Fat Facts & falacies - the skinny on dietaty fats

Fat is probably the most contentious issue in nutrition...but are they as bad for us as we are led to believe? Are they really responsible for the often poor standard of health seen in the majority of the western world? Should we embrace the “low fat lifestyle”? The problem is that there is a huge amount of freely available information around, especially compared to pre-internet times, and much of it is a) out of date, b) incorrect, c) written by people with no formal training or qualifications or d) written using such technical language that for most of us it makes no sense!

In this article, I’d like to shed some light on the seemingly complicated and controversial world of fats so that you can make informed choices about which ones to eat and which ones to avoid.

Fats are classified according to their level of hydrogen content. All this actually means is that fats that said to be saturated are packed to the gunnels with hydrogen molecules and fats that are deemed unsaturated as missing some hydrogen molecules. The amount of hydrogen molecules present in a fat will dictate how a fat looks, tastes and when we eat it. Fat should make up around 20 - 30% of our daily food intake and very low fat diets are actually quite unhealthy as we need a daily dose of fat for our body’s to perform at their best. Very low fat diets are strongly linked to skin and hair problems, low birth weight babies, lowered testosterone levels in men, reduced brain function, impaired learning ability, lowered intelligence and eye problems.

Let’s take a look at the four main classifications of dietary fats…

1) Saturated fats - As mentioned before, these fats are saturated with hydrogen molecules which make them very sturdy structures – they are often solid at room temperature e.g. butter and lard. They are chemically inert which means they don’t react easily when exposed to heat, light, oxygen or chemicals. Saturated fats are found mostly in animal products i.e. beef and dairy (milk, cheese, butter) as well as palm oil and coconut oil and our bodies tend to use saturated fats for energy or energy storage. (Look down at your tummy - THAT’S saturated fat!!!)

Saturated fats are considered as the “bad boys” of the fat family but is this really the case? The worst thing we can say about saturated fats is they can make you fat if consumed in excess as they are very calorie dense. Being over fat is associated with a host of negative health concerns but it’s not the consumption of saturated fats that is the problem. Being over fat can be caused by over consumption of carbohydrates or even protein. Eating fat can make you fat and being fat can be a health problem but let’s not shoot the messenger! Some saturated fat in the diet is not just fine but is actually essential.

The body mostly uses saturated fat for energy and if it doesn’t need the energy it will store the fat around your body for later – often in places we’d prefer to be fat free like our stomachs, legs and bums. As mentioned previously, saturated fats are inert so they don’t undergo any chemical changes when we eat them. Saturated fats don’t clog your arteries, won’t cause heart attacks and are actually vital for mineral and vitamin absorption so putting butter on your Sunday roast vegetables means the veggies become even better for you! Saturated fats are ideal for cooking as they don’t turn rancid when heated (more on this later) and should make up around 30% of our daily fat consumption.

Speaking of saturated fats, how many of us have been told by “experts” to switch from butter to margarine to improve our health? This is a huge myth that I’d like to lay to rest right now. As we know, butter us made from cows’ milk. Very little is added so it’s safe to say that butter is a natural food. It consists mostly of saturated fat so is deemed by some as unhealthy but look closer at the alternative – margarine. Prior to the invention of refrigerators margarine didn’t exist. It was invented solely because butter doesn’t spread when cold. Margarine is a man-made food, more chemical than natural, often containing all sorts of additives like E numbers, emulsifiers, acidity regulators, colours, artificial flavours, stabilisers etc. It’s basically a chemistry set in a plastic pot. Butter on the other hand has no artificial ingredients, contains vitamins and minerals, is rich in CLA which is an “anti cancer” super-fat and also contains something called Wulzen Factor X which is a substance which prevents calcification of deposits in our arteries! So, in short, butter = good, margarine = bad.

Even the so-called wonder-margarines that promise improvements are heart health are no better for you than good old natural butter. Do like your grandparents did and eat butter in moderation – your heart and your taste buds will thank you for it! Incidentally, some cultures revere butter and actually prescribe it as a medicinal health food. It is given to soon-to-be mothers, growing children, the elderly and the sick as a cure all. Food for thought!

Here’s a little experiment to try which will hopefully show you that butter is best…buy some margarine and some butter. Leave them both out side by side on your kitchen worktop for a few days. After a while, you’ll see the butter discolours very slightly (the outer surface oxidises) but will pretty much stay unchanged. No fungus will grow on it (butter has anti microbial properties which can enhance gut health), it won’t go off and, except for maybe a few fly foot prints (!) it will be completely unchanged. The margarine however will most likely have begun to separate, discolour noticeably, have fungus and bacteria growing on it, begin to smell bad and actually go off. Don’t eat it! The butter will be quite safe for consumption but the margarine won’t do you any good at all.

2) Monounsaturated fats - This type of fat is missing some of its hydrogen molecules and has a single bend in its chemical chain. This means that, unlike saturated fat which is solid, straight and inert, monounsaturated fats are more reactive and liquid at room temperature. The body can use monounsaturated fats for energy but also for important chemical reactions in the body. They are good for our hearts, our hair and skin and our over all health.

This reactivity is good because we can use monounsaturated fats for a host of healthy processes in our bodies but this reactivity also means monounsaturated fats can “go bad” and cause us more harm than good if they are over-heated, exposed to too much light or oxygen or processed too aggressively. For example, the extraction method used when producing olive oil (the most common monounsaturated oil) can greatly affect its healthful properties. Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil is the Rolls Royce of oils. It comes from the first pressing of the olives (hence “extra virgin”) with out the application of heat (hence “cold pressed”) or solvents. This makes it very healthy. Anything other than extra virgin cold pressed olive oil may have been heated to high temperatures, had solvents used to increase oil yield and come from a second or third pressing of the olives. All these factors mean our once healthy olive oil is now no longer good for us and may, in fact, be very bad for.

To preserve the healthy characteristics of monounsaturated oils (e.g. olive oil) it is important not to over heat them (stir frying is okay, long cooking times/high temperatures however will damage the oil), stick to extra virgin cold pressed oils where possible and make sure oils are stored in an airtight dark glass container away from direct sunlight.

Olive oil is really best kept as a condiment and consumed raw but because it is only mildly reactive, it’s okay to cook with it but only for short periods/lower temperatures. Saturated fats are better suited for longer cooking times and higher temperatures as heat doesn’t affect them negatively. About 30% of our daily fat intake should be made up from monounsaturated fats.

