Metabolic
Transformation Fat
Dr. Joe
Klemczewski
Good fat, bad fat;
have you heard these opposing terms expressed in the same
sentence yet? Though the American Heart Association and
registered dieticians still ignore the role of dietary fat
in nutrition, there is mounting evidence that some degenerative
health problems can be avoided if essential fatty acids
are consumed in the right amount. And, there is solid research
affirming the fact that the right fats in the right amount
will actually make you lose body fat faster!
To understand fat, let's look first at its role in the human
body. It certainly is obvious in its role as a secondary
stored energy source. If we eat too many calories and our
body can't use them all, the food is converted to cholesterol
and triglycerides and ultimately stored as body fat. However,
fat plays a role in many other processes in the human body.
Your brain and nervous system is about sixty percent fat
by weight. The myelin sheath covering the peripheral nerves
are made from fat. Enzymes that help repair DNA and RNA
within every cell are made from fat. Every single one of
the trillions of cells in your body use fat to create and
repair the cell wall. Several hormones in your body are
cholesterol-derived hormones. So, as you can see, fat actually
plays a role in the function and health of our bodies.
As necessary as I have made fat sound, it is important to
know the difference between fats that actually fulfill these
health-necessary roles and those that just contribute to
unhealthy levels of cholesterol and body fat storage. The
major division in fat categorization is saturated versus
unsaturated. Saturated fat is primarily found in animal
protein such as dairy products, eggs, beef, and pork, while
unsaturated fats are found in plant sources like olives,
almonds, flax seeds, and fish such as salmon. Saturated
fat is very hard for your body to break down and use because
they are long-chain triglycerides.
Structurally, this means they are very large with long chains
of carbon molecules and the body doesn't process them very
efficiently. They raise blood cholesterol levels, which
increase atherosclerosis and heart disease and end up being
stored easily as body fat. Unsaturated fats are short and
medium-chain triglycerides which are processed very easily
and are used efficiently in the body processes described.
Many of these unsaturated sources contain the essential
fatty acids that most of us are deficient in. The best sources
of unsaturated fats and essential fatty acids are fish oil
(salmon,) olive oil, canola oil, flax seeds or flax seed
oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, and other plant sources.
Decreased cholesterol, decreased risk of arthritis, heart
disease, and some cancers, and decreased risk of some neurological
disorders have all been linked to the consumption of these
essential fatty acids.
So, what does this have to do with permanently losing body
fat? One of the roles of fat is the production of certain
hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
These reproductive hormones also play a major role in how
much muscle tissue our body maintains and how many calories
we burn per day. Studies have shown dramatic decreases in
base hormone production when these good fats aren't consumed
in high enough amounts. This can curtail body fat loss efforts
significantly. Dietary fat also slows down the digestion
of carbohydrates as I discussed in last month's article.
Fat takes longer to digest and can slow the absorption of
carbs which will keep blood sugar more stable which decreases
hunger and increases energy. It's a very good idea to space
your dietary fat intake evenly throughout the day. As healthy
as unsaturated fat is, there still is a limit to how many
calories you should consume per day to accomplish body fat
loss. Excess good fat can still end up stored as body fat.
You'll also get a decent amount of saturated fat from your
diet even if you eat very lean sources of protein. The leanest
protein sources such as chicken breast still have about
one gram of saturated fat per ounce. So, you may not have
to go overboard in adding unsaturated fat to your diet,
but you'll still want to leave room for some due to the
health benefits. I usually recommend approximately 20-25%
of someone's total calories come from fat when trying to
lose weight. On maintenance programs, fat intake can be
increased slightly, though I like to increase carbohydrates
for clients who have accomplished their weigh loss goals.
I would encourage you to refer to my nutrition manual to
learn more about these good fats and how to implement them
into your diet. You can also refer to chapter one and review
my nutrient profile chart to see how many grams of fat would
be appropriate for you in order to lose weight maximally
and increase your health. I also invite you to contact me
regarding my Metabolic Transformation Program. In the last
eight weeks, 22 new clients have lost a combined 300 pounds
and are off and running toward their ultimate physiques.
We have a special consulting program adapted to long-distance
clients to compliment our one-on-one program. |