Monday, October 8, 2007

Fat Loss Nutrition - The Big Fat Lies

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Yet more people than ever are on a diet. So what is going wrong? The fact that diet foods such as low-fat and low-carb products are a $7.6 billion-a-year business might have something to do with it. The food industry keeps you fat with processed foods, so it can sell you more diet products. Avoiding both is one of the key factors in fat loss nutrition.

Getting the basics of fat loss nutrition right, along with the right kind of exercise, will lead to weight loss. The problem with many diets is that they are not balanced. They cannot be maintained long-term. And when you stop dieting, the weight piles back on. Focus on fat loss nutrition, rather than actual weight loss. An approximate guide is that for every 3 grams of protein at a meal you need to have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of fat. More important still is the type of fat, carbohydrate and protein you eat.

The Good Fats, Bad and The Ugly in Fat Loss Nutrition

Low-fat is the myth that has fuelled the diet industry, with complete disregard to the quality of fat you consume. The 'ugly fats' are the 'trans' fats or hydrogenated fats in fried and processed foods which are the toxic fats that are dumped in the body's fat tissues. These fats are difficult to shift, so fat loss nutrition has to increase the balance of good fats. Although omega-6 fat is a 'good fat', our diet contains too much of it in relation to the other 'good fat' omega-3. This imbalance contributes to insulin resistance (see Carbohydrates below for more information). So, not only do you need to reduce your omega-6 fat intake (vegetable oils, grain-fed beef and many processed foods), you need to increase your omega-3 fats (in fish, fish-oil capsules, or flaxseed oil). This will bring your essential fat intake (and yes, they are essential to health) to a more balanced one-to-one ratio.

Saturated fat has been demonised for so long that it is quite difficult to convince people otherwise. Coconut oil, which is a good saturated fat, has been shown to increase weight loss as it has the ability to help stimulate your metabolism and actually burn fat for energy. It also helps regulate blood sugar, an essential in weight loss - and it's good for your heart too!

As coconut oil is such a stable fat it is the best fat to use for cooking. Save your extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings.

Carbohydrate Quality and Fat Loss Nutrition

It is not so much the fat in the foods we eat but the excess carbohydrates from our starchy and sugary diet that is making us fat and unhealthy. The reason is due to insulin resistance. You can reverse this with the fat loss nutrition approach, which is easy to do, and then the fat burns off and you will lose weight in a healthy and controlled way.

Our diet of bread, cereal, pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, mostly as processed food is primarily responsible for our bulging stomachs and rolls of fat. These processed carbohydrates lead to too much insulin being produced, which leads to insulin-resistance. Your body has no choice but to turn the sugar into fat. Good for the diet food industry, but not for you.

Fat loss Nutrition Tip: Fiber plays a powerful role in weight control. Brown rice and vegetables are high in fiber. When you do eat grains, make sure they are whole grains.

Protein

You can slow down the release of sugar into the blood stream, the 'sugar rush', by eating protein with your carbohydrates. This is not a recommendation to eat red meat at every meal, which has been linked to colon cancer. You just need to eat a little of other sources of protein such as beans, lean white meat and fish.

The fat loss nutrition approach means that even snacking on a handful of pumpkin seeds with an apple can help to slow down the sugar release.

Is Fat Loss Nutrition Really This Simple?

Yes, it is. Weight loss has less to do with willpower than the balance of fat loss nutrition and the quality of foods. The right exercise helps too. Just avoid all the low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet fads and processed foods where you can. You will not have to worry about quantity of food or feeling hungry when the fat loss nutrition is under control and you keep your blood sugar balanced.

Natalie Beech reveals more about fat loss nutrition and healthy weight loss. Find out the truth that can help you lose weight and benefit your long-term health at the Fatloss-Fitness Website


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