There are foods and foods when it comes to fat burning.
Carbohydrates break down to glucose (sugar) which is stored in the skeletal muscles and the liver via the action of insulin from the pancreas. If the body cannot store all of the glucose or use it up quickly enough, it is stored in the next safest place – adipose tissue (fat cells). High blood glucose levels and high insulin levels predispose the individual to developing Type II Diabetes, so the body will deal with glucose in preference to any other type of macronutrients (ie fats and proteins) because it has the ability to cause considerable harm. (Unchecked diabetes can result in blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation) so ensuring that blood glucose levels are within the safe range is absolutely vital for overall health and wellbeing.
The difficulty is that most Westerners have been encouraged to eat a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. Recent research has concluded that these diets are associated with Metabolic Syndrome X which is high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. All driven by insulin resistance which occurs when the cells of the body cannot absorb enough glucose, despite the presence of insulin. At my Naturopathic clinic, Getting Well Naturally, one of the most important treatments in people predisposed to Metabolic Syndrome X is to resensitize the body to insulin. There by reducing high blood glucose levels and the potential for developing diabetes.
Many people are unaware that vegetables are a valuable source of carbohydrates. In terms of fat burning, vegetables are far superior to pasta, rice, bread and crackers as they contain vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Fruit is also a carbohydrate, however, it breaks down to fructose (fruit sugar) and this can be counterproductive in large quantities in a fat burning program. Grain based carbohydrates such as those mentioned above give the body a temporary high which leads to carbohydrate craving. The other issue is that it is almost impossible to stop at one piece of bread as the more you eat, the more you want. The reason for this is that carbohydrates such as these do not turn off the neurotransmitter in the brain which tells the brain that you are full. Therefore, you will keep eating bread, etc. and the excess energy is then stored as fat. (Be aware that restricting grain based carbohydrates is very effective for fat burning and weight loss, however, if you add in these carbohydrates then the fat burning will stop until the body has dealt with the glucose.)
Bulking your meals up with vegetables is very filling and much healthier than eating rice or pasta which is really just empty calories. This is especially true of white pasta and white rice as all of the fibre and nutrients have been removed. Fibre not only keeps you fuller for longer it also provides roughage for the bowel to keep fecal material moving and not stagnating in the gut and adding to the toxic load on the body. It is not uncommon for overweight people to be carrying a couple of kilos of fecal matter in their gut which needs to be eliminated – instant weight loss! Fibre also creates the growth of good bacteria in the gut which helps to keep the blood slightly alkaline, produces some B vitamins (mood & energy) and keeps the immune system in balance and working effectively.
Aim for at least 5 vegetables a day with meals.
With increased fibre comes the need for increased water to push the waste through the bowel. Failure to drink plenty of water while increasing fibre, will result in constipation. The body is 72% water and according to our client records, any client who is overweight is also dehydrated. The body craves water but it is not very good at telling you that it needs water until you have a dry mouth which is one of the last signs of dehydration. The body will create hunger to get more water in and if the food that you eat is devoid of water, then the body will send out more hunger signals in a desperate attempt to get the water in. This frequently results in weight gain.
Aim for 2 – 3 litres of water a day for optimal hydration, as the more hydrated you are the less your fat mass will be.
Protein foods are animal foods such as fish, chicken, lamb, beef, seafood and eggs. Protein is also found in nuts, seeds and bean/legumes. Protein breaks down to amino acids, half of which are essential to the body (ie the body has to get them from the diet, as it cannot make them itself).
These amino acids are the building blocks of the body and make everything from the hair on your head to the neurotransmitters and hormones in your brain and everything in between. Overweight people are typically protein deficient. Protein is essential for muscle growth which in turn burns fat. On a fat burning program you are encouraged to eat 5 meals a day with a portion of protein in every meal. Depending on your weight you will need either 110g of protein/day or 90g of protein a day (refer to Body Composition Analysis results). Refer also to the KetoSlim table which shows the amount of protein in various foods (ie 1 egg = 10g protein). Protein also tells the brain that you are satisfied after a meal. This is very important as grain based carbohydrates tell you opposite. Protein keeps you fuller for longer and slows down the absorption of glucose. Protein is also excellent for reducing stress and depression.
Aim for 5 serves of protein daily.
Fat provides more than double the amount of energy of either carbohydrates or protein, so it is not required in huge quantities but it is essential for fat burning. Fat has a variety of roles to play in the body and diets which are deficient in fat are just a problematic as those which have too much! Omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in fish and nuts up regulate the enzymes which cause fat to be burnt for energy, whilst down regulating the enzymes which lead to fat storage. Essentially ‘you need fat to burn fat’. Omega 3 fatty acids are also wonderful for reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). Fat also increases satiety after meals keeping you fuller for longer.
Aim to increase omega 3 oils in your diet or via supplementation with high potency Meta EPA/DHA (6,000mg/day or 6 x 1,000mg capsules).
Exercise is also a very beneficial activity for fat burning as it can lead to muscle development which in itself leads to increased fat burning again.
While there are many elements to an effective weight loss program, knowing the correct information is essential to optimize your fat burning.
Recent research has shown that 75% of those surveyed had tried Natural Medicine in the last 12 months. As a Naturopath this comes as no surprise. My clinical experience has shown that my clients typically fit into one of four categories, especially if you’re over the age of 30.
1. The first group of clients are those who are passionate about healing themselves through natural medicine supplementation, improved nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. They prefer to use natural medicine in preference to pharmaceutical drugs to treat their health conditions.
