A website called Wellness Resources.com has become one of my favorite reads in the last two weeks or so. It is run by clinical nutritionist Byron J. Richards, who has written several books, among them, “The Leptin Diet”. The primary topic of the site is the set of mechanisms for fat gain and the obesity crisis in modern times, and the devastating impact this has on health as we age. I am impressed by how well he has integrated most of the recent science into his explanation of the problem, and how clearly and understandably he presents it on the website. This is a site you must visit and scour for wisdom.

He has numerous seminar videos and audio files, which are very clear and understandable, explaining the processes by which we are getting so fat, the multiple damaging effects this has on health, and how to overcome and reverse the conditions. The trend starts with massive availability and consumption of manufactured “food products”, including soft drinks, which are devoid of nutrients but high in sugars (particularly fructose) and artificial fats. This leads to insensitivity of the brain’s sensors for a hormone produced by fat known as leptin, which is the body’s signal for fullness and satiety. Leptin resistance, as it is called, drives you unconsciously to eat more and more often. It is far stronger than willpower and never lets up. Leptin resistance leads to increased fat stores, higher triglycerides and cholesterol, rising inflammation, higher blood sugar and insulin. This progresses to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, negative changes in hormone levels and rapid aging.

How this damaging process impacts any individual is dependent on the individual’s susceptibility: it may hit our joints first or thyroid or coronary arteries, but the process is general – it works to speed aging and increase incidence of degenerative disease. Byron’s information makes it clear that to reverse this process you have to reverse leptin resistance or spend the rest of your life fighting the weight-gain battle and the degenerating conditions that go with it. His short video course “The Five Rules of the Leptin Diet” starts you on the path to reversing leptin resistance. The following link will get you to Wellness Resources for his 5 rules for reversing leptin resistance.

My purpose is always to encourage you to get involved your health future – to take charge of your health and your life. This is a website you should bookmark and visit often. He has a product line of supplements that are targeted at optimizing the workings of your body. While I don’t currently use any these, if you have been battling weight-gain for a while, I suggest checking them out.

Good Living – Frank