3) Polyunsaturated fats - This type of oil (e.g. sunflower oil) has lots of missing hydrogen molecules and therefore lots of bends in its chemical chain making it very VERY reactive. These oils are so reactive that when we eat them they are used almost exclusively for reactions in our bodies and very rarely for energy. Polyunsaturated fats are sometimes described as “Essential Fatty Acids” or EFAs for short. They are often sold as supplements and are vital for the health of our hearts, nervous systems, joints and brains – in fat pretty much the entire body will benefit from regular consumption of EFA. The reason polyunsaturated oils are considered so healthy is because of all the fats, they are the most reactive. No sooner have we eaten them they are whizzing around our bodies doing a myriad of useful functions. However, this reactivity is a double edged sword. Polyunsaturated fats are very easily damaged by heat, light and oxygen and should NEVER be heated. Heating polyunsaturated fats creates Trans Fats which are the true “bad boy” of the fat gang (more about these in a moment). They should be consumed raw, in their cold pressed extra virgin form only and stored in a dark glass airtight bottle. They have a life span of around 4-8 weeks so should not be stored (even correctly) for longer than this to preserve their healthful properties.

As a side note – EFA are excellent anti-inflammatories. They can reduce the pain of some arthritic conditions very effectively. Cod liver oil has long been associated with healthy joints and is a great example of polyunsaturated oils doing an essential job. Around 30 – 40 % of our daily fat intake should be made up of polyunsaturated fats.

4) Trans fats - These nasty little critters are responsible for pretty much everything that saturated fats are wrongly blamed for. From heart disease to clogged arteries to the weak economy and global warming - it’s not saturated fats at fault but trans fats. (Okay – maybe the last two aren’t down to trans fats but it would be handy if we could blame them on something!)

Trans fats are “bent” unsaturated fats which have been straightened out artificially which causes great confusion in our body’s cells. In chemistry, shape matters. Square pegs fit into square holes, round pegs into round holes. Trans fats are treated by the body as one thing when in fact they are something completely different. They end up going places they shouldn’t and block other dietary fats from doing their job. It’s as though a square peg has been jammed into a round hole and this means other fats consumed a) can’t do their healthy job and b) are now surplus to requirements and more likely to be stored around our middles.

Trans fats should be avoided at all costs. They’re not hard to dodge if you follow these simple guidelines…

Don’t cook with polyunsaturated fats – use saturated fat or monounsaturated oils instead
Avoid overheating monounsaturated fats – they do rancid easily
Cut down on processed and takeaway foods – they often contain “hidden” trans fats
Switch back to butter from margarine – there are no trans fats in butter!
Avoid any food which has the word “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” listed on it’s ingredients
Cut back on shop-bought pies and pastries – home made is best
Keep your oils in dark glass airtight bottles
Only buy extra virgin cold pressed oils.

So – to recap…never never NEVER (!!!) cook with polyunsaturated fats! Remember – saturated fats e.g. butter and lard are great for all types of cooking, monounsaturated fats e.g. olive oil are okay for short cooking times/lower temperatures but polyunsaturated fats, whilst healthy if consumed raw, are turned into trans fats at even low temperatures so don’t cook with them at all.

I hope from this you can see that not all fats are bad and that some are even very good for us so enjoy your fats (in moderation of course!) and could someone pass me the butter dish please?!

Simple Nutrition for Health & Weight Management

Weight Management – Simple but Complicated!

Let’s face it – most people are confused as to how to eat for health, fitness and weight management. If I had a pound or a dollar for every person who asked me what diet they should follow, what foods they should or shouldn’t eat, what foods will help them lose weight, I’d be a very wealthy man indeed.

So many people worry about choosing the right diet, planning their meals, organizing their gym workout etc that they don’t actually get around to doing what they need to do, I.E. getting in the gym, working hard and eating a little less! This phenomenon is often referred to as “Paralysis by Analysis”. Weight management is EASY. Okay, you need a healthy dose if will power, some common sense, a bit of application and a fair bit self discipline but the science of weight loss is simple.

Weight management is like running your bank account…if I spend less than I earn, I increase my bank balance – or in nutrition speak, I’ll gain weight (specifically adipose tissue or fat). If I spend more than I earn, my bank balance will decrease – this is the equivalent of losing weight. Spend too much and the bank manager will be on my case. Lose weight too fast, and my body will rebel and stop me wasting away to nothing.

To keep this analogy going, there are hundreds of credit cards, loans, types of overdraft, HP plans etc that allow us to go overdrawn, likewise there are hundreds of diets, exercise plans, and food supplements that will help me to lose weight. You just need to stick with one plan and give it time to work. Use the one that slots as seamlessly as possible into your life style and is sustainable, manageable, practical and healthy. It doesn’t matter how good the diet is, if you can’t stick with it, IT WILL FAIL! Just like at the bank, if the repayment plan is prohibitive, restrictive or just unmanageable you won’t be able to make the payments, no matter how attractive the interest rate was! Remember, the people who are promoting diets like South Beach, Cabbage Soup, Weight Watchers, Atkins etc are trying to SELL you something so obviously they are going to tell you that their plan is the best and that it is easy to stick to, will give you the results you want painlessly and quickly etc etc. However, the reality seldom matches the promise. Be honest – although the cabbage soup diet is virtually guaranteed to help you lose pounds, who in their right mind would want to swap great tasting food for some green, tasteless and flatulence causing mush!?!

Decisions, decisions…
Ironically, the diet business is the most successful unsuccessful business ever! In recent surveys it was found that 95% of dieters FAIL to stick with their chosen weight loss plan because of its unpleasant or restrictive eating regime. And when our dieter “falls of the wagon”, they just jump straight back on another one and try the next popular diet to come on the market! There is so much nutrition information and mis-information around most people flit from one nutritional approach to another, seeking out the magic diet that will give them the results they seek. Let’s face it – most of us want to be slimmer YESTERDAY! No body wants to lose a measly pound a week. Sadly though, successful weight loss is not sexy, fast, or dramatic. It is a slow, gentle process which takes time. Very few dieters ever come to grips with this fact and are frequently disappointed when they fail to lose 20 pounds in a month as they were promised by some diet plan or celebrity endorsed dietician.

Many diets are impractical, unpleasant, and restrictive in the extreme and can only be maintained for short periods of time. To make matters worse, when our dieting client returns to their previous eating régime, they often put the weight they lost back on – plus some extra weight for good measure and end up not only failing to reach the goals they set for themselves but actually getting further away from their ideal weight.

There are numerous physiological reasons for this happening – far too complicated to explore here, but basically can be summarized by examining the “Starvation Response” which is triggered when energy (calorific) intake is reduced by too much.

The Starvation Response
Our bodies know that fat is essential for keeping us alive during periods of starvation, so when calorie intake are reduced too low, the body will try and keep hold of this valuable resource for as long as possible. Your body has no idea you are voluntarily eating too little. It makes the assumption that there is not enough food around for your survival and makes certain physiological changes accordingly. Think about it – who will live the longest when stranded on a desert island with no food…the person with next to no body fat or the person with lots? Mr. “Lean and Got a Six Pack” won’t be looking so good after a couple of weeks of little or no food, whereas our overweight friend will be okay for a much longer period of time. Nature is so cruel!

Basically, the starvation response results in muscle loss, increased fat storage capabilities, lowered metabolic rate (daily energy requirement), increased hunger and ultimately diet failure…all of which will prolong your life when food is in short supply but in terms of weight management not really what we’re after, I think you’ll agree.

