As promised, I am beginning a series of blogs on the book "Health at Every Size" (HAES). The principles that are promoted in the book are consistent with the Sacred and Fit philosophy- EVERY LIFE IS SACRED, set apart, consecrated, put here on earth as part of a larger plan and grander purpose. EVERY BODY IS A TEMPLE provided with all that is necessary to fulfill the grander purpose.
Of course, there are people who experience disabilities or illnesses while on this earth They also have a purpose to fulfill. But, for those of us fortunate enough to have a healthy body I believe, that taking care of it is an important part of the spiritual journey.
HAES does not speak of spiritual qualities, per se, but the principles behind the HAES movement require a level of spiritual maturity. After all, Jesus' teachings culminate in the admonition to love God and He stresses that loving God includes loving others as we love ourselves. It's the "love ourself" part that often gets overlooked.
If HAES was part of a "Love Your Self" course, the first assignment would be to "Understand the Body That You Have Right Now."
In Chapter One, we learn about the biology and neurobiology of weight. To sum it up- Our bodies, operate with biological systems that were inherited from early humans. In the hunter/gatherer environment, it was necessary to hold on to extra calories obtained during feast time since famine time was sure to follow. The brain and body systems responsible for feeding developed mechanisms that were designed around a functional set-point range. So, when there was a lack food for a long period, the body's metabolism would slow as to conserve every ounce of body fat for survival. Motivation and behavior would also be affected.
Set points are part of a natural process called homeostasis and are not unique to weight. There is a range of ambient temperatures that are optimum for humans. When it is too cold we start to shiver so that our bodies can go back up to that range. When it is too hot we sweat. Blood pressure, blood glucose levels, insulin and a host of other hormones and biomarkers have set point ranges. We don't consciously control these functions. Our bodies and brains know what to do.
It is because of this regulatory metabolic set point that the body
resists loosing weight and seeks to hold on to weight. It is because of
the brain's hormonal communication network, that we are largely unaware
of all that our bodies do to try maintain our natural set point. Natural set points change as we grow older but our
behaviors and food choices can overide or even alter the natural setpoint.
You can identify your natural setpoint:
- The weight you will maintain when you listen and respond to your body's signals of hunger and fullness and eat or stop eating accordingly.
-The weight you maintain when you don't fixate on your weight or food habits.
You can identify an altered setpoint
-The weight you keep returning to between diets.
Next time: There is more to weight than diet and exercise: The roll of hormones and genetics.
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