MEDICAL

For some time, functional medicine practitioners and nutri-tion experts have debated the hormonal effects of foodverses the importance of counting calories. The truth isthat both hormones and calories matter. However, in order

to sustain longer-term metabolic changes for the purpose of losingfat, you cannot just reduce calories, you must balance your hor-mones — specifically, two hormones that are critical to appetitecontrol. If you are a woman over 40 and want to lose weight, you mustfocus on rebalancing crucial metabolic hormones that aid in thepermanent loss of stubborn fat, particularly around the abdomen.By optimizing your nutrition, managing stress and improving yourlifestyle you can effectively transform the way you look and feel!As a complementary medicine doctor, I believe that it is importantfor you to understand the science behind the how hormones workfor you — or at times, against you.

HUNGER HORMONESYou have two primary hormones that influence the hunger centersin your brain. These are essential metabolic messengers, releasedby your cells, that signal when you should eat and when you shouldpush the plate away. They are leptin, your “satiety” hormone andghrelin your “hungry” hormone (1). Your friend leptin needs to stay in check! Its primary role is toregulate appetite, satiety and adiponectin, which adjust how youburn fat. Leptin is like your body’s fuel gauge, which tells your brainyou have had enough food, and therefore, should stop eating. It issecreted by fat cells. If you are overweight, you likely have higherleptin levels. If your leptin levels are too high for too long, you willlikely store more calories as fat, and become more leptin resistant,

where the leptin is unable to produce it’s normal effects to loseweight. When you become leptin resistant, your brain never hearsthe message, and you eat more and more, as if you are starving. Ifyou can’t stop eating, you will never start burning fat for fuel. Towork effectively, your body’s response to leptin has to be reset (2). Ghrelin is produced in the stomach cells to raise your appetite in orderto initiate eating. It acts in counterpart to leptin. Ghrelin affects your hungerfrom hour to hour. As it rises, it sends signals to your brain that it’s time tochow down. Similarly, if ghrelin levels are chronically elevated, yourwillpower will fail you every time. You will likely experience extreme foodcravings, even right after a meal (3). Ladies, Dr. Shiobhan Kealy’s medically supervised weight lossprogram, B3H+, is the missing factor in your fat loss formula. Itteaches you how to reset these two hormones and more, so theyfunction in ways that help you reach your goals. You also do nothave to wait weeks or months to see the changes from their hor-mone-first approach to fat loss. Your food cravings will diminish,you will stop overeating, and you will no longer need willpower tostay on a diet. Why? Because you will be naturally balanced. As a pioneer in the field of complementary medicine, and anexpert in women’s hormones and fat loss, I fully embrace their hor-mone-balancing approach to achieving and maintaining a leaner,healthier body. Therefore, beginning this month, their revolution-ary program will be available to women living and working in NYC.They are creating a new home within our beautiful space at theSalerno Center in Manhattan. I am thrilled to be working in suchclose proximity to Dr. Kealy and the other health professionals atB3H+. We both believe we can foster wellness through customizednutrition plans, a range of natural therapies and supplements. To-gether we are putting our heart and souls into turning this hor-monal weight loss problem around, once and for all.

Combat Menopausal Weight Gain by

If you are a woman over 40 and want to lose weight, you must focus on rebalancing crucial metabolic hormones that aid in the permanent loss of stubborn fat, particularly around the abdomen.

BY DR. JOHN SALERNO

- 22 - - 23 -

Founder of The Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine,

Dr. John P. Salerno is renowned for professional, comprehensive,

full-service, and life-changing health solutions.

Resetting Hormones

References:1. McCulloch, M., “Appetite Hormones.” Today’s Dietician. July 2015; Vol. 17(7):26. 2. Kelesidis, Theodore et al., “Narrative Review: The role of leptin in human physiology: Emerging clinical applications” Annals of Internal Medicine (2010); Vol. 152(2):93-100.3. Spears, A. C., et al., “Lifestyle Factors and Ghrelin: Critical review and implications for weight loss maintenance,” Obesity reviews: an official journal ofthe International Association for the Study of Obesity (2011);12.

LEPTIN RESET TIPS:

Eat foods like nutrient-dense, colorful vegetables (high in fiberand antioxidants) add qualitysourced anti-inflammatory proteins(such as grass-fed beef, pasturedeggs, seeds, crustaceans and cold water fish) and healthy fats(walnuts, expeller pressed coconutoil, olive oil, ghee or butter fromgrass-fed cows) to fill you up. Trythis first thing in the morning to promote satiety throughout yourday. Avoid white foods (such aspizza, pasta, potatoes, pastries,dairy, bread, cereal or other foodsmade with grains) which tend tocreate compensatory eating patterns. Remember: if its white, it probably ain’t right!

GHRELIN RESET TIPS:

Add organic unsweetened cocoa to your diet (via a warm cup of powdered hot cocoa or a brick ofdark chocolate) to reduce cravingsand stave off hunger. Also, eat high-fiber vegetables, healthy fatsand protein-based foods at everymeal to blunt ghrelin’s message tothe brain. Even short-duration,higher intensity interval training canhelp suppress its power over you.