So, how can we avoid triggering the starvation response? Quite simply, we need to make haste slowly. Aim for a slight reduction in calories, a slight increase in activity levels. The body needs to almost be tricked into giving up it’s fat stores – do it too fast and we will trigger the starvation response which will, without a doubt, halt any progress and cause a rebound in fat mass gains…the so-called Yo Yo diet. Additionally, to avoid any loss of muscle, we need to engage in strength training. If your muscles are being challenged regularly, you body will keep hold of those muscles more readily, even if there is a calorie deficiency – it’s a case of “use it or lose it.” CV exercise actually promotes muscle breakdown (catabolism) where as strength training promotes the building up of muscle (anabolism).

So, we are going to try and keep nutrition simple. This plan (note – not a diet as this approach could be used very long term) is as easy as it gets…no complicated recipes to follow, no supplements to buy, no weird foods to consume – just simple nutrition which will help you reach and maintain your goal weight.

The Alternative – Common Sense Nutrition
I can sum this approach up in one sentence – 95% of all meals should consist of a lean protein plus fruit and or vegetables, drink only water, green tea or juices you have freshly pressed your self. That’s it. Hardly earth shattering or complicated, but very effective. No calorie counting or weighing or measuring your food…just make sure every meal contains protein and fruit or veg.

What’s Hot!
Protein foods…
Eggs, any “real” meat (non-processed), fish, some dairy is okay but preferably natural products like plain yogurt and cottage cheese, also nuts, beans, pulses, whey protein powder and Soya (minimal amounts for males, moderate amounts for females).

Vegetables…
Any and all except for white potatoes, and even they are okay occasionally especially post exercise.

Fruit…
Any fruit in its natural state is fine, but citrus fruits are preferred so careful with bananas which can be a bit calorie dense. Homemade fruit juices are also okay but avoid most shop bought “made from concentrate” juices as these are generally so processed they are missing many of their vital vitamins and minerals and are really only sugary soft drinks and not healthy at all. Dried fruit has some benefits but beware of overeating dried fruits as they take up very little room in your stomach and it is easy to consume them in large quantities.

Fats…
Make sure all meals contain a sensible amount of healthy fats. Often this will come from the protein portion of the meal but may also include olive oil, sunflower oil, fish oils, nut butters and oils, dairy butter (NOT margarine) etc. Do your very best to avoid trans fats like the plague that they are!

What’s Not!
Foods that contain wheat and other grains should be limited so avoid bread and pasta. Noodles and rice are also a no-go. For a great many people, grains can cause intestinal discomfort and abdominal bloating so minimizing their consumption may be beneficial. Breakfast cereals are generally wheat based sugar and salt laden junk so likewise they are off the menu. This will be a departure for many of you, but once you get used to it, this is a very healthy way to eat and will help you reach your body composition goals relatively easily and without triggering the starvation response. If you must consume grains, choose whole grains, preferably organic and look into how they should best be prepared for optimum digestion and absorption. This may well involve overnight soaking and repeated rinsing for example.

Basically, if it didn’t roam the earth, swim in the sea, or grow on the land, you shouldn’t eat it! Avoid all processed foods and try where possible to only consume food in its most natural state. If the food is “man made” it’s probably not very good for you. If it’s in a packet, there are probably better choices you can make and if anything on the ingredient list is unpronounceable then you really shouldn’t be putting it in your body!

You are what you eat…Eat Junk = Feel Junk!
Ingredients that should set alarm bells ringing and should be avoided where possible include anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, acidity regulators, nitrates, gelling agents, colorings, preservatives, or anything else that sounds like it belongs in a chemistry set rather than in your stomach!

Ideally, more than one fruit/vegetable should be consumed in each meal…we need a wide variety of foods to make sure we get the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals necessary to support health. One very good approach is to adopt a traffic light system when selecting vegetables or fruits. Simply select foods of different colors in each meal, e.g. red tomatoes, yellow peppers, and green lettuce. By mixing the colors of foods consumed, we are more likely to be getting a good variety of nutrients. If possible, try to purchase the organic versions of all foods mentioned. Organic food is produced without the use of pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics and other possibly harmful chemicals. Generally they cost a little more but often taste much more “real”. If it impossible to buy organic, make sure all food (including meats) are washed thoroughly to remove any surface traces of chemicals.

As far as food portion sizes go – don’t be too anal about weighing and measuring with the exception of nuts and fats which are quite calorie dense and should be avoided in very large amounts and consumed in relative moderation. When planning a meal start off with your protein portion – a medium sized chicken breast or steak for example, then pile on the veggies and add some healthy fats to round the meal off. Adjust portion sizes as hunger, energy and bathroom scales dictate.

Food preparation is something else we need to consider. The way we cook our food can be either beneficial or possibly detrimental to our health. Preferred cooking methods include the following…

Steaming – especially vegetables and fish
Grilling – for meat and fish (Non-stick grills like the George Foreman are excellent tools for the health and waist conscious!)
Stir frying – for most foods. Cut food up into small pieces to ensure quick frying and minimal loss of nutrients
Boiling – for vegetables but careful not to over cook
Roasting – for vegetables and meats
Slow cooking (crock pots)

Microwaving is very convenient but the effects of microwaves on food and health are still relatively unknown. Some evidence suggests that microwaves may actually alter the chemical structure of our foods in such a way as to render them unhealthy. In one recent study, plants were watered using cooled microwaved water. The plants failed to sprout and soon died. Whilst not conclusive, this does seem to suggest that microwaving may be harmful so where practical use more traditional cooking methods.

If possible and palatable, try to eat fruit and vegetables in their raw state, thus preserving the vitamin and mineral content that can be lost in the cooking process. Over cooking of fruit and vegetables should be avoided at all costs as excessive or prolonged exposure to heat can damage the fragile micro nutrients and reduce their healthful qualities…

Spice it up!
Despite appearances, meals that meet the above criteria needn’t be terribly dull. It’s all about using your imagination and coming up with interesting combinations of the permitted foods. Don’t forget the condiments either – healthy sauces and salad dressings can be made in very little time and add a whole new dimension of taste to an otherwise uninspiring meal. Why not consider adding the following to your grocery list… It is possible to make your own sauces, salsas and dressings to spice up any meal using the permitted foods.

Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil (extra virgin, cold pressed only!)
Unsalted butter (ok in small amounts)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Paprika
Chili or curry powder
Various herbs and spices

So, there we go. I don’t promise you will lose a dress size by the end of the week, nor do I swear you will be a stone lighter by this time next month. What I do assure you is this – eating the types of foods listed above and avoiding the man made “Frankenfoods” will give you the shape you want and the health you want without making your life so complicated you don’t know whether you are coming or going. And the best thing? This super diet won’t cost you a penny! No books to buy, no supplements to purchase, no charts to fill in. It’s a simple matter of eating the foods nature intended us to eat before processed foods became the norm.

