Why men store fat in bellies, women on hips

Researchers claim to have answered the age-old question of why men store fat in their bellies and women store it in their hips - the fat tissue is almost completely different, genetically speaking that is.
"Given the difference in gene expression profiles, a female fat tissue won't behave anything like a male fat tissue and vice versa," Dr. Clegg said. "The notion that fat cells between males and females are alike is inconsistent with our findings."
In humans, men are more likely to carry extra weight around their guts while pre-menopausal women store it in their butts, thighs and hips.

The bad news for men is that belly, or visceral, fat has been associated with numerous obesity-related diseases including diabetes and heart disease. Women, on the other hand, are generally protected from these obesity-related disorders until menopause, when their ovarian hormone levels drop and fat storage tends to shift from their rear ends to their waists.
"Although our new findings don't explain why women begin storing fat in their bellies after menopause, the results do bring us a step closer to understanding the mechanisms behind the unwanted shift," Dr. Clegg said.

For the study, researchers used a microarray analysis to determine whether male fat cells and female fat cells were different between the waist and hips and if they were different based on gender at a genetic level.

Because the fat distribution patterns of male and female mice are similar to those of humans, the researchers used the animals to compare genes from the belly and hip fat pads of male mice, female mice and female mice whose ovaries had been removed - a condition that closely mimics human menopause. Waist and hip fat (subcutaneous fat) generally accumulates outside the muscle wall, whereas belly fat (visceral fat), a major health concern in men and postmenopausal women, develops around the internal organs.

In addition to the genetic differences among fat tissues, the researchers found that male mice that consumed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks gained more weight than female mice on the same diet. The males' fat tissue, particularly their belly fat, became highly inflamed, while the females had lower levels of genes associated with inflammation. The female mice whose ovaries had been removed, however, gained weight on the high-fat diet more like the males and deposited this fat in their bellies, also like the males.
"The fat of the female mice whose ovaries had been removed was inflamed and was starting to look like the unhealthy male fat," Dr. Clegg said. "However, estrogen replacement therapy in the mice reduced the inflammation and returned their fat distribution to that of mice with their ovaries intact."

Dr. Clegg said the results suggest that hormones made by the ovaries may be critical in determining where fat is deposited.

12 LAWS OF FAT-BURNING

Want to see your six-pack again - or for the first time ever? You'll find all you need to know to get superlean in a dozen simple rules.

BY CHRIS ACETO AND JIM STOPPANI, PHD

No question about it, burning fat is a 24/7 endeavor. To keep the fires hot, you need to eat every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Not only that, but you must choose the right foods in the right amounts to keep your metabolism revved up so your six-pack will be ready for its close-up. The way we see it, there are 12 fundamentals - laws, if you will - that are all you need to shed that unwanted blubber from your midsection and elsewhere. Most of them are nutrition-driven, but training comes into play as well. Your mass-gaining phase is over for the time being; now it's time to get lean. These 12 laws of fat-burning will help get you there.

Step 1 revolves around simple math: You must eat fewer calories than your body is accustomed to in order to drop bodyfat. When a calorie shortfall is created, the body responds by digging into bodyfat reserves to make up the difference. And presto, you grow leaner. All other laws aside, this one heads the list every time, no matter what dietary approach you take.

Do This: Most guys who are fairly active and exercise regularly burn about 18 calories per pound of bodyweight or more per day. On that basis, a 200-pounder would consume 3,600 calories daily. To start dropping bodyfat, reduce your calories to between 14 and 16 per pound of bodyweight per day on workout days, or 2,800-3,200 calories daily. On nonworkout days, drop to about 12 calories per pound per day (2,400 calories for the guy who's 200 pounds).

The easiest way to cut calories? Eliminate excess dietary fat - meaning no butter, oils, salad dressings (low-fat or fat-free dressings are okay); remove the skin from chicken; substitute egg whites for most of your whole eggs; avoid whole-milk dairy products; and ditch marbled red meats such as rib-eye for lean cuts such as flank. Keep some healthy fats in your diet, such as salmon, mixed nuts, peanut butter and avocados.

