Why is losing weight so difficult?

with Zoe Harcombe

Why is losing weight so difficult? This is the question Zoe Harcombe set out to answer while studying at Cambridge University. We are trained from an early age to seek solace in food. Sweet treats are a central part of nearly every holiday we celebrate. According to Zoe, food in the form of starchy carbohydrates has become the world’s most accessible and acceptable drug. At the same time, the US Dietary guidelines reinforce these behaviors by recommending a diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat.

After years of following these dietary recommendations, most people find themselves with one or more of the following conditions, that in all likelihood is sabotaging their weight loss efforts: hypoglycemia, candida, and food intolerances.

Today Zoe helps us understand the symptoms and treatments of these conditions. Her suggestions for finding lasting change include addressing these issues with simple, practical advice including: eating real food, lowering your carbohydrate intake, and being careful from whom you get your nutritional advice!

Notes

Why is losing weight so difficult? This is the question Zoe Harcombe set out to answer while studying at Cambridge University in the early 1990s. The answer, she found, is rooted in cultural norms, government guidelines, and several overlapping biological conditions.

After years of following conventional advice, eventually most people find themselves with one or more of the following conditions: hypoglycemia, candida, and food intolerances.

This episode highlights…

The emotional reasons why we overeat and abuse food
The physical reasons for food addictions and food cravings
Why most diets fail
The blood sugar roller coaster which many people are experiencing on a daily basis in the western world
Common symptoms of candida/yeast syndrome: thrush, athletes foot, dandruff, foggy feeling, bloating, constipation, inordinate cravings for sweet and pickled foods.
That food intolerances come about when we eat the same thing too much too often.
Why if you have hypoglycemia, you are likely to also have candida and/or food intolerances
How many carbohydrates you should consume a day if you struggle with the above conditions (under 100 g)
That starchy foods like rice and potatoes can be substituted with quality dairy, meat, and veggies
The story of a health professional in South Africa advocating a lower carb diet who is being targeted by mainstream organizations for his non-conventional advice
How identifying “real food” is so easy Zoe’s five-year old granddaughter can do it