We all know the that if you want to loose fat we have to stop eating fat . After all, fat has twice as many calories as carbs or protien, the doctors have linked fat to heart disease, obesity, and high cholesterol, so it makes since to not eat them. Right?
Then why is America fatter than ever? *Since 1970, Americans have been eating less and less fat. That's right. We eat less fat today than we did 40 years ago. However, the overall calories have INCREASED. But how could this be? We did what wad recommended and now we are fatter than ever!
Well it all starts with a study done in the 1950's called the Lipid Hypothesis. In this study, the aim was to prove a correlation between the amount of fat in a countries diet and the heart disease rates. And the end result showed a very obvious correlation. The more fat a country ate, the more at risk they were for heart disease. But one problem: the doctor doing the study picked and chose what contries results were posted. Infact, several countries ate higher amounts of fat than the top countries included in the study that had the LOWEST incidence of heart disease. For example, the Inuit's diet is comprised of 60-80 % of heavily saturated animal fat, yet heart disease is is unheard of.
It is said that we are fat because we eat more than ever. This is true, but why do we eat more than ever? I mean, I don't think people counted calories, practiced portion control, or worried about the fat in their food. People ate when they were hungry, ate until they were full, and went on with their life.
It is true that we are less active than before. But that means that we should be less hungry, right? The humans body works by increasing hunger as activity increases. But we are less active than ever, yet we eat more than ever. How is this?
When we replaced fats with carbohydrates (those cookies are
Fat free after all) it does something in our bodies. It jacks ups our insulin.*
Insulin is transport mechanism. It caries glucose from the blood stream to *recptor sites inside muscle and liver tissue as glycogen (this is were the body gets energy during intense exercise). After all the receptors are full, the excess is stored as fat. Since most of use don't exercise long enough to deplete glycogen, most is stored as fat.
Insulin is also highly anabolic. Infact, it is argued to be one of the most anabolic hormones in the body. However, it is competly anabolic. It builds muscle and fat at rapid rate, and can totally blunt the oxidation of fat for energy for several hours.
When we eat carbohydrates, the body breaks down the carb into glucose and resleases this glucose into the blood stream. You may know this as "blood sugar." well blood sugars like the remain at a constant 90 value (ng/dl). No more no less. When we eat carbs, especially highly refined, our blood sugar gets elevated. The body releases it's transport mechanism, insulin, to lower this blood sugar.*
But, when high glycemic carbs especially are eaten, the blood sugars get jacked up so fast the body just starts dumping huge amounts of insulin to get the blood sugar down. But in the
midst of this insulin chaos, the body releases TOO much insulin. So after *blood sugar gets down to it's preferred 90 ng/dl blood sugar levels, there is still a ton of insulin transporting the
*Blood sugar to receptors.
Did you know that it is this drop in blood sugar is what sends people in diabetic shock? It's hypoglycemia, and it can kill. Your body does have a system in place to raise blood sugar with out carbs, involving a hormone called glucagon. But the body is in cris mode, we need this blood sugar raised NOW.*
So the body sends out hunger hormones, sending you jonesing for something to eat, especially something sweet. Starting the cycle all over again.*
So before you decide to cut fat out of your diet consider this:
- carbohydrates are unessential to our survival as humans. We have essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, but not essential carbohydrates
- over half of the cell membranes are made of saturated fats
- cholesterol is vital for hormone production
-when the body is deprived of fat, it will horde the fat so it can synthesize hormones
- studies show that men who eat a higher percentage of fat in their diet have higher testosterone levels
I'm not sayin that carbs are the devil, they are very useful and recommended, but don't discount the value as fat.
Then why is America fatter than ever? *Since 1970, Americans have been eating less and less fat. That's right. We eat less fat today than we did 40 years ago. However, the overall calories have INCREASED. But how could this be? We did what wad recommended and now we are fatter than ever!
Well it all starts with a study done in the 1950's called the Lipid Hypothesis. In this study, the aim was to prove a correlation between the amount of fat in a countries diet and the heart disease rates. And the end result showed a very obvious correlation. The more fat a country ate, the more at risk they were for heart disease. But one problem: the doctor doing the study picked and chose what contries results were posted. Infact, several countries ate higher amounts of fat than the top countries included in the study that had the LOWEST incidence of heart disease. For example, the Inuit's diet is comprised of 60-80 % of heavily saturated animal fat, yet heart disease is is unheard of.
It is said that we are fat because we eat more than ever. This is true, but why do we eat more than ever? I mean, I don't think people counted calories, practiced portion control, or worried about the fat in their food. People ate when they were hungry, ate until they were full, and went on with their life.
It is true that we are less active than before. But that means that we should be less hungry, right? The humans body works by increasing hunger as activity increases. But we are less active than ever, yet we eat more than ever. How is this?
When we replaced fats with carbohydrates (those cookies are
Fat free after all) it does something in our bodies. It jacks ups our insulin.*
Insulin is transport mechanism. It caries glucose from the blood stream to *recptor sites inside muscle and liver tissue as glycogen (this is were the body gets energy during intense exercise). After all the receptors are full, the excess is stored as fat. Since most of use don't exercise long enough to deplete glycogen, most is stored as fat.
Insulin is also highly anabolic. Infact, it is argued to be one of the most anabolic hormones in the body. However, it is competly anabolic. It builds muscle and fat at rapid rate, and can totally blunt the oxidation of fat for energy for several hours.
When we eat carbohydrates, the body breaks down the carb into glucose and resleases this glucose into the blood stream. You may know this as "blood sugar." well blood sugars like the remain at a constant 90 value (ng/dl). No more no less. When we eat carbs, especially highly refined, our blood sugar gets elevated. The body releases it's transport mechanism, insulin, to lower this blood sugar.*
But, when high glycemic carbs especially are eaten, the blood sugars get jacked up so fast the body just starts dumping huge amounts of insulin to get the blood sugar down. But in the
midst of this insulin chaos, the body releases TOO much insulin. So after *blood sugar gets down to it's preferred 90 ng/dl blood sugar levels, there is still a ton of insulin transporting the
*Blood sugar to receptors.
Did you know that it is this drop in blood sugar is what sends people in diabetic shock? It's hypoglycemia, and it can kill. Your body does have a system in place to raise blood sugar with out carbs, involving a hormone called glucagon. But the body is in cris mode, we need this blood sugar raised NOW.*
So the body sends out hunger hormones, sending you jonesing for something to eat, especially something sweet. Starting the cycle all over again.*
So before you decide to cut fat out of your diet consider this:
- carbohydrates are unessential to our survival as humans. We have essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, but not essential carbohydrates
- over half of the cell membranes are made of saturated fats
- cholesterol is vital for hormone production
-when the body is deprived of fat, it will horde the fat so it can synthesize hormones
- studies show that men who eat a higher percentage of fat in their diet have higher testosterone levels
I'm not sayin that carbs are the devil, they are very useful and recommended, but don't discount the value as fat.