Although eating is part of our vital needs, there is a certain limit to not going overboard. Indeed, in cases of excessive daily food excess, the pounds and fat are lodged within the body to make room for overweight and obesity. However, this abnormal accumulation of fats is responsible for various diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016 over 1.9 billion adults were overweight and 650 million adults were obese. More alarmingly, about 2.8 million people die each year from this disorder.
Overweight and obesity can be life threatening because they are responsible for the onset of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and musculo-articular disorders. Similarly, obesity is a major risk factor for cancer, particularly because of its negative impact on various biochemical processes in the body (insulin, steroids, adipocytokines, inflammation, oxidative stress).
Thus, in view of the consequences of this epidemic, scientists are looking for ways to reduce fattening by eating. They discovered the action of a gene and its potential effect if it was deactivated.
Eat without getting fat, a dream come true?
Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (USA) and Flinders University (Australia) conducted a recent study on the effect of the RCAN1 gene on metabolism and thermogenesis, a study relayed by our colleagues at Iflscience.
Metabolism refers to all the chemical reactions occurring in the body, which make it possible in particular to manufacture energy by degrading molecules including carbohydrates and lipids and / or on the contrary by storing them. Thermogenesis, on the other hand, is the action by which the body will produce heat, especially by burning fat. They are therefore two mechanisms favoring the prevention and the elimination of fats, as long as they are understood and apprehended correctly.
In this sense, scientists have discovered a link between the RCAN1 gene and the metabolic syndrome, ie the presence of various metabolic disorders such as abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride levels, and hypertension. insulin resistance. This gene would disrupt the increase of thermogenesis without tremor (NST) and therefore the consumption of calories. Instead of inducing energy production in the form of heat, it induces it in the form of fat storage. Thus, it should disable the action of this gene to further increase the loss of calories, optimizing the energy process.
Therefore, eating may not be related to fattening if this gene is disabled. Note, however, that to eat without getting fat, other factors must be taken into account such as the morphology of the person and especially his way of life.
Tips for preventing overweight and obesity
Lifestyle is often involved in weight gain and excessive accumulation of fat, causing overweight and obesity. A few tips are needed daily to prevent this phenomenon and to have a stable healthy weight. Moreover, here are some useful tips to take good care of your body and your health:
- Have a balanced diet
- Practice regular physical activity
- Hydrate properly
- Respect his sleep rhythm
- Consume low glycemic index foods such as green vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, leeks, avocado), oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios), cereals and sprouts (fenugreek, millet, sunflower seeds), legumes (white and red beans, lentils, split peas), whole grains or certain fruits (blackcurrant, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb)
- Focus on healthy fats (olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado, herring, sardines, mackerel)
- Avoid yo-yo diets and focus on food rebalancing
- Limit snacking by focusing on healthy snacks such as fruit, plain yoghurt or a handful of almonds and walnuts
- Favor a steam cooking mode and al dente cooking for pasta
- Eat in reasonable quantity
- Spend your meals with your family and without outside distractions (television, laptops, computers)
The example of a balanced menu for a day
To help you see more clearly what a balanced diet is, here is an example of a healthy and greedy menu for a day:
Breakfast: A hot drink (tea, coffee, infusion) + 2 slices of rye bread + 20g of almond butter + 1 handful of red fruits or dried fruits
Snack: 1 chocolate bar and / or grapefruit
Lunch: A salad of grated carrots with lemon + A portion of chicken with mustard and honey + 125g of brown rice + 100g of green vegetables + A portion of fruit salad
Dinner: A portion of lasagna with eggplant and ricotta + 1 slice of wholemeal bread (gluten free) + 1 fruita.
