IS FAT REALLY BAD?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Generally, the answer is a big NO, though it can be, if the kind and quality is bad.

Fats like trans fats and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are a no brainer. We know they are extremely unhealthy: they contribute to heart disease by lowering the good cholesterol (HDL) and increasing the bad (LDL). They also have been shown to get stored around the abdomen, the most dangerous area to store fat because when stored there it releases many different hormones into the bloodstream that can be problematic.

Too many polyunsaturated fats are not good either. Polyunsaturated fats mostly consist of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids, and while Omega 3 play an anti-inflammatory role, Omega 6 are pro-inflammatory. We need them both but in drastically different ratios than what we have been getting in our diet for many years now. In addition, Omega 6, when hydrogenated, can last for months, if not years, on the shelf, but become terribly dangerous for human health. Due to the politics of the food industry, as well as a simple fact that Omega 6 oils are cheap to produce (soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, etc.), these oils have been pushed for years until there was enough public outcry supported by research that something had to change. A healthy ratio of Omega 6: Omega 3 should be somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1. At the moment, it is between 10:1 and 15:1, and in some cases, as high as 25:1.

Nut and seed oils, which are mainly a combination of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (depending on the source), are good in small quantities, as long as you don’t heat them. They are very unstable, become rancid at high temperatures, and carcinogenic free radicals are produced in the process. Like with fish or flax seed oils, they should be stored in the refrigerator.

Fats considered very healthy and beneficial for their antioxidant qualities, as well as for being heart protective, are monounsaturated fats like olive oil and avocados. Many nuts have mostly monounsaturated fats. Olive oil should not be heated to high temperatures. Avocado oil, on the other hand, is one of the most heat resistant, having one of the highest smoking points of all oils.

The most controversial of fats is saturated fat, with which we have a love-hate relationship. We love it because it’s delicious, and it enhances the flavor of just about anything. We hate it because we were told that it’s the source of all evil. So let’s look at saturated fat and its role in human evolution.

During the prehistoric times, before humans domesticated animals and introduced agriculture, which led to the incorporation of dairy and grains into the daily diet, respectively, man lived predominantly on hunted animal protein, with all the saturated fat included, and supplemented his diet with sweet fruit and berries, and, to a smaller degree, vegetables. Research shows that cardiovascular or degenerative disease, so common in our civilization, was non-existent at the time. Just recently, a new research discovered signs of heart disease in the population of ancient Egypt. Could it be the introduction of grains that was the cause? Or dairy? Or both? We don’t know just yet, but the truth is humans evolved on saturated fat and did very well on it. How else did we get here? If it had been so bad for us for thousands of years most of us probably wouldn’t be here today because Nature has its own way of eliminating what it considers unhealthy or too weak to survive. It’s called natural selection. This is an important question for everybody that demonizes saturated fat. There is actually NO conclusive research showing that saturated fat causes heart disease. The research that has been done shows only correlation but NOT causation. Again, food politics has played a huge role in spreading this misguided and twisted science. Saturated fat is extremely important for many bodily functions. It is needed in times of stress. It is needed for the production of sex hormones: testosterone, aldosterone, progesterone, pregnenolone, DHEA, estradiol and cortisol. These hormones are produced from cholesterol. When your body doesn’t get enough of a supply from the diet, it starts producing its own cholesterol and that’s one of the ways for your cholesterol to go up.

Saturated fat itself is not the evil. We all need it, though everybody in different amounts depending on your biochemical individuality. What is bad, however, are the commercial sources of this fat. And here’s the reason. The saturated fat of commercially raised meats is full of not only hormones and antibiotics, but also toxins from the less than perfect commercial feed. Nature intended animals to feed on grass, not grains and other products that are being used to fatten them up quickly. (If you ever wanted to know what’s in your meat, watch the movie “Food Inc.”) Toxins get stored in adipose tissue (fat) and if you eat it, you are getting it, too. Any toxin will act in your body as a proinflammatory agent. And inflammation is what leads to heart disease, strokes and other diseases.

Meat from organic, grass-fed animals is not only leaner (so you’re getting less fat overall), but also has a very different fatty acid profile. It actually has a pretty considerable amount of Omega 3 fatty acids as well as good amounts of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which helps burn body fat. A very different meat indeed.

One of the healthiest sources of saturated fat is organic, extra virgin coconut oil. For those still worried about cholesterol, it has none as it is not an animal product. It is great for eating, cooking, baking, salad dressings, you name it. It has amazing antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

So…..look at the quality of the fats you’re eating and also the amounts. If you are trying to lose weight, no matter how healthy the fat, you still have to take total calories into account. For some people who are sensitive to carbohydrates and eat a primarily high protein diet, this is less of a concern, as most of them can tolerate a much higher amount of fat. But…..that’s a whole other subject.   

