Expert: Joanne - 9/30/2006

Question
I've been to the doctors and after some sessions with a therapist and nutritionist i started to put on weight. I then had depression and was self harming because i hated putting on weight so much. I know it's wrong to say but I'd actually rather be dead than fat. I feel so shallow saying that but it pulls me apart everyday. I'm CONSTANTLY thinking about new ways to rid myself of fat. I where clothes that are too big for me and i shower in a t-shirt because i can't bear to look at myself. I'm so disgusted with what i see and if I go back to the doctor and i start to put on weight I know i'll go back to that dark depressed person i was. When im exercising everything off I feel a little bit ok with what i eat. Sorry for taking up your time. I'm lucky because i can talk to my mum. She lets me buy all my exercise equipment and she knows i have a problem but she saw what i was like when i put on weight and she doesn't want to see it again either.

Sorry for the babble, my question is about the part where you explained that the brain uses glucose. I also take hoodia pills which work wonders and I did so much research before I brought them and it explains that the p57 found in Hoodia Sends a message up to the brain thats 10,000 times more powerful than glucose. Is this the same thing?
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Followup To

Question -
Hello.
    I've had a problem with..i'm not sure what it's called but I HAVE to exercise everything that I eat, off. I make sure I know how many calories I'm having so I know the exact amount to work off. I'm only 19 and my room is full of so much exercise equipment it's silly. So I want to give my body a rest and not have to exercise but when I don't I have minor panic attacks and find myself unable to eat. So I have been researching the benefits of fasting. I have read some very good stuff that, past the first three days it can detox and breakdown bad things in your body to use it as energy. Then after this comes the healing process. I don't really plan on doing it for more than 7 days but i would like to know how badly it will affect my metabolism. I have a very very fast one, always have. Also is a 7 day fast safe? I'm really keen on doing this and giving myself a break and detoxing but would like some incite on what you think about it because i have read that whenever you don't have food it breaks down vital heart and body tissue and protein. So many sites on fasting contradict themselves. I need some help. You answer will be greatly appreciated.

Answer -
I really don't recommend fasting.  Quite often you need to eat, and during a fast, the smallest amount of sugar - even in fruit, or drink, - can end up with your body coming out of a 'fasting state' and your body will resort to breaking down organs and muscle to survive.  Your body can use fat stores to provide energy during a fast, however, you brain can only use glucose and glucose can not be made from lipids, so has to use the protein that makes up your muscle as an energy source instead!  They are not a wise choice unless you are being monitored by a Dr in my opinion.  There are a lot of people that wouldn't agree and think that they are good things, they might be right, but I, myself, would not be willing to put my body through it to try it out!

When people talk about bulimia nervosa, most would think of people that make themselves sick after eating, however, it is possible to be a non-purging bulimic.  Basically, rather than vomiting to get rid of calories, you will overexercise or find another way to rid yourself of those calories.  Although exercise is vital, it is also important to not over-do it.  It is possible to exercise too much and that can do just as much damage to your bones and muscles as not exercising at all can!

The emotions that you are feeling that make you carry on with these behaviours are what suggests an eating disorder.  To have panic attacks because you have eaten is not normal and is something that needs to be dealt with!  I recommend making an appointment to see your Dr and see if they can refer you to an eating disorder specialist.  Treatment for this I'd imagine is just the same as they would do for someone that was self-inducing vomiting.

Please consider getting help.  It sounds as though things have gotten out of control for you, and the only way to regain control is to get help with recovery.

I hope that this has helped, please feel free to come back if you have any other questions.
Holly

Answer
I had never heard of Hoodia before, so tonight, started my own research.  From what I have read so far, they are saying that it is an appetite suppressant.
This, itself, does not produce glucose for the brain, but encourages the release of glucose from body stores making people feel full.

What I am trying to say is that if you are exercising off all calories, you may not have these glucose stores, and therefore they will not release these stores, and your brain isn't getting the glucose that it needs.

THESE PILLS THEMSELVES DO NOT CONTAIN ANYTHING THAT WORKS LIKE GLUCOSE AND WILL NOT FEED THE BRAIN!  You need to eat and retain food in order to do that.

I think that you should go back to you therapist and try to make this work again.  There will be a reason that you feel the way you do and feel the need to exercise excessively, and they should be able to help you get to the root of that.

I will continue my research into Hoodia and will let you know what else I learn within the next few days as it is almost midnight here just now, but I hope that you can accept what I have said so far, and will look into this further yourself and consider my suggestion.

Holly