Turns Out Everyone Was Wrong About Saturated Fats

Want to lose weight and improve your health? More healthy fat may help. While fat, specifically saturated fat, has been blamed for increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease, research shows that carbs may actually be the culprit.

A controlled-diet study published in the journal PLOS challenges the theory that dietary saturated fat is bad or a contributor to heart disease. With that being said, there is an association between saturated fat in the blood and heart disease.

During the study, participants were put on six three-week diets that progressively increased carbs while simultaneously reducing total fat and saturated fat. Calories and protein remained the same. As carbohydrate levels increased, blood levels of a fatty acid (palmitoleic acid) known to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes also rose steadily.

When palmitoleic acid increases, it's a signal that an increasing proportion of carbs are being converted to fat instead of being burned as fuel. In other words, the amount of carbohydrates you consume may determine how you process saturated fat -- whether it is burned for fuel or stored as fat.

How Much Fat Should You Eat?

A recent study in the journal Open Heart indicates that research does not support the original dietary-fat-consumption guidelines created in 1977 and 1983. These guidelines recommended that we cut fat to about 30 percent of our total daily calories and reduce saturated fat -- from red meat and dairy products like milk, eggs and cheese -- down to no more than 10 percent of total calories.

Suddenly people were avoiding fat and replacing it with sugars and refined carbohydrates -- often in the form of fat-free and low-fat packaged foods.

But these guidelines, intended to make Americans healthier, have done anything but. Adult obesity rates have doubled since 1980, and they're projected to increase by another 50 percent by 2030. Meanwhile, childhood obesity and diabetes diagnoses have tripled.

It's time to stop thinking of dietary fat as the enemy. In fact, fat is a key source of energy and essential nutrients. You can't live without it, and it might help you lose weight.

Fat, like protein, helps keep you full longer. And since it carries flavor, it makes food more satisfying. In other words, you could probably consume fewer calories of fat and feel more full and satisfied than twice the calories of refined carbs. Even better, when you eat fat, it slows the entry of glucose into the bloodstream, helping to moderate your blood sugar. So instead of that "crash and burn" after eating carbs, along with feelings of hunger soon after, fat helps control your appetite and your cravings. When more than half of Americans show some type of carb intolerance, it may make more sense to choose a diet that controls carbohydrates instead of restricts fat.

Here are the types of fat you should consume and one you should avoid:

Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) are found in olive oil, canola oil, walnuts and most other nuts as well as avocados. MUFAs are usually liquid at room temperature.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are always liquid both at room temperature and in the refrigerator. They're found mostly in oils from vegetables, seeds and some nuts. Sunflower, safflower, flaxseed, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grape-seed and sesame oils are high in PUFAs. So are the oils in fatty fish, such as sardines, herring and salmon.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are dietary fats that your body can't produce. Both omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs are PUFAs essential to your health and well-being. Omega-3s are found in the fat of shellfish and cold-water fish. Omega-6s are found primarily in seeds and grains, as well as in chickens and pigs. Unless you're eating a very low-fat diet, you are most likely getting more than the recommended amount of omega-6s.

Eat foods or take supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as shellfish, cold-water ocean fish and fish oil (salmon, tuna, sardines, herring and anchovies, along with non-fish sources like flaxseed, almonds, walnuts and canola oil). Avoid corn, soybean, cottonseed and peanut oils, which are all high in omega-6s.

Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) tend to remain solid at room temperature. Butter, lard, suet and palm and coconut oils are relatively rich in saturated fats. This type of fat is fine to consume on a low-carb diet, because when carbs are restricted, your body burns primarily fat for fuel.

Trans fats should be avoided at all costs. Trans fats have been associated with an increased heart-attack risk, and they have been shown to increase the body's level of inflammation. They are typically found in foods you should be avoiding already, including fried foods, baked goods, cookies, crackers, candies, snack foods, icings and vegetable shortenings.