HOW DO I LOSE WEIGHT REALLY FAST?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

If you have a considerable amount of weight to lose you didn’t gain it overnight, though I do admit that it is MUCH easier to gain than to lose. Short of drastic measures like taking laxatives, diuretics, doing colonics, or undergoing liposuction (just kidding!), you simply have to be patient and consistent. Nothing happens overnight. If you do have a particular event, like a wedding, for example, coming up, you have one huge advantage in your favor – strong motivation. The power of the mind is amazing and most of us are capable of achieving a lot more under pressure. But you still have to be reasonable. If you have a really strong will, are super strict with your diet, and are eating not only healthy but correctly for these specific goals, have a good exercise program and are capable of pushing yourself physically, you can probably drop about 10-12 lbs in a month and become toned to a degree. (The normal, achievable, healthy weight loss is 1.5-2 lbs of fat per week). This, of course depends on your height, starting body weight and fat percentage. Generally, the weight comes off faster in case of people who have a lot to lose. It’s those last 10 pounds that are always the hardest.* But nothing happens REALLY fast. And if it does, you can be sure it’s not entirely healthy.

*The less you weigh the fewer calories your body needs per day and therefore it is harder to create a large calorie deficit without going below your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate). Consequently, your weight loss will need to slow down and you will have to be satisfied with losing a lot less per week than previously, until you reach your goal weight.  In some cases it may be difficult to lose more than 0.5 lb a week.

WHAT SHOULD I BE EATING?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

My only answer to this question is: it depends. Of course, there are some basic rules like no processed foods, more vegetables, good quality protein, no sugar, etc., etc., but the only way to tell a person what to eat is doing a very thorough assessment first. What you should eat will depend on your age, your ancestry, genes, body weight, activity level, stress level, health history, the climate you live in, and of course, your metabolic predisposition. There are very detailed ways of figuring out what your body will respond best to and more often than not it is finding out what makes you feel full of energy, alert, focused and healthy at the same time. Many people fall into the trap of mindlessly listening to the media, or reading some book that claims to help you lose 30 lbs in 30 days, or worse yet, following some new fad diet. YOU ARE YOU and nobody else. What worked for someone else will not necessarily work for you or even if it does, the results will not be long lasting or you will be miserable and tired along the way.

The only way to answer this question is look at everything you’re eating for a couple of weeks and carefully evaluating how it makes you feel. This requires getting in touch with your body, listening to what it’s telling you, and being a lot more mindful than most people are when it comes to food. You can then start working on improving your diet and feeling better.

For more detailed tips on nutrition, please refer to my earlier blogs.

HOW DO I LOSE "THIS" FAT?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Short of liposuction or liposculpture, there is no such thing as spot reducing. Everybody puts on weight somewhat differently, but the way you put the weight on is most likely the way you will also lose it. If you gain weight all over, then it will come off evenly from your whole body when you lose it. But….here are the exceptions: if you’re a woman, the older you get the more fat tends to accumulate on the back of the arms, on the hips and thighs, and most commonly, the abdomen. And that’s where it is also the hardest to lose. Tricep muscles don’t get used very much, so the area often looks flabby. Hips and thighs are a typical way for women to store fat. Some of it is predetermined by nature. Some is the result of eating way too many polyunsaturated fats, especially the bad quality and proinflammatory ones, which also cause cellulite. Some can be a result of being estrogen dominant, so common in our society because of many xenoestrogens in the environment. And some is caused by the cells in the hips and thighs being less sensitive to insulin than other areas of the body.

In regards to the abdomen, losing fat becomes particularly difficult because as women age the ratio of male to female hormones (specifically testosterone to estrogen) increases due to lower estrogen levels. This gives us a more male-like body, with practically no waist. Having a heavy toxic burden, wherever the toxins come from, be it heavy metals, organic pollutants like chemicals, etc., can make losing abdominal fat particularly difficult. Toxins get stored mostly in the adipose tissue and during the process of weight loss, they get released into the bloodstream. Your body will be protecting itself from being flooded by these toxins and work hard against your best efforts, making weight loss very hard, if not virtually impossible. If you suspect this might be the case, seek a doctor who is trained in environmental and functional medicine, and who will be able to do specific tests to find out what the causes of your difficulties may be.

All the above said, however, it still makes sense to exercise. What is flabby will definitely tighten up and what has no shape will look better if you put some work into it. I think it is much more attractive to look at a person that’s a little overweight but has a decent shape and toned muscles, than a, what I call, a” skinny fat” person with an overall thin body but high percentage of body fat and lots of flab.    

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF CARDIOVASCULAR EQUIPMENT?

FROM THE SERIES “ASK THE TRAINER”

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

This is a multi-faceted question and my answer would be: it depends. Generally, the one that you like enough, and that is comfortable enough, that you will actually use it. One of the best pieces of equipment for a hard workout and a high-calorie burn is a Stepmill. The problem is most people can only last on it for 10 or so minutes, or if they stay on it any longer they are leaning on the hand rails and using terrible form or moving so slowly that the benefit is minimal. If you can really stand upright, use your abdominals and other core muscles to support yourself in this position, and also lift your legs up as if you’re climbing rather than just pressing on the stairs, it can be an amazing workout. If you can also add some high speed intervals, but at a level where you are still able to maintain the same good form, it becomes one of the best cardiovascular options out there. In general, however, you can get a great (hard) workout on almost any machine, provided you are using it correctly. The question is: does it allow you to really push yourself?

