by Jacob Teitelbaum M.D.
We live in a society where being overweight is epidemic. It is much easier
to lose weight and keep it off however, when
you understand that there are many things
that contribute to this problem. Most of us are
familiar with the more common ones.
- The standard American diet (SAD), which contains excessive sugar and fat. In addition, food processing results in the loss of even more vitamins and minerals, resulting in “high calorie malnutrition.” It is quite possible that this is the first time in the history of the human race that this has occurred. Being nutritionally deficient in numerous vitamins and minerals is one of many causes of excessive food cravings. Unfortunately, it is hard to get adequate nutrition out of the American diet, even if one’s diet is relatively healthy.
- Lack of exercise. During most of human history, people had to walk if they wanted to get somewhere. In addition, work often consisted of physical labor. This is no longer the case. In fact, we even seem to get upset if we can’t get a parking space right near the entrance of the mall.
For many people, simply altering their diet
and increasing their exercise is enough to let
them lose weight. A large percentage of us
however, have found that it is impossible to
lose weight and keep it off no matter what we
do. This article is for all of those readers.
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| Ask yourself the simple question, “Am I in imminent danger? |
So why is it impossible for us
to lose weight and keep it off?
There are a number of ways that stress is contributing
to our inability to lose weight.
Fortunately, understanding these can help us
overcome this problem. Both physical stresses
(e.g. infections, nutritional deficiencies, toxic
chemical exposures) and emotional/situational
stresses (having a toxic boss, working too hard
without enough sleep, worrying) can result in
a metabolic chain reaction which results in
weight gain. Interestingly, chronic fatigue syndrome
and fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS) are good
models for the occurrence of weight gain
during stress. These syndromes are characterized
by exhaustion, achiness, brain fog and
insomnia. Our research has shown that the
average weight gain in these patients is 32
pounds. Fortunately, our research has also
shown that 91 percent of these patients can be
treated effectively.*
So what is going on in CFS/FMS?
I do not view these syndromes as the enemy.
Rather, I see them as attempts on the body’s
part to protect itself from further harm and
damage in the face of any of a number of toxic
situations. A simple way to look at
fibromyalgia and CFS would be to view them
as circuit breakers in a house. When certain
systems are overstressed, some of the circuit
breakers will go off to prevent damaging the
home’s wiring. In milder cases, the circuit
breakers can come back on and systems can
return to healthy function by simply supplying
the body with rest and proper nutrition.
In CFS/FMS, however, it is as if the main
circuit breaker (in this situation it’s the hypothalamus—a master
gland in the brain) has turned off. When this
occurs, rest is no longer enough to restore proper
function.
Despite the many diverse stresses that can cause these syndromes, most patient’s symptoms seem to come from a common end point—dysfunction or suppression of the hypothalamus. This gland controls sleep, hormonal function, temperature regulation and the autonomic nervous system (e.g. blood pressure, blood flow and movement of food through the bowel). This is why these patients can’t sleep, have low body temperatures and are prone to multiple and recurrent infections (because poor sleep causes immune dysfunction). The hypothalamic dysfunction by itself can therefore cause most of the symptoms we listed above. In addition, I suspect that problems with the mitochondria (the “energy furnaces” in the cells) are also present and are what cause the hypothalamic suppression.
So how does this lead to the weight gain?
This process contributes to weight gain in several
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| We set off the fight or flight reaction dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day. |
ways. These include poor sleep. The
expression “getting your beauty sleep” actually
has a basis in fact. Deep sleep is a major trigger for growth hormone production. Growth hormone
stimulates production of muscle (which
burns fat) and improves insulin sensitivity
(which decreases the tendency to make fat).
The other two main triggers for growth
hormone production are exercise and sex. In
fact, a study showed that people who have sex
at least three times a week look 10 years
younger than those who don’t. The study
notes that this is because of the increase in
growth hormone release. Oddly enough, getting
the eight to nine hours of sleep a night
that the human body is meant to have can
powerfully contribute to our staying young
and trim.
Why do you say that the human body
is meant to have eight to nine hours
of sleep a night?
One hundred years ago the average American
got nine hours of sleep a night. This means
that as many people had 10 hours of sleep a
night as got eight hours. If you ask anthropologists,
they will tell you that the average night’s
sleep 5000 years ago was 11 to 12 hours a night.
