Two ways to be less fat that work….

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Focus on Your Health:

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today's post: Thursday, 1-11-2007

Two ways to be less fat that work….

Tuesday’s post was: Eat Low Glycemic foods for health….

1. Today, 1-11-2007, I found an article by Dr Al Sears that has important information on WHY eating protein foods & other low glycemic index foods & NOT eating high glycemic foods is so important to helping you get or stay trim.

(See: www.earlytorise.com .)

I disagree with Dr Sears on a few things; but this article was so good, I’m including it today.:

“Help your brain help you lose weight: Fill Up on Filling Foods

By Al Sears, MD

Last weekend, I went to a picnic at my son's school. (The warm weather here in Florida allows us to barbeque during the winter.) As I stood in line to get my burger, I watched the other parents piling huge mounds of food onto their paper plates. Then I watched many go back for seconds of French fries, potato salad, and homemade brownies.

This made me think of a pair of studies I read recently.

In 1984, researchers from Penn State asked the students who were participating in their study to eat their meals in the school cafeteria … and to take as much food as they wanted. Then, in 2003, researchers from Rutgers did the same thing - and they found that their subjects put 20 percent to 50 percent more food on their plates than the Penn State students did in 1984.
Clearly, people are eating more than they used to. But why?

Here's my take: It's the kind of food we're eating that makes us eat more. High-carb and highly processed foods lower sensitivity to a hormone called leptin. This is the messenger that tells your brain "I'm full." Without it, you keep eating and eating.

The easiest way to eat smaller portions is to eat foods that make you feel full sooner. So instead of trying to deny yourself, focus on foods high in protein - like lean meats, poultry, fish, and nuts. These foods trigger the leptin receptors in your brain and give you the feeling that you've "had enough."

Another winning strategy is to use the glycemic index. Foods that score below 40 keep your blood sugar and insulin at low levels. This is the key to preventing weight gain if you're going to a party or out to dinner and expect to be eating a lot.”

(For ideas on what foods work for this, see our last post for Tuesday, 1-9-2007.)

2. Another of the online health e-newsletters I get, reports research that shows that belly or abdominal fat is dangerous to your health.

And, the good news is that another study shows that the people who lost weight by eating better & taking in less calories & who also exercised regularly also lost belly fat weight.
(The group who just ate better & didn’t exercise lost weight but lost NO belly fat.)

The other surprising news was that it didn’t take that much exercise to produce this effect.

Both the groups who lost the belly fat only walked enough to burn 100 calories three days a week.

And, both the group that walked slowly for an hour & the one that walked much faster for about half an hour to burn their 100 calories lost the same amount of belly fat.

This is in addition to the research that shows that people who stay fat but exercise are MUCH healthier than those who do not exercise.

And, it’s in addition to the research that shows that people who exercise regularly each week, particularly if they include strength training, are MUCH more likely to keep off the fat they lose.

So, eat right & you’ll be less hungry & eat less calories -- which will enable you to get & stay trim.

And, make it do more for your health & be permanent by exercising regularly each week.