How many ways have you tried to manage your weight that were actually successful?
From fad diets, special exercises, restrictions, and unhealthy cleanses, it seems like no one can reach a consensus on what really helps us manage our weight. And it makes sense, since so many aspects of our health are integrated into our weight management.
However, there are certain aspects of weight management that matter more than others: glucose intake and chronic inflammation.
Glucose and inflammation affect our hormones, gut health, and appetite! Imbalances in these areas are precursors or current symptoms of autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and obesity. Managing glucose intake and chronic inflammation with dietary and lifestyle changes is possible and can make a difference.
What is Glucose?
Glucose is sugar from our food that our body turns into energy. Mostly from carbohydrates, glucose moves through our blood with the help of insulin. Insulin carries glucose through the blood, which then turns to blood sugar, and to the cells for energy and storage. Any glucose not used in our cells is then stored in the liver for another time.
Glucose and Weight Management
It’s not breaking news that extra sugar and carbohydrates can be a force affecting weight gain and management. But why?
Since glucose travels through our body—from the intestines to the cells, muscles, and liver— glucose has a huge part in our bodily functions!
“Saving it for Later.”
If we overpower our body with glucose that we don’t need, then our body saves it for later. This storage helps when we’re losing steam but don’t have food available. Super helpful for the caveman days, or even now when we missed lunch but still have a few more hours of work.
But this storage is not helpful when we have too much storage. Our liver and muscles store the extra glucose, and if they reach their limit, then they must turn the glucose into fat. The fat then is sent to our body tissues as a fat called triglyceride. The triglyceride then add weight to our body.
Insulin
Insulin is the hormone that sends our blood sugar through the blood and to the cells for effective use. Since it’s such a key player, insulin is greatly affected by how much glucose we consume. As we consume more glucose, our insulin levels also increase.
Increased levels of insulin can cause insulin resistance or high insulin levels. If you have insulin resistance, your muscles, fat, and liver have a hard time implementing insulin for cell energy. With this barrier, your pancreas steps in, allows more glucose into cells, and adds fat instead of using it for energy.
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a natural bodily process that occurs when our body wants to protect it from harm. It sends thousands of messages to kick the intruder out of our body.
Inflammation isn’t always bad. We need inflammation to quell sickness, allergies, injuries, and more. This type of inflammation is called acute inflammation. Examples of acute inflammation include swelling, fever, or soreness. Acute inflammation is only temporary.
Inflammation isn’t always bad. We need inflammation to quell sickness, allergies, injuries, and more. This type of inflammation is called acute inflammation. Examples of acute inflammation include swelling, fever, or soreness. Acute inflammation is only temporary.
On the flip side, some of us experience chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation results from the body constantly attacking an abnormality. Sometimes there isn’t always a specific cause that we can point to for chronic inflammation. In fact, the mysterious attack is what individuals with chronic illnesses experience. Not only can chronic inflammation cause permanent cell and tissue damage, it also can be extremely uncomfortable with symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and aches.
Chronic Inflammation and Weight Management
Inflammation and weight gain feed off each other. Weight gain can cause inflammation and inflammation can cause weight gain.
When our weight changes, our C-reactive protein levels increase. These proteins are inflammatory proteins, so if our weight is significantly changing, then inflammation is quickly spreading throughout the body. As a result, inflammation affects how our body reacts to leptin— a hormone crucial for maintaining ‘normal weight.’ As a result, inflammation affects how our body reacts to leptin— a hormone crucial for maintaining ‘normal weight.’
Leptin maintains body weight by sending you hunger signals and satiation signals. If your leptin is unregulated, then your body may feel hungry when you don’t need more food, causing you to overeat and then gain weight.
How are Glucose and Chronic Inflammation Connected?
As with everything we’ve talked about thus far, glucose and inflammation also follow an endless cycle. Chronic inflammation impairs insulin processing, which then harms glucose, and results in weight gain. Leptin acts similarly. As inflammation harms your leptin regulation, you may consume more glucose, which then adds to inflammation and glucose management, and then results in weight gain.
How to Naturally Manage Your Glucose & Inflammation Levels
Glucose is a natural part of our diet, and there are ways to manage it! Although it may seem like you’re trapped in an endless cycle of glucose and inflammation affecting your weight journey, there are easy changes you can make.
– Eat whole, non processed foods
– Choose natural sweeteners or berries instead of sugar
– Drink at least 72 oz of water per day
Tips for Targeting Glucose
– Eat lean protein throughout the day, ideally one to one half grams of protein per ideal body weight
– Implement fiber rich foods because fiber slows down glucose’s movement in the blood stream
– Eat healthy fats to slow down your digestive system and improve satiety
– Eat regular meals
– Eat without distractions (put the phone down!)
– Combine aerobic and strength training exercise
– Practice stress reducing techniques
Glucose Targeting Supplements
Support a healthy glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and fat levels with this powerhouse supplement comprising herbs, vitamins, and minerals. Including the fan-favorite BIOTIN!
Naturally balance your glucose, manage fat metabolism, and boost cardiovascular health with this plant-derived supplement.
Regulate your liver, stabilize blood sugar, and improve cellular glucose. The improvements may help your brain, immune and muscular systems, and hormones too!
Control your cravings to assist your body with naturally managing blood sugar. EndoTrim also helps improve your resting metabolism and maintain a lean body mass.
Improve satiety to prevent cravings, manage your metabolism, and regulate your bowels with this highly pure, natural soluble fiber.
Control your alcohol and carb cravings by satisfying the reward center of your brain. This supplement boosts your mood, serotonin levels, and energy with neurotransmitter precursors and nutrients.
Tips for Targeting Chronic Inflammation
– Avoid toxins such as gluten, alcohol, dyes, preservatives, seed oils, and fortifiers
– Opt for organic, hormone free, grass-fed dairy products, dairy-free alternatives, or fermented dairy products
How Do GLP-1 Medications Relate to Glucose and Inflammation Management?
Managing glucose and inflammation can feel like a tall task with lifestyle, dietary, and supplement changes; and you don’t need to do it alone. We offer three weight loss programs with GLP-1 medications, also known as semaglutide and tirzepatide. Both medications play a key role in how your body processes glucose. Click to learn more here.
Semaglutide’s Effect on Glucose and Inflammation
Semaglutide targets your appetite and insulin to manage glucose and inflammation. The semaglutide regulates appetite and improves satiety, which then decreases your glucose consumption. Additionally, semaglutide improves insulin resistance so your cells use glucose for energy instead of immediately turning it into fat.
Tirzepatide’s Effect on Glucose
Tirzepatide acts similarly to semaglutide, but with the bonus of also balancing blood sugar. This medication is shown to control hyperglycemia, manage diabetes, and reduce body mass index (BMI).
Alive and Well’s Commitment to Your Weight Management Journey
Glucose and inflammation are a natural part of life—and so is weight gain! Whether it’s with medication or lifestyle changes, we’re here to support you in your journey to healthy weight loss.
Click here for our medication-assisted weight loss program that provides you with semaglutide or tirzepatide.
Click here for our metabolic health program that provides you with in-depth testing and practitioner collaboration for lifestyle changes.
