Fat, what is it good for?

Fat gets a bad rap and just like the dark or the word moist you don't have to be so scared of it.

 Just like carbs and proteins your body needs fat to function properly, that does't mean you can start chowing down on a lard though.

First of all fat can not become muscle, just like the earth can't become the sky, I needed to get that out of the way.

Fats protect our internal organs, control body temperature as it provides insulation, Insulates nerves (each cell is wrapped in a layer of fat that enables nerves to conduct electrical messages efficiently) and takes up and stores fat soluble minerals and vitamins A,D,E and K.

One gram of fat provides more than twice the energy than one gram of carbs or protein, with 1g of fat providing 9kcals of energy and protein and carbohydrates  providing 4kcals.

In the women folk it stores and modifies reproductive hormone, particularly estrogen.

If body fat drops too low reproductive function will be be affected.

This also means trouble for your bones as well because estrogen is also responsible for getting  the bone making cells working so without estrogen  bones break down faster than they can be repaired leading to higher risk of brittle bone disease! Not good!

Omega 3 and 6 are fatty acids that are essential for our body, I will do another post in more detail about those two.

Eating saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids will keep your testosterone at it's optimum levels.

There are 4 types of fat these are:

Saturated fats these mainly come from animal sources with the exception of palm and coconut oil, there are solid at room temperature so just think of what is left over from that hangover morning bacon sandwich.

Polyunsaturated fats mainly come from non animal sources and tend to be liquid at room temperature e.g. sunflower and fish oil

Monounsaturated fats are also from natural foods such as red meat, whole milk products, nuts and high fat fruits such as olives and avocados. Olive oil is about 75% monounsaturated fats.

Trans fat or hydrogenated fats are the Devil!

They are completely man made fats and can never be truly removed form the blood stream.

Trans fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

 Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of Tran’s fat be reduced to as little as possible. 

Tran’s fats from partially hydrogenated oils are more harmful than naturally occurring oils. 
These are mainly found in fast food, snack food, fried food, and baked goods, so be sure to the check the packet of those microwavable meals.

The world health organisation recommends that no more than 30% of you calorie intake a day should come from fat, with probably isn't as much as you'd think with fat being more calorie dense than carbs or protein.

Also you don't have to get all of your fats from meat sources, you can get your lips round some avocado, beans, seeds and nuts as well.

Why drink Water?

Thirsty? 
Have a nice refreshing glass of boring old water then!

2 litres is the recommended amount of water that should be drunk a day. 
Seems like a lot but I know you can sink a pint in the pub in under 6 seconds!

My easy 4 step method (that's right! Only 4 steps!) for upping the amount you drink are:

Step 1: Buy a big bottle. 
Step 2: Fill it with water. 
Step 3: Keep it with you all the time. 
Step 4: Just keeping sipping at it!

So are you dehydrated?
 Well there is a quick and easy way to see, check your wee! 

How glamorous I hear you scream!

Well here is what you are looking for.

If your pee is clear, very pale or pale yellow then you are hydrated, hurrah! 

Give your self a pat on the back!
 If it is mild or dark yellow then you are dehydrated, so get your mouth piece round some council pop.

Dehydration starts faster than you think and things can go belly up fast, just ask the goldfish that my mother accidentally boiled in the sun when she was cleaning.

At 3% dehydration blood volume and flow is reduced and the effectiveness of your kidneys suffers, there will also be a measurable drop in exercise performance, symptoms include dry mouth and head ache.

At 4% the capacity for hard muscular work out drops by 20% to 30%.

At 5% heat exhaustion will require medical attention.

At 7% dehydration function becomes severely affected and you will start to hallucinate.

At 10% dehydration will lead to heat stroke. Circulatory collapse and death. 

Our bodies are made up of 60-80% water and every chemical reaction within your body takes place in the presence of water.
 It moves everything like oxygen, vitamins and minerals and helps regulate temperature plus it makes you look younger which is always a bonus!

If you fancy watching a cringey video to go along with this post the please click the link here

Body types!

  There are 3 body types, also known as somatotypes, Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph.

"But  which am I" you cry! 

Well hopefully this will clear some things up for you.

Sadly, unlike your first Pokemon you don't get to pick which one you have.

Ectomorph

This one is for all the long skinny, bean poles out there.

 They are skinny, have a light build with small joints and lean muscle, shoulders tend to be thin with not much width, usually have long, thin arms and legs with stringy muscles making them perfect for reaching high shelves and long distance running.

Ectomorph’s struggle to gain weight due to a fast metabolic rate so need a lot of calories in order to gain fat or muscle.

Workouts should be short and intense focusing on compound exercises like squats, dead lifts, bench press and pull ups.

Generally, ectomorph’s can lose fat very easily but struggle to pack on muscle.

 Ectomorph’s are those people who can eat pretty much eat what they want and not put any weight on.

What’s going on with their insides may be a different story all together though.

Ectomorphs tend to be good at endurance events like cross country because they have more “endurance” muscle fibres or the more proper term slow twitch muscle fibres.

Mesomorph:

A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique making them perfect for  bodybuilding. 
They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight so it's a double edged sword.

 The mesomorph body type responds the best to weight training, gains in strength and muscle size are usually seen very quickly. 

Mesomorphs gain fat more easily than ectomorphs, this means they must watch what they eat other wise they will end up looking like a Snorlax! 

These are the sort of people that just look at a dumbbell and gain an inch of muscle, the envy of the other body types.

Endomorph:

 The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft, a bit like a mattress or a sofa, 
but you know, a living person!

 Endomorphs gain fat very easily and tend  to be shorter with thick arms and legs.

 Muscles are strong, especially the upper legs.
 Endomorphs find they are naturally strong in leg exercises like the squats.

 Unfortunately, a large portion of their weight is fat not muscle.

If they look at a cake it can feel like they gain an extra chin.
The best advice I could give is that endomorphs really have to earn their treats, which would even include food like bread not just champagne and chocolates.

Most people are a combination of two body types. 

These combinations are either ectomorph/mesomorph or mesomorph/endomorph or you could be pure, unadulterated  somatotypes.

When looking at your nutrition and exercise you should consider your somatotyoe  to have most effective result and reduce potentailly be disheartened at not getting the results you are looking for as quickly as other people, everyone's body different. 

If you want to see the video I made on the subject then click here and prepare to cringe out!