People who are prone to weight gain have greater numbers of gut bacteria called FIRMICUTES and fewer numbers of another type of bacteria called BACTEROIDETES.
Our bodies need to have a ratio of 1:1, but the average American has a ratio of 1:20-1:80. When you have a higher ratio of FIRMACUTES, your body extracts up to 40% more calories from the exact same type and quantity of food as someone who has a proper balance of these two types of bacteria.
Differences in our gut microbial ecology determines how many calories we are able to extract and absorb from our diet and deposit in our fat cells.
Researchers at Emory School of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Cornell University, Arizona State University and the University of Colorado have proven that specific intestinal bacteria and their balance contribute to the cause or reduction of:
*Weight (Obesity)
*Diabetes
*Insulin Resistance
* High Blood Pressure
* Elevated Levels of Cholesterol
* High Triglycerides
* Fatty Liver Disease.
There are 4 primary reasons why the body holds onto fat and weight:
- Inadequate Nutrition at the Cellular Level
Without proper nutrition your body develops insulin resistance that impairs digestion and thrusts the body into nutritional famine causing it to want to hold onto fat.
- Lifestyle stress
Stress causes the release of fat promoting chemicals.
- Chronic Dieting
– Stimulates the famine response
– Stimulates the body’s defense mechanisms
– The body arrives at a point where it does not want to expend energy and is desperately trying to conserve calories and fat.
- Toxicity Fat Trigger
When your body is exposed to toxins such as medications, alcohol, tobacco, pesticides and processed foods, the body can’t eliminate all of these toxins & it stores them in your fat cells. This layer of fat then becomes a buffer between the toxins and your body, and its natural reaction is not to burn the fat as this would allow the toxins to continuously do damage.
So, what can you do?
Focus on adopting a gut-friendly lifestyle. To support a healthy gut you should aim to lead a balanced life: get a good night's rest of seven hours or more, manage stress, exercise and keep the body moving, and above all, maintain a balanced diet and adequate hydration. A balanced diet consists of eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense, natural whole foods and eliminating processed foods and foods that contain any chemicals or preservatives, basically anything artificial.
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