The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss (The Wellness Code)

AS DISCUSSED IN detail in chapter 8, cortisol raises insulin levels and is a major pathway of weight gain. Therefore, reducing your cortisol levels is an integral part of your overall weight-loss effort. Reducing stress levels, practicing meditation and getting good sleep are all effective methods for achieving lower cortisol levels. Some useful ti

Insulin causes salt and water retention in the kidney, so lowering insulin levels rids the body of excess salt and water. Fasting is often accompanied by an early, rapid weight loss. For the first five days, weight loss averages 1.9 pounds (0.9 kilograms) per day, far exceeding the loss that could be expected from the caloric restriction, and is pr

Bread, both whole wheat and white, has a glycemic index of 73, comparable to Coca-Cola, which has a value of 63.

The incretin effect starts within minutes of ingestion of nutrients into the stomach and peaks at roughly sixty minutes. The incretins have other important effects as well. They delay emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine, which slows down glucose absorption. The cephalic phase is another pathway of insulin secretion independent of

With short-term physical stress, insulin and cortisol play opposite roles. Something quite different happens, though, when we’re under long-term psychological stress. In our modern-day lives, we have many chronic, nonphysical stressors that increase our cortisol levels. For example, marital issues, problems at work, arguments with children and slee

Blood is shunted to your digestive system to cope with the huge influx of food, leaving less blood for brain function. Fasting does the opposite, leaving more blood for your brain.

Insulin resistance keeps our insulin levels high. High insulin maintains our high body set weight.

Sucrose stimulates insulin production both in the short term and in the long term. In this way, sucrose is twice as bad as glucose. The effect of glucose is obvious in the glycemic index, but the effect of fructose is completely hidden. This fact misled scientists to downplay the role of sucrose in obesity.

Third, sugar may be ingested by itself, which may cause people to overeat sugary treats, as there is nothing else within the food to make you “full.” There is often no dietary fiber to help offset the harmful effects.