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Genetics And Weight Loss
By LiteGirl | July 2, 2009
Nutrition Explained – Weight Loss Through Detoxification
DIET… A FOUR LETTER WORD
The first three letters of “diet,” spell…”die”. That is exactly what happens to your
metabolism as you yo-yo on and of and on and off again- the slew of current
popular diet plans. Each time you fall off the band wagon, it’s harder to get back on.
Here’s why:
When you drastically cut calories, your body goes into starvation mode. Your
metabolism slows to a snail’s pace, because it thinks that there is a period of famine, and it is trying to conserve, conserve, conserve! This makes it hard to lose the fat you desire, because your body is trying to store it. To compound this problem, your body then dumps the most energetically expensive tissue-muscle! So you end up losing muscle and storing fat, the complete opposite of what you really need to do to lose weight.
“Aha Moment”: Muscles are your
body’s metabolic engines. The
more muscle you have, the faster
your metabolism. The less muscle
you have, the faster you gain
weight.
THE GENETICS MYTH
You are not fat because of your genes. Did you ever watch the show, The Biggest
Loser? These people have everything stacked against them; but with the proper
training, they literally transform their bodies and their lives without drugs or surgery!
Genex clearly have nothing to do with losing weight after watching that show.
Their focus was to lose weight, and they put action and energy into that focus and look at their end result. In my opinion, general statements in the media that genetics keep people from looking the way they want are simply tools to shift responsibility from the individual so that the popular marketplace can sell them more drugs, supplements, gimmicks, etc.
Genes are like nature’s light switches, something has to turn them on and turn them off. That something is the environment. If you eat chocolate and Twinkies all day, what type of environment are you creating inside your body?
WE ARE HARDWIRED TO GAIN WEIGHT
Our bodies have more systems that allow us to gain weight than they do for us to
lose weight. Our ancestors survived by gaining and storing weight to survive periodic famines. These systems have left our bodies prone to store fat and gain weight. We have poisoned the systems that help us lose weight by not exercising, having a poor mindset and eating foods that are not congruent with our genetics, such as high fructose corn sugar, processed foods, too much salt, etc. This has turned our bodies into fat-storing machines.
Our ancestors were built, literally, like Olympic athletes-not because they wanted to be, but because they had to survive-and in the wild, survival of the fittest prevails.
As we adapted through evolution, we had to adapt different systems and behaviors to survive. In early times, our diets consisted of fruits, nuts, vegetables, tubers, and wild meat.
There are low calories in the foods. We occasionally had a snack, if some honey was found, but these were rare and naturally sweet treats, unlike our current fare.
I’m not in the business of trying to make you eat and live like cavemen and will certainly acknowledge that cavemen and women did not have deadlines, bosses breathing down their necks, and financial stress. The fact that these forces can overcome our biological drives to lose weight, stress us out, and cause us to give into temptation has shifted many of our dietary choices from biological necessities to psychological reactions. My whole point is that to enhance our fat loss potential and overcome our genetics, we need to take a lesson from those guys and act similarly.
It is true that people come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, so your height and bone structure will play a small role in your overall size. While good genetics may give some people an edge place others at a disadvantage, know that you are not destined to be fat, because your parents are fat. If you lead the same lifestyle as your parents, chances are good that you may look like them. HOWEVER, if you decide to make a change, you can certainly have the body that you desire
“Aha Moment”: Even if my parents and
grandparents are fat, I don’t have to be!
THE LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS AND WEIGHT LOSS
Tne factor involved in losing that jelly belly is something called your metabolism.
Your metabolism forms the basis for how many calories your body burns at rest and/or at play. This process is determined by a multitude of factors, including hormone levels, muscle mass, and work load.
The Law of Thermodynamics states that if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. When you apply this to human beings, it works a little bit differently, because the starvation response that we discussed earlier is caused by an immediate lack of food that can throw your hormones into a frenzy. This phenomenon is seen in overweight people who eat 1,000 calories a day (or less) and are still not losing weight. You can make the Law of Thermodynamics work for you by multiple periodic feedings, proper nutrition, and metabolic stimulation exercises (e.g., weight lifting), especially for large muscle groups (back and legs).
CARBS, PROTEINS, FATS–OH MY!!
These, without exception, are three basic building blocks of the human body. I won’t go into great detail about them, because an expanded discussion is not important for our purposes. Note however, that your sources must be of quality of all three!! Think of your body as a house. Which would you build your house out of, strong bricks were weak straw? While you will technically have a house, which material will produce the stronger building? In other words, you must eat healthy sources of carbs, proteins, and fats in order to build a strong body-and don’t forget to add a good multivitamin. These things represent the raw materials needed to fuel your body and prime that fat burning pump! A list of foods is provided at the end of this book that you can print out and stick on your refrigerator.
