Regulating Digestive Hormones By Fasting To Stay Healthy
- Jul 9, 2024
- 3 min read
Shelley DiAngelo is committed to helping reduce the cost of chronic disease and increase the quality and longevity of life from individuals to corporate America with using holistic health options. She specializes in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and internal health and anti-aging from a cellular perspective.
Ever wonder how your body knows exactly how much food you need? The answer lies in the incredible mechanism of homeostasis.
Homeostasis in regulating food intake
The National Library of Health defines homeostasis: a self-regulating process by which biological systems maintain stability while adjusting to external conditions. Just like with water, your body uses homeostasis to regulate food intake and support inner balance. The process involves complex interactions between your brain, digestive system, and various hormones.
Food contains essential nutrients like fats and proteins, which are vital for survival. Without them, you’d get sick and die. These nutrients are part of a balanced diet that your body needs to function correctly. Without this balance, you experience hunger, cravings, and more fat storage.
The vital role of metabolic hormones to maintain health
Homeostasis ensures your body gets the right amount of nutrients by regulating hunger and satiety through metabolic hormones.
When you eat, your body releases hormones like insulin, ghrelin, and leptin. These hormones communicate with your brain to signal hunger and fullness.
Known as the "hunger hormone and produced in the stomach," ghrelin signals your
brain when it’s time to eat.
Fat cells produce leptin, signaling your brain when you’re full and should stop eating.
The pancreas releases insulin helping regulate blood sugar levels and it plays a role in signaling satiety.
When these hormones function properly, they help maintain a healthy weight by controlling appetite and food intake. If you overeat, your body’s feedback system signals you to stop, preventing excessive calorie intake.
What happens when regulation fails?
In some people, this regulatory system doesn’t work as it should, leading to overeating and weight gain. Conditions like insulin and leptin resistance can disrupt this hormonal balance.
For example:
Despite having high levels of leptin, the brain doesn’t receive the "full" signal, leading to continued eating
or
The body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, causing increased hunger and fat
storage.
These imbalances can lead to persistent hunger and cravings, making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Therapeutic fasting: Retraining your hormones
Therapeutic fasting can help reset these metabolic hormones, improving their function and helping you achieve better regulation of hunger and fat storage.
Therapeutic fasting involves scheduled periods of eating and fasting, such as intermittent fasting or periodic longer fasts (which, for many, is when deep cellular and hormonal dysregulation are healed).
4 benefits of fasting
Fasting helps lower blood insulin levels, making your cells more responsive to insulin.
Regular fasting periods can help improve leptin signaling, making it easier for your
brain to recognize when you’re full.
Fasting reduces inflammation, which is often associated with hormonal imbalances and weight gain.
By lowering insulin levels and increasing the release of norepinephrine, fasting can enhance fat burning.
A simple start to fasting
Start slow, begin with shorter fasting periods, like 12-14 hours, and gradually increase the duration.
Drink plenty of water during fasting periods to stay hydrated and support your metabolism.
Focus on whole, unprocessed foods during eating periods to provide your body with essential nutrients.
Pay attention to hunger and satiety signals to avoid overeating when you break your fast.
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Fasting is more than just not eating
Understanding how homeostasis regulates food intake and the role of metabolic hormones in hunger and fat storage is crucial for managing weight and overall health. Therapeutic fasting offers a powerful tool to retrain these hormones, promoting better balance and healthier eating habits.
For more insights into how you can harness the power of your body’s natural processes to
achieve optimal health, explore my other articles. Stay informed, stay healthy!
Shelley DiAngelo, Mile-Hydrate Mobile IV Therapy and Wellness
Shelley DiAngelo is committed to helping reduce the cost of chronic disease and increase the quality and longevity of life from individuals to corporate America with using holistic health options. She specializes in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and internal health and anti-aging from a cellular perspective. With her extensive professional background and many accolades garnered over the years for her substantial contributions to the enhancement and safety of patient care, she has a strong foundation from which to impart her experience as a speaker and educator.
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