Category Archives: Health

Mythbusting #2: “Boosting Your Metabolism”

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Health, Nutrition and tagged with ,

Dr. Oz is the king of the “boost your metabolism” claim… I swear, almost every show he does offers some crazy food, vitamin, supplement or substance that will help you “burn fat faster,” “gain more energy,” or “enhance calorie burning.” Between him and other various diet “gurus” out there, we read a lot about green tea extract, drinks with cayenne pepper, red mango extract and myriad other potions, powders and pills.  In reality: It just doesn’t work. (And if it does, even a tiny little bit, it won’t make a darn bit of difference in your weight).

Save your money. Here’s why.

As we’ve talked about previously, metabolism is simply your body’s way of using food to create energy – for physical activity, for your brain, for digestion, breathing, etc. Each person’s metabolism rate is slightly different, based on genetics, ethnicity, health status, physical activity levels, weight and BMI (body mass index), and other factors such as overall food intake. We typically measure metabolism by looking at total calories burned by your body during daily activities (and we measure this based on intricate calculations and/or by measuring gases you inhale and exhale each day).

Now, while your body may experience very small jumps in metabolism rate after eating certain foods, taking supplements, or drinking very cold liquids, for example, these changes are typically very small and/or temporary, and will not serve to boost additional calories (or help you lose weight) in the long term. The best way truly increase the calories you burn is to increase your activity level and/or to increase your overall muscle mass. Muscle requires more energy for your body to maintain, so strength training can be a great way to burn additional calories – as well as improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and bone density. Try 30 minutes 3 times a week. High intensity interval training (HIIT), or short bursts of very intense exercise, has also been shown to provide a metabolic boost, for up to 24 hours post-exercise.

Treat your body right. And it will treat you right!

Sugar vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup: Is One Better than the Other?

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Health, Nutrition, Research and tagged with ,

sugar_spoon-jpg

There’s a debate raging in the media, amongst moms and families, and even within the medical and scientific communities about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Some believe that HFCS is approximately “equal” to sugar in terms of chemical structure, sweetening power, and health effects, but others are claiming HFCS is responsible for everything from obesity to diabetes. To better understand the issue, below are some common questions and answers.

What is HFCS?

Simply put, HFCS is a liquid sweetener, made from corn, that is used to sweeten a variety of products, including sodas, juices, prepared foods, ketchup, sauces, salad dressings and hundreds of other items. It was discovered in 1957, industrialized for mass production in the early 1970s, and made widely available in the US in the 1980s. For a fun example of how HFCS is made (along with a dose of humor and political savvy), check out the documentary, “King Corn,” about two recent college graduates who buy a single acre of farmland in Iowa to grow corn and then venture into making HFCS in their kitchen. http://www.kingcorn.net/

What’s the difference between sugar and HFCS?

Chemically, the two are very similar. Each is a combination of two natural sugars (glucose and fructose). Table sugar is approximately 50% fructose and 50% glucose, while the most commonly used version of HFCS is about 55% fructose and 45% glucose. HFCS typically has a longer shelf life than sugar and is easily portable in its liquid form, and thus is a convenient and desirable ingredient for sweetening packaged or processed foods. While it’s often believed that ounce for ounce, HFCS is sweeter than sugar, both have approximately the same level of sweetness and the same calories (4 calories per gram).

Why is HFCS so controversial? 

HFCS strikes a highly political note in terms of its origins and production. Many believe that the US is over-producing corn, due to ongoing government subsidies paid to farmers to grow corn. And, increasingly, much of the corn grown in the US is grown from genetically modified seeds (seeds that have been altered to be pest resistant, drought resistant or otherwise “non-native” seeds).  The science on the effects of genetic modification is still largely in flux: food products grown from modified seeds appear to be safe, but they have not been studied long enough to conclude there are no ill effects on humans, animals, or the environment.  Additionally, the massive production of cheap and often modified corn has created a surplus – more corn than we need to eat or feed animals with – and thus, new ways to use all this extra corn were needed. Because of the subsidies and the surplus of corn, HFCS is a very inexpensive sweetener to produce. And because it is so cheap to produce and use, it is found virtually everywhere, from breads to beverages to everything in between. As of 2008, about half of all sweeteners used in the US was HFCS.

What about health impacts of HFCS?