Though calorie control is a must, hormonal control is nearly as important. Coupled with calories, hormones govern fat-burning. Suppress fat-storing hormones and you can expect a significant amount of bodyfat to melt away. The ideal way to control these hormones is to keep your carbohydrate intake in check, since carbs kick up insulin, a hormone that inhibits fat breakdown and drives fat storage. Eat fewer carbs and insulin levels tend to moderate, leading to fat loss.

Of course, not all carbohydrates are equal. In short, fast-digesting carbs tend to create a large insulin burst, leading to more potential fat gain. These carbs include white bread, most cold cereals, any sweets, rice cakes, white rice and white potatoes. Conversely, slow-digesting carbs (found in whole-grain breads, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and legumes) don't cause much of an insulin rise, so these should make up the vast majority of your carb consumption.

Do This: The commonsense approach is to halve your carbohydrate portions. If you tend to eat a large bagel for breakfast, eat only half and save the rest for tomorrow, or simply eat a smaller bagel. If you typically eat 2 cups of pasta at dinner, eat just one. In time, you'll see the effects of insulin control.

As for carb choices, the aforementioned bagel should be 100% whole wheat, not white. At all times during the day, in fact, choose whole-grain foods over refined ones, the only exception being immediately after a workout, when fast-digesting carbs reign supreme for boosting insulin and replenishing muscle glycogen stores (see Law 8). Keep carbs to less than 2 grams per pound of bodyweight per day.

Is a calorie truly a calorie? Not always, because different types of calories can affect your body and your results differently. Dietary fat, for example, is more "fattening" than protein or carbs because it's less likely to be used to build your body. Granted, carbs can potentially make you fat, but they also directly fuel your training. Protein? That's a no-brainer: It builds muscle. Fat does neither, but it isn't useless; moderate amounts of it support vitamin absorption and help manufacture hormones.

But if you're trying to get ripped, you must minimize your consumption of fat. Protein, on the other hand, not only adds to your muscle - key in boosting the metabolism - but actually increases your metabolism more directly. The body burns more calories processing protein than it burns to process carbs or fat, known as the thermic effect of food. That's the main reason diets that include a lot of protein result in greater fat loss than low-protein diets, even when both diets contain the same amount of calories.

Do This: We can't harp on this advice too much: Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. Your major protein sources should be lean meats (chicken, steak, turkey breast, tuna), egg whites (the yolks contain the fat, so discard most of them when you're trying to lose fat), protein powder (whey or casein) and low-fat cottage cheese. As for fat, limit it to 20%-30% of your total daily caloric intake.

When attempting to lose bodyfat, insulin control is crucial. The total amount of insulin released by the body isn't related to just how many carbohydrates you eat but how fast those carbs are digested. Refined carbs digest quickly, raising insulin levels substantially, which is why you should avoid them. But if you do happen to eat, say, a bowl of cold cereal (typically a fast-digesting carb), you can still take measures to ensure those carbs digest more slowly. This will cause less insulin to be released and therefore have less of an impact on your ability to burn fat.

Do This: One way to slow digestion is to eat carbs with protein and small amounts of fat. Never eat carbs alone. Accompany that bowl of cereal, for example, with scrambled egg whites or cottage cheese. Alternatively, you could eat plenty of vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and green salads, with your meals. These foods actually slow the breakdown and digestion rate of all carbohydrates.

Once again, it's about hormones. At night your insulin sensitivity decreases, meaning your body must release more insulin than usual to put any carbohydrates you eat at night to use in the body. And by now you know that higher insulin levels can decrease fat-burning and enhance fat storage. In addition, the body naturally produces a fat-liberating hormone called growth hormone (GH) within the initial 90 minutes of sleep.

GH not only increases fat-burning but is required to build mass and strengthen the immune system. Yet carbs put a damper on GH release, so it's ideal to go to bed under one of two scenarios: on an empty stomach or, even better, having consumed only protein, no carbs. This allows blood glucose - the high-tech name for digested carbs circulating in the blood - to remain low, which facilitates the rise in nocturnal GH production.

