Eat Fat, Lose Weight

(Article first published as Eat Fat to Boost Weight Loss on Technorati.)

Fat has been vilified over the past half century, as many people have been led to believe it promotes poor health and leads to abdominal weight gain. Fats are one of the three macronutrients required for normal cellular functioning within the body and are necessary for optimal health, as well as being a contributor to healthy weight loss and weight maintenance. You can use fat to your advantage as you make the necessary dietary modifications to lose weight, as long as you make the proper fat choices.

Fat Metabolism Controlled by Hormones
Weight gain or loss is largely under the control of a very intricate system of hormonal balance, and is very sensitive to wild swings in blood sugar which leads to insulin resistance. Once insulin becomes metabolically inactive, it is unable to usher sugar from the blood into the cells and muscles where it’s required to provide energy to your cells. This is the beginning of metabolic syndrome and can lead to diabetes, heart disease and an early death.

Sugar, Not Fat Leads to Weight Gain
Sugar and refined carbs cause blood sugar levels to quickly rise and drop, making you want another sugar fix to start the process all over again. As this process is repeated multiple times each day, insulin becomes less able to flush excess sugar from the blood after each meal, and the sugar remains in circulation. In an attempt to prevent further damage, the body converts the excess sugar to triglycerides which are stored as fat for future use. Dietary fats have no effect on blood sugar or insulin, and don’t directly lead to weight gain.

Healthy Fat Diet Shown to Decrease Waistline

Information from a study published in the International Journal of Obesity illustrates the effect of fat consumption on weight loss in two groups of obese participants. One group ate a reduced calorie diet with 18% of calories coming from fat, while the second consumed the same number of calories, except 39% of their calories were supplied by an almond-enriched fat diet.

After 6 months, the group eating the higher fat diet had a 62% greater reduction in body mass index (BMI), combined with a 50% reduction in waist size and 56% lower body fat when compared with the low fat group. The low fat group ate a high carbohydrate diet which converted to excess blood sugar and hampered their weight loss success, while the healthy higher fat group was able to lose much more fat eating the same number of calories.

Adding the Correct Fat to Your Diet

The results of this study underscore the importance of including the right fats in your diet to meet your weight loss target. Choose monounsaturated fats from natural food sources such as almonds, walnuts, flax seeds and olive oil, while avoiding vegetable oils and fats cooked at high temperatures. Overcooking oil causes hydrogenation and unhealthy trans fats which not only will pack on the pounds, but also leads to increased risk from heart disease and cancer.

Changing the way you think about dietary fat is an important first step toward improved health and natural weight loss. It’s easy to think of fat as a source of artery clogging plaque, but the body is much more sophisticated, and readily converts the fat you eat into cellular components needed for replication and not into stored fat. Eat monounsaturated fats in moderation, eliminate sugar and processed carbs from your diet and be rewarded with improved health and natural weight loss.

Eat More with Food Substitutions

(Article first published as How to Eat More and Weigh Less on Technorati.)

Many people beginning a new weight loss program believe they need to dramatically restrict calories to lose weight, a big mistake which will ultimately result in failure. The body is very sensitive to the amount of food and calories you eat on a daily basis, and will kick into survival mode if you limit calories too severely. Instead of making large changes in the amount of food you consume, try changing the types of food you eat. You’ll reach your weight goal faster and never feel hungry along the way.

Fresh Vegetables and Fruits are the Key to Weight Loss Success

Everybody has heard that it’s important to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and yet only 20% of people actually hit that goal. The reality is that you actually need to double the recommended daily servings of veggies to feel full and jumpstart your weight loss metabolism. Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that you make healthy substitutions at each meal to slowly purge high calorie foods which halt your best weight loss efforts.

Eat More to Lose More
The bottom line is you still need to eat fewer calories to begin the metabolic process in your body which will naturally purge stored fat. The important piece of the puzzle is to understand that fresh vegetables and fruits are packed with the nutrients you need to function optimally, and they fill you up at the same time.