The exception to the rule – post exercise meals
Anyone involved in serious exercise on a regular basis may find that adhering to the guidelines above may leave them feeling a bit weak or fatigued – especially post exercise. After exercise, the body’s own stored carbohydrate (called glycogen) levels are depleted to a greater or lesser degree. For a similar bout of exercise to be performed, our glycogen stores must be replenished. It is important to try and do this as fast as possible to promote anabolism (tissue growth and repair) and minimize catabolism (tissue breakdown). To achieve this, during the post exercise period we can veer away from the guidelines above and include foods that are normally not normally acceptable.

Our post exercise meal can include more refined, lower fiber carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, cereals, grains, potatoes etc. as these will now be used in the restocking of our glycogen stores and are highly unlikely to end up being stored as fat. Post exercise, the body’s main job is replenishment of glycogen stores so as a result it will use the majority of carbohydrates consumed in this window of opportunity for restocking of these vital supplies of stored carbohydrates. Make sure that post exercise meals also contain protein to kick start muscle anabolism and we have a great jump start to our after training recovery, which should lead to being better recovered for our next work out.

Good examples of post training meals include:

Peanut butter sandwich
Baked potato and tuna with olive oil and side salad
Pasta with chicken in a tomato sauce
Rice with pork and vegetable stir fry
Cottage cheese with wholegrain bread
2 bananas and a handful of unsalted nuts
Soft fruits and plain yogurt blended into a “smoothie”
Whey protein powder blended with plain yogurt and fruit.

There are many options to select from so just choose a few different ones and rotate them from day to day to ensure a wide variety of nutrients are being consumed.

Think of this meal as being a reward for training hard, safe in the knowledge it will do little to unhinge your weight management efforts – then return to your simple but effective eating plan for the rest of your meals.

Osteoporosis - what is it and how to avoid it

Osteoporosis is a condition which causes bone mass to deteriorate drastically and often results in an increase risk of bone fracture. It’s a condition which primarily effects women but is not unheard of in men. Basically, bone breakdown (caused by cells called Osteoclasts) happens faster than the body can repair (using cells called Osteoblasts) which results in a weakening of the skeleton especially in areas where cancellous (honey comb like) bone is found – the spine, the hips and the wrists. The areas that are affected by Osteoporosis are ironically the most likely the ones that would suffer a fracture if you were to fall over. If you were to fall forwards you might break a wrist, sideways you might break a hip, or backwards you might fracture your spine. As with many chronic diseases, prevention is better than cure so in this article I’ll outline strategies for reducing the likelihood of developing this debilitating disease and will help you to develop a strong, healthy skeleton.
Osteoporosis can be caused by any number of factors including - advanced age, gender (females are more likely to develop it than males), poor nutrition, exercise habits, family history, sedentary life style, exposure to sunlight, race, (Caucasians/Asians are more likely to develop Osteoporosis than Afro/Caribbean people) chronic smoking, menstrual irregularities and premature menopause. Obviously some of these factors are beyond our control but lifestyle, diet and exercise aren’t so I’ll focus on the positive action you can take to reduce your risk of suffering Osteoporotic fractures.

1) Diet - you are what you eat. This is a vital piece of nutritional information which if more people understood there would be so much less nutrition related chronic disease. Everything we eat either becomes part of us or passes through our bodies and because of this, it is vital we consume the correct types of foods which provide all the necessary nutrients so our bodies can operate correctly. Some foods (basically sugar laden junk foods) rob the body of nutrients rather than provide them so the first dietary step we should be consider is to cut down on the amount of junk foods being consumed and increase the amount of “real” foods. Once the anti-foods have been removed, we can focus on consuming food which will enhance health and not detract from it. For bone manufacture to occur, it is essential that adequate amounts of the mineral Calcium are consumed.

Calcium is essential for lots of reasons - without it our muscles (including our hearts) wont function. Because of this, anytime the diet is low in Calcium, the body will dip into its stores (our bones) to take what it needs to keep our bodies running smoothly. About 99% of our bodies Calcium is found in our bones, and the remaining 1% is in our blood. The body will do everything it can to maintain that 1% - even if it is to the detriment of bone mass. By ensuring there is adequate Calcium in the diet, we ensure this scenario is much less likely to happen.

The recommended daily amount for Calcium consumption is 1000mg a day and 1500 mg where there is an increased risk of developing Osteoporosis or the condition has already been diagnosed. Calcium can be supplemented but it’s always better to try and consume as much natural food as possible to avoid having to pump ourselves full of pills. Foods which contain large amounts of Calcium include dairy i.e. milk, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt, sardines and other soft boned fish, bread, baked beans and enriched breakfast cereals.

Calcium absorption is dependent on adequate amounts of vitamin D. We get most of our vitamin D from sunshine but we can also acquire it from such foods like oily fish, nuts, eggs and unprocessed plant oils. Increasing Calcium consumption without sufficient vitamin D will reduce the amount of Calcium which can be utilized by the body. Make sure your diet is rich in both, and the risk of developing Osteoporosis should reduce significantly.

2) Exercise - use it or lose it! Our bodies have an amazing ability to adapt to stress and exercise is a form of stress. When we exercise, we set alarm bells ringing which cause our bodies to make adaptations so that, the next time we are exposed to a similar amount or intensity of exercise, we are better equipped to deal with what is being demanded of us. In addition to our hearts, lungs and muscles, our bones also undergo positive adaptations to the stresses put through them.

When we exercise, especially weight bearing and weight lifting activities, our muscles are called upon to perform work. Our muscles are attached to our bones via connective tissue called tendons. The force our muscles produce is transmitted to our bones via these tendons which allow us to move and overcome resistance. Our bones respond to this stress by producing Osteoblasts (the bone building cells) and laying down new bone material which results in greater bone mass. If the bones are not exposed to weight lifting/bearing activities, they will become weaker and less dense – hence “use it or lose it”.

The best forms of exercise for the prevention and control of Osteoporosis are ones where a significant load is put though the skeleton. These include weight training and activities performed in the standing position e.g. running and walking (so called weight bearing activities). Exercise where bodyweight is supported externally e.g. swimming and where there is little or no skeletal loading e.g. Yoga/Pilates have a minimal effect at best on bone mass. A well rounded resistance training programme that stresses the major joints/bones of the body plus some weight bearing cardiovascular work will ensure the skeleton is being stressed appropriately which should result in increased bone mass. Exercises such as squats, dead lifts and standing presses are all excellent at putting load through the entire skeletal system resulting in positive adaptations to exercise.

NB. It should be noted however, where Osteoporosis has been diagnosed, high impact activities such as running are not recommended due to the increased risk of fracture and low impact activities combined with an appropriate resistance training programme would be more appropriate in this case.

3) Lifestyle factors - the other 164 hours a week! So, diet wise, we’re getting plenty of Calcium and vitamin D and minimizing our consumption of “nutrient robbing” highly processed food. Were hitting the gym 2-3 times a week and doing plenty of walking or jogging as appropriate. What about the rest of the week? It’s quite possible to undo all of that good by making a few not-so-great lifestyle choices.