Do This: Don't eat anything about three hours before bed. A better option is to eat only protein meals the final four hours before bed, with one protein meal immediately before bedtime that includes only protein, such as a casein shake, low-fat cottage cheese or chicken breast. You can, however, eat a small serving of vegetables here if you wish.

Nitric oxide (no) is the compound that opens everything up and, not surprisingly, it's one of the best fat-burning products on the market. NO supports "the pump" when taken before training, enhancing blood flow to muscles by allowing more blood to make its way to tissues, including muscles, which can help maximize hypertrophy and boost metabolism. This arginine-based supplement is also effective when taken before bed, when it can exert a profound surge in GH levels and support fat-burning.

Do This: Within 30-60 minutes of bedtime every night, take a 5-10-gram dose of a nitric-oxide supplement that doesn't contain caffeine on an empty stomach.

Sure, calories and hormones can determine whether your body deposits food into muscle or as bodyfat, but meal frequency, or how many times you eat each day, affects your overall metabolism. Every time you eat, the body's calorie-burning engine, also known as metabolism, slightly increases. This is especially true for meals that contain protein. So if you eat six times a day, you'll experience six metabolic surges a day, rather than just four if you eat only four times a day. And, of course, eating seven or eight times per day would be even better than six. This is one way to lean out without having to drastically reduce calories. Frequent feedings tend to increase the chance that what you eat will make its way into muscle tissue rather than being packed away as bodyfat.

Do This: Eat 6-8 small meals per day, spaced 2-3 hours apart. Don't go longer than three hours without eating - your body will go into starvation mode, which can cause you to store bodyfat and makes it more likely that you'll overeat at your next meal. Speaking of overeating, just because you're consuming more meals doesn't mean you should be taking in more total calories. Determine your ideal daily caloric intake for fat-burning (see Rule 1) and divide that more or less evenly between your 6-8 meals.

After you train, it's difficult to gain bodyfat. Why? Depleted, broken-down muscles soak up both protein and carbohydrates for growth and recovery. If you eat too little at this time, you may actually set yourself back by impeding recovery; supporting recovery and growth actually increases metabolism while impeding it slows metabolism. In terms of spurring recovery and growth, just about the most counterproductive thing you can do after a hard workout is starve yourself.

Do This: Consume 30-40 grams of protein powder such as whey powder and casein along with 60-80 grams of fast-digesting carbs (a large baked potato, 4-5 slices of white bread or a large sports drink such as Gatorade) as soon as possible within an hour after training.

The best fish to eat

We rounded up the five best and healthiest fish to eat, then asked a chef for recipes that will please fish lovers—and even those who still need convincing

By Lesley Young

1. Salmon

Includes fresh and canned chinook, king, chum, coho, pink and sockeye.

Taste: This fish has a pleasant, distinct aroma and meaty pink flesh. 
Nutrients: All types of salmon are high in omega-3s, ranging from about 750 mg to 1,270 mg per 75-gram serving. They are also a good source of vitamin D, with one serving providing 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA)—and the bones in canned salmon provide calcium. Because contaminant risk is low, there is no limit on consumption. 
Eco-friendly: All wild Pacific salmon species face conservation issues. Farmed Pacific salmon is high in omega-3, but amounts may be lower than wild.
Ways to serve: To add a little drama to dinner, try salmon en papillote (cooked in parchment, which is readily available in grocery stores). “It’s really simple,” says Calder. “Finely julienne a carrot, leek and zucchini; sauté quickly till not quite cooked; and make a bed of the vegetables on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little fennel seed, and place the fish fillet or steak on top. Then fold the parchment over to create a small package. Bake in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes. It steams in the paper and you have a whole meal in there.” Calder also likes to dip a salmon fillet or steak in egg white, roll it in poppy seeds and pan-fry it.