--Colette

Readers -- Have you ever followed a low-fat or low-carb diet? Which method worked best for you and why? Do you try to avoid any fats or just specific types of fats? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Colette Heimowitz, M.Sc., works directly with medical professionals, health influencers and consumers to educate them about the Atkins sustainable lifestyle. Colette brings a wealth of nutritional knowledge and experience as the vice president of Nutrition and Education at Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. She has more than 20 years of experience as a nutritionist, which includes the time she spent with Dr. Atkins as director of nutrition at the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine.

References

Volk, B. et al. (2014) Effects of step-wise increases in dietary carbohydrate on circulating saturated fatty Acids and palmitoleic acid in adults with metabolic syndrome. PLOS DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113605

Harcombe, Z. et al. (2015) Evidence from randomised controlled trials did not support the introduction of dietary fat guidelines in 1977 and 1983: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Heart DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2014-000196

Source: https://www.livestrong.com/blog/wrong-saturated-fat/

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Eggs and Cholesterol — How Many Eggs Can You Safely Eat?

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

Just imagine... a whole egg contains all the nutrients needed to turn a single cell into an entire baby chicken.

However, eggs have gotten a bad reputation because the yolks are high in cholesterol.

In fact, a single medium sized egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62% of the recommended daily intake.

People believed that if you ate cholesterol, that it would raise cholesterol in the blood and contribute to heart disease.

But it turns out that it isn't that simple. The more you eat of cholesterol, the less your body produces instead.

Let me explain how that works...

How Your Body Regulates Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is often seen as a negative word.

When we hear it, we automatically start thinking of medication, heart attacks and early death.

But the truth is that cholesterol is a very important part of the body. It is a structural molecule that is an essential part of every single cell membrane.

It is also used to make steroid hormones like testosterone, estrogen and cortisol.

Without cholesterol, we wouldn't even exist.

Given how incredibly important cholesterol is, the body has evolved elaborate ways to ensure that we always have enough of it available.

Because getting cholesterol from the diet isn't always an option, the liver actually produces cholesterol.

But when we eat a lot of cholesterol rich foods, the liver starts producing less.

So the total amount of cholesterol in the body changes only very little (if at all), it is just coming from the diet instead of from the liver.

BOTTOM LINE:
The liver produces large amounts of cholesterol. When we eat a lot of eggs (high in cholesterol), the liver produces less instead.

What Happens When People Eat Several Whole Eggs Per Day?

For many decades, people have been advised to limit their consumption of eggs, or at least of egg yolks (the white is mostly protein and is low in cholesterol).

Common recommendations include a maximum of 2-6 yolks per week. However, there really isn't much scientific support for these limitations.

Luckily, we do have a number of excellent studies that can put our minds at ease.

In these studies, people are split into two groups. One group eats several (1-3) whole eggs per day, the other group eats something else (like egg substitutes) instead. Then the researchers follow the people for a number of weeks/months.

These studies show that:

In almost all cases, HDL (the "good") cholesterol goes up.
Total and LDL cholesterol levels usually don't change, but sometimes they increase slightly.
Eating Omega-3 enriched eggs can lower blood triglycerides, another important risk factor.
Blood levels of carotenoid antioxidants like Lutein and Zeaxanthin increase significantly.
It appears that the response to whole egg consumption depends on the individual.

In 70% of people, it has no effect on Total or LDL cholesterol. However, in 30% of people (termed "hyper responders"), these numbers do go up slightly.

That being said, I don't think this is a problem. The studies show that eggs change the LDL particles from small, dense LDL to Large LDL.

People who have predominantly large LDL particles have a lower risk of heart disease. So even if eggs cause mild increases in Total and LDL cholesterol levels, this is not a cause for concern.

The science is clear that up to 3 whole eggs per day are perfectly safe for healthy people who are trying to stay healthy.

BOTTOM LINE:
Eggs consistently raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol. For 70% of people, there is no increase in Total or LDL cholesterol. There may be a mild increase in a benign subtype of LDL in some people.

Eggs and Heart Disease.

Many studies have looked at egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

All of these studies are so-called observational studies. In studies like these, large groups of people are followed for many years.

Then the researchers use statistical methods to figure out whether certain habits (like diet, smoking or exercise) are linked to either a decreased or increased risk of some disease.