In this last section, I’ll outline some of the things which might, despite your best efforts, negate your diet and exercise and increase the risk of lowering your bone mass.

Smoking – chronic cigarette smoking lowers Oestrogen levels in women and Oestrogen is one of the most vital hormones responsible for controlling female bone mass. Long term female smokers often suffer from a premature menopause which can hasten the onset of Osteoporosis. Testosterone levels in men are also adversely affected by smoking so the take home message is that if you treasure your bone health, then quit the cigarettes sooner rather than later.

Low bodyweight – being too thin can also have a detrimental effect on bone mass. Being very lean (>10% in females) can cause a significant drop in Oestrogen levels again resulting in lowered bone mass. It is not uncommon for very lean women e.g. competitive athletes, to suffer amenorrhea (absence of reproductive cycle) and dysmenorrhoea (irregular reproductive cycles) both of which can adversely affect Oestrogen levels. Additionally, being of low scale weight also means that a lighter person puts less stress through their skeleton during their daily activities which will, in turn, not increase in mass as readily as the skeleton of a heavier person. Increased body mass is one of the reasons men tend not to suffer Osteoporosis as often as women as they generally have a greater BMI (Body Mass Index).

Carbonated drinks – to counteract the acidic effect of carbonated drinks, the body will use Calcium as a buffer and this Calcium often comes from the bones. Carbonated drinks (including sparkling water) contain harmful ingredients which need to be neutralized to maintain even blood ph levels (ph levels refer to the degree of acidity versus alkalinity) and thus valuable Calcium is used up, leaving the bones vulnerable. If you do enjoy carbonated beverages, make sure they make up only a very small amount of your daily fluid intake and you are particularly vigilant in making sure you consume adequate dietary Calcium.

Sedentary lifestyle – as mentioned in the exercise part of this article, the body adapts to the stresses put through it. No stress = no adaptation. If our bodies are not exposed to weight bearing loads, the bones will weaken. You may have seen astronauts who have been in space for a long time returning to earth with very weak and fragile bones. This is because during their stay in space, their bodies were not being exposed to gravity and therefore very little stress. As a result they developed a form of Osteoporosis. It is vital we expose our bodies to weight bearing activities on a regular basis if we hope to maintain bone mass. Exercise IS beneficial (and vital) but additional weight bearing activities will greatly add to the overall effect. Where possible incorporate additional physical activities into your day…walk instead of ride, stand instead of sit, take the stairs rather than the elevator, and carry things that you might normally move by easier methods. Every time we apply an external load to our skeletons, our bodies will respond by making our bones stronger, or at the very least maintaining our bone mass.

Osteoporosis is a serious medical condition which, sadly for many, is only diagnosed after an Osteoporotic fracture has occurred. Prevention is better than cure so follow theses guidelines to minimize your risks.

Finally, do you know why, as we age, we tend to get shorter? Yep – Osteoporosis. The spine looses mass and collapses in on its self which will often manifest as a “Dowagers hump” (a pronounced hunch on the upper portion of the spine). I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a little and old. I want to be a tall, straight backed old man!!!

Patrick Dale

http://www.solar-fitness.com/

Note – this article is intended for entertainment only and is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. If you are in any doubt about Osteoporosis or need any further information, please contact your professional health advisor.

Interview with Patrick Dale

INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK DALE
BY: KEITH L. BALBERT
Co-VP Real Gainz
ISSA CFT

Hi everyone! Today I am here interviewing Team Real Gainz Member, and our most prized writer Patrick Dale. Whether you are reading an article on Real Gainz online site or in our printed magazine you will find we use his articles throughout both.

Patrick at this time I would like to thank you for your time doing this interview. Is there anything you would like to say before we begin?

Hi Keith – I’d just like to say a huge thanks to Real Gainz for publishing my work and that I am looking forward to working with you as the magazine and website go from strength to strength.

OK let’s get started with the first question:

Q. I understand you live in Cyprus now. Please tell our readers where you were born?

A. I was born in the City of Bristol in the south of England. I lived there for my first 20 years or so before heading off in search of fame and fortune! I still have family and friends there so visit regularly – although I don’t know if I’ll ever live there again.

Q. Why did you leave Bristol England to live in Cyprus?

A. I was lucky enough to be offered a job in Cyprus and I always wanted to live in a Mediterranean country as I love the warmth, culture and people so it was an easy decision to make. The UK doesn’t have the best weather and, without getting too political, I don’t like the way the country is going – the cost of living is getting higher all the time and crime rate is soaring. I felt it was a perfect opportunity to improve my quality of life…and get a year-round tan!

Q. When did you realize you were interested in pursuing a career in fitness and sports?

A. I can’t actually remember a time I wasn’t interested in fitness and sport! I have always been fascinated with the ideal of ultimate physical performance ever since seeing Pumping Iron and watching the 1976 Olympics on TV. My first memory of training is running around the block, aged 7, getting “in shape” for school sports day. I was encouraged by my parents, some fantastic school teachers and coaches to pursue sports from an early age. I’m just so lucky that my lifelong hobby became my job once I reached adulthood. I get paid to talk about my hobby all day – how cool is that?!

Q. I saw on your Real Gainz page you went to college to study Physical Education. Can you please tell our readers what college you went to and what degree do you hold?

A. When I started in the health & fitness industry, there was very little in the way of formal qualifications in the UK so I spent two years studying a BTEC Physical Education at Bath College of Further Education in the England. It was basically 2 years spent learning how to coach a wide variety of sports from athletics to weight lifting. It was an enjoyable and useful course which exposed me to a huge number of different sports but from the perspective of health and fitness, not hugely beneficial.

Q. Besides your college certificates, do you hold any personal training certifications and if so what kind and from what organization?

A. Blimey – that’s a long list! I have qualifications in teaching Aerobics and Circuit training from the YMCA, weight lifting coaching qualifications from the British Amateur Weightlifting Association (BAWLA), a diploma in Personal Training from Premier Training International, a certificate in sports massage and rehabilitation from Premier Training International, numerous nutrition qualifications, I hold a variety of CHEK institute qualifications and I am a qualified trampolining coach and certified climbing instructor.

Q. Wow – a very mixed bag! No wonder your articles cover such a broad number of subjects. I see from your Real Gainz page you were in one of the most elite fighting units in the world, the British Royal Marine Commandos. Even here in America their reputation is unchallenged. How was that experience for you? Can you tell our readers where you saw action?

A. I had an amazing time in the Royal Marines and wouldn’t have missed it for the world. The skills I learnt such as team work, perseverance, self reliance and mental toughness have been so useful in later life. I made some great friends and got to see some interesting places whilst doing exciting things (sky diving for one!) that I would never have had the chance to do otherwise. During my time as a Royal Marine Commando was deployed in Northern Ireland where I worked as part of a small unit involved in boarding and searching ships moving in and out of Belfast harbor and gathering intelligence from passengers. It was basically an anti-terrorist role and a career highlight. I spent my last couple of years working with boats – from speed boats to troop carriers which was a great experience as I love the sea.