The increasing usage of HFCS in beverages and other food products parallels the increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other related diseases in the US.  Since the 1970’s and 80s, we have seen increased rates of sugar consumption, as well increases in the average calorie intake and the average weight of both children and adults. Because of the similar timing between growing obesity rates and HFCS usage, fructose and HFCS have been at the center of a great deal of research and debate.

Additionally, it is known that fructose is metabolized by the body via a slightly different process as compared to glucose or other natural sugars. This is some of the basis for concern regarding the health impacts of HFCS. Fructose is largely metabolized by the liver, unlike glucose (the latter of which goes straight into your blood stream and waiting organs after being digested by your intestines). Over-consumption of fructose can lead to the storage of excess fructose as fat in the liver, putting individuals at risk for fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, liver failure, insulin resistance and other serious health problems. Recent studies have also shown that high concentrations of fructose can decrease satiety (feelings of fullness after eating) and increase hunger levels, leading to over-eating and weight gain. For a highly entertaining (and very opinionated) lecture on more of the potential perils of fructose, check out the UCSF’s Dr. Robert Lustig’s very popular YouTube lecture. He also has a new book out, which I’m looking forward to reading, called Fat Chance

Ultimately, hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted over the last 5-10 years to evaluate the effects of eating or drinking large quantities of fructose, with varying results. Some studies have shown that high amounts of fructose may interfere with or alter the body’s normal metabolic processes, which can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, gout and other related diseases. However, to date, the research cannot 100% conclusively point to HFCS as “worse” (or better!) than regular table sugar when it comes to your health.

What’s the bottom line for my health?

Sugar, in any form and in large quantities, can have adverse impacts on your health and the health of your family. For young children with growing bodies and developing teeth, sugar can cause cavities and lead to the consumption of too many calories, resulting in overweight or obesity. As mentioned above, excess sugar and calories can also lead to metabolic issues, including type 2 diabetes. Americans eat about 80 pounds of sugar each year (which averages out to about 21 sugar cubes per day, or 8,000 sugar cubes each year!). This means that Americans are eating more than 300 calories per day just in sugar. Yuk. Thus, it’s wise to minimize overall consumption of all sweeteners and products that contain them if you can. If you’re looking for something sweet, choose whole fruit, healthy veggies like sweet potatoes and yams, and make sure to eat a balanced diet.

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Eating less: Is it the right message?

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Health, Nutrition

This was the subject of a session I attended at the recent FNCE (food and nutrition conference and expo) in Philadelphia, and I admit, I was intrigued (and not just because my “cookbook idol” Ellie Krieger was speaking on the panel!). In today’s world of sobering statistics around obesity (according to the CDC, 2/3 of all adults in the US are overweight or obese, and 1/3 of children are suffering the same fate), portion size is slung around pretty aggressively. Look at Mayor Bloomberg and his recent law downsizing soda sizes in NYC, or the ready availability of “100-calorie packs” of whatever you might desire in your local grocery store. And it’s true, portion sizes in the US have grown TREMENDOUSLY in the last several decades. For example, food packaging and common portion sizes in popular dishes in the US are 25% larger than in France, where obesity rates are lower. And, back in the US, items in fast food restaurants have increased 2-5x in size over the past 2-3 decades, with diners eating 30-50% more from these larger restaurant portions. Even our dinner plate has increased in size by some 36% since 1960. And while it may seem obvious, it should be clearly stated: big portions = big intake. Big portions usually = big calories.  So yes, we are eating too much.

But what if that’s not actually true? What if it’s just that we’re eating too much of the wrong thing(s)?! How can we change the discussion and give people the freedom and permission to eat MORE sometimes (and still stay healthy)? That seems like a much happier solution, and one people are more likely to follow and/or stick with.

