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What is fat?

Fat is another word for triglycerides. Triglycerides are three fatty acids and a glycerol. They are found in the blood and provide 60% of the body’s energy needs at rest. Most of your organs run on fat in order to spare glucose for the brain.

Triglycerides are a subcategory of lipids. Lipids are substances that do not dissolve in water. Other lipids are:

• Fatty acids, including phospholipids which make cell membrane and myelin sheaths.

• Sterols (steroid and alcohol), which are found in plants and animals. Cholesterol is an animal sterol that cannot be used as energy. It forms cell membranes, is a precursor for bile salts, Vitamin D, and hormones (such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol).

• Wax, like beeswax and ear wax.

Dietary fats are triglycerides. They are classified as saturated, unsaturated, and hydrogenated or trans-fat.

Saturated fat gets its name because all of the bonds on the chain are attached to a hydrogen atom. Sources include animal fats, dairy, and coconut oil.

Unsaturated fats are best for your health.

• Monounsaturated fats or Omega 9 (Oleic Acid) are nonessential, meaning the body makes them and we do not need to obtain them through diet. Sources include meat, dairy, olive oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, avocados, and nuts (macadamia, almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachio).

• Polyunsaturated fats are Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) which means the body cannot produce them and we must obtain through diet.

—Omega 3: EPA and DHA from cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, bass, and sardines, and ALA found in plants (flax, hemp, chia, walnuts). Salmon provided the most benefit with the least amount of mercury. Vegans, vegetarians, and anyone concerned about mercury, can take an Algae Omega supplement and eat ground flax. The ALA from flax along with LA (an Omega 6), can be converted by the body to EPA and then to DHA. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, slow age-related cognitive decline, and may protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s. DHA & EPA help reduce blood pressure and blood triglyceride levels. EPA lowers C-Reactive proteins (a marker of inflammation), reduces the risk of heart disease, and may also help with depression. Over 30% of the brain is made of DHA.

—Omega 6: LA (Linoleic Acid) comes from corn, safflower, and canola oils. Omega 6 fatty acids increase inflammation and can lead to high blood pressure, clots, heart attack, and stroke.

• Trans-Fat started as unsaturated fat and hydrogen molecules were artificially added (hydrogenated) to saturate or partially saturate the chain. These chains, however, do not have the same shape as naturally occurring saturated fatty acids. Eating trans-fat, hydrogenated fats, or partially hydrogenated fats increases LDL (“bad” cholesterol), lowers HDL (“good” cholesterol), and increases the risk of coronary artery disease.

Other Benefits of dietary fat:

• Enables absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that support the eyes, bones, skin, immunity, and blood clotting.

• Builds cell membranes and myelin sheaths around nerves.

• Makes food more flavorful, leading to greater satiety.

• Fat digests slowly, making you feel fuller longer and avoiding the crash and cravings that come from quickly digested high-glycemic foods such as fruit and processed carbohydrates.

• With 9 kcal/gram, fat provides the most energy off all the macronutrients.

How much?

• The American Heart Association suggests that healthy adults limit dietary fat to no more than 20-35% of total daily calories.

• While the liver makes 100% of the body’s cholesterol needs, dietary cholesterol is not as bad as we once thought it was. For example, total blood cholesterol levels below 200mg/dL “have been associated with mild to severe cognitive deficit and development of dementia.”¹

• According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,saturated fat calories should not exceed 10% of total daily calories. However, a meta-analysis in 2014 found no link between cardiovascular health and the consumption of saturated fat.²

• There are no standards for the daily amount of Omega 3’s needed. While supplements are generally safe, if you’re taking medication (such as anti-coagulant therapy) or are planning surgery, talk to your doctor.

• Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio should be 4:1 for health benefits. Americans, on average, eat a ratio of 20:1 and need less Omega 6 and more Omega 3.

• No amount of trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated oils is safe.