Q. After leaving the Commandos you started your own company called Solar Fitness Qualifications. Can you please tell our readers what Solar Fitness does and why you went in this direction instead of a typical personal training company?

A. Prior to joining the Marines I had my own small personal training and aerobics teaching business so on returning to civilian life I decided to move away from personal training and into lecturing rather than go back in the same direction. After working for another qualifications provider for a few years my business partner and I decided to go it alone and Solar Fitness Qualifications was born. I have an endless passion for the health and fitness industry but it breaks my heart to see bad personal trainers doing their clients more harm than good and I wanted to raise the level of people working as trainers. Too many trainers currently working in the industry can’t even squat and dead lift properly and I really want this to change. I figured the best was to achieve this was to have my own training company. SFQ courses are 8 weeks long and cover everything from basic anatomy and physiology to advanced programme design plus nutrition. Every day is 7-8 hours of theory and practical lessons plus evening and weekend work. I’d describe it as a foundation course as really, even over 8 weeks, we only scratch the surface of the skills a personal trainer should have. We make sure our graduates leave us with an excellent grounding in the basics and the understanding that they have a long way to go.

Q. How can someone who is interested in becoming certified by your company become certified? Do you have any distance learning courses?

A. We currently only offer full time residential courses and we do not offer distance learning although that is something we are looking into at the moment. Because of the practical elements we focus on (exercise techniques, teaching skills etc) we believe the best way to learn is to do. We are currently exploring the possibility of offering the non-practical elements of the course, such as anatomy, physiology and nutrition via DVD/distance learning but this is something for the future. I enjoy the interaction with the students and the theatrics of teaching too much to want to provide our material on DVD – at least for now.

Q. Besides being interested in fitness I understand you are also interested and have competed in various sports. What sports have you competed in?

A. I started my competitive sporting career as a long/triple jumper and sprinter during the summers of my youth and played Rugby during the winter, both at national schools level. I also played a fair amount of basketball and fenced competitively although not to the same standard. When at college I experienced some success in trampolining, diving and weight lifting and spent the next few years pursuing those. From those very technical activities I moved into endurance sports and competed in triathlon and distance running (my bests include a 17 minute 5k, a 35 minute 10k and a 1hr 24 minute half marathon) and held a UK national top 100 ranking in short course triathlon for 2 seasons. Unfortunately, due to lack of proper coaching and too many races I suffered from severe physical and nervous exhaustion and stopped competing after just 4 seasons. Bodybuilding fascinated me so I got very into hypertrophy training and training for aesthetics and considered competing but realized that as a tall heavy weight I was way to lightly built and would have been beaten by the female figure competitors (!) and decided to save my parading around in a posing pouch for the beach. In addition to the sports mentioned I have also played men’s lacrosse, studied Karate, Tae Kwon Do, boxing and judo but only for interest and not competitively. Nowadays, I don’t compete in any sports but still train hard enough that if s scratch game of basketball or rugby comes up, I can play at a reasonable level.

Q. I know one area of interest to you and that you are extremely passionate about is family health and fitness. Why this part of the fitness industry over general fitness?

A. Because, as a rule, most people are in terrible shape! Obesity is now an epidemic and chronic diseases like type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome X and hypertension are becoming the norm. Our modern lifestyle and diet are making us ill and, although people live longer than they ever have, for many people, quality of life is much reduced. Who wants to live to be 90 but spend the last 30 of those years in a hospital bed? Not me that’s for sure! It takes relatively small amounts of activity to keep the body fit and eating healthily is far from complicated meaning vitality and well being are within virtually anyone’s grasp. For some reason, the health and fitness industry tries to complicate getting in shape and I want to show people that, for the vast majority, small changes will pay massive returns in terms of enjoying a longer and more productive life!

Q. Besides training and writing for Real Gainz what else do you do? Are you all work and no play or a mixture of both?

A. I do work hard but I like to think I work smart as I want to have plenty of leisure time to make the most of! We have a wonderful climate in Cyprus which means spending time out doors is a real pleasure so I like to spend as much time enjoying it as possible. Because I spend a fair amount of time training my leisure time tends to be spent relaxing – sat on the beach reading and listening to music is my idea of heaven! I am also a HUGE movie buff and try and see as many films as I can. Live music is another passion of mine and I try to go and see both local and international artists when the opportunity arises.

Q. When working out what does your workout routine look like?

A. Very mixed! As I am no longer interested in bodybuilding I don’t do that type of training any more and strongly believe that hypertrophy training is only appropriate for a small percentage of the population. I focus on athletic-type training which promotes both function and appearance which is not generally the case with bodybuilding type training. I train 5-6 times a week and rotate through strength training (multiple sets with low reps), muscular endurance circuits, interval training and the occasional longer, slower aerobic based workout. I prefer to train outside in the fresh air so most of my sessions involve the use of sandbags, medicine balls, weighted sleds and bodyweight exercises and when strength training I seldom perform isolation exercises, preferring to focus on the big lifts such squats, dead lifts, over head pressing, bench pressing, chins and bent over rows as these exercises provide the most “bang for your buck”. I also perform the classic Olympic lifts and their variations on a regular basis. I use swimming, jumping rope and running for my aerobic and interval training and do core work every other training day.

Q. What does your nutrition plan look like? Do you believe nutrition plays a vital role in health & fitness?

A. Nutrition is vital for health AND appearance and my eating reflects this. I focus on a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, unprocessed grains, plenty of lean animal protein and lots of water. I do have a sweet tooth which I indulge from time to time but 95% of what I eat is clean food prepared as simply as possible to minimize nutrient loss. I am a very firm believer in simple nutrition and base every meal around a lean protein and vegetables/fruit which seems to work well for me. Contrary to a many nutritionists’ opinions, I eat a fair amount of saturated fat as I believe is vital to health and it’s actually trans fats which are responsible for many of the health problems blamed on fat consumption. I also believe that animal protein is far superior to vegetable protein and make sure I eat plenty of meat on a daily basis. I guess my diet is very “hunter/gatherer” orientated. As far as supplementation goes, I keep consumption to multi vitamins/minerals and fish oils as a “safety blanket” to ensure I get optimal levels of these.

Q. I’ve heard that Cyprus is a beautiful island. Can you tell those of us who haven’t been there what it’s like there?

A. Sunny, friendly and relaxed! It’s a beautiful island about 250 miles long and 75 miles wide. Inland we have a range of mountains called the Troodos Massif where you can ski for 4 months a year. It’s a typical Mediterranean Island and the pace of life is reflected by this – the native Cypriots say “slowly slowly” and that’s how they live their lives – which can be frustrating initially but after a while is a fantastic attitude and way to be. I’ve been here over 4 years now and think of it as home.

Well that’s all the questions I have for you today Patrick, Thank you Patrick for doing this interview with me.

The F Word

No – not an article on swearing, but an introduction into the importance of dietary fibre!

