*By Dr Devan Introduction In the modern era of mind–body science, one of the most astonishing discoveries is that the human brain cannot fully distinguish between vividly imagined experiences and real physical events. This revelation has profound implications in the field of health, fitness, and metabolic science. Among the most fascinating outcomes of this understanding is the realisation that visualising intense exercise can, to a measurable extent, activate the body’s fat-burning machinery—particularly through the enzyme Hormone-Sensitive Lipase (HSL), which governs the release of stored fat from adipocytes. The human body is a chemical and electrical symphony directed by the brain. When the brain perceives effort, struggle, heat, and motion—even if only through imagination—it begins to release the same hormones that drive real physical exercise, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. These hormones, in turn, stimulate HSL, initiating lipolysis, the process by which fat ...
*By Dr. Devan For decades, scientists believed that weight gain was a simple matter of calories in versus calories out. But in recent years, a stunning discovery has shifted this understanding: certain bacteria in our gut can make us gain or lose weight—irrespective of how much we eat. These are now popularly known as the “fattening bacteria” or obesogenic microbes. This revelation has opened an entirely new dimension in the management of weight, where the gut microbiome—the trillions of microorganisms residing in our intestines—plays the central role in determining whether one tends to gain or lose weight easily. 1. The Gut Microbiome and Its Influence on Weight Our gut is home to more than 100 trillion bacteria, belonging mainly to two large families: Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The ratio between these two bacterial groups is now known to be a crucial determinant of body weight. Firmicutes are the so-called fattening bacteria. They extract more energy from food, converting even ind...