How Toxins Make Us Gain Weight

How Toxins Make Us Gain Weight

This week, the hormone weight loss principle I’d like to focus on is “Eliminate Toxins.” This one is important because I don’t think people realize all of the environmental toxins we come into contact with every day. In addition to contributing to weight gain, they are dangerous to our overall health.

Toxins destroy our hormone balance and often act as endocrine disruptors – substances that change the way our hormones usually work. Toxins can be found in many places in our homes and disrupt our hormones in many ways. They may increase, decrease or change the activity of a hormone by mimicking it, blocking it, changing the amount of hormone that is produced or changing the speed at which the hormone works. The hormones most often affected are estrogen, thyroid, testosterone, cortisol and insulin. But since hormones all work together, a problem with one has a domino effect on the others.

Here are two toxins you should be aware of and how they can lead to weight gain:

• Artificial sweeteners – These are worse than sugar because they are man-made chemicals and linked to many possible side effects including low thyroid (which can contribute to further weight gain).
• Refined sugars and carbs – These foods are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream causing a rapid increase in blood sugar and high demand for insulin. During the refining process, grains lose their fiber, vitamins and minerals, so you’re left with a food with minimum nutritionals value.

Many people with high levels of toxins in their body are obese. This is because toxins are stored in the fat cells and as you accumulate more and more toxins in your body, more storage space is needed and your body holds on to the fat cells. Keep this in mind as you’re losing weight, because as you lose fat, you may release some of these toxins, so it’s important to drink plenty of water to flush your kidneys of these toxins and continue the weight loss. Dr. Alicia Stanton