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Fats are not just eaten because they taste good, or because they provide us with caloric energy. Fats and fatty acids are precursors of important hormones, neurotransmitters, and immunity factors. There are the “good” and “bad” fats, or essential and nonessential fats, respectively.
There are three classifications of fat: Saturated fats, which are found in meat, milk products, eggs, shrimp, lobster and crab. Research has implicated this kind in high rates of atherosclerosis and an increased cancer rate. The mono/polyunsaturated fats, another class, which are found in vegetable and seed oils, sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil and palm oil. Some of the polyunsaturated fatty acids have been classified as essential fatty acids. Finally there are the partially hydrogenated, partially saturated, fats, found in some shortening and margarine. These have been associated with metabolic poisons. These are the nonessential fats.
The worst nonessential fats are those such as processed vegetable oils, possibly including margarine. These have been shown to create “trans” fatty acids, whose structure is altered by processing. Trans fatty acids have been said to be toxic to the immune system and to arteries – in the immune system, phagocytosis is affected, and it is thought that these fats contribute to atherosclerosis and cancer.
There are three major reasons why essential fatty acids are important. They are a source of energy, are a crucial ingredient of the membranes in body tissues, and they affect the prostaglandins.
Without the essential fats (good fats), there are many problems which develop. Here is a partial list of deficiency problems: Brittle nails, tinnitus, dry skin, dandruff, alcoholism (hangover and depression), PMS, cystic fibrosis, cystic mastitis, genetic obesity, reactive hypoglycemia, diabetes, hypochlorhydria, low HDL cholesterol, MS, irritable bowel syndrome, abnormal platelet aggregation, cancer, infertility, extreme thirst, migraines, and arthritis.
Just as there are amino acids which the body cannot produce on its own, there are also essential fatty acids which the body can’t produce. Hence they need to be consumed in beneficial forms such as in coconut, or avocado, or olive oil.
Not all fats are alike. For example, the fat in beef is different than the fat in peanuts. The Eskimos ate a good deal of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, headaches, and high blood pressure. Americans consume plenty of omega-6 fatty acids, and subsequently have a many incidences of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The benefits of exercise have been documented almost endlessly. Regular exercise creates a stronger body that uses energy more efficiently and has greater endurance. Cardiovascular and respiratory functions improve as the transport of oxygen and nutrients is increased on a cellular level. The disposal of carbon dioxide and waste products from phagocytosis are also enhanced. Lowered cholesterol levels have been documented as a result of regular exercise as intake of oxygen is increased.
Exercise stimulates cardiovascular exchange. Without exercise even a great diet will not keep one in optimum condition. In fact, inactivity speeds up the aging process. Inactivity also contributes to a low metabolic rate, which in turn creates a sluggish biochemistry, which may lead an individual to potential physical and mental problems.
The metabolic rate can be altered by a variety of factors, such as allergies, addiction to alcohol or drugs, diet, smoking, and exercise. In a very significant way, exercise is like is a food, metabolism is increased during exercise, which helps to fuel the immune system, among others. Among the benefits of an increased metabolic rate is that it can lead to caloric expenditure, and thus weight loss. In addition, noradrenaline is released during exercise which can burn stored calories, and neurotransmitters are stimulated, which in turn stimulates the nervous system. Human growth hormone has a stimulating effect on the thymus gland, where the T cells are programmed.
As more oxygen gets delivered to the tissues the inflammatory response is controlled, and consequently healing is stimulated. Oxygenation acts as a detoxifier.
Exercise helps the adrenals stimulate adrenaline and cortisol which can work against allergic reactions. Studies have shown that high blood pressure, triglycerides, and LDL can be reduced through regular exercise.
It has been found that blood sugar levels can be quickly lessened with increased metabolism. This could be significant for diabetics. Additionally exercise can increase blood flow which by increasing the total volume of blood can prevent atherosclerosis, and platelet aggregation reduction.
