Okay, yesterday we went over the top 4 health hazards related to obesity, and believe me, my intention is not to frighten you. But obesity is a serious problem in this country, and as much information that's out there about healthy living, the staggering numbers of people suffering from obesity-related illnesses are NOT going down. So let's continue to the next three on our list...
Type 2 Diabetes: When your blood sugar levels are higher than normal-that's diabetes. And high blood sugar is a major cause of coronary artery heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke, amputation, and blindness. On it's own, it's the 6th Leading Cause of death in the U.S. This most common form of diabetes is often linked to obesity because more than 85% of the population with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight. Why? It could be that being overweight causes your cells to change, making them insulin resistant. Because insulin is responsible for carrying sugar to the blood from cells, where it is used for energy, when you are insulin-resistant, your blood sugar can not be taken up by the cells (high blood sugar) . So your cells that produce insulin must work extra hard to try to keep blood sugar levels normal.
The good news? You may lower your risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes by losing as little as 5 to 10 lbs, and increasing your physical activity. And if you already have Type 2 Diabetes, you can help control those blood sugar levels and prevent or delay complications, and may even allow you reduce the amount of diabetes medications you take (ask your doctor)!
Fatty Liver Disease: Did you know that a healthy liver regulates fat metabolism and is the #1 fat-burning organ in the body? And yes, you can do damage to your liver even if you drink little or no alcohol-it's called"non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis" or fatty liver disease. This occurs when fat builds up in the liver cells causing injury and inflammation in the liver. And people who have diabetes are "pre-diabetes" are more likely to have fatty liver disease. Are you starting to see a pattern? Now, losing weight and increasing physical activity can help you control sugar levels and fat deposits, possibly giving your liver a break. And did you know if you have fatty liver disease, you should avoid drinking alcohol?
But you CAN reverse the damage, if you're willing to dedicate yourself to your health! When the liver has become a fat storage organ rather than a fat burning organ - this situation must be reversed gradually before actual weight loss can occur. You have to detox your liver to allow it to work normally again-drink plenty of water and raw vegetable juices. It may take weeks or a month or two. Don't be discouraged at this time - the fat loss is occurring - but is going from within your liver so you may not see any visible fat loss from the body - stick with it! It took years to develop the fatty liver, just can't be reversed in a couple weeks. Exercise! Exercise! (Again, at Normandy Gym, you've got that covered) and proper nutrition (go back and read my blogs) and your body will bounce back!
Gallbladder Disease: Ever had gallstones? The Gallbladder sits right below the liver, and is the storage tank for bile- a substance that breaks down fats from the food you eat for use by the body. This bile can be made up of cholesterol, lecithin, calcium, bile salts, acids and waste materials among other things. When the bile salts and cholesterol get out of balance with each other gall stones can form. They cause lots of pain, especially after consuming fatty foods. If you're overweight you may be consuming and producing more cholesterol, and have an enlarged gallstone that doesn't work properly, or in other words, can not break down the fats you're eating-very bad. What can you do? MODERATE, SLOW weight loss can of about 1/2 to 2 lbs per week is less likely to cause gallstones, and achieving a healthy weight may lower your risk for developing gallstones.
Again, heredity may play an important role in whether or not you develop gallstones. But it's incredible to note that so many of the health risks our bodies suffer from are related to the foods we eat, and our level of activity-two things that are 100% within our control!
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