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The first AMPK Blocker is overeating… getting way more calories than we need. And let’s face it – it’s nearly impossible to drive down the street without being tempted to load up on some french fries or a frappucino these days.

Our foods have become more delicious, and for a good reason: there are thousands of food scientists, working around the clock, to get us to eat more of their products!

Food scientists

And in the past twenty years, they’ve basically “hacked” our biological programming… the same programming that made our ancestors eat as much sugar and fat as they could get in one sitting.

So I tell patients who have a hard time putting down a delicious bag of chips, or a fast-food burger, “please don’t feel bad… the body is doing what it was designed to do: load up on calories today, in case it can’t find anything to eat tomorrow.”

This New, Addictive Food Science Has
Made Millions Of Americans Eat
More Than They Need…

…about 23% more, since 1970.2 And while overeating may feel like a very personal problem, believe me…it’s almost universal.

When people eat too much, their AMPK says “ok, no need to switch on, we’ve got lots of extra energy here, so let’s store it as fat.”

And when that happens three times a day… day after day… it’s like AMPK that it’s ok to kick back, relax and ease into an early retirement.

So a person’s body never gets catabolistic… and the pounds start to pile on.

Lazy AMPK

Now that leads us to AMPK Blocker #2 – high levels of inflammation.

Inflammation is a modern epidemic, caused by everything from GMO food, to pollution in the air, to the chemicals in our soaps, creams and deodorants.

And unfortunately, extra weight is also a fire starter.

Yes, fat cells are like little inflammation factories, pumping out pro-inflammatory proteins around the clock.

Cytokines

And when these proteins are circulating in the bloodstream, it feels like the body is under siege.

Anyone who feels sluggish, foggy, unmotivated, or less mobile than they used to be may have a bloodstream that’s awash in inflammatory proteins.

When these proteins are circulating, they send “off” signals to AMPK, which makes all sorts of sense: if the body thinks it’s under assault, then it will attempt to get anabolistic, and conserve energy.

It’s a real 1-2-3 punch… overeating, weight gain, and inflammation… and while it never starts off bad,

These Fat-Storing Forces Compound
Over Time.

A little weight becomes a little more weight. That leads to stress and fatigue… which means lower activity levels, and maybe more stress-related eating. And despite a person’s best efforts, it feels like their whole body is working against them.

It’s a vicious cycle, and the final stop is Anabolistic Disorder.

But there’s a third AMPK-Blocker that we haven’t discussed yet, and it’s one that I personally have begun to take seriously: aging.

Yes, for reasons that scientists still don’t understand, aging tells our bodies to turn the AMPK switch off. I suspect that it has something to do with our genetic programming, and the need to use less energy as our bones and our joints get more frail.

But whatever the case, our cells just don’t turn on as much AMPK at 60, as they did at 16. So if we want to stay trim and healthy as we age, the answer has been to eat fewer calories…

…that is, until the recent breakthroughs that we made.

Once we discovered AMPK and how important it is, we wanted to know what would…

Command AMPK To Turn On, Kickstart The Catabolic Gears, And Get The Body Working Like It Did In Its Youth…

…and we came up with some very interesting discoveries.

For example, we don’t think that long periods of low-intensity cardio like jogging, or group fitness class, do much for AMPK.

And yes, any exercise is better than none!

Group Fitness Seniors

The problem is that this sort of cardio only burns calories while we’re doing it. For example, running for an hour, at a brisk 6 pace of six miles an hour, only burns about 600 calories.

And what comes next? A reward meal, of course!

Yes, these long sweat sessions often trigger “compensation eating,”3 especially for women4.
It’s natural… the body is depleted of energy.

But the science shows that these “compensation meals” often contain way more calories than a person just burned in class.

And if AMPK isn’t activated, well… it’s no wonder that so many Americans who dutifully get to the gym each week aren’t losing the weight they want.

The Pool Workout

On the other hand, we know that short-burst, high-intensity exercise is a firestarter for AMPK.5 Ten minutes of sprinting (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)… that’ll get the AMPK going!

Not only that, but this sort of exercise suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin, so it leads to fewer cravings, and less compensatory eating.6

Sprinting

Unfortunately, high-intensity training is very demanding, on the heart and on the joints, so I have a hard time recommending it for anyone who isn’t already in pretty good shape.

So What Other Options Are
Available To Kickstart AMPK?

Well, we’ve also learned that calorie restriction and intermittent fasting can activate AMPK7.

This single discovery led me to cut my calories dramatically… at 59 years old, I’m only eating about 1200 calories a day, mostly in the evening.

As a leading anti-aging specialist, it’s important that I don’t just “talk the talk,” but that I walk the walk, too.

Rosenberg Thin

It wasn’t easy at first, but once my body adjusted, my weight dropped, my energy shot through the roof, and my thinking hasn’t been this sharp since my young days at Georgetown.

And I’ll be honest: almost everyone over 60 can benefit from calorie restriction. It is proven to improve cellular health8 and extend life9.

But I also recognize that food is a big part of our daily lives. It brings our families together. It breaks up the day. And when we’re stressed, there’s nothing quite like a big, delicious plate of pasta and a glass of wine.

Children's Snacks

Plus, for parents with kids who are still living in the house… it’s really tough to keep hands out of those delicious snacks that children demand!

So while I’ll always recommend calorie restriction to my patients who are overweight, or who want to live longer, I’m a realist, and I know that it’s very difficult for most people.

Now this is where patients always ask me “so doc, that’s it? Sprinting and calorie restriction?”

And until recently, I would have said yes.

But then, the strangest thing began to happen with a few of my patients.