The REAL Reason You Can’t Lose Weight
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted January 1, 2024
Happy New Year!
If you’re like countless other folks, you’re kicking off today with the “new year, new me” promise to FINALLY lose those extra pounds.
And that’s fantastic. I won’t discourage you from losing weight. It’s a great goal.
But I also want you to not beat yourself up about not for not succeeding in your earlier efforts. It turns out it may not have anything to do with you not trying hard enough or having poor willpower.
In fact, your GUT may have been secretly sabotaging your best dieting efforts all along.
Scientists have searched high and low for years to understand WHY we sometimes overeat.
They’ve analyzed brain chemicals like dopamine that drive pleasure and cravings. They’ve mapped neural pathways that govern impulses and willpower. They’ve studied how hormones like ghrelin and leptin regulate appetite.
But one major piece of the puzzle has been hiding in plain sight all along—in our GUTS.
Researchers say your gut microbes have a “mind of their own” and could ruin your efforts to lose weight.
New research from the University of Leipzig Medical Center reveals that our digestion-regulating microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that call our guts home) could be a stealthy saboteur when it comes to dietary willpower.
You see, those trillions of intestinal microbes have a direct line to the decision-making centers in our brains. In fact, they’re constantly communicating with us through something called the microbiome-gut-brain connection.
We’re now learning that this link can affect how strongly our bodies respond to messages about foods that are high in calories.
In the study, participants who ate MORE prebiotic fibers, which promote healthy gut bacteria, had LESS activity in the brain’s reward regions when viewing images of tempting sweets and chips.
When you grow a healthy microbiome, the microbial messengers are far more effective at telling our brains that we’ve had enough food.
In other words, they put the brakes on overeating, and willpower doesn’t always grow through sheer force of mind but instead through a flourishing microbiome.
So, if your New Year’s resolution this year is to lose weight, give yourself the best chance of succeeding by boosting your microbiome’s health.
- Eat plenty of PREbiotic foods like garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, oats, apples, and nuts. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in your gut.
- Load up on PRObiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Probiotics contain live cultures of beneficial bacteria.
- Stay hydrated with water and herbal teas to help flush out toxins.
- Limit sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods, which can harm microbial diversity.
- Take a daily probiotic supplement to replenish good bacteria strains.
- Manage stress, which can disrupt the gut-brain axis. Try yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
- Get enough quality sleep, as research shows disrupted sleep impacts gut health.
- Exercise regularly to increase circulation and motility through the digestive tract.
Follow this simple plan for a healthier gut, and this could be the year your resolution to lose the extra weight FINALLY succeeds.
P.S. Try THIS tasty hack to SUPERCHARGE your gut health.
Source:
Medawar E, Beyer F, et al., “Prebiotic diet changes neural correlates of food decision-making in overweight adults: a randomised controlled within-subject cross-over trial,” Gut, Published Online First: 04 October 2023. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-33036
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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