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In This Issue
Are You An Apple Or A Pear?
How To Shrink The Big Apple?
Recipe: Vegetable Satay Skewers
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| Did you miss any of the past issues? |
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If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this newsletter, please feel free to send me an email. |
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| "The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight. Because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends."
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 Are You An Apple Or A Pear?
Do you carry most of your extra pounds around your waist or your hips? Being significantly overweight is, of course, unhealthy, but it is also critical where the fat is being stored.
Apple-shaped individuals (androids) with a lot of abdominal fat have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers than pear-shaped individuals (gynoids) who accumulate fat in the hips, buttocks, and thighs.
What Determines Body Weight And Fat Distribution?
Many factors determine your body weight. However, you are genetically overweight if you have a family history of overweight parents or relatives. Also, the nervous system plays an important role in balancing the body weight - serotonin and endorphins send signals to the brain that induce the need to eat, while another hormone, called CCK, transmits the brain signals on the state of satiety which decreases hunger.
While generally body weight is influenced genetically, hormonally, and by the level of physical activity, scientists believe that fat distribution is influenced, to a great extent, by gender specific hormones. Estrogens are responsible for the typical female sexual characteristics, hence, the pear shape with more fat on the hips, buttocks, and thighs. Testosterone, on the other hand, being a principal male sex hormone leads to fat being accumulated towards the tummy and upper body.
Recent studies show that people have an increasing tendency towards the apple-shaped format in the past 30 years. Researchers believe that modern life exposes people to increased amounts of hormone-like substances that affect fat distribution. Sources include plastics, pesticides, herbicides, birth control pills, commercially raised beef, chicken and pork, detergent, canned foods, and lacquers.
While most of the fat in the hips and thighs is stored just under the skin (subcutaneous fat), more fat in the midsection is stored in and around the liver and other organs (visceral fat). The problem with visceral fat is that it releases hormones and inflammatory compounds which scientists believe interfere with the good functioning of vital organs and account for some of the adverse health effects seen in the apple-shaped individuals.
Waist-To-Hip Ratio (WHR)
The best way to measure whether you have excessive amounts of upper body fat is the waist-to-hip ratio.
Divide the waist measurement (at the navel) by the hip measurement (widest part of your buttocks).
Upper limits are 0.95 for men and 0.80 for women. Women with WHR within the 0.80 range are less susceptible to major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and ovarian cancers. Men with WHR within the 0.95 range are less likely to have prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
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How To Shrink The Big Apple?
There is no way to lose fat just around your waist, except by losing weight. In other words, you cannot spot reduce. You have to exercise your whole body (walk briskly, ride a bike, lift weights, etc.) to burn more calories and reduce your daily calorie intake.
Don't smoke as smoking is associated with abdominal fat accumulation.
 Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleeping less could serve as a trigger to the body to increase food intake and store fat. Studies have shown that the levels of two appetite-related hormones - leptin (appetite control) and ghrelin (appetite stimulant) - can be affected by sleep deprivation. During sleep deprivation, leptin levels fall and ghrelin levels rise, which can be a recipe for ravenous, tired people raiding the refrigerator when they should have turned in earlier.
A Comment About Fat Cells
Generally speaking, we are born with a predetermined number of fat cells which grows through late childhood and puberty, after which it is pretty much set. So when you gain weight, the fat cells just got filled up.
However, when the fats cells have expanded to their maximum size as in the case of the obese, they can divide and produce an increase in the actual number of fat cells! This explains why some people have to work extra hard to lose weight and keep the weight off.
Nevertheless, it is physically possible to shrink your fat cells and reduce your body fat; it will just require more time and a stricter but sensible diet and exercise regimen. Just remember, carrying those extra fat on your body can lead to serious long-term health risks.
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| Recipe Of The Month:
Vegetable Satay Skewers
Although usually made with strips of meat, this Asian street-food can be made with fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets. The curry powder gives the sauce a bit of a kick. Adjust the quantity if you are not used to the heat. This is a great make-ahead dish for a summer party!
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Marinate time: 2 hours
Servings: 12 skewers
Ingredients:
12 skewers
24 broccoli florets
24 cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sweetener (such as honey or agave nectar)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
Directions: 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower florets, cover pot and cook for 2 minutes. Then add broccoli florets into the same pot and cook for another minute. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger, sweetener, garlic, and curry powder.
3. Toss florets in sauce and let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight in regrigerator.
4. Thread 2 broccoli and 2 cauliflower florets onto each skewer. Arrange skewers on a platter and drizzle marinate over the florets. |
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About the Author
 Carol Chuang is a Certified Health Counselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University. She is board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
Apart from having her private practice counseling individual clients, she is also the nutrition and wellness consultant for San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Council and the APA Family Support Services in San Francisco. She conducts regular workshops for their clients on various topics of nutrition and wellness. |
Schedule For a Free Consultation
I believe that the way to a happy, healthy and fulfilling life is to have loving relationships, a satisfying career, regular physical activity, and a spiritual foundation. Coupled with a diet that is wholesome and natural, our mind, body, and soul would thrive and flourish. If you would like to live an energized and passionate life, I invite you to a free one-hour consultation to discuss your health history, concerns, and goals, as well as what you have always dreamed for in your life. |
Carol Chuang
Certified Health Counselor
415-652-9942 |
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