Ahh . . .Spring . . . a time for renewal: warmer weather, birds singing, flowers blooming, blue sky - how I love Spring.
For our first newsletter of Spring 2000, Dr. Mark Force has written an article about a beautiful concept called "vital aging", and how it is far more positive than "anti-aging". I appreciate the refreshing viewpoint of his article, "Anti-aging Does Not Work".
Our nutritionist, Stephanie Jenkins, has contributed the second article "The Lasting Solution to Weight-Loss". Stephanie will be doing a series of articles on weight loss over the next three months.
This is a very extensive topic, which has been one of Stephanie's favorites of her nutritional interests. It is not just an ordinary article on weight-loss. In reading this first introductory article, several points about weight-loss surprised me. I guess I do not know "everything", after all. (Don't tell my children. I think I may still have them fooled :-)
You are born; you age; you die. There, I feel better now that I have said it. I just cannot help but feel that anything that is labeled "anti-aging" is, well, dishonest. We need to make that process, like everything about life, more sacred.
Let us come up with an approach that makes sense. I prefer the concept of vital aging. Vital aging works!
One of my mentors, Paul Bragg, is an inspirational example of vital aging. As a teenager, he was dying of Tuberculosis. He restored his health through diet, fasting, and exercise to become the teacher of Jack LaLanne (who was also very sickly as a teenager). Paul Bragg lived to be 93 and died while surfing in Hawaii, where he lived. He was unfortunately hit by a Hobie Cat, while riding a beautiful morning wave.
We can live like this, too, by making intelligent choices and following through with them. It is not important to live to be 120. It is important to live the years that we have vitally and fully.
There are truly exciting and even incredible advances in the approaches that slow the aging process and build vitality. They will be a large part of The Elements of Health, and I will be sharing them with you in future newsletters.
So, forget the anti-aging idea, and we can focus together on learning how to age with strength and vitality.
Dr. Mark Force
7500 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd. Suite A-207
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-563-4256
Do you remember the last time you heard someone say, "I love my body; my hips and thighs are perfect. My weight and body fat are exactly where I want them to be. I do not need to tone or lose inches on any part of my physique". - Or how about, "thank you, mom, for blessing me with your flawless genetics." My guess is the last time was "never" or "seldom", because the truth is most people are unhappy with their bodies.
Many of us struggle with excess weight, lack of energy, sluggish metabolisms, health issues and mental anguish over our physical appearances. We waste years - even, a great deal of our adult lives - dieting and purchasing "promises of the miracle cure". Think of the hours spent discussing those 5 - 30 unwanted pounds, or how much we despise our thighs and large hips.
There is something obviously wrong with this picture. Can we possibly find a permanent solution to lose weight, reduce body fat, and most importantly, love our bodies? The answer to this perplexing question is "we can", and the way to do this follows.
First, and foremost, we need to take a deep breath and realize this solution entails a lifestyle change. It does not happen overnight. However, the results will last a lifetime, if done properly. We need to begin by focusing from the inside out, and understand the chemistry of the body. By concentrating on balance, proper nutrition, and metabolism, our bodies will go to the natural, correct weight.
The mind is an integral part of this process, as well. Why people over-eat and gain weight is often linked to much more than just being hungry. Emotions, anxiety, frustrations, boredom, illness, low self-esteem, insecurities, and even self-punishment affect eating habits. Similar to techniques in modern-day medicine, when trying to lose weight we typically focus on treating the symptoms of the disease, rather than the causes.
Excessive weight is not just about the number of calories we eat, but rather about:
the types of food consumed (processed, fried, chemical and sugar filled foods)
the body's inability to digest and assimilate the nutrients in food
hormonal, vitamin and mineral deficiencies
thermogenics - the body's ability to burn calories
how toxic the liver and colon are
our inactive, stressful lifestyles
a negative body image
Let us begin with Nutrition 101. Diets do not work! You have heard this cliché for some time now; however, it is true. You need to eat the proper foods and supplements in order to get thin.
The truth is that excess body fat has relatively little to do with the amount of food eaten. Instead, a control center in the brain, referred to as the weight-regulating mechanism regulates body fat.
This mechanism actually "chooses" the amount of body fat, which it considers ideal for its needs and then works tirelessly to defend that level.
The book "How To Lower Your Fat Thermostat", states:
"This fat level that the weight-regulating mechanism chooses is called the 'setpoint' and can be compared to the thermostat in a home. If the thermostat is set at 70 degrees (setpoint), the furnace will be activated when the temperature falls below the setpoint temperature, to maintain the desired heat level.
"This weight-regulating mechanism controls body weight in two critically important ways. First, it has a profound influence on the amount of food that you eat, dramatically increasing or decreasing your appetite as needed to maintain the set point weight.
"Second, it can actually trigger systems in the body to "waste" excess energy, if you over-eat, or to "conserve" energy, if you eat too little. While you have absolutely no control over the eating drive, you do have control over how you handle the drive. You decide when to eat, what to eat and how much to eat. The weight-regulating mechanism can also direct systems in your body to conserve or waste energy."
The first system is regulated by the foods we eat; large intakes increase the rate at which we burn calories, while restricted intakes decrease this rate.
The second system involves "brown fat", a different kind of fat. Brown fat differs from "storage" fat, because it has the ability to burn part of the food we eat and "waste" the excess energy as heat, so it does not have to be stored as fat. People who have weight problems have little brown fat activity, while conversely, people who eat large quantities of food without gaining weight use brown fat activity to "waste" extra energy.
When we recognize the important role of these energy-conserving, energy-wasting systems in weight control; it is easier to understand why restricted diets do not work. When the amount of food eaten is decreased in an effort to lose weight, the body slows the metabolism to protect fat storage. The less food consumed, the less fat burned for energy, leaving us tired and unable to maintain normal activity.
Decreased activity raises the setpoint, which further stimulates a vicious cycle of increased hunger and energy conservation. It also causes a loss of muscle tissue, so that less fat can be burned. In addition, it even affects the response to insulin (a hormone that is essential for getting sugar into the cells, so it can be burned for energy), which causes increased fat storage.
Having either a high, or a low, setpoint does entail some genetic tendencies. However, fortunately we are not permanently "stuck" with an undesirable setpoint level. We can change or reprogram our setpoints by the lifestyle choices we make each day.
Over the next two months, I will continue this topic by discussing five ways to change our setpoints. These five sections will cover:
Knowing the types of foods that should be eaten
Cleansing, detoxifying (primarily focusing on the liver and colon), and balancing the body's chemistry
Exercise - the proper routine for maximum weight loss
Proper supplementation - to enhance the metabolism and nutritional balance
The mental and emotional aspects of weight-loss, including the importance of having a positive body image and believing there is a lasting solution
Please look for our next newsletter, as I share information about a lasting solution for weight-loss. Not only is it possible to look and feel better, but lifestyle changes will improve health, balance the body, and add quality to our lives.
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
