight loss method, as it disrupts the metabolic process and weight can return with a vengeance.

Unbalanced diet and nutrient deficiency immediately lead to weight gain. To the body, it's like an alarm that reserves need to be made (fat storage), as well as undigested food (overeating) because of a lack of enzymes to process everything, creating a vicious cycle - the body doesn't receive necessary nutrients, so it demands more food, and the more you eat, the worse the digestion.

Carbonated sugary drinks contain a huge amount of sugar. An energy surge occurs due to glucose and caffeine.

Fats, Stress, and Excess Weight

Fats in the body serve a dual function – energy and plastic. They are needed for cell membranes, neurons, cartilage, etc. In fat cells, there are reserves of triglycerides and unsaturated fatty acids. A person under prolonged stress starts accumulating excess insulin, but if glucose is insufficient, insulin begins to block the consumption of fat cells' lipocytes. Glycogen reserves are depleted within a day, and then the body turns to protein reserves, which, without affecting muscle mass, are depleted within a week, followed by a process called gluconeogenesis, when the liver begins to break down its proteins. Only when survival is questioned does the body turn to fat reserves.

A universal stress relief factor is proper nutrition, but rare, irregular eating maintains stress. If there's no stress, fats are used, so if a person eats once a day, weight increases, but if several times, then it decreases.

Factors influencing excess weight

Genetics, often used as an argument for excess weight, play a very minor role, only a few percent of cases. Family and societal traditions have a much greater role, these are food choices and cooking traditions. Also to consider are harmful habits, such as not walking but driving, using elevators, etc.

There are hyperactive people who eat a lot of whatever is available and don't gain weight. This indicates poor nutrient absorption, intestines clogged with fungal mycelium, fecal stones, hardened mucus, etc.

Swelling also contributes to excess weight. There's a completely wrong belief that water consumption should be limited when swelling appears. On the contrary, swelling indicates inadequate quality water drinking, fluid drainage issues, because water can't be expelled from the intercellular fluid, where it accumulates and forms excess weight. Drinking little water, especially of poor quality, leads to the precipitation of soluble salts in the lower part of the kidneys. The kidneys shift downwards, disrupting urine flow (kidney stone disease).

Excess weight can be promoted by the ecological situation in the environment and at home. It affects the liver, which is related to glycogen production. Also, viruses, such as adenovirus, affect the pancreas and endocrine glands, resulting in weakened metabolic processes. Excess weight is also promoted by medications, especially blood thinners and joint drugs, as well as hormonal contraceptives.

Estrogen activity in women can lead to weight gain. Compared to men, for women, it's not as dangerous, except possibly for joints. However, in men, fat accumulation, especially around the waist, has much more unpleasant consequences. This increases the risk of developing diabetes, ischemic heart disease, vascular and other diseases, and lowers testosterone levels.

If you have excess weight, it means something is wrong. Diet alone won't suffice. All the aforementioned factors act simultaneously. Among long-livers, there are almost no people with excess weight.

How do hormones affect a person who wants to reduce excess weight?

  🦠 Ghrelin – creates a feeling of hunger, so an excess of this hormone is undesirable.

  🦠 Leptin – creates a feeling of satiety, so its deficiency is not desirable.

  🦠 Serotonin – the so-called "happiness" hormone also plays a role. If it is lacking, a person often tries to improve their mood with snacks.

  🦠 Cortisol – the stress or fear hormone. Neither a deficiency nor an excess is desirable.

  🦠 Adrenaline – a stress hormone. Both an excess and a deficiency are undesirable.

  🦠 Thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) – a deficiency of these hormones (hypothyroidism) can be a cause of weight gain.

  🦠 Estrogens – an insufficiency or excess of these female hormones can be one of the factors contributing to excess weight.

  🦠 Glucagon – triggers lipolysis in fat tissues and converts stored fat into energy.

  🦠 Prolactin – is mainly secreted by the pituitary gland. An excess of this hormone (hyperprolactinemia) can promote excess weight.

  🦠 Testosterone – considered a male hormone, but it is also present in women, just in smaller amounts. If its level increases in women, weight may also increase. For men, the opposite occurs—if testosterone decreases, weight increases.

  🦠 Adiponectin – promotes fat burning, meaning its deficiency is undesirable.

  🦠 Neuropeptide – induces hunger and aggression, so an excess is undesirable.

Problems Accompanying Excess Weight

To eliminate excess weight, one must switch to a diet intended by nature for humans, regulate the intestinal flora and the enzymatic system. It is necessary to feed the beneficial Bacteroidetes bacteria, which consume roughage (vegetables, greens, fruits, etc.), thereby occupying space and preventing pathogenic bacteria, such as Firmicutes, which ferment food and leave more calories to be converted into fat, from settling in. Drinking water and consuming quality fats necessary for hormone production is also essential. Beekeeping products can also be beneficial. As known, the richest natural source of good bacteria (in preserved form) is bee bread, a means to restore microflora. After restoration, it's only necessary to feed them by regularly consuming a fiber-rich diet, and you will forget not only about excess weight but also many other health issues.