These studies, some of which include hundreds of thousands of people, consistently show that people who eat whole eggs are no more likely to develop heart disease. Some of the studies even show a reduced risk of stroke.

However... one thing that is worth noting, is that these studies show that diabetics who eat eggs are at an increased risk of heart disease.

Whether the eggs are causing the increased risk in diabetics is not known. These types of studies can only show a correlation and it is possible that the diabetics who eat eggs are, on average, less health conscious than those who don't.

This may also depend on the rest of the diet. On a low-carb diet (by far the best diet for diabetics), eggs lead to improvements in heart disease risk factors.

BOTTOM LINE:
Many observational studies show that people who eat eggs don't have an increased risk of heart disease, but some of the studies do show an increased risk in diabetics.

Eggs Have Plenty of Other Health Benefits Too.

Let's not forget that eggs are about more than just cholesterol... they're also loaded with nutrients and have various other impressive benefits:

They're high in Lutein and Zeaxanthin, antioxidants that reduce your risk of eye diseases like Macular Degeneration and Cataracts.
They're very high in choline, a brain nutrient that over 90% of people are lacking in.
They're high in quality animal protein, which has many benefits - including increased muscle mass and better bone health.
Studies show that eggs increase satiety and help you lose weight.
Eggs also taste amazing and are incredibly easy to prepare.

So even IF eggs were to have mild adverse effects on blood cholesterol (which they don't), the benefits of consuming them would still far outweigh the negatives.

BOTTOM LINE:
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They contain important brain nutrients and powerful antioxidants that can protect the eyes.

How Much is Too Much?
Unfortunately, we don't have studies where people are fed more than 3 eggs per day.

It is possible (although unlikely) that eating even more than that could have a detrimental effect on health. Eating more than 3 is uncharted territory, so to speak.

However... I did find an interesting case study (a study with only one individual). It was an 88 year old man who consumed 25 eggs per day.

He had normal cholesterol levels and was in very good health.

Of course, a study of one doesn't prove anything, but it's interesting nonetheless.

It's also important to keep in mind that not all eggs are the same. Most eggs at the supermarket are from chickens that are raised in factories and fed grain-based feeds.

The healthiest eggs are Omega-3 enriched eggs, or eggs from hens that are raised on pasture. These eggs are much higher in Omega-3s and important fat-soluble vitamins.

Overall, eating eggs is perfectly safe, even if you're eating up to 3 whole eggs per day.

I personally eat 3-6 whole eggs per day (about 30-40 per week) and my health has never been better.

Given the incredible range of nutrients and powerful health benefits, quality eggs may just be the healthiest food on the planet.

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Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-many-eggs-should-you-eat#section5

FISH OIL - A True SUPERFOOD?

The benefits to you for consuming sufficient fish oil may surprise you. Watch this short video now from PictureFit and discover for yourself.

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Diet plan: Take THIS supplement daily for fast weight loss

A DIET PLAN in which fish oil is taken daily could increase your chances of fast weight loss, according to scientists. Numerous studies have found a link between taking fish oil and losing weight.

A diet plan could be improved drastically by taking fish oil every morning if experts are to be believed.

Various studies have found a link between taking the oil and significant changes to the metabolism, which are likely to boost weight loss.

One study found that taking fish oil could burn the equivalent of 187 calories a day. That is the same as two and half minutes of intense burpees.

The study found that older women who took Omega-3 Fatty acids for 12 weeks had an “increased metabolic rate and fat oxidation at rest and during exercise, decreased resting and exercise heart rate and increased lean mass and physical function.”

The older women’s metabolisms were boosted by 14 per cent, or 187 calories a day.

Another study found that fish oil in young adults raised metabolisms by 3.8 per cent if taken for 12 weeks.

One more 12-week study showed that three grams of fish oil a day increased the metabolism by 5.3 per cent.

In 2009 a study published in Clinical Science found that mice who had Omega-3 fatty acid supplements with a high fat diet had less body fat than those who didn’t - as well as lower cholesterol.

