For successful fat-loss, here’s some facts you need to be aware of

If you want to burn fat (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?!) then having an understanding on the effect sugar has on your hormones is crucial. So let’s start by looking at one very significant hormone: Insulin.

Insulin: PT Gen Personal Trainer Southampton

Insulin is released when there is too much sugar in the blood. It is therefore not really a hormone that we want to stimulate, when wanting to burn fat. Insulin directs the sugar to your cells, where they will then be converted to and stored as fat. This is pretty much how sugar makes you fat.

Increased sugar in one’s diet eventually prevents the body from responding to signals to burn fat. Insulin becomes resistant and the body begins to accept higher levels of body fat as the norm. The body then balances us at a new ‘normal’ of overweight.

All processed foods (labelled fat free, low fat…) contain added sugars for flavour. All carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, which is why we must be mindful of the amount of refined/processed foods and carbohydrates we consume.

PT Gen Personal Trainer Southampton

Starchy carbs like rice and pasta can easily be swapped for grilled veggies like squash, courgettes or aubergine. They fill you up quickly and don’t create an insulin spike. There’s also a great recipe on my blog for pasta made from julienne pealed courgettes!

Remember, fats from real foods (organic meat, fish, nuts and natural oils like coconut oil) do not make you fat. A higher good fat and protein intake will lead to greater fat use during exercise. A recent study of European women found that the more dietary fat women eat, the less body fat they carry.

Southampton Personal Trainer Gen Levrant: coconut oil one of the best fats in the world

It’s also interesting to note how a decline in the proportion of fat in our diet, has been accompanied by the largest spike in obesity and disease rates in history…

All in all, scientific research suggests that we have been majorly misinformed. We do not need to count calories and require good fats in our diets in order to survive and thrive. We need to think about the quality of our food and how it’s nutrients will affect our hormones, in order to bring us to a state of healthy balance.

Every cell in our body is crying out for nourishment. When these needs are met, we are left with more energy, better sleep, clearer skin, healthier nails and hair and cravings disappear. If you like the sound of that but are not sure where to start, contact me and my team today to book your free consultation!

Gen Preece Personal Trainer Southampton