Which brings me back to Ellie Krieger and Barbara Rolls. Their session was creative and enlightening, and did not put the onus for how much we eat solely on individuals. It’s also an environmental thing; consumption norms have crept and leapt upwards. We don’t always know what a “normal” or healthy size portion is anymore thanks to Super Size this and Vente that. So, we should work on building that awareness and/or changing those norms. But, in the mean time, let’s look at how we can be healthy by EATING MORE. Crazy, huh?!  Here Rolls and Krieger presented some great ideas about how to still eat a lot, but keep calories and fat low. Some of the strategies they outlined were:

  • Increase the water content of your foods. This naturally lowers calories. Examples include soups, broths, fruits and veggies. You can get a lot of food for few calories by increasing overall water content (and a lot of great nutrients too!).
  • Add vegetables into a cooked dish. This can replace other fatty or high-calorie ingredients, or simply increase the water and nutrient content, so again, you’re getting a dish that has few calories, but you can still eat a lot.
  • Variety. We get bored easily with our food. Including a wide variety of fruits and veggies at every meal can lead you to eat more of those (and less of the “other stuff”). Bright colors and interesting textures help too.
  • For kids (and adults!), try including some “stealth veggies” too – add veggie purees (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.) to soups, stews, sauces, baked goods. Or, create a healthy syrup for pancakes with fresh or frozen fruit puree. Ellie Krieger has a great cookbook that talks about how to add purees to foods to lower the calorie content, while adding flavor and increasing nutrient content. I just ordered it and can’t wait to dig in! (Now this doesn’t mean you stop trying to get your kids to try “naked” broccoli, carrots, beans, etc. – you definitely want to do both!)
  • Don’t scrimp on taste. If you like to saute your veggies in (a little) butter or olive oil, and that gives them enough flavor that you’ll want to eat 2 cups instead of 1/2, go for it. Satiety and flavor are key to building a dietary pattern and habits you can actually stick to. Find low-fat, flavorful sauces you like and use those for stir fry or dipping. You don’t need to suffer to eat healthy!

If you follow some of these strategies, you can still eat a LOT of food. But you’ll probably be a lot healthier. Win-win?

Future dietitians can wind up with metabolic issues… Ask me, I know.

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Health, Nutrition

(You’ve been warned: This is a long post! That said I hope you’ll keep reading.)

I’m not really even sure where to start this blog post, as it’s not clear where it all started… I’ve been lucky in that I’ve always been relatively thin and healthy, and I’ve always been athletic and a regular exerciser. But, when I think back on things, I’ve always, ALWAYS had an insane craving for sweets and other carb-y, starchy foods.  I’ve been known (since I was a young kid) to eat myself sick on more than one occasion (usually on sweets). And for the last 10-15 years, I can remember always wanting to ensure I had food with me – with the thought of being or getting hungry and not having food available generating significant anxiety (despite the fact I’ve never gone hungry in my life). You should see my purse – filled with snack bars, packages of nuts, granola, dried fruit, etc. I’d like to say it was for my kids, but damn if I didn’t get really pissed when someone ate some of *my* snacks.

Then there’s the stuff that started happening more recently — the rapid and unwelcome weight gain, despite the fact that I was exercising like a madwoman; the increased hunger and near-obsession with thinking about food; the low energy; and what probably sent me over the “edge” (or at least to the sports med doctor) – the continually disappointing, exhausting and almost painful workouts and races I experienced over the past 6 months. At first I thought it was just that starting grad school and managing a family with 3 small kids was taking its toll on me (which is what my regular doc said), but eventually that just wasn’t a good enough answer. No one was going to interfere with my workouts, dammit: They are my sanity!  I rely on that “me time” (and the endorphins are a nice boost too).

So off I went this past June to a great sports med doc here in Seattle. She’s a friend of one of my nutrition professors and an article in Huffington Post about her work really sounded like I could learn something. However, going into it, I just thought she’d tell me to tweak my workouts, space my meals out differently, or something else rather obvious that I’d simply overlooked. I did NOT expect her to tell me that I have some really weird metabolic stuff going on. But I’m getting ahead of myself….

During my first visit, I completed a battery of tests to measure/assess my body composition (fat mass vs lean mass), ability to utilize oxygen during exercise (VO2 max), heart rate recovery post-exercise, resting metabolism rate, and completed something called the anaerobic threshold test. For a sporty, data geek like me, this was an awesome experience – running on the treadmill hooked up to all kinds of wires and displays; the whole nine yards. Then, I sat down with Dr. Cooper who looked at me and said, “Well, you’re right, something’s not right here. I just don’t really know what that is.”  D’oh!