Studies have also shown that the frequency and severity of allergic reactions such as asthma can be reduced with regular exercise. Again the increased noradrenaline and cortisol stabilizes the mast cells in the GI tract, skin and airways. Bowel function is enhanced through regular exercise, as well as increased bone strength, and osteoblasts (bone cells) are stimulated, as is calcium retention.
A weight bearing exercise such as Tai Chi can help in the prevention of osteoporosis. Endorphins and other neurotransmitters can be mood enhancers.
Regular aerobic activity means working out at a moderate pace for at least 30 minutes every other day. It is suggested that if one has not been exercising to consider a slow start. The consultation of a physician for an optimum program, perhaps after a basic physical, is beneficial.
Metabolism is affected by the frequency and the time the exercise is performed. For example, if one exercises a half an hour to an hour after a meal, caloric metabolism is greater, than if the exercise occurred before the meal.
To determine an individual’s maximum heartbeat, subtract the individual’s specific age from 220. Most people can begin an exercise program by working at the intensity of approximately 70% of the maximum heartbeat. Here’s an example: If one is 50 years old: 220-50=170, and one would work out in an exercise program at approximately 119 beats per minute. This can be modified in time.
In western countries today, there appears to be an alarming rise in the number of obese children. According to statistics, the number of these children have nearly doubled between 1965 and 1990.
Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat. Overweight, by contrast, is defined as an excess of body weight relative to height. Therefore using body weight alone as an index of obesity is not totally accurate. The classical definition of obesity is 20% more than the average desirable weight.
One could be overweight without being overfat, or the reverse is also true – one could be overfat without being overweight. Excess fat, not excess weight, is a growing health concern. For example, a well-built person may have excess weight due to muscle mass and large dense bones. Muscles are heavier than fat, one might loose inches while gaining weight if one gains muscle strength. So it is the percentage of body fat, not the weight, which determines one’s fitness.
The ideal “fat” percentage varies from men and women. For college age men, the ideal percentage of body fat is approximately 10-15%. For college age women, the ideal percentage of body fat is about 20-25%. All of us require some stored body fat for fuelling energy. If the body has too little fat, it will begin to break down muscle tissue for energy requirements.
The current thought is that the cause of obesity is not just eating too much, nor is it only eating junk food. These may be major contributors, however the other cause is metabolism of the fat cells. This metabolism is called “set point” weight. It is thought that fat cells control the “set point” and when there are many fat cells, there is an overpowering urge to eat.
For those who are overweight a weight loss program which stresses proper diet, adequate exercise and a positive mental attitude is most likely will have more success than the old fashioned deprivation or starvation diet.
Anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders which have their basis in pathological fear of fat. There is still a great deal to understand regarding these physio-emotional disorders. Between the secret binging and purging of the bulimic, and the nervous food evader of the anorexic, each has one result – malnutrition.
The greatest clinical problem for the bulimic is the large loss of electrolytes in the body, chloride loss through the vomit, and from the loss of potassium which is often used in utilized diuretics. This is not a successful way to diet. Again, there appears to be a common sense approach which has longer lasting results, that is, rather than remove food, to increase activity and eat the right foods at the right time.
According to James Marti in The Alternative Health and Medicine Encyclopedia, “to lose weight, energy intake must be less than energy expenditure. This can be accomplished by decreasing caloric intake, or increasing the rate at which calories are burned (exercising) or a combination of the two.”
He goes on to say that starvation and crash diets usually result in rapid weight loss (mostly water and muscle) and the rebound effect often occurs where even more weight can return. Successful weight loss is a combination of behavior modification and gradual loss. A gradual loss might be a half a pound to one pound weekly.
In this country, we appear to be obsessed with slender bodies. Manufacturers have capitalized on this and have created shakes, powders, and fake candy bars, which promise to help one “lose weight fast”; all of these intended to part a person desperate to lose weight with his money. As these words are being written there are about 30 million people trying to diet, and great health is unfortunately not the focus for the typical dieter. The focus instead is more superficial, to feed vanity. A person usually diets to look more attractive, have a younger looking body, and to be more appealing to others.
