HCG Fast, Rapid, Weight Loss Diet progams that works for lasting wieght loss.
                                                    Balanced    l    Healthy    l    Nutrition     

oaching to assist your body in adapting its' new LEAN "Set-Point" for life-time weight maintenance.

 

Health, Balanced, Nutrition... When and how do we store fat? 

When and how do we burn fat? 

It is all a matter of body chemistry.

 

There are 3 categories of the food we eat.

  Fats oils, nuts, avocado, salad dressings, cheese, fats in meat etc.
  Proteins chicken, meat, cottage cheese, soy, whey protein, etc.
  Carbohydrates High-  starches potatoes, rice, noodles, bread, some fruits and sugary desserts etc.

Low-   vegetables, some fruits, limited beans, certain hi-fiber grain products.

When we eat each of these different types of food, our body has a chemical response. 

  • Fat Storing/Insulin Release - Insulin is released by your body when you eat a diet high in starchy or sugary carbohydrates (glucose).  Insulin's job is to clear the blood of sugar within 4 minutes!!  It will first put it into the muscles and brain which have very limited storage capacity.  All the rest of the sugars in the blood end up stored in the FAT CELLS.  Insulin is a Fat Storing Hormone.  This is the master hormone because so many processes are determined by it.  When insulin levels are up you are in fat storage mode.

  •  

  • Fat Burning/ Glucagon Release - Glucagon is released by your body when you eat a diet low in starchy or sugary carbohydrates. Glucagon is a Fat Burning Hormone.  It is released when the glucose level in the blood is not high. The action of glucagon is thus opposite to that of insulin.

Fat Storing Mode

Since most Americans consume 2 cups of sugar or starch each day, insulin is getting released over and over and the body often gets into a Fat Storing Mode.

Fat Burning Mode

However, if we control the intake of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) the body will release Glucagon to burn the body’s fat stores.  We want to be in the FAT BURNING MODE.  I want and you want to be a FAT BURNING MACHINE.  This why it is essential to:

  • be aware of what kind of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) we eat and

  • Balance our carbohydrate intake on a daily basis and every time we eat.

The Role of Protein in Low Carbohydrate/Low-Glycemic Eating

Protein must be present for Glucagon to work effectively.  EVERY MEAL we want a portion of protein in addition to low carbs (vegetables) and good fats.  Fat slows the release of insulin and satieties the appetite.  Every time we eat we want these 3 elements- Protein, Low Carbs, and Good Fats. 

When you have a properly balanced meal you will not be hungry for 4-5 hours.  If you are hungry soon after eating or one or two hours after your last meal, something was wrong with that last meal:

  • Too many carbs- your body released too much insulin and is now low on sugar.

  • Too little fat so you were not satisfied.

  • quantities were too small

Listen to the feedback from your own body.  Learn about you. 

Low-Glycemic Eating for Weight Loss

Generally, to get your body into Fat Burning Mode, we recommend a diet of 40 carbs or less per day. Many see excellent loss of excess body fat with this nutritional approach.  This extra-low carb phase of the diet will also break your cravings and metabolic dependencies on high-carb foods like sugary baked goods and pasta. You will enjoy fish, lean meats, other proteins, an abundance and great variety of vegetables, fruits in moderation, good fats and limited amounts of beans and some high fiber low-carb grain products.

Managing Carbs for a Lean, Healthy Life

Once you reach your desired body weight, carbs can  be increased.  Observe how your body responds.  You can try eating 60, 80, or 100 carbs a day. Another strategy is to keep carbs controlled during the week and then have a free day on the weekend - see how your body responds. If you gain over two lbs that week cut back on carbs-- you got into the fat storing mode.   This is lifetime maintenance.  Stay tuned into your body.  Understand the nutrition and how your own body responds. You will maintain your new lean body for 3 months, 1 year, 5 years--- a lifetime!

Low-Glycemic Eating versus Low-Calorie Diets

There is a vast difference between "low-calorie" and our low-carb nutritious eating.

The standard low-calorie diets (low-calorie diets that don't include hCG) basically starve the body. Muscle ends up being burned for fuel.  You lose weight, but the loss of lean muscle tissue only serves to reduce your metabolic rate, thus slowing your efforts even more. 

With a properly planned low carb program, your body will burn mostly fat, and will preserve the lean muscle. 

If you exercise, specifically a weight lifting program,  you will add lean muscle while losing fat, which will increase your metabolic rate, and increase the fat-burning effect on the body.  Muscle tissue weighs more than fat, and takes up less bulk, so you may find yourself getting smaller in size without seeing a big drop on the scales. 

To keep track of what is happening to your body, we recommend having regular weigh-ins using our Body Composition Analyzer.

Another difference between low-calorie and low-carb diets is the absence of cravings and hunger pangs.  Until the excess carbohydrates are cleared from the system, there may be intense cravings.  Once this is past though, the very moderate insulin and blood sugar leveling effects will serve to curb cravings.

Resources:

Good Fat #1: Coconut Oil!
 
