Autism Parenting Magazine Issue 44(Member's Dashboard) | Page 16

AUTISM AND DIET is damaged, it is not properly absorbing vital nutrients from the foods we eat. We then can become malnourished, even though we are eating, and we remain hungry because our body and brain are starving for nutrition. Leptin Issues Leptin is the main hormone that regulates both appetite and weight loss by telling your brain when to eat and how much to eat. Mainly it tells your body when to burn fat and when not to. When leptin sensitivity is balanced you will stop storing excess fat, control hunger and food cravings, and lose weight normally. Cutting down on calories is an actual diet of long term self-defeat. This tells our body we are starving and further imbalances leptin, keeping us fat. Sugar Causes Stress We are not meant to use sugar as our primary fuel. This comes from a triggered stress response that causes our fat burning hormone, leptin, to become imbalanced. Leptin is produced by your fat cells, and you can become resistant to it over time. The body can be put into a stress response from factors such as improper diet, inflammation, food allergies, stressful envir