| Leptin is one of the most important hormones in | | | | the label, you may notice that there is more fructose |
| weight gain and weight loss. This substance sends a | | | | than whole wheat in whole wheat bread! |
| signal to your brain that you are full, and you don't | | | | 2. Don't eat a lot of food, even healthy food, at any |
| need to eat more. It also sends a signal to fat cells | | | | single meal. You'll have fatty acids floating around in |
| to break down fat into a form that is useful for | | | | your bloodstream that will stop the signal that your |
| making energy. Anything you do to make your body | | | | fat cells are full. |
| more sensitive to leptin helps you take off pounds | | | | 3. Don't eat a lot of carbohydrate. Other forms of |
| faster. | | | | carbohydrate can be as detrimental as fructose if |
| The more fat cells you have, the more of this | | | | they are eaten in success, and any starchy food |
| weight loss hormone they make. This hormone helps | | | | becomes sugar when it is digested. |
| put the brakes on weight gain, that is, unless you | | | | 4. Don't go to bed on a full stomach. Your brain is |
| suffer leptin resistance. The major culprit behind the | | | | most receptive to this weight-loss hormone during |
| resistance phenomenon is high-fructose corn syrup, a | | | | sleep. If you have eaten just before you turn in for |
| form of sugar refined from corn starch that is | | | | the night, your fat cells won't be making the |
| ubiquitous in American processed food products. | | | | hormone while the brain is particularly sensitive to it. |
| High-fructose corn syrup short-circuits the pathway | | | | 5. And, finally, eat protein with breakfast. Protein |
| between the fat cells and the brain. The brain never | | | | activates other satisfaction signals that will help you |
| gets the message that your fat cells are full, so you | | | | get through the day without overindulging in |
| want to eat, and eat, and eat. The more | | | | high-calorie foods. |
| high-fructose corn syrup you consume, the more you | | | | There is some preliminary science that suggests that |
| want--which is terrific if you happen to be a food | | | | extracts of the seeds of the African bush mango, |
| products manufacturer. But it's devastating if you are | | | | Irvingia gabonensi, may also help. In a clinical trial, |
| a dieter. | | | | volunteers who used the herb experienced a 49 per |
| Fortunately, there are five steps you can take to | | | | cent reduction in leptin levels, meaning their bodies |
| overcome this artificial resistance to weight loss. The | | | | became much more sensitive to the hormone. Those |
| first is obvious: | | | | same dieters lost an average of 28 pounds and six |
| 1. Don't eat foods that contain high-fructose corn | | | | inches off the waist, in just 10 weeks. Following the |
| syrup. This includes almost all commercial baked | | | | five rules above, however, will have a similar effect. |
| goods, and most "whole grain" breads. If you read | | | | |