Fat is the ultimate three-letter word
especially the kind that you spend so much time watching your diet
and hitting the gym to keep at bay (or at least to keep off your butt)
But beyond making you look less-than-svelte
fat can have significant physical and emotional implications
1. Fat Comes In Different Colors
More specifically, there are different types of fat that have different hues and functions
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| white normal fat cells (left) vs brown long-term fat cells (right) |
White
what most people think of as fat -- pale and useless
Useless in that it has a low metabolic rate
so it doesn't help you burn any calories the way muscle does
and it's the predominant type of fat in the human body
encompassing more than 90 percent of it
In other words, it's a storage unit for extra calories
Brown
Brown fat is darker in color due to a rich blood supply
and can actually burn calories rather than storing them
--but only if you're a rat (or other mammal)
certain critters can activate brown fat to burn calories
and generate heat to keep them warm in winter
Humans, sadly, have so little brown fat that it won't help you burn calories or keep you warm
Beige
Between white and brown in terms of its calorie-burning ability which is actually very exciting.
Why? Because researchers are looking into ways to shift white fat cells
into more metabolically active beige ones via diet and exercise or supplements
In fact, there is preliminary evidence that certain hormones which are activated by exercise
may convert white fat cells into beige ones
as well as some evidence that certain foods such as brown seaweed, licorice root
and hot peppers may have the ability to do this as well
I love spicy food yay!!
2. The Fat On Your Butt Is Healthier Than The Fat On Your Belly
It's probably safe to say that no woman favors the fat on one body part over another
but it's actually safer health-wise to be more of a pear than an apple [body shape]
Belly fat, also known as visceral fat
Belly fat, also known as visceral fat
is much more responsive to the stress hormone cortisol
compared to the fat on your thighs or butt, so when stress hits hard
(and you don't find a healthy way to handle it)
any extra calories consumed are more likely to end up around your middle
Belly fat is also much more inflammatory than fat located elsewhere in the body
and can create its own inflammatory chemicals (as a tumor would)
These chemicals travel to the brain and make you hungry and tired
so you're more likely to overeat or eat junk food and not exercise
thus creating a vicious cycle and perpetuating the storage of more belly fat
and can create its own inflammatory chemicals (as a tumor would)
These chemicals travel to the brain and make you hungry and tired
so you're more likely to overeat or eat junk food and not exercise
thus creating a vicious cycle and perpetuating the storage of more belly fat
The good news is that anything that helps you reduce inflammation
helps reduce those signals to the brain!
Food recommended: fish oil (for the Omega 3's) and probiotics
which you can take in pill form or get by eating yogurt with active cultures
helps reduce those signals to the brain!
Food recommended: fish oil (for the Omega 3's) and probiotics
which you can take in pill form or get by eating yogurt with active cultures
3. First You Burn Calories, Second You Burn Fat
The term "fat-burning" is thrown around willy-nilly in fitness circles
but as an expression of weight loss, it's indirect
Before you "burn" fat, you burn calories, whether those calories come from
stored carbohydrates (glycogen and blood sugar) or from stored body fat
but as an expression of weight loss, it's indirect
Before you "burn" fat, you burn calories, whether those calories come from
stored carbohydrates (glycogen and blood sugar) or from stored body fat
The more calories you burn during each workout
the bigger deficit you will create and the more fat you will loseYou can also create a calorie deficit by eating less (:
the bigger deficit you will create and the more fat you will loseYou can also create a calorie deficit by eating less (:
4. Fat Affects Your Mood
Certainly there is no easier way to ruin your day
--than seeing you've gone up a few numbers on the scale but having excess fat
-- especially around your belly --
activates that inflammation/cortisol cycle
which studies show may be a factor in serious mood disorders like bipolar disorder
If you're stuck in a stress/eat/gain/stress cycle,however,
you're likely to experience at least a perpetually low mood
even if you don't have an actual clinical condition
-- especially around your belly --
activates that inflammation/cortisol cycle
which studies show may be a factor in serious mood disorders like bipolar disorder
If you're stuck in a stress/eat/gain/stress cycle,however,
you're likely to experience at least a perpetually low mood
even if you don't have an actual clinical condition
To help break the cycle, try eating a square of dark chocolate!
there is just enough sugar to satisfy a stress-induced craving
but the healthy flavonoids help calm inflammation
Low-fat dairy products like yogurt can have a similar effect
-- the combination of calcium and magnesium can help calm the stress response
there is just enough sugar to satisfy a stress-induced craving
but the healthy flavonoids help calm inflammation
Low-fat dairy products like yogurt can have a similar effect
-- the combination of calcium and magnesium can help calm the stress response
5. Even Skinny People Can Have Cellulite
The dreaded c-word is caused by fat trapped under the skin (known as subcutaneous fat)
The overlying skin "dimples" are created by connective tissues
that tie the skin to the underlying muscle, with fat trapped in between like a sandwich
You don't need a lot of fat to cause a dimpling effect, so you can be in great shape
and have low body fat but still have a little pocket of dimpled fat
for example, on your butt or the backs of your thighs.
The overlying skin "dimples" are created by connective tissues
that tie the skin to the underlying muscle, with fat trapped in between like a sandwich
You don't need a lot of fat to cause a dimpling effect, so you can be in great shape
and have low body fat but still have a little pocket of dimpled fat
for example, on your butt or the backs of your thighs.
Building muscle while losing fat (and the fat loss part is key -- you have to have it to lose) can help minimize the appearance of cellulite;
cellulite-specific creams and lotions can also help minimize the look of dimpled skin (though they can't do anything about the trapped fat beneath)
cellulite-specific creams and lotions can also help minimize the look of dimpled skin (though they can't do anything about the trapped fat beneath)
Personal note:
I'ma health freak (if you don't know already), read articles daily, majority on health.
And just wanna share some stuff I learnt with you guys
Hope you all learnt something new too! :)
Take Care, Kylie.