• Studies have found that both low-carb and low-fat diets are equally successful for weight loss.³

Are you getting the right amount of healthy fats every day to support your health and weight loss goals? Email me to get started with Nutrition Coaching and learn how to make simple changes in your diet that will help you look and feel amazing!

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email https://aliciacrosstraining.com/wind-creek-bethlehem-online-casino/.

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Carbohydrates 101

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As their name denotes, carbohydrates are carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. When we eat carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into glucose for energy for the body and brain. Glucose is stored as glycogen in muscle tissue and in the liver. Excess glycogen is converted to fat for storage. The more muscle you have, the more glycogen you can store, lessening the amount that will be converted to fat. At rest, the body is using mostly fat for energy. The harder you work, the greater the proportion of carbohydrates used for energy. When you work anaerobically, about 85% of maximum heart rate and above, (lifting heavy weights for 1-5 repetitions per set, HIIT, and sprints) you are burning mostly carbohydrates for fuel.

Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates:

Simple sugar are monosaccharides and disaccharides.

• Monosaccharides:
  • Glucose (the form the body uses for energy), fructose, galactose (milk), dextrose

• Disaccharides:
  • honey (fructose and glucose), lactose (milk), maltose, sucrose (table sugar: 50/50 fructose and glucose)

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides found in grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. These provide two types of fiber:

• Insoluble fiber (roughage): helps with regularity, found in the in the peel of fruit and vegetables such as apples, grapes, and cucumbers, and also in vegetables like cabbage and lettuce

• Soluble fiber: helps lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol), promotes heart health, found in grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds

A closer look at fructose:

Fructose is found in fruit, honey, table sugar, and High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is 55% fructose (or higher) and 45% glucose. Fructose must be converted to glucose by the liver. Consume too much fructose and the liver gets overloaded. This isn’t a concern if you’re eating fruit. The problem lies in the high concentration of fructose in High Fructose Corn Syrup. You’d have to eat 5 bananas or 9 cups of strawberries or 3 apples to get the same amount of fructose in one 20oz soda!

When the liver gets overloaded, it will convert fructose directly to fat and send it into the blood stream as triglycerides. A diet high in HFCS from processed foods, sugary drinks, and soda leads to increased risk for gout, obesity, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, elevated blood triglycerides, elevated LDL (“bad” cholesterol), and pre-diabetes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Carbohydrates and weight-loss goals:

When you eat high-glycemic foods, your blood glucose level (blood sugar) rises and your body releases insulin. The hormone insulin promotes storage by transporting sugar out of the blood and into the cells. This is a good thing: High levels of blood glucose can be life-threatening, which is why diabetics take insulin.  A side effect of insulin therapy, however, is weight-gain because of the fact that insulin promotes storage.

If you do not have diabetes and want to lose weight, it’s important to manage hormones and blood sugar. Avoid the blood sugar spike that causes a bigger insulin release by eating whole fruit rather than drinking sugary drinks and fruit juice. Always eat fruit with lower glycemic fats and protein, for example, an apple with almond butter. If you avoid the blood sugar spike, you will also avoid the subsequent crash that leads to cravings and overeating.

An additional benefit of eating a healthy diet low in processed in foods and high in fiber is a healthy gut microbiome. Researchers have found links to healthy gut bacteria and healthy bodyweight (7).

How much?

The brain, unlike the rest of the body, cannot use fat for energy. The brain and neurons (nerve cells) need glucose from carbohydrates for fuel. The RDA, Recommended Daily Allowance, for carbohydrates is 130g/day. This is based on the amount needed to fuel the brain and does not account for the carbohydrates needed to supply energy for activity and exercise. Do your workouts support the amount of carbohydrates you’re taking in daily?

The World Health Organization recommends no more than 10% of total calories from ALL sugar (natural and added). For a 2000 calorie diet, that would be no more than 200 kcals (50g or 12 tsp) from sugar. The average American currently eats 94g or 22.5 tsp of sugar daily! Are you eating too much sugar?