What we found is that 1) my heart rate drops more than 100 beats in 2 minutes following intense exercise (you typically want to see no more than 50 beat drop) – meaning that my metabolism doesn’t really have any “after-burn” after intense exercise, unlike most people (typically, after high intensity exercise, your metabolism is cranked up for up to 12-24 hours after… not mine!), 2) my VO2 max test showed really strange results indicating inefficiencies in burning carbohydrates and a general trend to just “hit the wall” even though I’m well-trained, 3) I burn fat way more than I burn carbs.

Now #3 sounds like a nice thing if you want to lose fat, but for an athlete, it’s really not good. Carbs are your main source of fuel and a super important staple of rapid energy during exercise, especially endurance exercise like running. Fat is slow burning, inefficient and can cause a host of other issues by having so much free fatty acids coursing through your blood (hello high triglycerides, risk for heart disease, etc.). A typical trained athlete (female) will burn approximately 30-50% fat and the rest carbs during moderate endurance exercise and burn 0% fat (i.e. all carbs!) during high intensity and/or anaerobic exercise. Me?  I was burning upwards of 60-70% fat at moderate intensity levels and still burning nearly 30% even at anaerobic/super high intensity. No wonder I felt like crap. There was really not enough “in the tank” to keep me going. So I left the first visit feeling grateful it wasn’t all in my head, but really confused about just what was happening (and why!).

Next up, I went through a battery of blood tests to check levels of hormones like insulin, thyroid hormone, and cortisol; as well as electrolytes and nutrients such as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium and more. One of the most interesting tests was a series where I fasted overnight, did a fasting blood draw, then ate a meal (in the lab!) and then had post-meal blood draws every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours. The results of these tests were VERY interesting. As I noted in my last post about the “hormone cocktail” that is your body, when one thing is out of whack, a lot of things can end up out of whack as well.  The biggest thing we found is that after I eat, instead of my blood sugar increasing (as a result of glucose from digestion of my food) for the first 1-2 hours and then gradually dropping (as is normal), my blood sugar was instead rapidly plummeting, triggering hypoglycemia. And, my insulin response to my meal was much more aggressive than it needed to be to deal with the glucose that was actually consumed – clearing away too much blood sugar and then leaving my body in a state of (in its view) starvation.

We also found that my cortisol (the stress hormone) levels were excessively high (hello rapid weight gain) and my leptin levels (the “satiety hormone”) were low (oh how I hate you, Constant Hunger).  The net package is that my body thinks it is nearly always hungry, even though it’s getting healthy balanced meals, and the plummeting blood sugar is its way of signaling me to feed it – which just sets off the whole cycle again. And, I also have some of the other issues associated with hypoglycemia – fatigue, lack of ability to concentrate, anxiety, etc. Dr. Cooper calls this whole picture: “reactive hypoglycemia.”

As one might expect of a nutrition graduate student, I promptly went home and read about 30 scientific research studies on this topic, which were somewhat ridiculously hard to come by. This over-production of insulin in an otherwise healthy person (e.g. I have a BMI of 22, my blood pressure is ridiculously low, my fasting blood sugar is 94 and my triglycerides and cholesterol are also low) is not common, and is downright atypical from what I could find. Oh Great. And, some of the possible causes are pancreatic tumor and/or being in a very early, early stage of type 2 diabetes. Double Great.  Other causes can be simple genetics, which I’m hoping is the case. Still, I’m frustrated, confused and a little scared. How can someone as healthy as me be, well, perhaps not so healthy?

So where am I now? Well, we’re currently in the midst of some slightly random (to me, anyway) “experiments” to see if we can get my blood sugar and insulin levels to correspond a bit better. I’m currently taking a couple different medications that are targeted at slowing carbohydrate digestion and gastric emptying, to see if we can moderate the levels going in as well as the insulin response to them. I’m also eating slightly smaller and more frequent meals, and making sure I have a mixture of complex carbs (low-glycemic), fat and protein at each meal, to avoid any major “spikes.”  And, in a really weird twist of sports nutrition, I’m eating immediately before I exercise (like 5 minutes before), rather than a few hours ahead, so that the food I consume is able to provide rapid blood sugar and energy for my exercise rather than being cleared away leaving me high and dry and/or being stored as fat.  (During moderate to high intensity exercise, insulin is suppressed, as you’d want it to be, so that your blood sugar and glycogen stores are readily available and able to fuel up your muscles and cardiovascular and respiratory systems).