2. Farmed rainbow trout

Taste: The pale pink, delicate flesh has a nutty flavour that’s milder than salmon.
Nutrients: With 866 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per 75-gram serving, rainbow trout offers more than a day’s recommended intake. In addition, it provides plenty of vitamin B12, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease, says Dombrow. Because rainbow trout is low in mercury, there is no limit on consumption.
Eco-friendly: Most rainbow trout found in Canadian stores are farmed in ponds or raceways (channels), says Shauna MacKinnon, market campaign coordinator for the Living Oceans Society, a non-profit conservation group. “Because they are contained, escapes into the wild are rare,” she says, so there’s little risk to local stocks. If you’re buying in Ontario, ask whether the trout was farmed in open-net cages in the Great Lakes; this practice can pollute the water. 
Ways to serve: “In central France, you typically see a whole trout wrapped with bacon,” says Calder. Create the same effect by wrapping a whole trout or fillets with just a few pieces of bacon, excess fat trimmed off. Place the fish on top of several lemon slices and bay leaves, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400°F (for a one-inch [2.5-cm]-thick fillet, about 10 minutes, or until flaky). For a quick sauce for baked or grilled fish, Calder suggests combining drained capers, lemon zest and olive oil with some fresh parsley, basil or mint.

3. Pacific halibut

Taste: This firm white fish has a mild flavour that appeals to even fussy fish eaters, and it is highly versatile.
Nutrients: Halibut contains close to an entire day’s worth of omega-3s (439 mg per 75-gram serving). “It’s also low in overall fat with only two grams of total fat per serving, and it’s a good source of potassium and vitamin D,” says Dombrow. (To be cautious, women who may  become pregnant, or are pregnant or breastfeeding should eat halibut only once a week, to avoid exposure to relatively high levels of mercury.)Eco-friendly: Pacific halibut currently has a green light from American conservation groups, although one concern, says MacKinnon, “is that juvenile halibut are discarded or thrown back, reducing their chance of survival.” Avoid Atlantic halibut, which is vulnerable to overfishing. 
Ways to serve: “You can do so much with this fish,” says Calder. She likes to steam halibut steaks or fillets wrapped in Boston lettuce leaves (use a bamboo steamer or a double boiler with holes). “This dish looks really pretty.” Another option is to serve it grilled—it holds together well while cooking—and try some radish quarters and cucumber chunks sautéed in a little butter as a side dish. “Throw in a handful of fresh dill at the end,” Calder suggests.

4. Atlantic mackerel

Usually sold as “round” (uncleaned whole fish); get your fishmonger to clean it. 

Taste: Some find this firm white fish has a too-strong flavour. (If that’s your take, why not follow Calder’s advice, below, and try it as an appetizer? You just might enjoy it. )
Nutrients: Perhaps the expression “holy mackerel” comes from this powerhouse’s omega-3 content—982 mg per 75-gram serving—or its vitamin B12 content (a serving has six times the RDA). If you opt for pickled or smoked mackerel, watch the sodium, which can be quite high. The contaminant risk is low, so there’s no reason to limit consumption. 
Eco-friendly: This small-sized relative of tuna is a sustainable choice because it is so abundant. “Mackerel tend to school,” says MacKinnon, “so we can fish them with minimal impact on their habitat and other species.”
Ways to serve: “French cooks often poach mackerel fillets,” says Calder. “Use a little wine, water, a slice of onion and a few peppercorns.” Serve the poached mackerel on a baguette—the French like to serve it as a first course rather than as a main, she explains. Or, Calder suggests, you can make a quick spread by puréeing cooked mackerel in a food processor with a little butter and chopped fresh parsley, chives or dill; and red onion. Top it with lemon zest or lemon jelly. Serve with crackers.

5. Sablefish

Also known as black cod.
 
Taste: This mild white fish, with its large velvety flakes and sweet rich flavour, is popular among top chefs, and is sometimes called “butterfish” due to its buttery texture. 
Nutrients: It is a great source of omega-3s, with 1,544 mg per 75-gram serving, and a good source of selenium (as are many fish). “Selenium is a trace mineral that may help protect cells from damage,” says Mary Sue Waisman, a registered dietitian in Fall River, N.S., and author of Flavour First. (To be cautious, women who may become pregnant, or are pregnant or breastfeeding should eat sablefish only once a week, to avoid exposure to relatively high levels of mercury.)
Eco-friendly: These are found throughout the North Pacific; conservation concern is low. 
Ways to serve: Fillets are best pan-fried in a little oil, skin side down. Calder’s roasted red pepper sauce is a healthy way to dress it up: In a food processor, whiz up a few roasted red peppers with some sautéed onions deglazed with a splash of white wine. Add a few tablespoons of fish or chicken stock to desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, and pour over fish.

