Our diet is not always the only culprit when it comes to weight gain. Medical and other factors are sometimes at play.
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
Hypothyroidism causes a slow metabolism and a slow metabolism leads to weight gain.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the amount of energy or calories that your body uses to function.
When your metabolism slows down, fewer calories are burned and all the rest are saved as fat. This fat easily accumulates around the organs, such as the kidneys.
When you have a fast metabolism, calories are burned faster. People with a fast metabolism can eat a lot without gaining weight – aren’t they lucky?
Anti-depressants and some other medications are also known to slow down one’s metabolism.
Did you know that eating more often can help you lose weight?
Small, healthy meals or snacks every 3+ hours keep your metabolism going and your body stays in a state of burning calories. This means your body uses all the calories you take in and none of it gets stored as fat.
How to improve your metabolism:
- Cardiovascular exercise stimulates the metabolism, helps burn calories and can even suppress your appetite after the workout. This includes running, swimming, aerobics and walking.
- B-vitamins (found in BODY BASICS capsules) accelerates the metabolism.
- Green tea increases metabolism and encourages fat loss.
- Studies have shown that vitamin D (found in Aloe Multi Plus) causes weight loss, mainly around the waist. Lower vitamin D levels are associated with weight gain, especially in older women.
- Coffee improves a slow metabolism and increases energy levels.
- Drink enough water, black tea, ginger tea, high-protein drink and vegetable juices – it helps to speed up the metabolism.
Other causes of weight gain:
- Salt causes water retention and all the water accumulating in the body leads to weight gain. Reduce salt intake. Less salt is beneficial for high blood pressure and your kidneys will also benefit from it.
- With age, activities mostly decrease, causing muscle loss and an increase in fat storage. Consider an appropriate exercise program, even if it’s only a brisk walk once or twice a day. Every little bit helps.
- Insomnia leads to greater calorie intake as more energy is needed to compensate for a lack of sleep.
- Cortisol, a stress hormone, is secreted during long periods of stress and anxiety. This leads to Cushion’s Syndrome and weight gain, especially around the midsection.
- Emotional instability can lead to cravings and passivity, which lead to fewer calories being burned and extra weight being gained.
Aloe Ferox products to use:
BODY BASICS
B-vitamins accelerate the metabolism.
APPETITE CONTROL
Contains the following that helps with weight loss:
African Bush Mango – promotes weight loss.
Gymnema Sylvestre – helps stabilise blood sugar levels and reduces cravings.
Green Tea – suppresses appetite and improves energy levels.
Chromium – necessary for better insulin functioning to control blood sugar levels and assist the body with fat burning.
ALOE FEROX JUICE
Stabilises blood sugar levels, which results in less cravings.
Help to control appetite, due to the rich fibre content.
Boosts the immune system.