When we think about weight loss we don’t tend to associate it with inflammation. So, how does inflammation affect weight loss?
Our bodies are marvellous vessels. They are built with their own ability to do their own detoxifying, healing & protection.
Protection occurs when they body is in a state of inflammation. PCOS and Endometriosis both can cause a state of inflammation.
Our body will struggle to lose weight when it feels inflammation as they are two opposite systems. The body’s first intention is to protect and retain, so when it detects inflammation, this will become its focus, not weight loss.
To lose weight the body needs to focus on using up and burning fat cells not protecting and retaining. This depletes our mechanism of survival. With women diagnosed with PCOS and Endometriosis who find weight loss a big challenge this explains a lot.
The standard theory for weight loss to occur states - eat less, then instead of your body storing fat it will use the energy stored to carry out normal daily functions. We can also ask it to burn more by adding exercise.
For women with PCOS and Endometriosis it becomes exceptionally challenging to burn off this energy. It is not just a matter of eating less and moving more. Because the body is fighting inflammation it wants to retain the energy we have for protection.
Now what can we do if want to lose weight and have PCOS and Endometriosis present?
It is vitally important that we reduce the inflammation first. Once that has occurred the body can resume its normal process of burning stored energy (fat).
What can we do to reduce inflammation?
Research shows eating foods rich in:
Antioxidants can assist the body. Antioxidants can be found in vibrantly coloured foods, berries (blueberries, blackberries, goji, cranberry, raspberry), green leafy vegetables (bok choy, spinach, kale, broccoli), citrus foods (oranges, limes, grapefruits).
Omega 3 such as salmon, sardines, chia seeds and walnuts (remembering marine omega 3’s are richer for the body than plant-based omega-3s). If eating fish and seafood isn’t an option or you aren’t consistent in eating oily fish twice a week, source out a high-quality Omega 3 supplement.
Including in a range of foods rich in healthy oils, such as almonds, peanuts, avocado, extra virgin olive oil and seeds will also provide a protective effect to the body and work to reduce inflammation.
A Mediterranean style diet has been indicated to be the best kind to assist in reducing inflammation as it has a strong focus on the above 3 nutrients as well as being plant based with rich sources of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.
How much do you need to eat to help reduce inflammation?
My tip, is to at each meal of your day:
Try and work to include some veggies
Add in oily fish 2 times per week
Include some healthy oils (1 tbsp EVO; 30g nuts; 1/3 avocado or 1 tbsp of peanut butter) each day
Every day, always eat your berries and green leafy veggies – they are non-negotiable foods to your body when combating inflammations
If you can work every day just by making small changes this will positively affect your inflammation levels and in turn assist with weight loss.
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