Other fish to try

Sardines, herring and anchovies are loaded with omega-3s, low in contaminants and eco-friendly, but many people don’t like their strong taste. (Fresh ones are less “fishy” than canned, which can also be high in sodium.) But sometimes, it’s just finding a great way to eat them. “I’m a tinned-sardine junkie,” says chef Laura Calder. “I’ll eat a sardine sandwich with mustard, or open a tin of kippers to eat with a mashed potato. It’s perfect food for one: fast, cheap and healthy.”

Omega-3 content
Pacific sardines, in tomato sauce, 106-g (4-oz) can: 1,546 mg
Kippers (Atlantic herring, salted and smoked), 75-g (3-oz) serving: 1,668 mg
Anchovies, 45-g (2-oz) can: 942 mg

What's So Bad About Flour and Sugar?

by Dee McCaffrey

The United States is facing a health crisis unlike anything seen in human history. Today, fully 65 percent of American adults are overweight, and nearly half of them can be classified as obese. Among children between the ages of 6 and 19 years old, 15 percent - or one in six - are overweight. Another 15 percent are on their way to obesity.

Obesity is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of preventable death. Furthermore, the number of people suffering from diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease - all diet related illnesses - is staggering.

Obesity and most of today's common health problems were rare 100 years ago when people's diets consisted of stone-ground whole grains and high fiber foods. And contrary to the thoughts surrounding the low-carb craze, all carbohydrates are not the problem. The problem is the type of carbohydrate

Our bodies absolutely need carbohydrates, as they provide most of the energy we require to work, exercise, and play. The brain's preferred fuel comes from the glucose provided by the breakdown of carbohydrates in our bodies. There are two natural forms of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Then there is the refined carbohydrate.

Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, the resulting glucose being more slowly absorbed into the body and providing energy over a longer period of time. Examples of complex carbohydrates are fresh vegetables, beans and peas, and whole grains such as oats, barley, brown rice, rye, and whole wheat. Complex carbohydrates contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals that are vital to health. They are also very high in fiber. Whole grains contain bran and germ, two important fibers. Fiber is important because it helps the body to process waste efficiently and helps us to feel fuller for longer.

A refined carbohydrate is a carbohydrate that has been altered by machinery to increase its shelf-life. The refinement process transforms a complex carbohydrate into a simple carbohydrate by removing the original natural elements such as fiber, healthy oils, vitamins, and minerals.

Relying heavily on commercial food products, the American diet is rife with the refined carbohydrates found in white sugar, white rice and white flour.

Examples include breads, crackers, pastries, baked goods, pastas, most commercial cereals, ice cream, chocolates, pizza, sandwiches, fast foods and snack foods of all types. These products are so highly refined that the body doesn't even recognize them as food.

Although most people don't understand their bodies nutritional requirements, their bodies themselves do. All foods found in nature, when eaten in their natural whole state, contain the corresponding nutrients and enzymes the body requires to properly digest that particular food. It's a mystery science has not been able to explain, but it's true. Fruits, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and even raw milk contain the exact nutrients, fibers, and enzymes that are required to digest and metabolize their natural sugars.

For instance, the minerals required to digest sugar are calcium, phosphorous, chromium, magnesium, cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese. Sugar cane in its natural form is rich in these vitamins and minerals. It also contains vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, niacin, iron, and pantothenic acid, which work synergistically with natural sugar cane's fiber and enzymes to nourish the body. The natural fibers specific to the sugar cane help slow down the absorption of the sugars and prevent the sharp rise in blood sugar levels associated with refined sugar.

By contrast, refined sugar is devoid of the nutrients and built-in enzyme systems that exist in naturally sweet foods. When we eat refined sugar, the body knows that in order to properly digest the sugar, it needs these minerals and the corresponding enzymes. When these are not eaten along with the sugar, the body tries to adapt by pulling stored nutrients from its own bones and tissues.