I’d like to say that after 8 weeks of this I feel awesome and am ready to add a few more races to my calendar this summer/fall, but I’d be a big fat liar. Frankly, I feel like crap still. And I’m really frustrated with that. But, I see small glimpses of light here and there – an awesome feeling run a couple days ago (about 2 minutes/mile faster than what I’d been doing lately, even) and a few more days without desperately needing a nap. Add to that, 10 pounds gone. Even better, however, is the lack of insane hunger and constant worrying about my next meal. That may sound weird to anyone with normal metabolism, but it really only just occurred to me in the midst of all this, how anxious about food I’d become.

Through all of this, I have a newfound (and profound) understanding of just how hard weight loss can be for some people. While the accepted wisdom is that “calories in (food) vs calories out (exercise)” explain our body weight, it’s really not that simple. Genetics, hormones, stress, and so many other things can really influence this. I was absolutely killing it at the gym the past 6 months and yet gained 13 pounds. And I wasn’t eating Cheetos and Big Macs either.  While I do love my occasional cupcake or ice cream, my diet is largely lean meats, veggies, low-fat dairy, fruit and nuts.  It just didn’t feel “fair”!

Metabolism is an extremely complex thing and we need to respect this. And, as a society, we need to not over-simplify the “weight thing” – nor judge others. We really can’t know what someone’s world is like unless we’ve walked a mile in their shoes.  And yes, even “skinny girls” can wind up with metabolic issues. Future dietitians too.

I’ll keep you all posted as this plays out, but wanted to share. If you feel like your body has “gone off the rails” in any way, listen to that voice in your head. Take charge and find out what’s happening. It’s important. And so are YOU!

Hormone soup. (Or, what do cortisol, insulin, glucagon & leptin have to do with my metabolism?)

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Health

You hear all the time about “blood sugar” levels, and how you shouldn’t let them “spike” or “plummet,” but very few publications (or even doctors!) seem to bother to explain (a) what the hell blood sugar is and why it’s important, and (b) how it relates to health, metabolism and/or chronic disease. So, I thought I’d write up a primer, as a prelude to some future blog posts on metabolism, hormonal imbalances, and other not-so-fun-but-increasingly-common health issues.

Blood sugar: What’s the Big Deal?

Your body needs to closely regulate its supply of glucose, as it is one of the most important fuels to support major body functions – your brain, your muscles, your various biological systems, etc. Glucose comes from digestion of the food you eat – primarily carbohydrates, but also fats (and to some degree, protein) — and your liver can also make glucose when your food supplies have run low (e.g you haven’t eaten in a while, such as overnight).  “Enough” glucose (which your body closely monitors) is important to maintain energy for daily activity, physical activity, and the aforementioned biological processes, but too much (hyperglycemia) is also problematic. In this case, the sugars in your blood can cause imbalances in all kinds of hormonal systems (see below) and can cause kidney damage, neurological damage, poor wound healing, damage to blood vessels, blindness and much more. These issues usually take place over a relatively long period of time, but many of them are irreversible, so clearly, you want to avoid them!

Hypoglycemia is the opposite of this scenario, and this is where your blood (and thus, many of your cells and systems) doesn’t have enough glucose to do the jobs necessary to keep the body functioning well. This can lead to fatigue, sluggishness, inability to concentrate, low athletic performance, weight gain, and again, a host of metabolic or hormonal issues. Thus, maintaining your blood glucose (“sugar”) levels in an optimal range is really important for your health. A typical healthy range for blood glucose is between 80-100 mg/dl (fasting). After about age 40, you should check your blood glucose levels annually. If you have a family history of diabetes or other related issues, talk to your doctor and begin annual checks earlier as appropriate.

Insulin: Under-appreciated and VERY Important!

