Chapter
1.
Understand
why your body puts on weight!
The key
is insulin...
When you understand the role that insulin plays in your body you will
know why it can be so difficult to lose weight. With this knowledge
you never need go hungry again, you will also never need to diet again
and you will steadily lose fat until you get to your ideal body weight/size.
What exactly
is insulin?
Insulin is a powerful hormone! It plays one of the most important roles
of any substance in the body and directly affects your physical and
mental health. In spite of this most people including the medical profession
tend to associate it only with diabetes. It is much, much more than
this.
It is manufactured by the pancreas and released into your blood stream
whenever you ingest foods that are converted to glucose. The foods that
contribute mainly to glucose conversion are carbohydrates. However,
all carbohydrates are not the same as some will release large quantities
of glucose quickly whereas others release it at a slower rate. I will
explain this point in more detail later in the report.
The mission that
the insulin has is to attach itself to the glucose molecules and transport
the glucose to your cells where it can be burned off as energy.
If the amount of glucose ingested via the carbohydrates is in excess
of what the cells require at that time and cannot be used immediately...
(for example if you have a carbohydrate meal and then sit down and watch
TV) then the glucose is transported back to the liver where it is converted
into glycogen and redistributed throughout the body to be stored in
muscle tissue. Some of the glycogen is also stored in the liver.
The glycogen in storage is then released as required for energy. So
far, so good!
Now, we come to
the next stage and this is when the problems start...
Storage capacity for glycogen is LIMITED! Apart from the liver and a
small amount in other organs it can only be stored in muscle tissue.
If you are a bodybuilder with bulging muscles and little fat you have
plenty of storage capacity and as such you can afford to eat more carbohydrate
or glucose generating foods than most other people. However, if you
are like most people...
You will run out of glycogen storage capacity!
So, the
next process begins...
The excess glycogen is circulated around the body once again and arrives
back at the liver where another conversion process takes place. This
time the glycogen is converted to…guess what? Triglycerides, or
what is more commonly known as FAT!
Mother Nature is very clever. By converting glycogen to fat the storage
problem is solved. Fat is easy to store and the storage capacity within
the body is unlimited. For women the first place to deposit the fat
is usually the buttocks and thighs, and for men the stomach is the first
port of call. From this 'base' it can spread out with no impediment.
So this in a nutshell is your body's fat production method. The evidence
supporting this will become clear as you work though this report.
Fat does
not make you fat...
The widely believed statement that 'fat makes you fat' is a myth and
one of the biggest lies to be perpetrated on the modern western world
over the last 3 - 4 decades. The reason for the sustaining of this myth
for so long will become apparent as you read on.
This myth combined with the emphasis on the low fat diet has not only
been responsible for the out of control epidemic of obesity in most
western countries but also indirectly the cause of much disease, illness,
premature aging and senility.
Of course too much fat and ALL fat of the WRONG type should be avoided
but natural fats are something that your body NEEDS and should not be
deprived of if you desire good health and an ideal body weight.
I will cover the issue of fats briefly later in this report.
Syndrome-X
Back in 1988 Gerald Reaven, an endocrinologist at Stanford University
in the US identified an abnormal metabolic condition which leads to
diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure and obesity. This condition
is now becoming commonly known as Syndrome-X which is another term for
INSULIN RESISTANCE.
In simple terms Syndrome-X contributes to fat accumulation not only
in the visible form on your body but also in the blood by way of raised
cholesterol and triglycerides.
Some scientists believe Syndrome-X affects up to two thirds of the entire
population of the entire western world. Quite a plausible suggestion
when one considers the statistics on obesity and overweight people in
general.
The causes of insulin resistance or Syndrome-X
There are multiple causes of insulin resistance:
- The aging process
itself. Rather a 'catch 22' situation in that insulin resistance accelerates
the aging process and aging increases the risk of insulin resistance.
- Lack of exercise.
- Periods of
constant and excessive stress.
- Poor Nutrition.
Poor nutrition
is by far the biggest culprit in causing insulin resistance. Insulin
resistance can also be broken down further into more categories which
are:
- Deficiencies
in the diet of essential nutrients which may include various minerals
such as chromium, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids etc.
Most of the population is deficient in a number of these nutrients
- Inadequate
protein and excessive fat intake particularly of hydrogenated or trans
fats.
- A high carbohydrate
diet.
Why insulin
resistance or Syndrome-X makes you fat
When you eat a diet rich in carbohydrates you cause your pancreas to
manufacture more and more insulin thus flooding your cells with it.
This is because it is trying to deliver the glucose to the cells where
the natural 'burning' of the glucose can take place. But, if the cells
are already loaded up with glucose and there is insufficient activity
going on to burn up what is already there the cells effectively 'shut
the door' on the visiting insulin with its load of glucose.
So the glycogen/fat cycle moves on to the next stage.
If that's all
that happened then it wouldn't be so bad because you could stop eating
carbs for a while, insulin production would go back to normal and everything
would even out. BUT, its not that simple. Two bad things start happening:
- 1. Because
the cells are shutting out the insulin, the pancreas 'ramps' up the
production even further trying to compensate for the cells not receiving
it. In other words it tries to knock the door down. This just makes
the situation even worse.
- 2. The second
thing that happens is this... the cells are building up resistance
to insulin which will ultimately result in a phenomenon known as lipogenesis
which means that your cells can not convert the glucose to energy
and so the glucose goes straight to the fat production stage.
IN OTHER
WORDS AT THIS STAGE YOUR BODY BECOMES A VERY EFFICIENT FAT MANUFACTURING
FACTORY!
The cause
of constant cravings
This is the natural byproduct of Syndrome-X or insulin resistance. If
your body cannot use the glucose generated by carbohydrates (because
it is in the process of being converted to fats instead) then you will
develop terrible cravings for carbohydrates which is an attempt by your
body to find some energy which it will get for a short time after eating
some 'comfort' carbohydrates.