The NHS said: "Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines are said to help against cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer, age-related vision loss and dementia.

“It's a good source of vitamin D, protein, some B vitamins and selenium. It's also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that is good for our health.”

Another early morning diet tip involves eating a food that is high in protein for breakfast - mushrooms.

The mushrooms make dieters feel fuller for longer, and are just as filling as meat, according to scientists.

One study, in particular, found that those who replaced red meat with mushrooms for a year lost half a stone.

There is one snack that can help get rid of belly fat and slim down the thighs.

A recent study in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism has discovered nuts could help slimmers lose weight.

Walnuts, in particular, were highlighted for their weight loss benefits.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/870152/diet-plan-weight-loss-best-lose-fast

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See What Happens To Your Body When You Start Taking Fish Oil Everyday

Would you like to improve your health in many ways by increasing one thing in your diet?

Anti-ageing, improved fertility, fat burning, muscle building, improved skin and better memory to mention a few. Watch this short video now and improve your life.

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Omega-3 The Key To Fat Loss

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most critical elements in nutrition today especially for avoiding diseases and staying healthy.

However the benefits of omega-3’s also play a massive role in your ability to drop body fat and put on muscle.

People eating an average western diet usually have quite low levels of omega-3’s so the great thing about improving these levels if you are one of these people is that you will be able to achieve noticeable body composition results in a short space of time.

Omega-3’s are a type of essential polyunsaturated fatty acid. This means that the human body is unable to make these fats on its own and must rely on receiving them through the diet.

This wasn’t a problem as little as several hundred years ago when people’s bodies would have cravings for things like butter or honey or fish.

No doubt there was an ocean, river or lake not too far away where you would be able to catch fish or at least buy some from a friendly native.

These days however it is a little bit more difficult as there are so many more ‘food’ options available and people are more likely to crave things like sugar, chocolate or donuts, meaning that omega-3’s can often go missing in the diet.

There are 3 types of omega-3 fatty acids involved in human physiology, α-linolenic acid (ALA) which is found in plant oils from things like walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in marine oils from algae and phytoplankton or the animals that eat them, oily fish like salmon, herring or mackerel.

Most of the health benefits that are associated with omega-3s come from the longer chain fatty acids EPA and DHA from the marine animals, but if you don’t get enough of those the body can make them from ALA but it is quite a slow process.

INFLAMMATION

One of the major processes that omega fatty acids are responsible for in the body is the inflammation response.

If you cut your thumb for example and it swells up and gets red and inflamed this is inflammation. The omega fatty acids are responsible for this response. Omega-6 increases inflammation while omega-3 dials back the response.

Inflammation is great and obviously very essential for surviving if we get attacked by something so that we are able to heal ourselves and avoid bleeding to death.

Naturally we have an even ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in the diet which is ideal for turning on inflammation when it is needed and then turning it back off again when it’s no longer needed. Both the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids ‘compete’ for the same enzyme in the body so a ratio of 1:1 is ideal.

The problem with the modern diet is that most people are severely deficient in omega-3s, a typical western diet leaves people with ratios of omega-6 to 3 from anywhere between 10:1 to 30:1. ₁

A major reason for this is the unnaturally high ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in hydrogenated vegetable oils like sunflower, cottonseed and corn oil.

The inflammation is turned on but the body is unable to turn it off.

This chronic inflammation is a major problem causing disease, illness, delayed recovery from injury, and obesity.₇

Inflammation is a factor in virtually every major degenerative disease we know of, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and obesity. ₂, ₄

FAT LOSS

Omega-3 fats are a non-negotiable when it comes to fat loss.

They are essentially what allows your cells to burn the body fat you do have and use the food you eat for fuel instead of storing it as fat.

Omega-3 fats are highly sort after by your body as they are the ideal fat for making up the cell membrane or outside layer that protects each of our body cells.

This cell membrane is the barrier between each cell and the outside environment, it is designed to keep the bad stuff out and at the same time let all of the good nutrients in.

Any kind of fat can be used to do build this layer but your cells will function most optimally if it is made from omega-3s as they are the most permeable and insulin sensitive.

