Myth: Fat makes you fat.

Short:

Fat is an umbrella term used to describe different types of lipids that exist. Unfortunately, people began to assume that by not eating "fat" they wouldn't get "fat". That's not only wrong, it actually tends to lead to greater caloric intake which in turn, leads to an increase in the size of the adipose storage cells in the human body. Stick to plant and animal based fats if you want to live a long and healthy life. Chemically produced fats can wreak havoc on a genetic level.

Long:
Fat comes in many different kinds. In the human body it's known as adipose. When we eat it, the basic kinds are known as Mono unsaturated (good for you.) Saturated (good for you) partially hydrogenated (evil.) Hydrogenated (evil) and Trans fat (evil.)

Fat is essential for the human body to survive. It produces hormones that we need to regulate appetite, stores energy in reserve for when we need it, and our brain is made up mostly of fatty acids. Without fat, we die. But how do we actually get "fat" in the popular culture, "apple shaped" kind of way?

Adipose cells are like balloons in that they expand depending on the amount of free flowing material available to them. If we consume more calories than we burn, the left over energy needs to be stored, and it gets stored in adipose cells. When the body doesn't have any fuel available, it uses the energy in stored fat cells (a safety mechanism from primordial times to counter act fluctuating food supplies.). Consistently excessive calorie intake, hormone imbalance (specifically of insulin and cortisol) and poor food quality all contribute to weight gain. It's important to note that excessive calorie intake can take any form, over eating salad is the same as over eating cookies, it just takes a whole lot more salad to get there.

So, excessive calorie intake is bad. Where does dietary fat come in? Dietary fat increases saeity by causing an increase in hormonal production (specifically Peptide YY). That means, if you eat something that is low in fat, you'll need to eat more of it to feel full. As a result, you'll be ingesting more calories overall then you would be if you ate something with fat in it, even if you account for the higher caloric value of food that is higher in dietary fat.

Now that we know the reason we need to eat fat, we need to know what kind to eat. The healthiest are usually plant and animal based and include Mono unsaturated (like extra virgin olive oil or almonds) and Saturated (eggs or butter.). The rest, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated and Trans fats are all chemically made and affect the body on a genetic level by bonding with protein sites on cells without being able to fulfil their function. They should be avoided at all costs.

General rules:

Add olive oil to your food.

If it doesn't spoil, don't eat it.

The basic rules of effective training:

Let's say you've hired a personal trainer to help you lose the last stubborn 5 KG you have. You pay £600 for 10 sessions. Then you show up to your first session, and he doesn't know what exercises he's going to make you do. He doesn't have an overall plan to help you achieve your goal. What he does is make you run for 40 minutes, use very light to medium weights for some arm stuff and then makes you do crunches. You do the same the next session. And the session after that. For all ten of your sessions. 

Would you be happy with the level of service you're getting?

Of course not.

However, when many clients come to the gym on their own, the above workout plan is pretty close to what gets done.

A few general rules to making the most of your time at the gym:

1) Track. Everything. - Get a notebook. Get an assessment done. Mark down the date. Every workout track the weights you used, the movements you did, the distance you ran or rowed and the time it took you to get it all done.

2) Improve a little every time. - Either you increase the weight, the distance or the reps while keeping the same time, OR you do the same as your previous session but you do it faster. Change, no matter how small, means improvement.

3) Compare and reassess often. - Remember that assessment you did and that you wrote down in your notebook? After a month of regular training, get another assessment. Is there a body fat decrease? Lean Body Mass increase? Can you run a 1K faster than the first time you tried? Can you lift more?

Follow these 3 rules and your training time will become much more productive.

The true meaning of being healthy

BEING HEALTHY MAKES YOUR HEART HAPPY, YOU HEART IS YOUR BIGGEST, STRONGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT MUSCLE IN YOUR BODY.IF YOU ARE FIT, YOU ARE HEALTHY AND WHEN YOU ARE HEALTHY, YOU ARE HAPPY.

ONE OF THE MAIN EXCUSES PEOPLE USE FOR NOT EXERCISING  IS THAT THEY DON’T HAVE TIME,BUT WHETHER IT IS TIME OR MONEY IT IS NO EXCUSE TO IGNORE YOUR HEALTH.

EXERCISE HELPS YOUR MIND, EMOTIONS AND YOUR BODY IN SO MANY WAYS; IT WILL MAKE YOU LOOK BETTER, FEEL BETTER AND LIVE BETTER.

EXERCISE ISN'T JUST A PRESCRIPTION FOR WEIGHT LOSS, IT’S A PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE. EXERCISE IS MEDICINE.