As an adult reaches maturity, protein mass stops growing and does not accumulate, unlike fats.

The information space is continuously filled with advertisements offering easy and convenient solutions to the problem of excess weight, starting with 'fat burners,' various pills, and ending with needle therapy. All these methods are based on the same mechanism – directly or indirectly affecting the body's hormonal system, or the endocrine glands, such as the pancreas, thyroid gland, gonads, adrenal glands. Unfortunately, methods that stimulate increased gland activity also cause their dysfunction, such as diabetes, impotence, menstrual cycle disorders, etc. While these methods indeed result in weight loss in the first months, new problems arise, and the excess weight returns because the causes - the accumulation of toxins, such as pus, mucus, stones - have not disappeared.

Kidneys contaminated with toxins respond with their vascular spasm to let through less metabolic waste. Furthermore, the hormone renin, which narrows blood vessels throughout the body, begins to be released. To push blood through narrowed vessels, the heart must work in an intensified regime, increasing blood pressure. Even in healthy individuals, blood pressure can rise if the intestines are contaminated and digestion is impaired.

Although the mentioned weight reduction methods have negative effects, one should not resign oneself to excess kilograms and do nothing. This "time bomb" may not explode immediately, but the consequences will inevitably appear.

Excess weight is usually accompanied by high blood pressure, heart strain, shortness of breath, diabetes risk, joint pain and deformation, etc. Since oxidation-reduction processes in tissues are disrupted, there is less oxygen but more fats, where unexpelled toxins are hidden, creating ideal conditions for cancer cells.

Visceral fats, located in the abdominal and thoracic cavity around internal organs and not visible from the outside. accumulate on the belly.

Fat accumulates on the stomach

If a person quickly becomes fatigued, and fatigue appears from the morning, if there is frequent urination, a craving for sweets, high blood pressure, joint pain, and memory worsens, this all indicates high insulin levels in the blood. Insulin resistance develops slowly, over many years. When the liver can no longer process glucose into glycogen, but muscles have enough energy, sugar is converted into fats, initially stored in the liver. Then, accumulation continues around organs (visceral fats) and in the subcutaneous layer, primarily on the belly, where it's most quickly noticeable. It could even be argued that belly fat is the "tip of the iceberg" of problems.

High insulin levels unequivocally indicate excessive sugar consumption. This creates an excessive burden on the body, thereby accelerating aging. Over time, the pancreas can no longer produce insulin in sufficient quantities, resulting in increased blood sugar levels. A prediabetic condition develops, which turns into type 2 diabetes. A sagging belly is like litmus paper, indicating unhealthy liver, metabolic disorders, and high insulin levels.

The only way out is adequate nutrition, a keto diet, intermittent fasting, and physical activity.

There are no Coincidences, only Causes and Regularities

Often, the cause of excess weight is thought to be metabolic or hormonal disorders. But have we considered what these causes, these disorders are? Perhaps nature intended them? No, nature intends an ideal state of absolute health and an ideal body condition, but disorders arise over a prolonged period from consuming inadequate food, such as products with carcinogens, trans fats, a high-calorie content, burgers, etc. Countless temptations have been invented to make people eat and eat. These are taste enhancers, aftertastes, aroma enhancers, etc. Therefore, it is up to the individual to decide – eat to live or live to eat.

People with excess weight usually do not live long. Excess weight, as a rule, is associated with fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels in the blood, joint damage, poor wound healing, angina (cardiac ischemia), arterial hypertension, acute cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke).

There are many factors causing obesity, not only the disproportionate amount of calories consumed; they can be hormonal contraceptives, medications, especially, for instance, glucocorticoids, etc. Also, rushing can lead to eating more than usual because the feeling of satiety sets in gradually. One should leave the table still feeling a slight hunger. Incidentally, this is one of the habits of long-livers.

How to Increase Body Mass?

While excessive weight is a widely discussed topic, the subject of increasing body mass by gaining muscle mass receives significantly less attention. However, for some individuals, this topic is highly relevant.

The primary cause of low body weight is the presence of parasites. Therefore, it is ideal to undergo periodic medical examinations or, at the very least, regularly consume anti-parasitic foods while varying one’s diet and strictly following hygiene rules. Other factors that may contribute to weight loss include fecal stones in the intestines, dysbacteriosis, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and diarrhea, as these conditions impair the absorption of nutrients in the intestines.

First and foremost, the diet must contain all essential amino acids to ensure the synthesis of necessary proteins in the ribosomes of the body's cell organelles. These proteins must be recognized and accepted as native by the immune system. Contrary to popular belief, the successful synthesis of proteins from amino acids does not require animal-based proteins, as the human body cannot fully break them down, leading to various health problems.