The phospholipids (the yellow bit) they should be made of omega-3's so the insulin can get in. 

Remember that being insulin sensitive is almost essential for fat loss and if you have poor insulin sensitivity, you will have a very difficult time losing fat.

As well as the whole insulin sensitivity thing omega-3s have also been found to; inhibit enzymes that cause you to store fat ₉, stimulate enzymes that promote fat burning ₁₀ and decrease the stress hormone cortisol. ₁₁

A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition demonstrates this where healthy participants were given either 4 grams of fish oil ( a combined EPA and DHA content of 2.4 grams) or 4 grams of safflower oil (an omega-6 fat) for 6 weeks.

The participants where asked not to change their eating or exercise habits and the study was double-blind meaning neither the participants or the conductors of the study knew who was taking what to avoid any bias.

At the end of the trial the participants who took the fish oil significantly lost body fat and increased muscle mass, no exercise required. The participants who took the fish oil also had decreased levels of the catabolic stress hormone cortisol after supplementing. ₅

MUSCLE GAIN

Because omega-3 fatty acids improve the insulin sensitivity of your body’s cells, insulin can more optimally shuttle glucose from dietary carbs into the muscle cells to be stored and used as energy later.

Insulin will also improve the muscle building process by helping to load nutrients into the muscle like creatine and carnitine that are essential for physical performance and fat burning.₇

A study that gave middle-age adults 4 grams of fish oil a day found that it increased protein synthesis, producing a significant muscle building effect ₆

Remember that fish oil also helps to lower cortisol so its catabolic effects of breaking down muscle can also be avoided.

SOURCING QUALITY OMEGA-3’S

As mentioned earlier the longer chain more essential omega-3s EPA and DHA are found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines. Remember to always choose wild-caught fish as opposed to farmed for maximal omega-3 availability. You can also get omega-3s from grass-fed cattle and eggs.₈

Supplementing with fish oil or krill oil is also definitely recommended because omega-3s are so essential for both health and fat loss.

It is important to only choose a quality brand of fish oil as a lot of the cheaper options contain fillers and heavy metals that can be more harmful then beneficial.

Nufit recommends Designs for health, Thorne or Poliquin brand supplements, contact us for help sourcing these quality brands.

References

1. Hibbeln JR, Nieminen LR, Blasbalg TL, Riggs JA, Lands WE (2006). “Healthy intakes of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids: Estimations considering worldwide diversity”. The American journal of clinical nutrition 83 (6 Suppl): 1483S–1493S. PMID 16841858.
2. Simopoulos A. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2002;56(8):365-379. doi:10.1016/s0753-3322(02)00253-6.
3. http://articles.mercola.com/omega-3.aspx
4. http://jonnybowden.com/much/
5. Noreen EE, Sass MJ, Crowe ML, Pabon VA, Brandauer J, Averill LK. Effects of supplemental fish oil on resting metabolic rate, body composition, and salivary cortisol in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010;7:31
6. Smith, G., et al. Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Augment the Muscle Protein Anabolic Response to Hyperaminoacidemia-Hyperinsulinemia in Healthy Young and Middle Aged Men and Women. Clinical Sciences. 2011. 121(6), 267-278.
7. http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/964/Five_Reasons_Fish_Oil_Will_Make_You_Stronger_Leane.aspx
8. Duckett SK, Neel JP, Fontenot JP, Clapham WM (2009). “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content” (PDF). Journal of Animal Science 87 (9): 2961–70.doi:2527/jas.2009-1850. PMID 19502506.
9. Hannah VC, Ou J, Luong A, Goldstein JL, Brown MS. Unsaturated fatty acids down-regulate srebp isoforms 1a and 1c by two mechanisms in HEK-293 cells. The Journal of biological chemistry 2001;276(6):4365-72.
10. Desvergne B, Wahli W. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: nuclear control of metabolism. Endocrine reviews 1999;20(5):649-88.
11. Delarue J, Matzinger O, Binnert C, Schneiter P, Chiolero R, Tappy L. Fish oil prevents the adrenal activation elicited by mental stress in healthy men. Diabetes & metabolism 2003;29(3):289-95