Traditional diets which merely cut calories are essentially crash dieting, and may do more harm than good. More and more people are realizing that diets don’t work, and the reason is simple. There are about 60 trillion cells in the body which depend on fuel to function. When you “crash” diet, metabolism slows by as much as 20 percent. As person then goes back to normal eating habits, the slowed metabolic rate stays the same, therefore storing that which in not used as fat.
The result of crash dieting without exercising is even worst. Muscle is lost as with other vital protein tissue. When the pounds return, the lost muscle is not replaced unless there has been concurrent exercise. Without exercise, there can be loose and flabby skin.
It is important to note that there are two kinds of fat cells, white and brown. The white fat cell is the immediate layer under the skin. Brown fat is located deep within the body, such as in the thoracic cavity. Brown fat burns excess calories to provide enough body heat. Essential fatty acids appear to play an important role in stimulating the metabolism of brown fat. It is therefore necessary and important to maintain brown fat, while white fat cells store the fat.
Overweight people have less activated brown fat than thin people, with a lower overall metabolism. Researchers have concluded that obesity is more of a metabolic disorder, instead of being just a “psychological problem”. Metabolic rate increases are linked with activity, and increasing metabolic activity is key in losing weight. The person who is sedentary most likely has a slowed metabolic rate, therefore storing fat.
Therefore the starvation diets do not address the nutritional, biochemical, or metabolic causes of obesity. For example, when one suddenly stops eating, the cell membrane enzyme lipoprotein lipase increases by a ratio of 7 to 40 times. Lipoprotein is the enzyme which draws triglycerides from the blood into cells for storage. The body responds by triggering the hunger effect. Eventually the weight will be regained, usually more than when dieting began. Immune function decreases as well as adrenal gland activity with caloric reduction. A better approach to weight loss is to increase caloric output and quality while decreasing non nutritional calories. Some foods burn better than others.
Alcohol, meat, dairy products, margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils, candy, pastry, steroids, and birth control pills appear to inhibit the delta-6-desaturase enzyme, a metabolic stimulator. Stress is also an inhibitor of this enzyme.
It has been stated that chromium picolinate has been used for weight reduction in combination with exercise. According to the writing in “Age” (1991 G. R. Kaats, et al.), said that “chromium picolinate seems to promote the anabolic effect of insulin on skeletal muscle along with sensitizing insulin-dependent brain receptors that regulate appetite and thermogenesis (increase in metabolic rate).”
In the Journal of Clinical Investigations, (1984, R.A. DeFronzo, et al.), reported that the “insulin effect on the hypothalamus and the sympathetic nervous system indicate a role for chromium picolinate as a way to lose weight.” Carbohydrate-induced thermogenesis results from the activation of brown fat which is brought on by insulin-mediated stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, according to the article. It goes on to theorize that the promotion of insulin sensitivity may well activate brown fat thermogenesis.
In a study published by the International Journal of Biosocial and Medical Research (1989), athletes given chromium picolinate lost 22 percent of body fat over six weeks, compared with only six percent in the placebo group.
Choosing the right time to eat goes a long way. There is a saying which illustrates the point: “eat your first meal (breakfast) of the day like a king, your second meal (lunch) like a prince, and your third meal, (dinner) like a pauper.” Late night snacks or dinners close to bedtime increases the chances of fat storage.
Muscle tissue requires more calories for function and maintenance than dormant white fat tissues. Thus the greater percentage of total lean body mass (muscle) the more calories get burned. Fat is energy stored, whereas muscle is energy in current use.
The most accurate measurement of body fat is ideally done by hydrostatic underwater weighing. This method involves sitting in a sling and being suspended from a scale into a tank of water. Fat floats, and lean body weight sinks, therefore the scale will weigh only bone, muscle and tissue. This measurement is compared to weight on dry land along with the volume of displaced water.
Another method of measuring is through skin fold tests where the thickness of fat- folds on the skin in various sites are measured with calipers. These sites are generally the triceps fold, subscapular fold, iliac fold, the abdominal fold, and the thigh fold. There is also computer software which can measure body fat available to physicians.