For example, when refined sugar is ingested in the absence of the calcium necessary to digest it, calcium is drawn out of the bones and tissues where it is stored. The depletion of calcium from the bones and tissues on a regular, even daily, basis weakens bones, potentially leading to osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases. Doctors often recommend calcium supplements to prevent this depletion; however, if body chemistry is not properly balanced, extra calcium in the body can be toxic.

White flour has an even worse effect on the body. It is, literally, nutritionally deadly and slowly kills you. If you tried to live on white bread alone for 60 days, you would die of malnutrition. The reason is that it lacks the healthy elements found in the whole wheat kernel. In addition to certain B-vitamins (niacin, riboflavin and thiamine), a whole wheat kernel contains two important fibers - bran and germ - necessary for its digestion. These health-giving fibers and nutrients are stripped away from the whole wheat kernel during the refinement and bleaching process that make white flour, leading to a product that is so nutritionally depleted that manufacturers are required by federal law to add certain vitamins back in. That's why we see the word "enriched" on our food labels.

The refining process removes nearly 100 vitamins from the whole wheat kernel, replacing them with synthetic, minute quantities of iron, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin D. Enriched flour is enriched just enough to make sure it doesn't kill you too quickly with the obvious nutritional deficiencies that promote chronic disease and illness.

Because those 100 vitamins, along with the fiber, are missing from white flour products, the body turns to its own bones and tissues in an effort to access the stored nutrients required for digestion of wheat. White flour earns one of the top positions on my list of foods that cause nutrient deficiencies leading to upset body chemistry and resulting in degenerative diseases and obesity.

Refined flour and sugar are substances that were never meant to be in the body.


Comments:
White flour is so low in nutrients that it needs to be enriched by adding a supplement to it to attempt to replace nutrients lost in refinement.

Study: Saturated Fat May Not Cause Heart Disease

But should you really start loading up on it?

BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS

Saturated fat gets a bad rap, that's for sure. But a new meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows it might not be all that bad—at least for your heart. For the groundbreaking analysis, a team of international scientists combed through nearly 80 studies on fat consumption that involved more than half a million participants. They found that higher levels of saturated fat consumption don't increase the risk of heart disease.

Saturated fat has long been maligned for spurring heart disease by increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. However, the study authors say the relationship between fat, cholesterol, and heart disease is more complicated than once believed, and LDL is only one of many risk factors. As far as cholesterol goes, most experts now believe that the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol is more important than LDL alone. And research shows that compared with carbohydrates, saturated fat is actually better at increasing good cholesterol and cutting down on your body's levels of triglycerides (fat deposits found in the blood). 

"It's very important to realize that natural fats are not only healthy but essential to overall health," says John Salerno, M.D., founder of The Salerno Center and author of Fight Fat with Fat. "There are several saturated fats that prevent heart disease and stroke." 

The key word here is "natural," meaning not processed and if you can swing it, organic, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free, he says. So while you can and should eat foods such as coconut oil, chicken, nuts, and avocado (all of which contain some saturated fat), in moderation, this study isn't an excuse to fill up on chips, cookies, and doughnuts. 

Beside being prime sources of man-made trans fats, which have been shown to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, these sorts of high-taste, low-reward foods are often teeming with sugar and impossible-to-pronounce ingredients that aren't going to do anything for your health.

Flour Power

The Hidden Truth About Enriched White Flour

To enrich something means to make it richer by adding good things to it. If you add some organic apple cider vinegar to your water, you’ve enriched it. Enriched white flour must have lots of good things added, so it’s good for you. Right? Wrong!

The reality is that many of the good things that were originally in it have been stripped out through refinement. The components added back to the flour are actually toxic!

Iron is a “nutrient” added to enriched flour, except the type of iron added is not really a nutrient at all, but is considered a metallic iron. Metallic iron is not bioavailable to the human body and was never meant to be consumed.

Enriched flour is not absorbed by the body as wheat or a grain, in which case your body could use the energy slowly and effectively, but as a starch. That is because the wheat germ has been stripped from the flour; the FDA states that enriched flour cannot have more than 5% wheat germ.