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Leptin: The Satiety Hormone

Leptin, also called satiety hormone, is made by adipose (fat) cells that helps to regulate energy balance by controlling hunger. Leptin is opposed to the actions of ghrelin, called hunger hormone. Both hormones act on receptors in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus to regulate appetite to achieve energy balance. The regulation of fat stores is deemed to be the primary function of leptin but it also plays in other physiological processes. Besides adipose cells, it is also produced by placenta, ovaries, skeletal muscles, stomach, mammary epithelial cells, and bone marrow.

It circulates in blood in free form and bound to proteins. Leptin levels in blood are higher between midnight and early morning, perhaps suppressing appetite during the night. The diurnal rhythm of blood leptin levels may be modified by meal-timing.

Functions of leptin -

The following are important functions of leptin:

• Primarily, leptin regulates food intake and body weight. It acts on the specific receptors in the hypothalamus to inhibit appetite. When fat mass decreases, the level of plasma leptin falls so that appetite is stimulated until the fat mass is recovered. There is also a decrease in body temperature and energy expenditure is suppressed. Conversely, when fat mass increases, so do leptin levels, thereby suppressing appetite until weight loss occurs. Thus leptin regulates energy intake and fat stores so that weight is maintained within a relatively narrow range.

• Leptin also seems to play an important role in modulating the onset of puberty. For example, undernourished and thin girls take longer to reach puberty than normal girls. Thin girls often fail to ovulate or release an egg from an ovary during menstruation cycles. Reproductive growth and fat stores are, therefore, vital in the regulation of reproduction.

Leptin resistance -

Besides many factors involved in the causation of obesity, an important factors is leptin resistance. Many believe that leptin resistance is the leading driver of fat gain in humans.

The main function of leptin is sending a signal to the brain, "telling" it how much fat is stored in the body's fat cells. Since leptin is primarily produced by fat cells, obese people have very high levels of leptin. Given the way leptin is supposed to work, these people shouldn't be eating because their brain should know that they have plenty of energy stored. But the problem is that the leptin signal is not working. As a result, there's a whole lot of leptin floating around that the brain doesn't "see" that it is there. This condition is known as leptin resistance. It is now believed to be the main biological abnormality in human obesity.

Therefore, leptin resistance makes the brain change our behavior in order to regain fat that the brain thinks is missing. The brain thinks that we must eat so that we don't starve to death. Simultaneously, the brain also thinks we need to conserve energy, so it makes us feel lazier and thus makes us burn fewer calories at rest.

Losing weight reduces fat mass, which leads to a significant reduction in leptin levels. When leptin goes down, this leads to hunger, increased appetite, reduced motivation to exercise and decreased amount of calories burned at rest. Basically, the reduced leptin makes the brain think it is starving and so it initiates all sorts of powerful mechanisms to regain that lost body fat.

In other words, the brain actively defends the higher amount of fat mass by compelling us to eat back the lost weight. That is the main reason why yo-yo diets fail to yield the results as the dieters lose a significant amount of fat, only to gain it back.

How to regulate leptin hormone? -

Though leptin resistance is a complex problem, it is not an irreversible one. The following factors will help improve leptin response:

• Reduce sugar and fructose consumption - Minimize using simple starches, refined foods, sugar and fructose. Fructose is a major contributor to insulin and leptin resistance. Fructose disrupts the signals of insulin and leptin, generally by over-taxing the liver because fructose is primarily shuttled to the liver for processing, whereas glucose is primarily shuttled to muscle and fat cells. By reducing the consumption of white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, we allow liver to do other things like burning fat

• Don't skip breakfast- Your breakfast should include largely protein and healthy fats. This promotes satiety and gives the body the building blocks to build the hormone.

• Optimize sleep - Try to be in bed by ten o'clock in the night. Take steps to optimize your sleep.