So what is fibre? Fibre is indigestible plant material e.g. cellulose and is sometimes described as a non-starch polysaccharide. This basically means it is a calorie free carbohydrate. Humans lack the necessary digestive enzymes or specially designed stomachs to break down fibre so it passes through our digestive tracts pretty much unchanged. Ironically, it is this “passing through unchanged” which gives fibre its healthful properties.

Fibre comes in two varieties – soluble and insoluble. Both varieties are very important to our health and it’s important we consume plenty of both. However, so you can dazzle your friends with your dietary knowledge. I’d like to explain the difference between the two types…

Healthy on the out side, healthy on the inside? A very large percentage of the population suffers from constipation. Constipation is commonly caused by dehydration and low levels of fibre in the diet. Whilst this might seem like a fairly benign condition, it is actually a very major health concern which, if left untreated, can lead to a condition called Diverticular Disease. Diverticular Disease is caused by a build of pressure in the large intestine due to straining to push faecal matter out of the body. Pockets or bulges called Diverticuli develop in the large intestine which encourages a build up of bacteria. We have a large amount of “good” bacteria in our intestines and this intestinal flora and fauna is vital to our health. It is constantly being renewed and has many functions including the production of vitamins Biotin, Riboflavin and vitamin K. However, the bacterium in the diverticuli is old, “bad” bacteria and its presence causes inflammation of the colon and may result in sections of the colon having to be surgically removed. Diverticular disease used to be the reserve of the older generation but due to the severe lack of fibre in the modern diet, it is becoming increasingly common in younger people too.

Intestinal sponges.
Soluble fibre is natures’ G.I. (Gastrointestinal) tract sponge. Once eaten, soluble fibre passes though your intestines and colon forming a gel which soaks up numerous odds and ends and transports them into the outside world. Soluble fibre has the ability to soak up excess bile acid (caused by excess saturated fat in the diet), lowers “bad” cholesterol, helps regulate blood glucose levels by delaying gastric emptying (keeps food in your stomach longer) and reduces the absorption of a small amount of dietary fat.

Sources of soluble fibre include beans, oats, barley and the soft part of fruit and vegetables e.g. the flesh of apples, broccoli and prunes. By eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, it’s fairly easy to ensure your diet contains adequate soluble fibre.

Number twos and toothpaste tubes.
If soluble fibre is a sponge, then insoluble fibre is natures’ scrubbing brush. Insoluble fibre does not dissolve in water and is sometimes referred to as “roughage” which describes its structure very well. When we eat insoluble fibre, it passes though the G.I. tract giving our intestines a good cleaning. Insoluble fibre also “bulks up” our faecal matter making it easier to push through our bodies and results in less straining which will dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing Diverticular Disease. Just imagine for a moment what it’s like trying to get the very last bit of toothpaste out of a nearly-empty tube….you squeeze it as hard as you can and still you might only get a small amount of paste out of the tube. Compare this to a full tube where we only need to use a small amount of pressure to push the toothpaste out...the empty tube is an analogy for a diet low in insoluble fibre and the full tube represents a diet high in soluble fibre. So, if you are straining and turning blue when having a poo, (!!!) you may well be deficient in vital insoluble fibre.

Insoluble fibre is found in the “woody” part of plants i.e. the husks of grains and the skins of fruit and vegetables. By seeking out whole grain foods as apposed to the more refined “white” versions, it’s pretty easy to get sufficient insoluble fibre.

And there’s more!
Dietary fibre has a number of additional benefits. Fibre can be very useful in weight management and dieting. Remember fibre has NO calories. High fibre foods are naturally low in calories but are still satisfying to eat. Fibre makes as feel full up sooner and stay that way longer. Because of its bulk, fibre will cause greater distension (stretching) of the stomach. The hunger centre of the brain – the hypothalamus – receives messages from stretch receptors in the stomach when it’s full. The sooner this message reaches the brain, the sooner we will feel full and the sooner we will stop eating. Also, the presence of fibre makes food stay in our stomachs for longer which contributes to a feeling of fullness. And if that wasn’t enough, fibrous foods generally take longer to eat and require more chewing which also adds to an overall feeling of fullness.

Fibre also causes something called “Gastric Inhibition”. Gastric Inhibition is just a technical term to describe the slowing down of food leaving the stomach and entering the intestines where nutrient absorption occurs. By slowing Gastric Emptying (the time it takes for food to leave the stomach and enter the intestines) we are able to control blood glucose levels. By releasing glucose into the blood in a slow and controlled manner, we ensure a nice steady supply of energy to the brain which will help avoid very high or very low levels of blood glucose. Low levels of blood glucose are often associated with fatigue, hunger, sweet cravings and poor levels of concentration whilst persistently high levels of blood glucose have been attributed as the cause of obesity and diabetes.

Make haste slowly.
Now, before you go rushing out to buy as much fibre as you can lay your hands on a word of warning. The average Westerner consumes around 10 grams of fibre a day, compared to the recommended amount of 18 – 20 grams. To make the jump from 10 to 20 grams in a short period would be the nutritional equivalent of a non-exerciser waking up one morning and running a marathon! Needless to say, the resulting muscle soreness would pretty much cripple our budding runner. Likewise, with our diet, if we are to avoid intestinal discomfort, bloating, flatulence and possible permanent residence on the toilet (!!!) it is vital to increase our fibre intake gradually. Start by switching to whole grains, then maybe eating your fruit and vegetables with their skin on to finally adding extra fibre to your diet in the form of seeds and grain husks. Do this gradually to avoid the dietary equivalent of very sore muscles!

Summary.
So fibre comes in two types – soluble and insoluble and they are both vital to intestinal health. Soluble fibre soaks stuff up and insoluble fibre makes waste elimination easier and less of an effort thus protecting the colon. Both types of fibre help control blood glucose levels and are calorie free so can aid in weight management. High fibre foods promote a feeling of long-lasting fullness and generally they take longer to eat. The easiest way to get adequate fibre in your diet is to eat plenty of whole foods such as fruit and vegetables with their skin still on and whole grains which have not been milled excessively.

Patrick Dale
http://www.solar-fitness.com/

Get lean – Stay lean!

Who doesn’t want to be lean?
Lean enough to see a full six-pack, to be able to see veins in your arms and the detail of each muscle standing out like a walking anatomy chart? You might already have relatively low body fat – especially compared to the average non-exerciser, but most of us want more than that – we want to be freakily lean, ripped and shredded, like the models in the fitness magazines!

Getting that lean isn’t easy but, if you follow my advice it’s a realistic goal. You’re going to have to be organised, dedicated, strict and determined but if you follow these guidelines, you’ll be on you way to not just getting really lean but staying that way too.

1) Diet.
If your diet isn’t nailed down tight then no amount of exercise will get you lean. I favour a diet high in protein, vegetables and fruit, moderate amounts of low G.I. unrefined carbohydrates like whole grains, sweet potatoes, oatmeal etc, moderate amounts of Omega 3 & 6 essential fats, and very low amounts of sugar, refined grains and processed foods. And remember the nutritional law of proximity & possession – if you have junk food in your house, it will get eaten sooner or later so avoid dietary pit falls by having a junk food free kitchen!

