In Search of a Miracle – Body Fat Should Not Grow
Adult Body Fat Should Not Grow!
The fat you carry around on your body has value. Skinny is not required and could actually be detrimental.
We omnivores have the ability to use carbohydrates (sugar) and fat as alternating energy (fuel) sources as circumstances warrant. In the event of a food shortfall or serious illness you will be glad you have that body fat to keep you going.
Discounting those critical events, an extreme abundance of carbohydrate (sugar) in the diet makes fat almost irrelevant as a back up energy source. That means, of course, that the fat stays stored in fat cells until it is needed. Your body fat grows in proportion to the amount of excess energy (fuel) in the diet. That excess could come from carbohydrates or fat or both.
Excess means more than is required.
You need body fat but you don’t need it to grow. It’s that growing part that can ultimately result in chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high triglycerides fatty liver disease, etc. Growing is attached to calories.
Fuel, sugar (carbohydrates) and fat, are sources of calories.
Carbohydrates come from plants in two forms, simple sugar and starch. The plants growing above ground, squash, lettuce, okra, peppers, etal are mostly simple sugar. The plants that grow below ground, like potatoes. along with seed beans and grain are mostly starch.
Technically potatoes are also seeds. They sprout and will grow a new potato.
Simple sugar plants have lots of water and fiber, generally very low calorie. Starchy vegetables are complex sugar and very high calories. That means beyond the toxin and anti-nutrient potential of beans and grains, they are the highest calorie food you might eat.
So when those commercially made and fast food grain products — bread, sweet treats, hamburger/hot dog buns, rolls, biscuits, pizza crust, pasta, taco shells, pancakes, gravy, batter for meat, tortilla chips, crackers, Doritos, etc– become primary in our diet, we are simply piling on the calories.
We have more reasons to eat than for fuel. Our bodies need the vitamins, minerals, etc from food in order to operate correctly. The predominance of grain in our diet, chock full of anti-nutrients and calories, fails to do its nutritional job while taking the place of food that would do its job. Lots of energy (fuel) with a net nutrient shortfall.
And to make matters worse, those products usually include added fat and often sugar. Technically whole food grains are carbs sources and have very little fat on their own. But those products listed above are processed, not whole food.
The result can be fuel double up, lot of carbohydrate (sugar) energy coupled with fat energy. We can create the same problem at home with any food. Maybe you remember from an earlier article that battered and fried okra has 7 times the calories of plain okra. Same thing with potatoes.
Body Fat Growth
Excess calories result in steady fat growth.
Our personal fat cells have just so much room in them. Any one person’s amount of space may be entirely different from a neighbor or best friend. Some people can make new fat cells when their original cells are getting full, others can’t. We will only find out how much room we have when those chronic diseases show up.
What does that mean? Avoid fat growth and rid yourself of excess body fat before chronic diseases show up. In fact, loss of excess fat is a remarkable treatment for those chronic conditions.
So, how do you deal with the excess?
There are many, many diet programs available. Keto, Paleo, High carb/low fat, high fat/low carb, calorie counting, on and on., all willing to be helpful (sometimes for a fee). Some of them are good programs. But it really doesn’t have to be that hard.
- In the absence of chronic health conditions, minimize anything made of flour and sugar.
- If you already have chronic conditions or can’t get your head around the word minimize, simply cut out anything made of flour and sugar.
- If your weight is really excessive, add potatoes and all other grains to the cut list.
A remarkable reduction in calories, body fat, and blood sugar will result. At least I haven’t yet seen it fail.
Pat Smith is the author of “It’s All about the Food,” a book that guides nutritious food choices as the way to avoid illness and maintain a healthy weight. Her books are available on Amazon, at Bob’s Food City in Mount Ida, and at the Mount Ida Area Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds from her book benefit the Montgomery County Food Pantry. Her website is http://www.allaboutthefood.org/ She can be contacted at email@example.com, 501-605-3902. Her Facebook page is www.facebook.com/patsmithbooks.