Virgin coconut oil is a very stable, saturated fat which comes from the white meaty part of the coconut fruit. Coconuts come from coconut palm trees, which grow abundantly in the tropics and subtropics. The fruit yields a variety of products, all of which are beneficial to human health.  
 
Coconut is a major source of the medium chain saturated fatty acids, which are much easier to digest, since no bile from the gallbladder is needed. If you are just starting out eating more fat, try beginning with coconut products. They will be easier on your digestive system.
 
The health benefits of coconut are impressive. They include but are not limited to:
 
  1. better immunity to infections
  2. better digestion
  3. relief from kidney problems
  4. lowering of high blood pressure
  5. stabilization of blood sugar in diabetics
  6. reduced inflammation
  7. increasing bone strength
The benefits can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid. These fatty acids are known to be antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial. These substances help the body kill pathogenic viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

 
Lauric acid is a major component of human breast milk, and helps newborns fight off infections. For this reason, coconut oil has been added to commercial infant formula so that lauric acid is present to help newborns survive. Adults can get lauric acid from only three sources: butterfat, coconut and palm oil.

 
Here's a recent study that confirms the anti-microbial properties of coconut oil.

 
And another study which shows how virgin coconut oil can help children overcome pneumonia.

 
Because the oil from coconuts is highly saturated, it gets a pass from those who believe saturated fat causes heart disease. In reality, the virgin form of this fatty substance may be one of the most useful to prevent heart disease because of its antiviral and antimicrobial characteristics. Coconut consumption helps reduce inflammation in the body. Recent studies are revealing that inflammation is a major factor in heart disease.

 
Prior et al (1981) had shown that islanders with high intakes of coconut oil do not have high serum cholesterol nor high coronary heart disease mortality or morbidity. However, when these groups migrated to New Zealand and lowered their intake of coconut products, their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol increased, and their HDL cholesterol decreased.

 
Another article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that when coconut oil was fed as 7% of energy to patients recovering from heart attacks, the patients had greater improvement compared to untreated controls, and no difference compared to patients treated with corn or safflower oils. (JAMA 1967 202:1119-1123; Am J Clin Nutr 1981 34:1552) 

More Good Fats: Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 (written as ω-3) fatty acids are a group of essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are found in seafood and plants.
 
There are three different ω-3 EFAs: Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), which can be converted into EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexainoic Acid). All essential fatty acids are called polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs for short.
 
Because these essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the body, they must be derived from your diet.

There are actually two classes of "essential" fatty acids (EFAs) that the body cannot make:
 
  1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: ω-3 fatty acids include alpha linolenic acid (ALA), from which the body can make EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid).
  2. Omega-6 Fatty Acids: ω-6 fatty acids include Linoleic Acid (LA), from which the body makes Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), and Arachidonic Acid (AA).

While both the ω-6 and ω-3 essential fatty acids are vital for health, we only need them in small amounts. In addition, both ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids should be consumed in equal amounts. The goal that research has determined is optimal is a consumption ratio of is 1:1.
Unfortunately, vegetable oils containing ω-6 fatty acids are widely used in America, and the standard American diet provides a ratio of at least 10:1. This is unfortunate since ω-3 fatty acids have a very beneficial effect on the body.

Essential Fatty Acid Functions

Essential fatty acids play a role in nearly every metabolic function in the body. One of the most important functions of essential fatty acids is in acting as a parent molecule for a class of hormone like molecules called eicosanoids.
 
Eicosanoids are among the potent regulators of cellular function, and they are produced by almost every cell in the body.

Eicosanoids exert a wide ranging and profound effect on your health. Among other effects, they regulate blood pressure, lung function, and blood clotting mechanisms.

 

At any given time, the type of eicosanoids that are dominant within the body depends on the types of essential fatty acids being eaten.


In general, since ω-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, eating more ω-3 rich foods results in a higher production and assimilation of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids.
 
And in opposition, eating more omega-6 fatty acids produces eicosanoids which have pro-inflammatory properties.
 
As mentioned, in the last 100 years, the amount of ω-3 polyunsaturated fats in the Western diet has declined, while the consumption of ω-6 fatty acids has increased due to a rise in the use of vegetable oils.
 
The ratio of omega-6 to Omega 3 fatty acid consumption in the United States has changed from a desirable 1:1 to more than 10:1.

These changes have resulted in an emphasis on omega-6 fatty acid accumulation in our cellular structures, which in turn leads to an overproduction of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids.
 
A lack of Omega 3 fatty acids is being targeted as a factor in the rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder in modern culture.

Sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Wild caught cold water fish such as salmon, sardines, and halibut are rich sources of w-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds, canola oil and walnuts are all generally rich sources of the parent Omega 3, alpha linolenic acid (ALA).
 
Dietary ALA can be metabolized in the liver to EPA and DHA, but the conversion is limited within the body.
 
Aging, illness and stress, as well as excessive amounts of omega-6 rich oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed) can all interfere with the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA.

Therefore, it is recommended to consume fish and seafood to obtain sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA in your diet.