• Avoid frequent eating- When you are constantly eating, even small amounts during the day, it keeps your liver working and doesn't give hormones a break. Try to space meals at least 3-4 hours apart and don't eat for at least 3-4 hours before bed. This includes drinks with calories but herbal teas, water, coffee or tea without cream or sugar is fine.

• Exercise regularly- Your workout should include both aerobic exercise and strength training.

• Take more Omegs-3s - Take more Omega-3s by consuming fish, grass fed meats, chia seeds and minimize your Omega-6 consumption by consuming less of vegetable oils, conventional meats, grains, etc. to get lower inflammation and help support healthy leptin levels.

The bottom line -

It is evidently clear that leptin - the satiety hormone - plays an equally important role in regulating hunger as is done by ghrelin. Recently, lot of importance has been attached to leptin resistance in humans, which is now considered to be the driving factor in causing overweight and obesity. There are many factors responsible for causing leptin resistance in humans. The majority of these factors are related to our lifestyle. Initiating positive changes in our lifestyle will help regulate the release of leptin hormone, thereby striking a balance between food intake and body weight.

The article is about leptin hormone, which is supposed to regulate our appetite and thus help in maintaining a healthy weight in a person. Any dysfunction in the normal secretion of leptin hormone can cause overweight and obesity in an individual, resulting in an array of diseases.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Pran_Rangan/2322082

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10 Super Foods For Weight Loss

Eat your way to a fabulous, slim figure - The statement sounds ironical, but it is true. Selected foods items in your kitchen help maintain a steady weight in addition to fulfilling the body's nutritional requirements. Here's a list of super foods for guaranteed, safe weight loss.

Grapefruit:

Grapefruit has been the focus of many weight loss studies. It was observed that persons who ate half a grapefruit before meals lost 3.6 pounds in 12 weeks. Grapefruit has an ample amount of fibre and proteins but very few calories. It prevents fat build up by interfering with insulin synthesis in the body. Grapefruit lowers insulin (responsible for the formation of fatty deposits) in the blood. Because of this, it is also known to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Grapefruits are also rich in water.

Apple:

The practice of eating an apple before meals controls your calorie intakes at every meal. The fibre in apples takes longer to digest and thus keeps you full. The fat fighting antioxidants in apples will also help to get rid of belly fat.

Oats:

A bowl of oats for breakfast could be one of the best weight loss tips. Oats abound in dietary fibre. It keeps you feeling full. It enhances body metabolism and speeds up fat burning.

Avocados:

Not all fats cause weight gain. Avocados supply the body with healthy fat. Its rich fibre content creates a feeling of fullness. The compound Oleic acid in avocados discourages hunger.

Salmon:

The omega-3 fatty acids present in salmon make it an effective weight loss tool. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats. These fats rev up metabolism and help the body to burn larger quantities of stored fat. Also, salmon servings provide lean protein without adding calories.

Black Beans:

A cup of black beans makes up half of the body's daily requirement for fibre. Also, it adds around 15g of proteins. Protein and fibre make a very good combination. They keep you satiated for a longer period of time.

Green Tea:

Among the beverages, green tea is the most beneficial when it comes to weight loss. Green tea contains a compound called polyphenols. Polyphenols help to get rid of triglycerides in the body. It also boosts endurance and stamina.

Blueberries

Tiny though they are, blueberries are then loaded with antioxidants especially fat-cell fighting antioxidants. Blueberries prevent fatty build up in fat cells. A small cup of blueberries supplies the body 4g of fibre and only 80 calories. In the berry family, raspberries and Acai berries are also touted as super foods for weight loss.

Pears:

Pears contain 5g of dietary fibre that is 15% of the recommended daily intake. Pears should be eaten with the skin as the skin contains most of the fibre the fruit boasts of. Other benefits include lowered risk of a stroke.

Eggs:

Sounds surprising we know, but as a matter of fact eggs also feature in our list of diet weight loss tips. Eggs are packed with proteins that curb your appetite and keep a tab on your calorie intake. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mohd_Hairul_Hisham/1663984

Apple Image Courtesy of RK008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Salmon Image courtesy of Tiramisustudio at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blueberries Image courtesy of Supitchamcadam at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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