How Enriched Flour Affects Your Health

Once this stuff has been stripped down, you’re left with a starch. How does your body react to pure starch? The same way it reacts to pure sugar! The consumption of enriched white flour or products containing enriched white flour causes your body to scream through the ride of a sugar high/low roller coaster.

White flour is really nothing more than refined carbohydrates and can contribute to obesity. According to a study that was referenced by Natural News, Americans eat enough extra calories (mostly through refined carbs) to add three pounds of body fat per month to their weight ^[3]. Carbs should come from unrefined sources, like fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Not from something that’s been processed, bleached, and treated with synthetic nutrients.

Alternatives to Enriched White Flour

It’s difficult to live flour-free. Many foods are made with flour of some type and it is hard to go flour-free without switching to an all-produce diet or raw food diet.

There are alternatives to enriched white flour. Try replacing enriched flour with whole wheat, oat flour, rye flour, almond meal, brown rice flour, or millet flour. Pasta and bread are the foods that most commonly contain white flour, but pay attention as many processed and frozen foods contain enriched flour.

If available, sprouted flours are best. Preferably, organic. Organic sprouted whole grain pastas and breads are becoming easier to obtain although the best diet plan would contain little to no grains and more live fruits, seeds and vegetables.

Whole Grain Flour vs. White Enriched Flour

• Whole grain foods are higher in fiber because the wheat germ and bran have not been processed out of them.
• Whole grain foods are digested more slowly, leaving you feeling fuller for a longer.
• Whole grain foods have more nutrients than “enriched” foods.
• Whole grains are not processed as a starch, so they don’t throw your body into a sugar dependency cycle.

Experiment with a 10 day, no enriched white flour challenge, you might be surprised at how easy it is. Better yet, share the challenge with your family and friends.

- Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

References:

1. Mike Adams. Refined carbohydrates are to blame for skyrocketing chronic disease, not just obesity. Natural News. 2004 March 02.

Sleep Is Integral To Weight Loss, Study Suggests

So you're eating right and exercising regularly as part of your weight-loss plan -- but are you getting your ZZs?

A new commentary from researchers at Laval University, Quebec, reveals just how big of an effect sleep has on weight -- and weight gain -- and goes into what research shows the link between the two.

"The solution is not as simple as 'eat less, move more, sleep more,'" the researchers wrote in the commentary, published in theCanadian Medical Association Journal. "However, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that sleeping habits should not be overlooked when prescribing a weight-reduction program to a patient with obesity."

In one of the studies cited in the commentary, study participants decreased the amount of calories they consumed for two weeks, and got either 5.5 hours of sleep a night, or 8.5 hours of sleep a night. By the end of the study period, the ones who got 5.5 hours of sleep a night lost less body fat than those who got 8.5 hours.

And in another study explored in the commentary, 123 overweight or obese adults went on a calorie-restricted diet for 17 weeks. Just like the other study, the amount of sleep they got was linked with how much weight they actually lost by the end of the study period.

The researchers said there should be further studies to see what activities people do during their waking hours -- like watching TV in the morning -- that could instead be spent sleeping.

"New studies provide evidence that insufficient sleep enhances hedonic stimulus processing in the brain underlying the drive to consume food; thus, insufficient sleep results in increased food intake," the researchers wrote in the commentary.

Along these lines, a recent study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association earlier this year showed that sleep deprivation could spur a person to eat more. HuffPost's Catherine Pearson reported that one group in the study, who were only permitted to get two-thirds their normal amount of sleep a night, ate more than 500 more calories each day compared with those in the other group in the study who were able to get full nights' sleep.

And sleep may not just be linked with weight by potentially increasing the urge to eat -- another study, published earlier this year in the journal SLEEP, showed that sleep could also impact our genes' influence on weight.

"The longer you sleep, the less important genetics become in determining what you weigh," study researcher Dr. Nathaniel Watson, co-director of the University of Washington Sleep Disorders Center, earlier explained to HuffPost. "Does this mean you can sleep yourself thin? Probably not. But you can sleep yourself to a point where environmental factors, like diet and activity, are more important in determining your body weight than genetics."