2. The second group are those clients that know that their diet is not healthy and they are experiencing health concerns such as weight gain, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc. but feel sure they can get on top of it, given the right information. Many of my clients who come for weight loss are already doing an exercise program but are just not getting the results that they desire because they don’t have all the information they need from a dietary or nutritional perspective to put it all together. There are also other things that affect a person’s ability to lose weight such as hormonal changes in the body (i.e. menopause, andropause, high cortisol levels, adrenal and thyroid issues), toxins, stress, inflammation, infection and allergies). Only by addressing all of these health concerns through natural medicine and diet, can real progress be made.
3. Another type of client that I regularly see are those using pharmaceutical drugs and experiencing lots of side-effects such as weight gain, reduced libido, reduced energy, etc. These clients are looking for a natural alternative to address their health concerns safely and without side-effects. A Naturopath is focused on treating the root cause of the illness rather than simply masking the symptoms. For example, instead of using antihistamines for Hay fever and affecting no real change, the Naturopathic approach would be to rebalance their immune system and supplement their diet with nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and zinc.
4. Finally, I see an increasing number of clients who have done the rounds of doctors and specialists and have completed untold numbers of tests, only to be given a complete bill of health. All the while these clients know in themselves that they are not well. In this instance the Naturopath is seen as someone who can explain why their body is producing the symptoms that it is and give them a holistic treatment plan incorporating natural medicine.
So did any of these client categories sound familiar to you?
Natural medicine focuses on changes to the diet, nutritional supplementation and herbal medicine. The treatment plan may also take into account environmental and emotional aspects of your health. For instance, what toxins have you been exposed to and what are your relationships like? Do you enjoy your work and how stressful is your life? Only by looking at the whole picture can potential explanations be given as to why your health has reached the state that it has. What is your body trying to tell you? What changes need to be made to ensure you have optimal health in the future?
Being the practitioner of last resort is not a glamorous title but it is an important one. When clients come to see me they’re frustrated, overwhelmed and at their wits end. They cannot understand why no-one can tell them what’s wrong with them let alone how to fix it. While these people are among my most challenging clients, they are also incredibly rewarding to work with, as each naturopathic consultation brings new information and improvements to their health.
As a Naturopath I get an unbelievable buzz out of helping people to help themselves. There is nothing better than providing an alternative to people who have tried everything else with little success. So if you fall into one of the above categories, you now know that Natural Medicine can help you to improve your health, not only for now but also well into the future.
Everyone likes to talk about weight loss but what type of weight are people actually losing? In this article, readers discover the truth about the term collectively known as weight loss.
In 2003 I attended a seminar entitled ‘Fat Loss not Weight Loss’ as part of my Naturopathic training. Early in the day the lecturer made a comment that I have never forgotten. “You can lose weight just by going to the toilet!” Although Mr. Eddy ND was stating the obvious; it wasn’t until that moment that it dawned on me just how misleading the term weight loss can be. Losing excess fat, fluid, waste or toxins, should be the goal of any healthy weight reduction program. However, for most people, the success of a weight loss program is measured simply by a decrease in kilograms on the scales.
So when ‘Anita’ weighs herself on the scales and she’s 2 kg lighter, she assumes that this is healthy and what she is doing is working. And of course this is understandable given that the generalized notion of weight loss, is all anybody ever talks about! But what if that 2 kg weight loss came at the expense of a reduction in muscle and bone mass? Muscle mass is heavier than fat mass so when it is lost it has a dramatic effect on the scales. The irony is that muscle mass drives metabolism and enables you to burn fat more effectively. So while losing muscle mass might look good on the scales, it actually weakens your overall physique and body structure, decreases your immunity and slows fat loss.
Therefore, as any of my clients can attest, it is essential that you know what type of weight you are actually losing. There have been instances among my male clientele where their overall weight has increased but their physique has improved substantially. This is because their increased weight came from muscle mass which enabled them to burn more fat. It should also be remembered that muscle mass also adds tone to the body and improves its overall appearance. It also produces increased stamina, strength and energy.
Overall physique is a very important consideration when attempting to reduce body weight. Many people have large frames with a high degree of muscle and bone mass. This can weigh quite heavily on the scales but it is very important for the body to have a strong structural framework. The body’s bone mass peaks at 20 years of age but according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 5 to 7 years after menopause bone mass declines by a whopping 20%.
This is because women lose the protective effects of estrogen after menopause which predisposes them to developing Osteoporosis (porous bones) which fracture and break easily. Therefore, maintaining a healthy amount of bone mass is essential to offset this hormonal change.
My advice to anyone undertaking a weight loss program is to make sure that they monitor and manage their progress with regular Body Composition Assessments (BCA) to ensure that muscle and bone mass is not being sacrificed in an effort to weigh less on the scales. Ideally BCA’s need to be done every three weeks as bone and muscle loss can occur with surprising speed.
On a final note I believe it’s unrealistic to compare one person’s weight loss success with another because there are so many variables. Among my clients there are examples of people who weigh lighter simply because they have a smaller frame. There are also examples of people who are heavier yet healthier than others, simply because they have more muscle and less fat mass overall.
Having conducted countless Body Composition Assessments, I can assure readers that there are definitely risks associated with weight loss if it is not monitored and managed correctly. Bathroom scales are next to useless because they do not give you the full picture. Be fully informed about your weight loss program and the type of weight you are losing to avoid serious health issues down the track.