When the sun went down, it was dark, boring
and dangerous outside—so people went to
sleep. They woke up at sunrise and the average
time from sunset to sunrise is 12 hours a day.
As candles and torches became more
common, people went down to the nine hours
a night. When light bulbs, followed by radios,
televisions and computers were developed, the
average night’s sleep went down to the current
six or seven hours. This is simply not adequate
for health and contributes to much of the
chronic pain, fatigue and general poor vitality
seen in this country. Sadly, not getting adequate
sleep can then actually trigger insomnia
so that people are not able to sleep.
How else does stress
contribute to weight gain?
As we noted above, the hypothalamic “circuit
breaker” that gets suppressed with stress
also controls our hormone system. This results
in inadequate levels of thyroid hormone
(which acts as our body’s gas pedal) and
adrenal hormone. The blood tests that we currently
use are notoriously unreliable in picking
up thyroid and adrenal deficiencies. This is
discussed at length in my book From Fatigued
to Fantastic! We noted over a decade ago that
every few years the tests and their normal
range are modified to result in millions more
people (who previously had been told by their
doctors that they were crazy or that there’s
nothing wrong with them) being diagnosed
with hypothyroidism.
This happened again last November when
the American Academy of Clinical
Endocrinology changed the normal range for
the TSH blood test in a way that resulted in 13
million more Americans having hypothyroidism.
As always, they think that now we
finally have them all. Unfortunately, even with
this new change, many millions of Americans
who suffer with hypothyroidism still have
normal blood tests. In addition, the most
common medication used to treat hypothyroidism
(Synthroid) is ineffective or inadequately
effective in a large percent of patients.
As long as your thyroid function is inadequate,
it will be near impossible for you to keep your
weight down.
So how can I tell
if I need thyroid hormone?
The symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue,
weight gain, cold intolerance with low body
temperature (under 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit),
achiness and poor mental function. You don’t
have to have all of these. Having even a few of
these symptoms is enough to justify a therapeutic
trial of thyroid hormone. The form that
I recommend is Armour thyroid, and it should
be adjusted to the dose that feels best while
keeping the Free T4 blood test in the normal
range. I do not recommend using the TSH
blood test to monitor therapy as it often results
in patients being under treated. Although this
approach is controversial, hundreds, if not
thousands, of doctors are using it, as they find
it to be highly effective.
What other hormone problems
are contributing to the weight gain?
The adrenal gland is the body’s stress handler.
If you think back to school, they used to teach
about what is called the “fight or flight We set off the fight or flight reaction dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day. reaction.” In times of stress, the adrenal gland
would release cortisol and adrenaline. This
might occur every few weeks when we saw a
saber tooth tiger or an enemy. It would then
have plenty of time to recover. Nowadays,
however, we set off the fight or flight reaction
dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day. This
can result in exhaustion of the adrenal gland.
Since it is the job of the adrenal gland to
maintain blood sugar levels in the time of
stress, adrenal exhaustion can result in
episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If
you get periods where you feel like somebody
had better feed you now or you’re going to kill
them, you are likely hypoglycemic and would
benefit from adrenal support. Other symptoms
of inadequate adrenal function include
emotionally and physically crashing during
stress, low blood pressure and dizziness when
first standing. Unfortunately, people crave
sugar and eat more than they normally would
when they get hypoglycemic. This leads to further
weight gain.
What else is contributing
to the weight gain?
Clinical experience has shown that fungal (also
known as Candida or yeast) overgrowth contributes
powerfully to both sugar cravings and
weight gain. Although we do not know the
mechanism for this, we have repeatedly seen
that excess weight drops off once this overgrowth
is treated and eliminated. The main
causes of fungal overgrowth are excess sugar
intake and antibiotic use. Yeast grows by fermenting
sugar and requires an area that is
warm, dark and moist. This means that the gut
is an ideal environment for fungal overgrowth.
As the American diet adds approximately 150
pounds of sugar per person per year beyond
what used to be in the diet hundreds of years
ago, it is easy to see how this would become a
problem. To look at it a bit more graphically,
soda has approximately one teaspoon of sugar
per ounce. Think about what happens to the
yeast in their gut when people go to the local
convenience store and get one of the 64-ounce
“big burps.”