For example, athletes may build large muscles with animal-derived proteins. While they remain active, their bodies manage the toxic load relatively well. However, once they stop exercising, their bodies begin to deteriorate.

Not all plants contain all amino acids, but by combining different plant-based sources, one can obtain both essential and non-essential amino acids. For instance, raw potatoes, nettles, and pine nuts contain all essential amino acids, ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), which grows as a common weed, contains seven amino acids, spirulina (a blue-green algae) contains over 20 amino acids and has twice the protein content of meat.

Regardless of how much protein one consumes, it will not contribute to muscle mass unless the muscles are subjected to sufficient physical strain—to the point where they can no longer withstand the load. Only then does the brain signal the body to increase muscle mass.

By engaging in regular physical activity, stored fat and toxins within the muscles are eliminated, making way for new muscle tissue. These toxins are excreted via the lymphatic system, intestines, or skin (through sweating). To improve detoxification, licorice root can be used. Additionally, herbal tea extracts provide minerals, bioflavonoids, phytoncides, and other beneficial compounds.

Essential Nutrients for Overall Health and Muscle Growth

To maintain overall health, the daily diet must include phytosterols, bioflavonoids, plant-based indoles, sulforaphane, omega-3 fatty acids, natural plant pigments (carotenoids – approximately 400 types)

Consume bee bread and sprouted seeds such as amaranth, flaxseeds, lentils, hulled oats, poppy seeds, sesame seeds etc. This is especially crucial for oncological and autoimmune diseases, where large amounts of liver cells (hepatocytes) and immune cells are depleted. If the body lacks amino acids to rebuild these cells, it starts breaking down muscle and bone tissue, leading to severe weight loss.

In such cases, increasing the intake of cottage cheese and meat, as some doctors recommend, may worsen the condition rather than improve it.

Keto Diet

The essence of the keto diet is obtaining energy from fats and almost completely excluding carbohydrates from the diet. As a result, there is a metabolic shift in cells, and thus in tissues, from glycolysis to ketosis, that is, from glucose breakdown as the main energy source to ketone (fat) breakdown (Krebs cycle or oxidative phosphorylation). For the ketolysis process to occur, the absolute amount of sugar consumed per day must not exceed 25-30g, including the sugar contained in fruits.

The keto diet is an ideal way for people with excessive excess weight to get rid of it. In this way, the human body gradually learns to obtain energy from its fats and continues to do so, the main thing is not to exceed the calorie amount with incoming nutrition. To avoid a decrease in skin elasticity (sagging skin) as weight decreases, it is necessary to ensure that the diet provides enough sulfur (greens, fruits, and vegetables).

The liver synthesizes the cholesterol necessary for humans. If the liver functions normally, it can synthesize more than 10 times the cholesterol needed per day, meaning that cholesterol from outside is not needed. In medicine, it is considered that animal-derived fats cholesterol or cholesterol are to blame for stroke and heart attack. Indirectly, this is true, but in reality, carbohydrates are to blame, causing inflammatory processes in the blood vessels, especially those from modern wheat varieties with a high gluten content.

According to the keto diet definition, the menu with the necessary calorie amount should be composed of 75% from fats, and 25% from proteins and carbohydrates. By the way, greens are counted as carbohydrates, but unlike sugar, they are not fast carbohydrates.

Switching to a keto diet usually results in noticeable health improvement, but this is associated with the cessation of fast carbohydrates (white bread, soda, sweets, etc.) consumption because less insulin is needed.

Another important aspect is the origin of fats (plant or animal). In some cases, this diet is effective temporarily (no more than 2 months), for example, in children with epilepsy, or people with excess weight, type 2 diabetes. The keto diet is contraindicated for patients with type 1 diabetes, as it can cause ketoacidosis.

Here are some important functions that fats perform in the human body:

  ✨ Structural - part of the cell membrane composition.

  ✨ Energetic – when oxidized, 1g of fat releases 9.3 kcal.

  ✨ Energy storage – fats can form 10 – 30% or even more of the total body mass.

  ✨ Thermal - serve as thermal insulation.

  ✨ Mechanical protection (for example, kidneys are enclosed in a fat capsule).

  ✨ Absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

  ✨ Fats are the raw material for the synthesis of steroid hormones (testosterone, estrogen, etc.).

What to Avoid

  ❌ Frequent meals and snacks.

  ❌ A low-calorie diet will not help, as the body has the ability to adapt.

  ❌ Stimulants that increase metabolic rate, such as coffee, energy drinks, etc.

  ❌ Excessive strain, such as intense workouts or heavy physical labor. You should not relax completely right away—it's important to take a walk or do some light exercise!

Final Conclusion

In Latvia, problems with excess weight are relevant for around 60% of the population.

Without radical changes in diet, it is impossible to reduce excess weight and then not regain it!