Oh . . . wait. There’s more. All that sugar in the alcohol means insulin is also being produced, which can only mean one thing. The insulin packs off that sugar and the fatty acids back into the fat cells until the alcohol has been used up.
So, you may be feeling totally relaxed, groovy and chilled, but your liver is under pressure, you’ve just made some more fat, and the fat you had in the first place isn’t being used up either.
It’s not looking good, is it? On top of that, you’ve got a massive headache looming.
So, cutting down on alcohol is a hard nut to crack but the effects will show in your health, your blood pressure and your waistline, not to mention your skin.
ON BLAST: So, we’re not going to imbibe on the 21 Day Blast plan. No, we’re going to be alcohol-free for the entire 21 days so that you can give your body a rest. Your head and conscience will also get some downtime since the ‘shall I, shan’t I?’ conflict won’t be mixed up with the ‘I shouldn’t, should I? . . . it’s only Tuesday’ dilemma. There’s one answer. No, you won’t.
Remember, we are looking for calm and happy with a disciplined mind. Not toxin-dependent with no willpower and your head in a family bag of Doritos. Dull and boring? Possibly . . . at first. Effective and long-lasting? Definitely. The lethal combination of sugar and alcohol results in calamity for one’s self-discipline. Prosecco and beer will never taste as good as smug and saintly feel.
During the Blast plan I am giving your body (and your head) the chance to break some old habits over 21 days. Once the 21 days are over, you’ll have discovered the benefits of change and then you can decide a plan of action to take you forward. You’ll find more about our post-Blast plan later in the book.
For now, let’s head to the next chapter and have a look at hormones. They’re not all bad news. Far from it.
THE PART HORMONES PLAY IN FAT LOSS
I’m not talking those little friends who raise their heads once a month (maybe more!) and who have the potential to turn us women from sane and normal people operating with dignity and maturity into bonkers and irrational types who fail to master even the smallest of tasks.
To be successful in fat loss we have to understand what we’re up against. You can be in control of your food through the 21 Day Blast plan guidelines (see Chapter 5) but we are less in control of our hormones.
WHAT ARE HORMONES?
Broadly speaking, hormones are chemical substances, secreted by our glands, which are transported in the blood to different organs. These hormones, along with the messages they carry, control most major bodily functions. Hormones work together, so an over-plentiful supply of one may mean that another is out of balance, too. There are about fifty different hormones (some I can’t even pronounce) and it is impossible to find out whether they are all doing their jobs correctly, and to the full advantage of our health, our fat stores and our energy levels.
BUT – and this is where I get on my soapbox – everything you will be doing on the 21 Day Blast plan will go a long way to helping keep the main players working with, rather than fighting against, each other and therefore maintaining the efficiency of the fat-loss process. Let’s look at the main characters.
INSULIN
We learnt about insulin in Chapter 2. By way of a quick recap, it’s produced in the pancreas in response to eating carbohydrate, which is converted to glucose and which insulin delivers to the cells that need it. Any excess glucose remaining unused is swept up by the insulin and stuffed into our fat cells. Essentially, the more glucose, the more insulin, the bigger our fat cells.
How can we ensure insulin stays at the optimum level?
By eating carbohydrates only after exercise – this is the point when the body most needs them. Simply speaking, this will mean that just enough insulin is produced to send just enough glucose to the brain and to those muscles (which you’ve just worked). The lack of spare insulin and spare glucose means that the body unlocks the fat from our fat cells (previously held under lock and key by all that insulin) and turns it into free fatty acids for use as fuel.
Empty fat cells, here we come.
CORTISOL
This hormone is produced in the adrenal glands and affects many different tasks around the body, simply because most cells in the body are equipped with cortisol receptors. This means it can affect the harmony of other hormones too, so when cortisol production is steady and drama-free, there’s a good chance other hormone levels will also fall into line.
Cortisol is produced in response to stress and this is vital. It provides the body with glucose in order to be able to deal with trauma, illness, fright, infection, bleeding and high blood pressure, among others. Cortisol gets hold of this glucose very quickly (remember, there’s a panic on!) by breaking down protein stores in the liver.
However, our modern-day culture means that we are subject to constant stressful situations, both emotional and physical: work deadlines, traffic, noise, disharmony in relationships, diets that don’t satisfy our body’s needs and too little exercise. This can mean a build-up of cortisol as it strives to produce enough glucose in order to cope with this stress.
High levels of cortisol mean more glucose. Too much glucose means more insulin, which means our fat storing is easier and burning that fat is harder. It’s locked back up in those fat cells!
Being stressed at the same time as eating a high-sugar, high-carb diet is the worst combination for your health, your fat-loss plans and your hormone harmony. Big stress equals big trousers.
How can we ensure cortisol stays at an optimum level?
Wakeful nights put the body under huge stress so try and regulate your cortisol production by getting enough sleep. Take the pressure off your body by feeding it foods that won’t cause a fight. Take regular exercise, possibly with a friend whose company nourishes your very soul. Go easy on the caffeine and alcohol, but large on sleep and vegetables.
All that sounds like the life of someone truly dull, doesn’t it? Shall we rewrite that? Enjoy some lazy lie-ins, swap your coffee for chamomile tea, laugh out loud at every opportunity and do a little dance . . . like you just don’t care. You’ll be doing all that on Blast. Yes, including the little dance. Daily!
TESTOSTERONE
An image of bulging muscles has just entered your head, hasn’t it? Fake tan, oily chest, ripped abs, the works.
All of us need a dose of this little hormone. It’s not only produced in the male testes but also in the adrenal glands and ovaries of the female. As we approach the menopause (up to as much as ten years before) it’s not only oestrogen levels that drop off but testosterone too.
Testosterone helps keeps our muscles firm and taut. It also stimulates our urge for the occasional swing from the chandelier, should the fancy take us. So, come the menopause, we risk not only droopy muscles but a droopy libido.
It’s not looking good.
So how can we keep testosterone at an optimum level?
Use those muscles! That means challenging them and taking them ever so slightly out of their comfort zone. Muscles mean strength. Toned muscles mean well-supported joints and a strong framework. Toned muscles require energy to keep them in that toned state, so we are burning fat even while we’re sitting still.
So, using your muscles keeps testosterone levels up. That means