Use Food Substitutions at Each Meal

Make an effort to eliminate one high calorie food at each meal. For breakfast, drop the sausage biscuit in favor of a bowl of mixed berries. For lunch, eliminate that burger and fries for a salad with fresh greens and topped with grilled chicken or turkey. At dinner you can nix the mashed potatoes and substitute some steamed broccoli. Enjoy healthy quantities of your new food substitutions, and you won’t fell hungry while you save about 500 calories each day.

All Foods Have a Different Effect on Your Metabolism
Once you’ve discovered that you can eat more food by substituting, and are beginning to see the weight drop, it’s time to really take a look at the types of food in your diet which are causing you to stall or plateau above your ideal goal. This happens with virtually every dietary alteration, and is the body’s way of protecting you while you adjust to your new lifestyle.

Purge Unhealthy Food Groups
Many times you can provide the small push needed to fuel fat release by looking for those dangerous food groups which are sabotaging your best efforts. Continue to add more vegetables into your diet, and move to eliminate all wheat, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, breads, pasta, and hydrogenated fats from your menu. This will be difficult at first, so proceed by cutting one food group each week. It won’t be long until you’ve fully purged these metabolism busters for good, and you’ll feel rejuvenated for your efforts.

People looking to lose weight have made an important decision which will affect the quality and length of their life. Most are amazed that they can eat virtually unlimited amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit while making food substitutions.

The final step is to drop wheat, trans fats and refined carb food groups which are proven to damage health. It really is possible to hit your weight loss goal, regain your health and never feel hungry again.

Super Foods Assist Weight Loss and Fat Burn

(Article first published as Super Food Diet Drives Weight Loss, Fuels Fat Burn on Technorati.)

Researchers have been aware of the powerful health benefits of a Mediterranean style diet for the last decade, and information is emerging to revel how a critical component of the diet directly affects our genes to promote natural weight loss. The results of a study published in BMG Genomics demonstrate how extra virgin olive oil beneficially impacts more than 100 separate genes which affect fat storage and obesity.

Phenols, the active nutrients which are abundant in cold pressed extra virgin olive oil act to suppress inflammation in the body. This results in metabolic alterations and natural release of fat from storage. This is particularly important because inflammation is known to dramatically increase risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and many cancers.

Food Directly Impacts Fat Burning Genes
The foods we eat have a significant impact on our genes, and each meal consumed has a calculable effect on genetic switching, being either beneficial or harmful to our health. It’s important to understand that by making the proper dietary changes, we can alter our health risk profile. Incorporate these fat burning super foods into your diet to realize your weight loss and health goals.

Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The results of this study highlight the importance of extra virgin olive oil to a healthy weight loss plan. This oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fat which encourages the release of fat by increasing metabolism and reducing systemic inflammation. It’s important to note from this study that olive oil which had been refined did not have the same beneficial weight loss or health benefits.

Additionally, it’s best not to cook with the oil as this will change its natural characteristics. Use it mixed with vinegar and spices as a dressing over your next salad full of fresh greens and vegetables. Experts agree that a tablespoon of olive oil each day is enough to receive the gene modification benefits and release stored body fat.

Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds, specifically walnuts and almonds, have been regularly maligned as unhealthy due to their high calorie count, yet these super foods have been shown to regulate weight and trigger the release of fat. Nuts and seed are nature’s perfectly balanced food, with most health benefits coming from their superb balance of healthy fats, minerals and fiber. Enjoy your nuts and seeds raw, not roasted for maximum metabolic impact.

Berries of All Shapes, Colors and Sizes

Humans have evolved eating berries over countless generations. Berries are loaded with fiber which binds with the fruit sugar, fructose to prevent blood sugar from spiking. More importantly all berries are packed with powerful nutrients and phytochemicals which have been shown to lower disease risk and also modify critical obesity regulating genes. Have a cup of berries each day as an aid toward naturally reducing fat reserves.

The foods we eat control our genetic destiny, how we age and the illnesses we develop over the course of many years. The important point to understand is that we’re continually altering our genes daily as we eat, and can change our genetic destiny by modifying our diet. Eating healthy and including fat burning super foods is a smart choice to release excess fat and maintain a natural and healthy weight for life.