The main symptoms of yeast overgrowth
are chronic sinusitis and spastic colon (gas,
bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation). If you
have these, you probably have fungal overgrowth.
The good news is that treating this
will not just help you to lose weight but can
relieve spastic colon and sinusitis.
How can I go about treating these
problems so that I can lose weight
and feel better?
- Cut down the sugar and simple carbohydrates (e.g. potatoes, bread and pasta) in your diet and increase your water intake. Do not count glasses of water—that is a very annoying way to spend the day. Instead, simply check in with your mouth and see if it is dry. If it is, you are thirsty and need to drink water. We sometimes confuse thirst with hunger and this leaves us eating more than we really need.
- Get optimum nutritional support. When you are deficient in vitamins or minerals, your body will crave more food than you need and your metabolism will be sluggish. To keep it simple and avoid the need to take tablets all day, I recommend that you use “The Energy Revitalization System” by Enzymatic Therapy. One scoop of a good-tasting powder plus one capsule replaces about 35 tablets of supplements a day and will leave you feeling great. It is available from most health food stores.
- Sleep. Get eight to nine hours of solid sleep a night. If you have insomnia, herbals can help. I recommend “Revitalizing Sleep Formula” (by Enzymatic Therapy): one to four capsules an hour before bedtime. This is a mix of six herbals and is the most effective natural sleep aid available.
- Thyroid. If you are also tired and have cold intolerance or achiness, ask your holistic doctor for a prescription of Armour Thyroid. Adjust to the dose that feels best while keeping the Free T4 blood test in the normal range. Forinstructions on adjusting the dose.*
- Exercise. Find something that is fun and feels good. It also helps to have a regularly scheduled time three to four times a week where you meet a friend to exercise. Otherwise, human nature is to make excuses not to show up.
- Yeast treatments. If you have chronic sinusitis or spastic colon, there is a good chance you have fungal/yeast overgrowth in your bowels. Avoid sugar (stevia is a great substitute and the best tasting one is by Body Ecology™). Take Acidophilus Pearls™ (healthy milk bacteria to combat yeast—this is the only brand I recommend): two pearls twice a day. If you have a holistic physician, ask him or her for a prescription for nystatin and Diflucan.*
- Adrenal stress support. Start by making an attitude change. Whenever you notice that you’re getting anxious or worried, ask yourself the simple question, “Am I in imminent danger?” The answer is almost always no and you’ll find that your adrenal glands relax as you realize this. If you have problems with relaxing or letting go of worry, my new book Three Steps to Happiness!—Healing through Joy can help you get from where you are to a life that you love. The book is available at www.Amazon.com.* If you are experiencing hypoglycemic episodes, consider taking an adrenal glandular. I recommend Adrenal Stress Free, one to two capsules each morning, as needed.
- Metabolic therapies. If you are still having weight problems, the best proven way to stimulate metabolism is with a combination of bitter orange (like ephedrine but safer), green tea, 100 mg caffeine (more is worse, not better) and a baby aspirin (or willow bark) each morning. Many products have this combination. As you may have noticed, I recommend Enzymatic Therapy products a lot because their quality is superb. They make an excellent weight loss product called Escalation. Do not use any of these products if you have heart problems or high blood pressure. Add one baby aspirin or willow bark to the Escalation.
It is no longer necessary to be on extreme,
unsustainable or unhealthy diets to lose weight
and keep it off. The recommendations above
will not just help you stay trim but they will
leave you healthy and full of vitality as well.
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is a board certified
internist and director of the Annapolis
Research Center for Effective
CFS/Fibromyalgia Therapies. Having suffered
with and overcome these illnesses in 1975, he
spent the next 28 years creating, researching
and teaching about effective therapies. He sees
CFS/Fibromyalgia/Chronic pain patients
from all over the world in his clinic in
Annapolis, Maryland (410-266-6958). He lectures
internationally. He is also the author of
the best-selling book From Fatigued to
Fantastic! and the just released Three Steps to
Happiness!—Healing through Joy.”
*Author’s note: One hundred percent of the royalties from products that I make go to charity and I do not take money from any company whose products I recommend.
Information on our studies and additional information on “Treatment protocol” in this article can be found on my Web site. My books are also available on my Web site at www.vitality101.com and also on Amazon.com
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