However, this temporary 'fix' is often followed by chronic fatigue and
depression, or simply not feeling '100%'...
To eliminate the cause of cravings you need to eliminate the cause of
insulin resistance, which thankfully is not as hard as you may be thinking...
as you will find out soon.
Chapter 2.
Why obesity
is out of control in most western countries.
The food pyramid - a disgrace!
'The USDA Food Pyramid should be renamed "The Feedlot Pyramid".
Its nutrient profile is the same as swine fattening chow and is fattening
the population in the same way". Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades.
No argument about that statement! The official US food pyramid as adopted
by most Western governments is now widely accepted in many scientific
circles as being the cause of widespread obesity in the western world
along with many of the degenerative diseases which are sometimes referred
to as modern diseases. Many of these diseases are considered to be modern
because they were very rare prior to the introduction of the current
food pyramid.
The fundamental
problem with the official food 'pyramid' is its base of grains and carbohydrates.
These are the underlying causes of insulin resistance and all the health
problems that come with it.
There are currently many knowledgeable individuals trying to change
the structure of the US food pyramid. However, they are meeting stiff
opposition because they are up against one of the strongest lobby groups
in the country who are opposing change at almost any cost. This lobby
group comprises representatives of the food manufacturers who stand
to lose 'big time' financially if the structure of the pyramid is changed.
The effects
of the modern 'recommended' diet
This is easy to sum up. The 'recommended' diet will make you fat, sap
your energy, lower your immune system and make you disease susceptible,
increase your risk of cancer and brain disease, age you prematurely
and literally 'take away your life'.
Pretty strong
statement I know... but based on all the now irrefutable clinical and
scientific evidence, a true statement nonetheless! My personal experience
also bears this out.
You may be thinking that if you live in a civilized western society
that the situation is bleak! This is not the case at all…in fact,
quite the contrary. You are fortunate if you live in such a society
PROVIDED that you have the knowledge to know what to eat and avoid the
propaganda which you are bombarded with every day. In today's modern
society you can live a long and healthy life if you use the information
resources that are available to you.
Just don't become a victim of the modern recommended diet. I will explain
later in this report how to avoid this.
Examples of cultures which were free from obesity and disease
Over the last
hundred years there have been a number of individuals who have had the
adventurous spirit and means to devote a significant portion of their
lives traveling the world investigating the health and wellbeing of
other cultures untouched by western civilization. These cultures are
very hard to find now. Even where I am writing this report... on a remote
island 100 miles of the coast of Fiji in the South Pacific they are
being affected by western culture.
Twice a week the local's power up the generator so they can watch videos...
They haven't been affected by sodas or alcohol... yet, as it costs too
much so they still drink their traditional kava each night. (Looks like
mud... and tastes a little like it to!)
However, back in the 1930's it was a lot easier to find traditional
communities and cultures that had not been impacted by western influences.
One of the most well known individuals who would seek them out and observe
the impact of changes in their health as they switched from a traditional
low carbohydrate diet to a more western style high carbohydrate diet
was Dr Weston Price an American dentist.
Dr Price found
repeatedly that within one generation of previously healthy cultures
introducing higher levels of carbohydrates into their diet along with
refined and processed foods, that significant problems with dental cavities,
jaw malformations and general health deterioration became common.
He was not alone in his findings... As another example I will refer
to Vilhjalmur Stefansson a Canadian physician and anthropologist. He
spent 15 years on foot and horse back moving from village to village
studying the Inuit of Canada. These people had amazing health and the
current modern ailments of cancer, heart disease and strokes were unknown.
The women did not suffer from any of the now common reproductive problems,
nor did they experience osteoporosis.
None of them were
overweight and in spite of the fact that they ate large quantities of
food, almost all of which were animal based with significant quanitities
of natural fat.
Stefansson documented his work well. His studies also included the Eskimos
whom he found were also free of cancer and heart disease before being
influenced by 'civilization' and its high carbohydrate foods.
These researchers are just two of many who have repeatedly reached the
same conclusions... 'when cultures move from their traditional diet
of eating wild animal foods with wild herbs, fruits and vegetables to
one which contains higher levels of carbohydrates from grains or processed
foods that over a period of a generation their health deteriorates and
they begin to suffer from heart disease, cancer and obesity, all of
which were previously unknown'
In spite of all
these findings being validated by hundreds of well run studies looking
at many different cultures worldwide, the medical profession and the
authorities of most western governments have continued to ignore the
damaging impact that a high carbohydrate diet with refined and processed
foods wreaks on the population.
Why low
fat diets were once thought to be good for you
A low fat, high carbohydrate diet became popular because it was believed
to be effective in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease because
it effectively reduces plasma cholesterol concentrations. However, it
is now known to INCREASE plasma triglyceride concentrations as well
as REDUCING the concentration of HDL which is the good cholesterol.
But, because this regime is so well established and because of the fierce
resistance to any change by the food manufacturers it is going to take
a long time for the public to wake up. This regime is still being taught
in the curriculum of dietitians and nutritionists and this will probably
continue to be the case until all funding of these courses by vested
business interests are removed.
It has been really easy to promote the principle of fat makes you fat,
particularly to overweight people! After all it seems perfectly logical
doesn't it?
The relevance
of genetics
Sometimes people blame their obesity on genetics. Although this is not
truly valid there is a grain of truth to it. There is no disputing the
fact that some people definitely do find it a lot harder to lose weight
and keep it off than other people. These individuals may well have inherited
a gene which gives them a tendency to 'hang on' to fat.
But don't despair if you are in this category. The same principle for
losing fat and getting lean as outlined in this report will still work
for you.