CARBOHYDRATES: Carbs are simple and complex sugars that the body uses as energy. They also, without exception, hold the water in your tissues. Simple Carbohydrates or simple sugars- Simple sugars are typically sweet-tasting (glucose derives from the Greek word for “sweet”) and are rapidly metabolized by the body and converted into energy. In fact, simple sugars need almost no digesting – they can enter the bloodstream immediately. Examples are: syrups,table sugar, fruit juice, candy,fruits, etc.
Simple carbs or simple sugars (except for the fructoses) are typically high on the glycemic index, so they tend to cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. Ideal for energy, but not so good for appetite and blood glucose control.
Complex sugars or complex carbohydrates, are many sugars put together. Because the molecular structure of complex carbohydrates is more complicated, the body cannot metabolize them (convert them) into energy as quickly as simple carbs.(except the natural fructose).
This means complex carbs raise blood glucose levels more slowly which is called a low glycemic food. The most common form of polysaccharide complex carb is starch, which is found in plants. Common plant-based starchy foods include breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice.
“Aha Moment”: When you eat a lot of
carbs, you not only gain weight from
the carbs being stored as fat, but
also from the water that they hold in
your tissues. You end up with a
swollen, bloated look. Sounds
pleasant, doesn’t it?
Good Carbohydrates: The more natural the carbohydrates are, the better. Fruit (limited amount due to high sugar content), vegetables (as much as you want), potatoes, and whole grains, such as oats, are all great carbs to eat.
Bad Carbohydrates: White flour, enriched products, pasta, and anything that has refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. (More about this later.)Word of Caution: Consumption of too many carbs will send your blood sugar hormones through the roof! Too much insulin leads to fat storage-and subsequently to type II diabetes. The best way to prevent this disease is by not overloading yourself with sugar, especially processed, unnatural sugars like the bad carbs listed above!
Glycemic Index:
This is a ranking system that tells how carbohydrates affect your blood sugar levels. It is a measurement of how much your blood glucose raises 2-3 hours after eating. The best authority on this, is David Mendosa. http://www.mendosa.com Go here for more information.
PROTEINS: Proteins are the basic components needed to build strong muscles, ligaments, and bone. They are the second most abundant substance, next to water, and are used by the body to heal, repair, and grow. Animal meat is the best source of protein, because it contains the complete line of amino acids, as well as Vitamin B12.The eating of protein does not change her blood sugar levels.
Good Protein Sources: lean red meat, chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna.
Bad Protein Sources: All vegetables, fruit, breads.
“Aha Moment”: Eat protein with
carbohydrates to balance the blood
sugar effects!
FATS: Here is the skinny on all the fats. Your body uses fat for the brain, your cells need fat for healthy function, and your glands need fat for balanced hormone production.
Fats:
· Supply insulation and protection for the organs;
· Help store and transport fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K);
· Assist in mineral absorption (this is why low-fat diets cause osteoporosis);
· Cause fat mobilization (that’s right, you must eat fat to lose fat!);
· Slow the absorption of carbs (manage blood sugar levels); and
· Reduce hunger signals, making you feel more full.
· Good Fats:
· Omega 3 fatty acids: cold water fish, such as salmon and sardines.
· Naturally raised grass and vegetable-fed animals,
· Flaxseed, almonds, and walnuts.
·
“Aha Moment”: Get your Omega 3 from
a good fish oil product.
Extra virgin olive oil (cook with at low heat).
Coconut oil (cook at high heat).
Butter (cook on medium heat).
Note: Oils become damaged and go rancid when cooked, causing destructive effects to
the body. Use only olive oil and coconut oil, because they are stable under heat and
healthy to use.
Fats To Reduce and Avoid
Omega 6 fats
Hydrogenated oils
Trans fats
Cooking oils (vegetable, nut, seed)
We consume too many of these fats, which have a harmful inflammatory effect on
the body. Oils from vegetables, nuts, and seeds are very unstable and break down into
substances that are harmful to the body when heated.
Saturated fats: commercially raised animal products, palm oil
Trans-fats: hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
““Aha Moment””: Eating healthy fats is
good for you and will help you to lose weight.
Partially hydrogenated fats and trans-fatty acids are very bad for your health, avoid them. These are designed to increase the shelf life of food products, while adding an extra shelf to your gut. Add good fats every day, such as Omega 3 fatty acids, and you must supplement with a good fish oil. Just because something is labeled “no trans fats” there still might be hydrogenated oil in it. Toxins lurking – read your food labels!
WATER: The body is over 70% water, so the most important nutrient that your body can have.
While you can survive for only about seven days without water, you can live at least days without food. Every psychological process in your body uses lots of water. It is required to transport nutrients, regulate temperature, and build tissues.
For more information go to: www.greenlifeweightloss.com
Charles S. Livingston, D.C., C.C.W.P.
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