But to better answer the question of “best” piece of cardiovascular equipment properly you’d have to ask yourself: What position do I spend most of the day in? What aches and pains do I have? What hurts?

If you sit all day at work and spend a considerable amount of time in the car, you probably shouldn’t use a bike, but rather a piece of equipment that will force you to work on your posture and stretch the muscles that get tight while sitting. If, on the other hand, you have knee problems, a bike would definitely be easier on your joints. If you’re very overweight but would like to do something standing, then an elliptical trainer is probably ideal. Elliptical trainer will put a bit more pressure on the knees than a bike so that’s why sometimes people find walking on the treadmill easier than being on an elliptical trainer. If you’re overweight AND have knee problems, you’ll have to make a smart choice between a bike and a treadmill to choose what’s gentler on the joints AND what gives you a better overall workout.

If you want to increase the challenge and walk on the treadmill uphill, make sure that your hip flexors are stretched enough to allow you to keep the upper body upright, instead of bent over and with your butt sticking out a mile behind you.

So, to sum it all up: the best piece of cardiovascular equipment, or best cardiovascular exercise, is the one you like and therefore will do,  the one that doesn’t put unnecessary stress on your joints, especially if they’re hurting, and the one that will challenge both your muscles and your cardiovascular system and allow you to break a good sweat.

SCULPTED BACK + CORE WORKOUT

GET A BEAUTIFULLY SCULPTED BACK WITH EXERCISE OPTIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOUR CORE AT THE SAME TIME

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

Here are some different options for back exercises that will tone your back and force you to use all your core muscles while doing them. They may appear easy at first but just by incorporating a balance component you will be targeting muscles that are normally not involved in a typical back training. These are not the exercises to build huge back muscles, but rather to sculpt the back and get more definition. Remember that there are many different muscles in your back and in order to get some real definition you will have to work these muscles at many angles so that all the fibers are challenged. That’s why I am showing exercises that are performed, for example, as a low row, mid-row and high row as well as others, like overhead pullover on the ball, that will allow you to do just that.

Please, remember to do a 5-10 minute warm up before starting any exercise.

Start with 1 set of 12 repetitions and progress to 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. The weights will vary depending on your level of experience as well as the cable machine used. It’s always good to do a few very different back exercises to hit all those different muscle fibers.

Perform all exercises slowly and through the full range of motion if you can. If balancing on one leg makes it too hard for you, learn the same exercise in a stable position first, and then progress to the less stable one. You have to be able to stand on one leg for about 20-30 seconds before you can start doing one leg exercises. You can challenge your balance by starting on the floor and holding the position for 20-30 seconds. Then do the same on the half foam roll, then the Airex pad and eventually on the Dynadisc. Once you’ve mastered any of these levels you can also add standing upper body exercises for a more advanced challenge.

Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.

TOTAL ABS AND CORE - Part 1 and 2

GET ROCK HARD ABS AND SUPER STRONG CORE WITH THESE ADVANCED MOVES THAT WILL CHALLENGE YOUR WHOLE BODY

By Monika Tarkowska-Carter, CPT, LWMC, HLC 2

These two videos show different variations on exercises for abdominals using the stability ball. In Part 1 I talk about the simpler exercises that most people know, adding slight variations to make them more challenging. Part 2 consists mostly of more advanced exercises. The ball is used here to challenge balance and core stabilization to a higher degree.

Make sure to do at least a 5-10 minute warm-up before beginning any exercises.

Do the level of exercises that fits your ability. Perform them slowly and correctly, through the full range of motion if you can. Make sure your abdominals are contracted at the very beginning and at the end of the movement.  Your lower back should never be sinking down or be overarched. Your butt shouldn’t stick up into the air, unless you have back problems, in which case to protect it, you might want to lift your butt a little bit higher than the straight line.

Start with 1-2 sets of 12 and build up to 15-20 repetitions and up to 3 sets OR do 1 set of different exercises to work the abdominal muscle fibers in many different angles and positions. No matter how effective the exercise or how much you like it, it’s always good to vary your routine. Your muscles get used to the same movement and are not pushed enough if you are doing the same exercise over and over. That’s when you experience plateaus. You will see results faster this way and the routine will be less boring.

Some of these exercises don’t look as hard as they actually are. If performed slowly and correctly you will see how your whole body will feel the burn. You are using a lot of muscles to stabilize the holding positions as well as other muscles to help you with the movement itself. In Part 2, you will particularly feel your shoulders, scapular stabilizers, triceps, lower back, glutes, legs, inner thigh muscles, and of course all the abdominal muscles.

You may want to have a spotter for some of the more advanced exercises, especially at the beginning, until you get used to them, and are sure you are doing them correctly. It is sometimes good to have someone else’s feedback because it’s hard to see your form in some of these advanced moves.

Please, always consult a physician before starting any exercise program.