Health Strategy
Chapter 5 – Stumbling blocks made easy
One of the many strategies that we developed at the Institute that enabled us to almost triple our weight-loss success rate was to focus on what we started calling “stumbling blocks”. These are all the conditions that make dietary control a real struggle, if not impossible. Most people gain weight because they eat too much. This could just simply be from bad eating habits, but often stems from emotional and medical conditions that make appetite control very difficult. Our research proved that a large number of overweight individuals were overweight because of undiagnosed medical conditions such as the Binge Eating disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder and other mood disorders. Continual hunger, aggravated by low blood sugar, lower levels of dietary compliance and motivation for everyone. Giving someone with many stumbling blocks a meal-plan of whatever kind without assisting them with their specific stumbling blocks, is like sending them to sea in a rickety old ship. They’ll leave the harbour but won’t get far out at sea.
By implementing a remedial solution to your specific stumbling block, you minimise its disruptive influence, making it far easier for you to maintain the discipline that you will need to achieve success.
These are the common stumbling blocks to watch out for:
1) Hunger
Hunger and its opposite, satiety, are controlled by two small chemical centres next to each other in the brain that are highly responsive to outside stimuli. If, for example, you electronically stimulate the feeding centre of an animal with an electrode, it immediately causes the animal to start eating voraciously. If you stimulate the satiety centre of the same animal the very next moment, totally the opposite happens, namely, that it causes an immediate and total lack of appetite, even if the animal has not eaten for days and food is abundant. Humans are no different.
When glucose levels in the bloodstream fall below a certain level, the feeding centre switches on and you develop a strong urge to search and find food to eat. When the glucose level is high, on the other hand, the satiety centre switches on and makes you lose all interest in food.
Besides your brain, your stomach also plays a role in the regulation of appetite. We all know that our stomachs sometimes ‘talk to us’, sometimes so loudly that other people can hear them. If one has not had food for a while, the stomach undergoes a series of rhythmic contractions, which present as gnawing, cramp-like sensations in the pit of the stomach. These are commonly referred to as ‘hunger pangs’. The hungry person also becomes more tense and restless. Once the stomach becomes distended or filled with food, signals from the stomach suppress the feeding centre in the brain, thereby reducing the desire to eat. This mechanism is controlled by nerves which link the stomach with the feeding centre, as well as various chemical messengers, the dominant player being the hormone cholecystokinen, released by the intestines when food enters the stomach.
Step 1
Start your programme by following your C.A.P.E Meal Plan. It has specifically been designed to balance your blood sugar levels and may be sufficient to control your hunger. If, however, you are used to eating large volumes of food, your stomach may take a while to adjust accordingly. Be patient and see if your hunger disappears. Drink a cup of tea or coffee when you get hungry in between meals. (Artificial sweeteners are okay in moderation). The good news is that hunger tells you that you are burning fat and that’s exactly what you want.
Step 2
Still feeling hungry? Then eat a small snack before you become hungry, and not when you are already starving. This means that you will have to become more aware of when your hunger usually sets in. Most people have a fixed time when they begin to feel hungry, for example, late afternoon. Be sensible with your snack or you will destroy your diet, and choose items from your C.A.P.E Meal Plan snack list. If this is not sufficient, drink two to three glasses of water. By extending your stomach, chemical messengers are sent to your feeding centre to switch it off.
Step 3
Still hungry? Then you will need an appetite suppressant. This is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 9: Medication made easy.
2) Low Blood Sugar
If glucose suddenly enters the bloodstream, the body immediately responds by releasing insulin. By fulfilling its task as gatekeeper, insulin quickly ensures that all new glucose molecules are packed away inside the body’s cells. This enables the cells to either use glucose immediately, or store some for later use in a specialised “pantry” in the form of a more compact energy molecule called glycogen.
After a meal, when the intestines are empty and blood glucose levels start dropping, another hormone called glucagon stimulates the release of glucose from the “glycogen pantries”. Many other hormones also play a role, including growth hormone, cortisol and adrenaline. Their combined effect ensures that blood glucose levels are rapidly restored. But, as usual, things are sometimes not as simple as that.
If a large quantity of glucose suddenly enters the system, a large amount of insulin is released. This ensures that all glucose molecules are rapidly removed from the bloodstream. Blood insulin levels, however, do not immediately adjust to lowering blood sugar levels, as the duration of insulin’s action continues for a while longer, even after glucose levels have been normalised. This causes blood sugar levels to drop below normal levels.
Brain cells contain no energy pantries and are totally dependent on a continuous supply of glucose from the bloodstream. The first symptoms that are caused by low blood sugar therefore happen in your head. Lack of concentration, tiredness and drowsiness are immediate signs. As the condition worsens, adrenaline is released by the adrenal glands, making you irritable and short tempered. You may also start to tremble and even perspire in severe cases. A strong desire to eat develops and sugar cravings are common.
Step 1
Resist the urge to eat something sweet like a chocolate bar or sugary drink. Although it may be tempting to relieve your symptoms as quickly as you can, the reality is that the same cycle will take place within a few hours. This is the reason why so many people are hooked on sugar.
