Such a controversial subject isn’t it? It’s confusing I know when everyone seems to be on the high cholesterol calorie counting bandwagon.. well the mainstream media and lots of qualified practitioners are (I’m sure you’ve noticed). However fat is essential for your body, as I mentioned in the last post and does not (so long as it’s from a natural source) contain empty calories that will make you gain weight, in fact it will have the opposite effect.

Omega 3 fats have many essential functions within the human body which are essential for you to function properly and reach your goal weight. Some of these are listed here;

• It helps with hormone production
• It reduces inflammation (eg. joint pain)
• It helps control your insulin (blood sugar) levels.. helping you to lose unwanted body fat

Currently the levels of Omega 3 and 6’s in our diet are out of balance when you consider what our body is designed to be able to digest. (Going on what we were eating for thousands of years, pre-supermarket and mass agriculture). The levels our body is designed to digest with the ratio of omega 3:6, is 1:1. However currently the ration of 3:6 oils are approx 1:20, when considering that omega 3 reduces inflammation and omega 6 promotes it, no wonder so many people suffer from chronic pain! Ever wondered why now even doctors are recommending you take a fish oil to reduce the pain of arthritis within the joints… It’s because it works! Omega 6 is everywhere. It is in grains and its in higher levels after they have been cooked (Eg. most packaged foods you are eating from the supermarket, eg. cereal). It is also in man made oils such as margarine and temperature altered canola and vegetable oil. Stay away from these oils if you want to stay healthy.

Grains are not all bad but they much more easily digested when treated with respect and fermented (soaked at room temperature and in water with something sour, click here for more details) before eating.

Be careful when cooking with fats as all fats are temperature sensitive, in other words they have a burning point. Olive oil for example burns (and is therefore not great to use to cook with) at 165 degrees – the medium setting on most stoves. Coconut oil (which can be purchased from most health food shops) is a much safer alternative as it has a higher burning point, so it remains a good oil even after you have cooked with it. The cholesterol in it is not bad for you, see last weeks article here. Butter is even on the ‘safe to eat’ list.

So enjoy your fat, listen to your body when it comes to choosing what to eat as your stomach will tell you what you can and cannot digest.Challenge conventional (Western) wisdom… do you really think the advertisements on television are there to benefit your health? and for our true well being?

Please feel free to comment. Thanks.

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You’ve heard me mention this before but how relevant is this topic with shows like ‘The Biggest Loser’ all over our television screens today.

Did you know that excessive exercise may in fact be STOPPING you from losing weight?

In fact, excessive cardio (>45min less in some cases) only serves to elevate your cortisol (stress) hormone, which can be disruptive to your body being able to repair from exercise and therefore lose fat and not to mention the other imbalances this causes with regard to your other hormones.

There are so many things that come into play when you are trying to strip your body of fat, and exercising more and consuming less is an old outdated theory. Look at the people that do it this way 12 months after they stop doing it… First of all ask yourself, why did they stop doing it? Then ask yourself why have they gained all the weight back? Are they undisciplined? Surely not?

Did you know that over 90% of all people who’ve completed a full year with Weight Watchers manage to gain ALL and usually more of the weight back on afterwards! These statistics are available online and should be more widely known.

That’s because we are behind Australia! I mean behind in our attitude to what works and what doesn’t.

I’m not saying that calories are completely irrelevant, however they are only a small part of the story and an often over marketed part. Especially considering this has lead to the low fat industry taking off and the fear of cholesterol epidemic, yet some of these naturally occurring fats are extremely important for brain and hormonal function. Some even help to lower your cholesterol. – ‘The Cure for Heart Disease’ by Dr Dwight Lundell.

More on stress later, for now, enjoy your exercise – 4 hours/week is plenty, make sure you lift weights rather than just perform cardio. Enjoy your food and listen to your stomach when you choose how much fat you eat. Remember fat from naturally occurring sources is usually fine to eat! and no it will not raise your cholesterol – Google that one 😉

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2. Calorie theory is incomplete!

If you were a steam engine this theory would be completely relevant, however it is only partly true as you are chemical, hormonal and electrical. Eg. 90% of Eskimos diet is fats, oils and proteins. Everyone is different, we need to learn to listen to our bodies as they will tell us what we need. Eg, Do you crave chocolate? Cocoa is very high in Magnesium, perhaps you are deficient in Magnesium. Or do you have an uncontrollable appetite at 2-3pm after what should have been a satisfying lunch? Then maybe you are not eating enough protein earlier in the day. How much protein do you need?

My point is simple, calorie controlled diets will not work for the majority of the population, including those who have finished the biggest loser and you see them 1 year on. It’s important not to restrict naturally occurring fats when eating as these are your friends when in comes to increasing your health and getting leaner, even if they are dense in calories. Don’t get me started on the cholesterol theory. Did you know your body actually raises its cholesterol levels as a response to inflammation caused by not eating enough saturated fats!? And that a natural cholesterol reducer is water? Not prescribed often is it?

Stay tuned for tip 3 – Balancing your muscles to prevent injury, and get a great physique

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My naturopath friend was recommending to me the other day that I make a list of my top 20 or even 10 foods that I’m eating and change them in order to re-stimulate the fat burning process.

Here’s an example of what I was rotating between and what I will be re-introducing in the coming weeks;

Old list; Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Fish (Ling and Salmon), sweet potato, pumpkin, broccoli, cucumber, capsicum, green apples, baby spinach, bok choy, eggs, cream, natural cows yogurt.

New List; Camel, buffalo, Venison, Kangaroo, Crocodile, Duck, Tuna (not from Thailand/Vietnam), Wallaby, Goat, Wild Boar, Celery, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kale, Silver beet, Zucchini, goats yogurt. (I’m keeping the cream for my coffee and the eggs.)

I wont be sorry to see the back of the meat, should be interesting, I’m going to be making a lot of rissoles

Link for game meats delivered to your door. You need to order a minimum amount – give them a call http://www.gamemeats.com.au

Try it let me know how you go.

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