Hormones and Weight Loss

The majority of people lack adequate fruits and vegetables in their diet, which is a big contributory factor of, weight gain and a number of health problems. Being low in fat and sugar and high in fiber; fruits and vegetables are a great way to help reduce body fat. A combination of raw fruits and vegetables will provide you enough nutrients to keep your metabolic process in a healthy state and minimize the deposition of fat.

Protein plays a vital part in the fat reduction process. Protein not only helps in reducing fat but also helps to increase the body's muscle tissue in turn giving the body a good shape. It is the structural component of building and repairing muscle in our body. When our body lacks enough protein it concentrates on burning muscle while still reserving fat. But by increasing the amount of protein we can alter the process, i.e. protect and increase our muscle tissue and ignite the fat burning process.

Another way protein can help is by controlling our appetite. Overeating is a major cause of gaining fat and weight in unwelcome areas. By consuming adequate levels of protein in your diet rather than fatty foods you can curb weight gain. Our body needs 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight from a healthy source. Good protein sources include chicken, fish, lean meat, beans, dairy products etc.

The process of burning and storing food relies upon some hormonal activities inside the body. Our body releases two different kinds of hormones; a fat burning hormone and fat storing hormone. The Insulin hormone helps in fat storage process, whereas, glucagon and GH (Growth Hormone) helps to burn the fat. The rise in insulin level will make a fall in the amount of fat burning hormones. After a meal rich in carbohydrate our body releases insulin, which converts glucose into glycogen and stores them in the body. The excess deposition of glycogen prevents burning fat. On the other hand, glucagon helps to breakdown the glycogen. This breakdown plays a vital role in depleting the body's glycogen storage, so the body can concentrate on burning fat to meet the energy requirement. The Growth hormone is another vital hormone in the fat loss process. The Growth hormone is released during exercise and can significantly burn excess body fat during this time.

The daily intake of calories, types of food, physical activities etc. all contribute to the triggering of different types of hormones and their interaction in the body process helps to regulate the mechanism of weight loss and weight gain.