Step 2
Eat a small snack, preferably more protein based, and wait for the symptoms to settle. Your body should adjust within a week.
Step 3
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3) Compulsive overeating
Everyone has problems with dietary self-control. There is an important reason for this – for survival purposes we have all been genetically programmed to eat more than we need. Food also comforts us, especially on a day when we are down in the dumps. Sometimes, however, we lose control.
The Binge Eating Disorder is a well-known medical condition that affects about 2 percent of the general population and 8 percent of people with a weight problem. It is characterised by bouts of compulsive overeating during which large amounts of food are consumed with little control over the process and a general inability to stop. People who do so are often not even particularly hungry and feel driven by a strong emotional compulsion to eat. After the event, feelings of guilt, despondency and self-contempt follow.
The Night Eating Syndrome is a variation of the Binge Eating Disorder and takes place in the evenings, usually after a normal supper has been consumed. Various snacks, including leftovers, are consumed, often in great quantities. Sufferers also report mood disturbances and have difficulty with sleeping.
Could you perhaps be suffering from a compulsive overeating syndrome?
If Yes, then please complete the following questionnaire
If No, then skip this section and proceed to stumbling block 4.
How to interpret your score:
Your score:
0-7 Insignificant interference level
8-29 Moderate interference level
30 + Severe interference level
Step 1 - Cut yourself some slack.
Take a short break and move away from the immediate problem that causes your stress. This will allow you to reframe your mindset. It will also give you the opportunity to develop a different perspective of the problem. Go out, take a stroll or occupy yourself with another task. Listen to some music. Phone someone. Only when you are successfully distracted, will you be able to break the irritating cycle of continual mental dialogue, in which the same thoughts and fears mill around in your head in a never-ending merry-go-round that only consumes your energy.
Step 2 - Think about the problem when your mind is at peace.
Once you have calmed down, focus on how to think positively about the problem. Consider the best case scenario first and then move backwards from there. Fear and worry turn all of us into pessimists. Pessimists lose hope and try to justify failure. Do not allow yourself to follow this self-destructive route. Choose a different path, not the one your emotional mind would like to take.
Step 3 - Change your point of view.
Instead of becoming self-absorbed, introspective and isolated, broaden your scope by focusing on other people. How would they see your problem from their perspective? What would they do to solve it? Anxiety can be so overwhelming that it makes us short tempered and irritable. Nobody deserves that sort of treatment from anyone. Protect others from it, especially those that are close to you. Distressing others with your negative mindset will only set you back a good few steps.
Step 4 - Ask for help.
We live in a web of relationships with family, co-workers, friends and healthcare providers. People who draw strength from these relationships are able to tackle challenges that they would not be able to master on their own. Problems never seem so overwhelming when you share them with others. Enlisting support is quite simple - all you have to do is to ask.
Some people act as advisers and provide you with information, either in your personal or professional life. Others act as catalysts to bring out the best in you; some applaud your successes with you and others support or nurture you when times are tough. Contacts provide you with information, advice or leads, and are able to connect you with other people who are able to help you sort out your problems. It is unrealistic to expect this kind of support from only one person. Think about what you need and then actively seek the company of those people who can help you answer your questions.
Step 5 - Confront the situation when you are ready.
Try not to ignore a problem. It will not go away, and usually simmers in the background, making you more anxious on a sub-conscious level. Develop better ways to deal with your problems and listen to the advice that has been given to you. Do not exaggerate the problem. Control all strong emotions and try and remain objective and positive. Maintain your integrity, mind your manners and never compromise your moral principles.
Step 6 - Give your brain a competitive edge.
Stress alters the chemistry of your body quite significantly. Many hormones are released through stress that activate various biochemical processes, each process naturally consuming energy and producing toxic by-products that slowly accumulate in your system. It is therefore not surprising that mental exhaustion, irritability, mood swings and forgetfulness are all common symptoms of a brain working in overdrive.
The first step towards optimising brain function is to follow a proper, wholesome diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables must be consumed daily and the intake of toxic substances like alcohol and tobacco smoke must be minimised. Exercise is a wonderful and natural way of relieving both stress and depression and cleansing your system. There are also many nutrients and natural, herbal agents that are known to assist mental functions such as memory, concentration, alertness and recall. NeuroVance, especially formulated to give your brain a competitive edge, enhances separate but interconnected components of brain function, thereby giving your brain an improved physiological advantage during stressful periods. Besides providing the essential agents required for brain cell development, it also supplies natural agents that neutralise the by-products of brain metabolism, improves blood flow to the brain, stimulates nerve transmission and regulates mood.
Besides alleviating stress and depression, NeuroVance also improves concentration and levels of alertness, enabling you to cope with stress better. NeuroVance can be taken in conjunction with tranquillisers, sleeping tablets and antidepressants, and can be used by adults and children. No prescription is required. https://www.mnilifestyle.co.za/neurovance/
How to combat severe stress:
Follow step 1 - 6
Step 7 - Consult your doctor.
There are several highly effective pharmacological treatments for stress and anxiety disorders. You may also benefit from psychotherapy. Please consult your doctor for more information.
What you need to remember:
Do not take a stumbling block along with you on your weight-loss journey; the road is difficult enough as it is.
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