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in response to the arrival of new glucose (“yay, food!”).  This means that as you start eating, the pancreas begins to release insulin, whose job is to take any excess glucose above and beyond immediate needs  (maintaining that optimal blood sugar range I mentioned above) and shuttle it to liver, muscles and fat cells for storage (as something called glycogen). Thus, insulin is heavily involved in dealing with the products of fat and carbohydrate foods you consume, but also, to a lesser degree to proteins and their amino acids. Problems can occur with insulin levels or the pancreas when constant high levels of carbs or fats are eaten – making the pancreas work over-time to produce insulin to “clear” all that glucose from the bloodstream. Or, other hormonal imbalances can also send the pancreas wrong signal and keep it working when it shouldn’t be (sometimes resulting in hypoglycemia – where too much insulin is produced and it begins to clear away way too much blood sugar). Either situation is problematic – for the obvious reasons of either high or low blood sugar and the problems they cause. But, an overworked pancreas is also a serious concern on its own, because the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin can “burn out” (and they don’t regenerate often or well, if at all). Once your pancreas gets “tired,” it may slow down in producing insulin, or stop altogether. Then, your blood sugar cannot be carefully maintained, and the problems mentioned above can begin to creep in. Type 2 diabetes can result, which is a serious disease with numerous complications (and is linked to other chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke). As an aside, Type 1 diabetes is usually a genetic condition that results from no insulin (or insufficient amounts) being produced by the pancreas and is treated with insulin injections to maintain blood sugar levels.

Glucagon: Insulin’s Alter Ego

Glucagon is a hormone also produced by the pancreas (different cells than insulin) and its job is *increase* blood sugar levels as appropriate. The typical scenario is several hours after eating or after an overnight fast, where your body no longer has any immediate or short-term source of glucose “lying around” and thus needs your liver to release or make some to keep you on the straight and narrow. Glucagon turns insulin off, thereby providing a nice counter-balance. In biochemical terms, this is called homeostasis – or a nice pretty system with plenty of checks and balances.

Cortisol: Quick Energy in Times of Need (and Your Worst Enemy in Over-Stressed Times)

Another hormone, this time produced by your adrenal glands, cortisol’s role is to help your body free up energy when you urgently need it. It’s one of those “fight or flight” helpers, and tells your body, “Hey, there’s an emergency here, we need energy!” In times of stress, cortisol helps your body release short-term stores of glucose (stored as glycogen), tells your liver to produce more glucose (via something called gluconeogenesis) and sends a signal to break down fat cells to provide energy. This may happen in response to your nerves about an upcoming presentation, ferrying your small child out of the middle of the street from the path of an oncoming car, or any other sort of stressful scenario. In the short-term, this is a good and positive thing. However, in today’s modern world, many of us are constantly in a state of stress, and thus, levels of cortisol are high and sending some of our body’s processes well into over-drive. In this case, cortisol starts to over-ride some of our normal regulatory processes with blood glucose and insulin levels (it counteracts insulin), and may even serve to increase fat storage over time (as your body tries to hold on to fuel to use in stressful situations). This is not a good thing.

Leptin: Your Fat Cells Are Talking to You

Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells and is often called the “satiety hormone,” because it is released when your body (in theory) has enough fuel stored and doesn’t need more. Thus, as you’re eating, and your body decides it’s got what it needs, leptin is released to tell you, “Hey, slow down, we’re done. We’re full here.” Conversely, in the case of low blood sugar/hypoglycemia (or just when you are hungry), your leptin levels will be low, signaling your body, “We need fuel! We’re hungry!”  You might expect that obese individuals would have very high levels of leptin – given its origination in the fat cells – but something seems to go haywire with leptin in various individuals, and leptin levels are actually lower (triggering more eating and additional weight gain).  It may be a case of too much leptin being produced initially and the body becomes “resistant” to its signals over time, so it’s just not released anymore, or it may be a result of a variety of hormones interfering with one another and lack of homeostasis. Net net, this can be an important issue in regulating weight and/or obesity.
Ghrelin: Feed Me Now, Dammit!

Ghrelin is leptin’s counterpart, where your body tells you, “Wow, I’m low on fuel, please feed me!” Ghrelin is released when fuel stores are low and serves to control your “feeding behavior” as we say in science-speak. Ghrelin levels are high before meals and decrease as you eat. Unfortunately, ghrelin levels can also be impacted by stress and/or other issues, such as lack of sleep. How many of you feel insanely hungry after a bad night’s (or several nights!) sleep? Ghrelin is often increased as a result of other hormonal activities that occur in under-slept individuals. (And, leptin can also be decreased in these cases, a double whammy making you super hungry and not always able to easily control your cravings or food intake). Been There, Eaten That.

There’s a lot of other stuff going on in that metabolic system of yours, but this at least offers some general insight – and perhaps give you an idea how complicated and complex it all can be. Throw just one piece of this overall system off and you can have some serious issues. More on that next time.