January 20, 2010
"Fat" is the latest episode of a series on National Geographic called "Taboo". The series explores how something that is Taboo in one culture can be perfectly acceptable in another. Previous episodes have been about "Nudity", "Sex", and "Rituals". Episode "Fat" premiers tonight Jan 20, 2010 at 10PM on National Geographic. The episode will also air on the following dates
Thu Jan 21, 1AM
Sun Jan 24, 4PM
Wed Jan 27, 6PM
Visit National Geographic for more info on shows and schedules.
Is Sugar Causing Obesity?
December 16, 2009
This is my favorite new ad. It's pretty disgusting but it gets it's message across. According to the New York City Department of Health website "Over the course of a year, drinking one soda a day can make you 10 pounds fatter, fostering obesity and contributing to health problems such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease." This is in stark contrast to the commercials about high fructose corn syrup that came out last year. If you believe those ads (paid for by the Corn Refiners Association--A Washington lobbying group) there is nothing wrong with high fructose corn syrup which is used to sweeten just about anything you can think of today from soda to canned vegetables. According to them it is a perfectly healthy substitute to sugar. So who is right about what manufactured sweeteners do to your body? The Corn Industry--trying to protect it's bottom line? Or is the NYC Department of health right? And what the heck happened to regular old fashioned sugar anyway?
(A spoof of one of the original high fructose corn syrup ads.)
The Truth About Diets
November 17, 2009
Forget everything you've every been told about losing weight because most of it is false. There is a right way and a wrong way to get the job done. The problem today is that most people are mislead about how to lose weight by companies trying to profit from selling their quick fix solutions. There is only one way to lose weight and it is by understanding how your body works.
Your body is a machines and like a mechanic, if you understand how it works you can fix whatever is wrong with it. So let's start by taking a look at how and why we gain weight.
Our bodies use three main components to create energy/calories. Those three components are:
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
The Three Components of Energy
What is a calorie?
In order to understand how the system works we have to know what a calorie is. A calorie is a unit of energy or heat. Think of it as a small pellet or coal used to stoke the fire of our internal engine. Everything that we eat is eventually turned into calories and our bodies burn these calories for energy. The heat produced by burning this pellet is called a calorie. The more active we are the more calories we will burn.
What are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are sugars, but not sugar like the kind you use for coffee. They are molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and they are produced by plants and animals. They are the body's main source for energy. There are complex and simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are broken down or metabolized by the body more quickly than complex carbohydrates. Plants such as fruits and vegetables are the most abundant source of carbohydrates. The carbs found in plants are simple carbohydrates and are metabolized (turned into calories and burned for energy) by the body very quickly. The carbs found in foods like bread, pasta, and meat are complex carbohydrates and are metabolized more slowly. Today these terms have been abandoned for the Glycemic index. Simple Carbohydrates are now referred to as High Glycemic. Complex carbohydrates are referred to as Low Glycemic.
Proteins
Proteins are made of amino acids. They are the building blocks for muscle tissue and are found in meat, fish, dairy, and some vegetables. Like carbs, they are metabolized into calories. However, they are harder to metabolize than complex carbs.
Fats
Fats are oils. They are turned into calories and metabolized slower than complex carbs or proteins. Since they are so hard to metabolize, our bodies use them as a last resort source for calories. As such, they are usually stored in our muscle tissue for the times when other sources of calories aren't available.
Whenever we eat, our bodies turn all of these three things into calories. Any calories that aren't metabolized during the course of our day are turned into fat and stored in our muscle tissue for later use. In a nutshell that is how we gain weight. It doesn't matter if you eat only meat or you are a vegetarian. If you consume more calories than you can use during your normal day, you will gain weight. To illustrate how our bodies metabolize food let's say that you eat a steak first then an apple. Your body will breakdown and metabolize the apple first and more quickly because it is a simple carbohydrate. The stake will take longer since it is mainly protein. Whatever you don't need for energy will be turned into fat and stored in your muscle tissue for later. A lot of people complain about being hungry when they are on a diet. To avoid this eat a combination of simple and complex carbs. The Complex carbs will take longer to digest and therefore will make you feel full for a longer period of time.
So how do we lose weight? The weight loss industry would have everyone believe that all you have to do is starve yourself and your body will be forced to burn off your fat storage for energy leaving a slimmer and healthier you. In theory this is exactly what should happen but theory is not practical in the real world in many cases. This is one of those cases. Losing weight is not hard but it is definitely more complex than the weight loss industry portrays it to be. For a better understanding of how to lose weight start at the home page of this website.
Why Cardio works
Running is the number one way to burn calories. You exert more energy running than by doing anything else. Running burns more calories than bodybuilding, swimming, or any other activity. Some people prefer to run early in the morning on an empty stomach. In theory this is a good idea because if there is nothing in your stomach to produce the calories needed for energy your body will turn to the fat stored in your tissue to create the calories needed. However, if you are not an experienced runner please be careful when running on an empty stomach. You may start to feel light headed and could pass out if you exert too much energy. Some people say that it hurts to run because their knees are bad or their ankles or other parts of their bodies hurt. I've heard this many times. If this is your situation don't worry. You don't have to start off by immediately running a mile every morning. You have to take your time and let your body get used to the stress. Over time you will not feel the pain any more because your body will become stronger. Start off by walking instead of running if this is your situation. Or invest in a pair of running cushions for your shoes. If that doesn't work use an elliptical machine.
