Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/85232
032: pinklifestyle A Weighty Issue LIBBY WEAVER ANSWERS THE QUESTION - WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW? How do I lose weight? This is the number one question I am asked by women globally. Women have tended to lose and then gain the same amount of weight with the help of every diet under the sun for the last 20 years and are now looking for real solutions. My aim is to educate that weight gain is caused by so many reasons that we cannot simply put it down to our calorie intake. I originally studied to become a dietician in Australia and then returned to university to do a Ph.D in biochemistry. During my 14 years of tertiary study, I was taught that our body shape and size is 100 percent dependent on how much we eat versus how much we move. When I began working with people, I learnt very quickly that there was much more to it. There are people who make extraordinary efforts to eat well and move regularly, yet they are not rewarded with their clothes becoming looser, and heaven forbid for some their clothes get tighter. A lot of people give up on healthy lifestyles because they're not focused on the good things that are happening inside them. I recently met a fascinating woman who ran the New York marathon. She didn't do it for weight loss; she did it for a bucket list achievement. After the event she felt terrific to have accomplished her goal but could not understand how she had gained 12 kilograms during the training process. She was running 40-90 miles per week and eating superbly, so why had she gained so much weight? From a calorie perspective, it did not make sense. I decided to go back to my geeky textbooks with the question, "what leads the human body to get the message that it needs to hold on to excess fat?" In January 2010, my first book, Accidently Overweight was born after my hunt for the biochemical answers. What effects does stress have on my weight? When our bodies are put under stress, they go into survival mode and develop cortisol; a long-term stress hormone. Exactly the same thing happened historically during floods, famines, wars and other scenarios where food was very scarce. Our bodies do not understand that we now live in modern times and food is abundant and consequently still have that survival mechanism of developing excess cortisol when we're under stress or worried about our health, future, family, relationships and so on. When the body thinks there is no food left, the metabolism slows down thinking its doing the body a favour. Cortisol and our nervous system influence the fuel that the body uses. At any given moment, the body will only use fat, or glucose or a combination. For some women, the body sends out a message it needs to constantly use the glucose and not burn the fat stores. Progesterone is an anti-anxiety agent, it's a diuretic, an anti- GREEN SMOOTHIE Ingredients: 150g (6 oz) fresh spinach leaves or silverbeet (Swiss chard) leaves 1 young coconut water removed 1 to 2 bananas, peeled and frozen Method: 1 – Drain the water from the coconut and set aside 2 – Coarsely chop the silverbeet if using. 3 – Combine the spinach, coconut water and the frozen bananas in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more water if you prefer a thinner smoothie. Note: The silverbeet will make a darker smoothie than the spinach. You may wish to add an extra banana for sweetness until you get used to a green smoothie. Dr. Libby's nutritional information: increase your leafy green vegetable consumption. A diet high in plants has been shown to decrease the risk of Start the day with a green smoothie to developing degenerative diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Wow! Such a simple way to "amp up your greens."