Weight Loss Food Triggers

The concept of “Food Triggers” in health science is not new. Simply put, a food trigger can be any food that causes or “triggers” a reaction or change in the body. Food triggers work by the interaction of the body with the macro nutrients (Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats) in the foods. Because of their genetics and biochemistry each individual reacts to food macro nutrients differently. Many people are familiar with and affected by food triggers like milk, peanuts, cheese, and wine that cause allergic reactions and migraine headaches; but fewer people are familiar with food triggers that can generate weight loss.

Simply stated, a Weight Loss Food Trigger is any food or combination of foods that help generate weight loss in an individual. When we speak of a food helping generate weight loss, we are really speaking of how your body utilizes the proportions of the macro nutrients in the foods you eat. Although the biochemistry involved in the metabolization (break down) of these macro nutrients is similar between individuals, how they are utilized in the body can be very different between individuals.

Despite fad diets and media hype; ALL of the macro nutrients are essential to life and NONE are more important than the others. Any healthy diet will include ALL the macro nutrients although not necessarily in equal proportions. Common to all the macro nutrients is carbon and all the macro nutrients are all ultimately metabolized through a set of chemical reactions called the Krebs Cycle to generate heat and energy.

Scientists measure the relationship between how macro nutrients are metabolized in the body through a process known as Calorimetry. Calorimetry is commonly done at hospitals, research facilities and elite fitness facilities reserved for professional and Olympic athletes. It involves the athlete riding a sophisticated cycle or treadmill while attached to mouth breathing and electronic body monitors. It measures oxygen inhaled versus the products of metabolized macro nutrients exhaled with the mouth monitor.

Nutrition research results reveals that changes in the proportions of macro nutrients ingested can effect changes in weight. Thus, weight loss is not only dependent on how much you eat but also the proportion of macro nutrients you eat. Further, the specific proportion of macro nutrients necessary to generate weight loss (Weight Loss Food Trigger) is different for each individual.

Until now, the only way to calculate a weight loss food trigger would be by an expensive and week long stay at a hospital, research facility or elite fitness facility. Now, commercially available software allows anyone to calculate their own weight loss food triggers in the privacy of their own home. Macro nutrient information that would be derived from Calorimetry can be approximated indirectly by using Body Index calculations. Body Index calculations include things like: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); Body Mass Index (BMI); Lean Body Mass (LBM); and Body Fat Percentage (BF). This software automatically, monitors and looks for a relationship between your Body Indexes, Food Intake, and weight to find your weight loss food trigger.

Dr. Leslie Parchment