Why We Get Fat - Part 2

In Part 1 of this article we looked briefly at why we get fatter over time, even if we are trying to diet and exercise.

Low intensity cardiovascular exercise (like jogging and cycling) has actually been shown to be quite ineffective for encouraging fat loss. University research suggests that aerobic activity only results in a few pounds (a kilogram or so) of fat loss per year...Higher intensity forms of activity may be much more effective (weight lifting, interval training and metabolic conditioning) but it stands to reason that what we put in our mouth is the key driver of fat gain, and that eating less may not be the best way to encourage fat loss, but instead WHAT we eat may be much more important.

In order to lose fat and keep it off we should:

1. Prioritise vegetables, good fats and quality protein for meals
2. Reduce or completely eliminate sugar and 'white carbohydrates'
3. Prioritise higher intensity exercise
4. Take a multi-nutrient formula such as Good Green Stuff (one of the other reasons we crave additional food when dieting is because we have reduced our vitamin and mineral intake through eating less!)
5. Reduce stress and get lots of sleep (stress hormones like Cortisol actually encourage fat gain when in the presence of the fat-storing hormone insulin and poor sleep drives us to crave increased sugar!)

Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid