VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good

by Mark Bittman

Meanwhile, fat cells produce and release a hormone called leptin, which also circulates in the blood. When leptin reaches high enough levels, it sends the message to your hypothalamus—a pearl-sized part of your brain—that you’ve stored enough energy. This is your body’s signal to slow or stop eating. Leptin usually decreases your appetite, limiting your food intake, reducing your insulin levels and therefore the rate at which energy is converted to fat. In the long term, leptin helps manage your weight by informing your brain how much fat is available in your body. Ghrelin, a hormone secreted in the stomach, is what makes you hungry in the first place. It kicks in whenever the body needs more glucose for energy, signaling the brain that it’s time to eat. When your body is functioning well, the interactions among ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and the brain, pancreas, stomach, and your fat cells maintain an adequate but not superfluous supply of energy throughout the day—indeed, throughout your life. But the interplay among insulin, ghrelin, and leptin is delicate, and since these three “hunger hormones” share communication pathways in the hypothalamus, an insulin malfunction has a cascading effect. For example, too much insulin can block leptin receptors in the brain, which in turn triggers erroneous signaling. If your hypothalamus can’t “see” your leptin, your brain continues to signal a lack of energy and will not only increase your appetite but reduce your activity level to ...