Try to eat food in it’s most natural state, vegetables and fruits in as raw as possible to preserve their nutrient content and make sure every one of your 4 – 6 meals consumed each day contains protein, plus fruit or vegetables. Don’t forget to consume plenty of fluids – preferably water but diet soda is okay now and then.

Consistency is the key with nutrition – the best diet in the world will still fail if you can’t stick to it 24/7.

2) Resistance Training.
To lose fat, we have to consume fewer calories than usual to force our bodies to burn our “spare tyre and muffin tops” for fuel. Unfortunately when the body thinks it’s being starved, it actually prefers to save fat in favour of using muscle for energy. Major bummer! This phenomenon, the “Starvation Response”, is the body’s way of surviving during periods of famine. Our marvellous, amazing bodies have no idea you are voluntarily eating less to “look good naked” and makes the incorrect assumption that you are starving. The body attempts to make its fat stores last longer by lowering your metabolism and ditching your hard won muscle. To cut a very long story short, to preserve muscle in times of reduced energy consumption we need to perform regular resistance training. Forget the “high reps for cutting” nonsense spouted by numerous arm chair experts and train for strength – heavy weights, compound exercises, and multiple sets of low to moderate reps (4 – 8 max) Keep your workouts at around an hour or less to minimize the potential for over training and, if possible, perform your exercises as upper body/lower body supersets e.g. squats supersetted with bench press. This system increases the intensity of your workout, keeps your heart rate elevated (important for burning fat) and makes the most of your gym time so you’ll have plenty of time left over to do some interval training after your resistance training, which we’ll cover next.

3) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
Steady state cardio can be used for body re-composition but has a number of draw backs which is why we are going to put the emphasis on HIIT. Steady state cardio does burn energy in the form of our fat stores but it also encourages catabolism (muscle breakdown). We need to maintain our Lean Body Mass (LBM or muscle to you and me) as it is our LBM which is responsible for the amount of energy we need on a daily basis. Muscle loss = a lowered metabolism which in turn = a decreased potential for burning fat.
Ironically, traditional low intensity cardio promotes not just fat loss but muscle loss too. To put in bluntly, low intensity cardio is just plain dumb and in efficient for long term fat loss. This is where HIIT comes in…


HIIT involves periods of high intensity exercise alternated with periods of rest and takes a lot less time than steady state cardio - an HIIT session might only last 18 – 21 minutes. I bet you’re wondering how such a short workout can be so much better for fat loss, compared to spending 90 minutes on an exercise bike. Well it’s all down to something very cool called “Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption” or EPOC for short. EPOC used to be called Oxygen debt and is sometimes called after-burn. When the body works beyond its ability to produce energy using Oxygen, we turn to other methods of energy production which don’t use Oxygen at all – the so-called anaerobic energy systems. The by-product of our major anaerobic energy system is Lactic Acid. You’ve felt this stuff in action many times I’m sure…that burning feeling you get in your legs during the last few reps of leg extensions? Lactic acid! To clear Lactic acid from our blood the body uses the aerobic system, where oxygen, in very simplified terms “flushes away” the build up of Lactic acid.

When you are doing steady state aerobic exercise, you burn calories at an enhanced rate but as soon as you stop, your metabolism slows back down to normal pretty quickly. However, if you perform HIIT and build up a high level of Lactic acid in your blood, your Aerobic system will go into overdrive to clear the lactic acid out essentially giving you two workouts for the price of one and because HIIT uses our muscle in a very forceful way, the likelihood of any muscle catabolism is pretty much non-existent. EPOC basically means that your fat burning furnace stays burning hotter for longer and we only get EPOC in any significant amounts after exercise which causes the build up of lactic acid.

HIIT can be performed in a gym using the usual suspects such as treadmills, bikes, crosstrainers or whatever pieces of cardio equipment you favour or it can be done outside on a track, up and down a flight of stairs or using a jump rope. The mode of exercise doesn’t matter so long as you are able to get to a very high level of workload in a short time. In its most basic form, HIIT consist of 60 seconds of flat out high intensity effort followed by 120 seconds of slow paced recovery activity e.g. alternating sprinting with brisk walking. Perform 6 – 8 “sets” to total 18 – 24 minutes duration. As the workouts become more manageable (they never get easy!) we can start to increase the density of the workout by increasing the duration of the sprints and reducing the duration of the recovery e.g. sprint for 70 seconds, walk briskly for 110 seconds. Duration should not exceed 25 – 30 minutes total. If it does, you aren’t working hard enough and you need to increase the intensity of your efforts or reduce your rest intervals. If you are working hard enough, you should find 15 – 18 minutes is plenty. Remember it’s the post exercise effect of EPOC we are after, and not the energy used during that session that’s most important. Steady state cardio – just say NO!

4) Activities of daily living (ADLs).
Have you heard of the 23/1 rule? The 23/1 rule states that just because you did an hours exercise doesn’t mean you can sit on your ass the other 23 and expect to see massive benefits from your workout. What we do in the other 23 hours plays a huge part in our goal to becoming leaner. We need to consider what can be done in the other 23 hours of the day which will contribute to our success…

One hours exercise a day, even HIIT, isn’t enough activity to get you lean if, for the other 23 hours of the day you are sedentary. Our bodies were designed to move around – a lot. So, stop using the elevator and start using the stairs, carry your groceries in a basket and don’t use the shopping trolley, if a journey is 1 mile or less, walk - don’t use your car, wash your car by hand instead of using the drive thru, take your dog for a walk instead of just letting him out in the yard to do his business, stand up frequently instead of sitting all day, get off the bus a few stops earlier than usual…Look for ways to lead a more active life and guess what? You’ll use more energy every day and get leaner, quicker! Not only will you lose body fat more readily but you’ll keep it off more easily as any dietary indiscretions will have less of an impact. It’s worth noting that a daily 20 minute walk in addition to your normal activities will result in about a 15lb fat loss per year! This additional physical activity is sometimes referred to as NEPA - non exercise physical activity and can make a real difference to the success (or failure) of your mission to get lean.

5) Sleep
Are you getting 7 – 9 hours of quality sleep every night? If not you are probably running with elevated levels of cortisol in your system (a potent catabolic hormone which breaks down muscle) and it’s unlikely you’ll be training with full intensity if you are sleep deprived. Also, our bodies go into repair mode when we are sleeping, releasing a host of anabolic hormones to repair the damage of the day. Poor sleep = poor recovery. Get plenty of sleep – period.

6) Stress
Consistently elevated levels of stress cause an increase in Cortisol production. Cortisol promotes catabolism (break down of muscle) which in turn can slow your metabolism and reduce fat burning potential. Do what ever you can to keep your stress levels under control – your waist will thank you for it!

In conclusion, getting lean will require a considerable effort on your part but with determination, consistent effort, planning and discipline this could be the year you get into and stay in your best shape ever!

Patrick Dale
www.solar-fitness.com