Thursday, January 12, 2012

North Vancouver Boot Camp: Will Fat Actually Help You Lose Fat?


Fat isn't our enemy so lets use it to our benefit as our body's were created to need it. Below are some interesting points to consider regarding fat.

• Michael DeBakey, a famous heart surgeon, did an experiment on 1,700 patients with hardening of the arteries and found no relationship between the levels of cholesterol in the blood and the incidence of atherosclerosis.

• Similarly, The Medical Research Council showed that men eating butter had half the risk of heart disease as those who ate margarine (a deadly trans fat butter substitute).

• Uffe Ravnskov reports, concerning saturated fats in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, that “the scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the assertion that ‘artery-clogging’ saturated fats cause heart disease. Actually, evaluation of the fat found in clogged arteries reveals that only about 26 percent is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated.

• Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D., state that heart disease should not be blamed on animal fats or cholesterol, but upon consumption of vegetable oils, hydrogenated fats (trans-fats), and refined carbohydrates; vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and the reduction or disappearance of antimicrobial fats from the food supply, i.e. animal fats and tropical oils.

Benefits of saturated fat:
1. Constitute at least 50 percent of all cell membranes.
2. At least 50 percent of all fat we consume should be saturated; otherwise calcium cannot be effectively incorporated into the skeletal system.
3. They lower Lp (a), a key substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease.
4. Protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as NSAIDs.
5. Enhance the immune system.
6. We cannot properly utilize essential fatty acids (omega 3s and 6s) without saturated fats.
7. Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid provide the preferred fuel for the heart. The heart is mainly covered by saturated fats.
8. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids found in butter, coconut, and palm oil have important antimicrobial properties especially in the GI tract.

Benefits of cholesterol:
1. cholesterol in the cell membrane gives our cells necessary stiffness and stability.
2. cholesterol acts as a precursor to vital corticosteroids, hormones that help us deal with stress and protect the body against heart disease and cancer, and to sex hormones.
3. cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D
4. bile salts are made from cholesterol, which are essential for fat digestion.
5. its an antioxidant. Protects us against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer. This is a likely explanation for why cholesterol goes up with age.
6. Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is the body’s natural “feel good” chemical. Low cholesterol has been linked to aggressive and violent behaviour, depression, and suicidal tendencies.
7. mother’s milk is rich in cholesterol which is essential for the proper development and growth of the child’s nervous system.
8. Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. Low cholesterol diets can lead to leaky gut syndrome and other intestinal disorders.

Good sources of fats and oils:
• Fats to include: extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, raw, organic, grass-fed butter, ghee (clarified butter), organic, grass-fed animal fats, fish oil (EFA Icon), organic seeds (flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin), organic raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, macadamia, almonds), avocados, eggs (yolk).

• When buying fish oil supplements make sure the fish are from a region of low toxicity and make sure the product has been molecularly distilled in order that the toxins are at a low level. Consume 10 grams/day. For a good quality fish oil, check out EFA Icon at http://ProgradeNutritionals.com/essential-fatty-acid.html. Save 15% off on this order and the entire store. Just use coupon code NEW15 at checkout. It includes Krill Oil with Astaxanthin (a powerful antioxidant). Because of the way the EPA and DHA fatty acids are bound to phospholipids, its much more potent and bioavailable meaning you don't have to take as many capsules as a regular fish oil to get the same dosage and benefit, i.e. 2 capsules compared to taking 6-10 of fish oil.

• Fats to avoid include: trans-fatty acids, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils (i.e. corn, soy, canola, etc. oils), fats from conventionally-raised animal/fish.

I hope that helped :)

Also don't forget to let us know if you can join us for our celebration! On Saturday January 21, 2012 we'll be having our New Year/Grand Opening to celebrate our new facility as well as just another reason to party ;)

There will be live music, dancing (for those who want to) and food so if you can make it we'd love to have you. Please fill out the attached file indicating how many guests you'd like to bring (including yourself) as well as the food item you'd like to bring if you are able to (don't feel obligated) and then save it and email it back so we can prepare for the event and know the exact numbers.

Helping you get lean and healthy in 2012!

Tyron

PS. On February 20th, 2012 my friend Mich will attempt all 5 boot
camp classes to raise money and awareness of eating disorders. All
donations will be going to help support The Looking Glass
Foundation. Check out the flyer that's attached to learn more and how you can support.

Tweet This

No comments: