There can be many reasons for putting on weight. Hormonal imbalance, over eating, thyroid, sedentary lifestyle and so on. Food provides us with energy and raw materials to provide a structure to our body. Food is closely and deeply connected to weight management. We eat because we feel hungry.
Body as a reservoir
Human body is designed to store resources for survival. To keep us alive.
Body first detects a pattern depending on food intake and daily energy requirement and stores resources for a fixed number of days. If there is a break in the pattern the body will sense danger and will start storing resources for that shortage which it might encounter in the future.
How body stores resources
Call it clever engineering. There is a basic structure of skeleton, muscles, organs and skin and gaps in between are filled with body fat. One water molecule is trapped between two molecules of glycogen (type of fat which is created by the liver). Between these water and fat molecules are stored all kinds of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and toxins.
Fat soluble vitamins like A,D, E and K are stored in fat molecules. Electrolytes are stored in the water. Toxins and such harmful elements and poisons which enter the body through food or air are trapped between fat molecules to be later neutralised by the liver.
What does the body need
- Vitamins – Vitamins are basically chemicals or organic compounds which keep your body processes going. They perform hundreds of functions in the body. For example beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A by the liver with the help of enzymes. After conversion, Vitamin A is stored in the fat cells to be used later.
- Minerals – Calcium, manganese, potassium, selenium, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine and many others are the essential minerals required by the body. Some say there are 16 essential minerals, others say there are 102! Mineral deficiency can lead from minor to serious problems in the body.
- Phytonutrients – These are another category of chemicals which are essential functions like growth, reproduction, hormonal balance, etc.
Carbs carbs everywhere and only carbs to eat
There was a time when kings and nobles staying in large estates and palaces had certain type of nutrition rich diet which was not available for the common people. They used to eat fresh vegetables, poultry, game meats, dairy, fish nuts and fruits. Commoners were restricted to bread and soup. Starvation and famine used to hit villages and towns regularly.
It is now modern times and nutritious food is out of fashion. We are hooked on junk food, processed food and street food. These foods are mostly carbs, sugars, low quality ingredients, artificial sweeteners and industrial grade preservatives.
Undernourished and overfed
You need to pause here and ask yourself. What happens if you are not providing enough nutrition to your body. It will start signalling you to eat more, it will make you feel hungry because the body is screaming for nutrition. If you still continue to eat more carbs and less nutritious food, you will reach a stage where you will be undernourished, overfed, obese and suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Deficiency of nutrition is also a signal to the body to start storing resources. That is how the body start putting on weight.