The American Heart Associates recommends 23-30g of fiber each day. Currently, American adults are getting about 15g/day. Are you getting enough fiber everyday from vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains?

If all this seems overwhelming, I can help. Email me to schedule a free 15 consultation to see how Nutrition Coaching, Programing, or Wellness Coaching can help you reach your goals.

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email https://aliciacrosstraining.com/wind-creek-bethlehem-online-casino/.

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Proteins are amino acids joined by peptide bonds. Proteins are in all living organisms; plant and animal. In animals, including humans, protein is found in all cells, plasma, hemoglobin, and in enzymes, and hormones. It’s responsible for growth, repair, maintenance of tissue, pH balance, and 5-10% of the body’s energy needs. Examples of protein are keratin in the skin and collagen in connective tissue.

Amino Acids:

There are over 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential. Essential means they must be obtained through diet because the body does not make them:

1. Tryptophan
2. Methionine
3. Valine*
4. Threonine
5. Phenylalanine
6. Leucine*
7. Isoleucine*
8. Lysine
9. Histidine (infants)

There are also conditionally essential amino acids. Theses are usually non-essential (made by the body) except in times of illness and stress when they must be obtained through diet:

1. Arginine
2. Cysteine
3. Glutamine
4. Tyrosine
5. Glycine
6. Ornithine
7. Proline
8. Serine

*Branch Chain Amino Acids or BCAA’s:

The structure of Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine differs from that of other amino acids. Their structure allows them to be used as energy by the body.  This is why many people supplement with BCAA’s pre-workout and/or during a workout.

Creatine:

Creatine is not an amino acid, but it is naturally made from two of the conditionally essential amino acids; Glycine and Arginine. Creatine helps muscles produce more ATP (energy for work). This helps you get a couple more repetitions or sprint a little longer. It gives you the energy to get a little more work done in every session. That adds up if you are training consistently.  When I supplemented with creatine, I started PR’ing again (setting personal records) for the first time in two years. Added bonus: Studies show creatine supplementation can help prevent age-relate disease such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Protein for Weight-loss Goals:

Protein is important for weight-loss goals because of its Thermic Effect (the amount of calories you burn digesting, breaking down, absorbing, and storing). Protein has a higher Thermic Effect than carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol. Protein has 4 kcal/g and a Thermic effect of 20-35%. While carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) and fat (9 kcal/g), on the other hand, have a Thermic Effect of only 5-15%.  And alcohol (7 kcal/g) has a Thermic Effect of just 5%. What do all these numbers mean? 30g of protein has a net effect of 78-96 kcal, 30g of carbohydrates has a net effect of 102-114 kcal, and 30g of fat has a net effect of 229-256 kcal. There’s obviously more to the story (like micronutrients and hormonal effects), but a calorie is not a calorie.

Beware that excess amino acids are not stored as protein, they are instead converted to fat or glycogen for storage.

How much protein do you need?

The RDA or Recommended Daily Allowance is the average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all healthy people. These levels where originally set in the 1940’s and were last updated in 1980. The RDA for protein is .8g/kg of body weight or 54g of protein for 150lb person.

Some more recent recommendations for athletes have included:

• 1.6-2g/kg or .73-.91g/lb. 109-136g for 150lb person.

• 2 to 1.4 g/kg for endurance athletes. 81-95g for 150lb person.

• 2 to 1.7 g/kg for strength and power athletes. 81-115g for 150lb person.

• Other recommendations are as high as 2g/kg. 138g for 150lb person.

When determining my clients’ daily protein needs for weight loss goals, I consider their level of activity, the type of exercise they engage in regularly, and also their body composition (body fat percentage). Most clients are not getting enough protein. Adding more protein is one step that can make noticeable difference.

Are you hitting your goals at the gym? Are you seeing the results you want on the scale and reflected back at you in the mirror? If not, get the accountability and support you need with Nutrition Coaching.

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email https://aliciacrosstraining.com/wind-creek-bethlehem-online-casino/.

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