Have you gained weight this winter or during the pandemic? You are not alone!
It’s estimated that 71 million Americans have gained weight during the pandemic. Excess weight can make you feel down about the way you look, but it also can have a significant impact on your health – including your heart and immune system. Let’s take a closer look and these impacts, as well as strategies to support healthy weight loss.
Heart Health:
Obesity impacts cardiovascular health in numerous ways. Obesity can cause a spike in (bad) LDL and triglyceride levels, and also lower (good) HDL cholesterol levels. Being overweight can also cause an elevation in blood pressure, which is a common cause of heart attacks. In addition, obese individuals have a much greater chance of developing diabetes, which is a known risk factor for heart disease. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, at least 68% of people 65 or older with diabetes also have heart disease.
Immunity:
Obesity is associated with alterations in immune function, largely due to inflammation. It can alter leukocyte counts as well as cell-mediated immune responses. It is also associated with an increase in the production of leptin (inflammatory), and a reduction in adiponectin (anti-inflammatory). It is thought that the elevated levels of leptin in obese individuals impact immune cells and contribute to the low-grade chronic inflammation that increases the risk of chronic disease.
Why Weight is a Challenge with Age:
- Age-related muscle mass: the amount of lean muscle we have naturally begins to decline after age 30, which can slow metabolism.
- Normal hormonal changes:
Women go through menopause and experience a drop in estrogen levels, which impacts metabolism and insulin sensitivity and can lead to weight gain around the middle.
Men experience decreasing testosterone levels, which begin to drop around the age of 40. Testosterone regulates fat distribution and muscle mass.
- Growth hormone production also declines from middle age onward, making it harder to maintain muscle, which impacts the amount of calories burned.
- We tend to be more sedentary. Less activity means a slower metabolism, so if calories are not adjusted for the decrease in activity, it will result in weight gain.
- We are more stressed: Stress increases cortisol, which stimulates appetite, increases sugar cravings, and can lead to emotional eating and less exercise – all of which contribute to weight gain.
Common Weight Influences:
- Regular exercise is key for weight loss and maintenance. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories and strength training is one of the best ways to retain and even build muscle. If you think you’re too old, even people in their 80s can experience increases in muscle size and strength with proper resistance exercise. Aim for 30 minutes of cardio exercise five or more times per week, and strength training 2-3 times per week.
- Eat protein with each meal and snack. Protein helps to control hunger and blood sugar levels and helps your body build and repair muscle. Choose poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and even a plant-based protein powder that can be used in a smoothie.
- Fill up on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods. Fruits and vegetables contain plenty of water and fiber, which fills you up – not out. Think, berries and greens.
- Minimize refined flour, sugar, and other processed foods, such as sweetened drinks and potato chips. These can pack on the pounds easily. Try dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Don’t forget about sleep: Lack of sleep as well as poor quality of sleep negatively impacts metabolism. The role of hormones, leptin and ghrelin, also play a role. Leptin increases satiety while ghrelin tells you to eat. Sleep deprivation leads to decreased leptin and increased ghrelin. More ghrelin and less leptin leads to weight gain, so aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted, quality sleep per night.
What to Do About It:
Res-Q Ideal Weight: This all-natural formulation contains Meratrim®, a patented blend of two plant extracts, Sphaeranthus indicus and Garcinia mangostana, which have been clinically proven to reduce body weight, waist, and hip size. This may be due to the increase in anti-inflammatory and fat-burning adiponectin (discussed above with ghrelin and leptin). It also contains white kidney dried bean extract to help to control appetite, keeping hunger in check. For effective weight loss, take 2 caplets per day; 1 capsule 30 minutes before breakfast and before dinner.
Res-Q MetaboLOCK: There’s a positive feedback loop between local inflammation in adipose tissue and altered response in obesity, and both contribute to the development of related metabolic complications. Res-Q MetaboLOCK is a clinically supported formula that helps to manage six factors related to metabolic syndrome. LeptiPURE™ contains two herbs called Gymnema Sylvestre and Tinospora cortifolia that work together to lower the ratio of leptin to adiponectin. Optimizing these levels promotes healthy weight loss, and Gymnema also helps reduce sugar cravings!
Res-Q ProBiotic: A balanced gut microbiome is linked to healthy weight. The gut microbiota of individuals who are overweight show patterns of dysbiosis compared to healthy individuals. Gut flora is easily disrupted by factors such as stress, antibiotics, and sugar consumption. Res-Q ProBiotic provides beneficial bacteria (or flora) to promote a balanced microbiome, and thus a healthy weight.
