Healthy B.P.M.

I’ve asked this question many times; to myself and to my clients. Would you rather be full or satisfied? Most say full, depending on the occasion I often say both. Until recently. I came across an excellent article on overeating that’s made me think deeply about my relationship with food.

The article pointed out that after overeating sessions (like the holidays) we gain weight. No big revelation right? The problem, some doctors and researchers say, is that overeating causes biological changes in the body that can lead to more food cravings and cause your stomach to send mixed signals about when it’s actually full. And so the cycle begins.

The kinds of hormone and metabolic processes that normally will try to metabolize food go into overdrive to make sure they get rid of our ginormous feast. This means that most of what we stuff ourselves with gets stored as fat rather than converted into healthy byproducts. Bummer huh?

Now here we go with that vicious cycle and a brief science lesson. The pancreas produces extra insulin to process the sugar load and remove it from the bloodstream. It doesn’t stop producing insulin until the brain senses that blood sugar levels are safe. But by the time the brain stops insulin production, often too much sugar is removed. Low blood sugar can make you feel tired, dizzy, nauseous, even depressed (been there done that). We get it twisted and think that the solution is to eat more sugar and more high sugar carbohydrates. This brings blood sugar back up to normal and make you feel better. Enter the yo-yo effect. Repeated overeating triggers changes in your stomach. This kinda puts a damper on the theory that it’s what’s eating you not what you eat that makes you fat. The neurological tissue at the top of the stomach, which signals the brain that the stomach is full, starts to malfunction. There goes the brain and gut connection.

All that overeating messes up the electrical conduit pathway. It’s fatigued and it doesn’t tell your brain that you’re full anymore. At this point it kinda says ” why bother” you’re not paying attention anyway. Or it may send abnormal signals and you may not even realize you’re full.

Now all that’s great information but what about when you just keep eating when you know good and well you’re full. I think that’s called being greedy. This info has made me more aware of my eating habits during celebrations. Here comes that old school advice again. Slow down while you’re eating and take the time to enjoy your food. Even fitness professionals get a little sloppy with their eating habits sometimes. Live and learn I say!