YOU CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE,BE FRESHER WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING,HAVE NO FEAR OF INFECTIONS EVERY TIME IT GETS COLD AND HAVE NO WORRY WHEN YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN AND YOU HAVE TO WALK  8 BLOCKS BACK HOME. – THAT IS THE GIFT OF FITNESS, A SENSE OF INDEPENDENCE A FEELING THAT YOU CAN TAKE WHATEVER THE WORLD THROWS AT YOU. THE BENEFITS OF FITNESS GO BEYOND ALL MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL BOUNDARIES, WHAT FITNESS REALLY GIVES YOU IS PEACE OF MIND.

REAL PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISING IS:

1. Strengthens muscles
2. Strengthens bone
3. Strengthens ligaments
4. Strengthens tendons
5. Strengthens immune system
6. Improves muscle tone
7. Improves endurance
8. Improves strength
9. Improves self esteem
10. Improves confidence
11. Improves balance
12. Improves physical appearance
13. Improves physical performance
14. Improves glucose tolerance
15. Improves circulation
16. Improves memory
17. Lower risk of heart disease
18. Lower risk of diabetes
19. Lower risk of cancer
20. Lower blood pressure
21. Lower cholesterol
22. Lower risk of stroke
23. Lower risk of osteoporosis
24. Lower risk of osteoarthritis
25. Lower requirements for medication
26. Lower risk of injury
27. Lower body fat
28. Helps with sleep disorders
29. Reduces post-operative complications
30. Reduces frequency of illness
31. Prevent Alzheimer's disease
32. Prevents muscle loss
33. Increases metabolism
34. Eases symptoms of menopause
35. Healthier pregnancy
36. Fewer problems with childbirth
37. Reduces ovulation problems

THE TRICK TO HEALTHY LIVING IS TO JUST MAKE SMALL CHANGES …. TAKE MORE STEPS, ADD IN FRUIT TO YOUR CEREAL, HAVING AN EXTRA GLASS OF WATER – JUST ADD A LITTLE MOVEMENT TO YOUR LIFE.

CREATING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN DRASTIC CHANGES. IN FACT THAT ALMOST ALWAYS LEAD TO FAILURE. MAKE SMALL CHANGES IN HOW YOU LIVE EACH DAY.

SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE TEMPTED TO JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH TELEVISION INSTEAD OF EXERCISING,LETS REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO DROP THE REMOTE AND GET MOVING.

OUR ADDICTION TO SUGAR

When we tell people all of us are addicted to sugar, they nearly all admit that they are addicted to the white stuff. When I tell them eating sugar is being compared to smoking cigarettes, they all laugh. “Surely,” they say, “I’m addicted to sugar, but there is no way that sugar is as harmful as cigarettes.” Sugar, we have to tell them, is not as harmful, but actually much more harmful than cigarettes.

Have you ever wondered why so many foods contain sugar? Addiction is a powerful to sell a product. Cigarettes manufacturers have proven this is a strategy that works. But while cigarette companies have been held responsible for adding addictive substances to their cigarettes to ensure that you are a customer for life, food companies have been doing the same thing for decades and getting away with it. The next time you are in a grocery store, read the food labels on products you are buying, you will be astounded how many of the foods you have purchased contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Chances are your favourite foods are either sugar-laden foods or foods that act like sugar in your body.

Sugar has a real impact on your life whether you know it or not. If you have ever struggled to lose weight or have a disease such as diabetes or heart disease, sugar has had an impact on your life. If you find that you have extreme food cravings and have a tendency to binge on certain foods, sugar has had an impact on your life.

The minute you stop eating sugar something will happen. You will have intense cravings, feel ravenously hungry, you will binge on all sorts of foods you will be grumpy and have a short temper. As you know, these are the specific signs of an addiction and a withdrawal pattern seen so often with other equally addictive substances.

The next time you are at the store, the airport, a sporting event, or anywhere, take a look at the people around you. We just don’t look so healthy anymore. If we ask people why they think they are overweight, they often shrug their shoulders and say. “I don’t know. I am eating what the doctor tells me to eat.” That, as you will find out is the problem.

SUGAR HAS A HOLD ON US THAT IS HARD TO BREAK, BUT BREAK IT YOU MUST IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY AND LONG LIFE

It has now been shown that the main course of heart disease is not high fat diets but high sugar diets instead. So what can you do to limit sugar intake.

A healthy eating regime such as the cave man diet or the Paleo diet is a good start. Limit the amount of processed foods you eat. Buy fresh and if you can organic foods. Stay clear from the big offenders (that we thinks id fine) such as pasta’s, bread and other grain products such as breakfast cereal. Eat more meat, green vegetables and good fats such as olives, avocado and nuts. This will keep you satisfied for longer and ensure that you do not crave those evil sugars.