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1. I am totally confused by all the different types of diets.  Some say low or no fat.Others say greatly reduced carbohydrates especially in the form of grains. Others call for high protein.  Please help! Answer
2. How much weight can I expect to lose in a week? Answer
3. How do I manage my cravings? Answer
4. What are “free radicals”? I hear so much about them.Why are they bad for me? Answer
5. What are “antioxidants” and what are their relationship to “free radicals”? Answer
6. Should I take antioxidants as supplements to prevent the oxidation caused by free radicals? Answer
7. What are "phytochemicals"? Answer
8. Is it bad to lift weights and build muscle when I’m trying to lose weight?  I have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. Answer
9. What are “trans fats”?  I read about them all the time. Answer

1.  I am totally confused by all the different types of diets.  Some say low or no fat.  Others say greatly reduced carbohydrates especially in the form of grains.  Others call for high protein.  Please help!

For starters, all three nutrients have very special functions in the body.  Protein makes new cells and repairs damaged ones.  It can also be a source of energy, but the other nutrients that are also energy sources cannot do what protein does.  Carbohydrate is our primary source of energy.  Fat transports our fat soluble vitamins, forms a protective padding around our internal organs to prevent internal injuries, and provides insulation to help regulate our bodily temperature.  Equally important, fat gives us a sense of “satiety” or satisfaction.  I think it is more important to learn how much of these nutrients you require based on your size, age, and activity level.  Remember diets do not work!  Look for a realistic life style that will help you achieve your goal forever.

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2.  How much weight can I expect to lose in a week?

If you lose one-half to two pounds a week, it will be just fine.  Losing faster than that means you are reducing your calories too much, which can result in your metabolism slowing down to accommodate the reduced amount of energy (calories).  It then becomes even more difficult to shed the unwanted weight.  Rather than decrease energy increase exercise.

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3.  How do I manage my cravings?

Cravings can be tricky as we all know.  They often have psychological bases with their origin in childhood where we learned as babies if we cried we would be fed.  Food became associated with satisfaction, with having our needs met.  This process continued into childhood.  How many times did our parents bribe us with or use food to placate us when we were unhappy?  Even as teenagers we learned that food could be a cure for boredom.  Then there were those of us who grew up in families where mealtime was a time of happiness, where families shared the activities of the day and bonded.  Cravings then make sense especially when we are feeling down. High carbohydrate, high fat items, which are the foods frequently craved, deliver serotonin in the form of tryptophan, an amino acid, to the brain.  Serotonin is the feel-good neurotransmitter.  Prozac in disguise!

You mange your cravings by first making sure that you are eating regularly and not allowing yourself to become too hungry.  Secondly, you do not put yourself on a highly restrictive program particularly restrictive of carbohydrates which provide that “oh so important serotonin”.  Thirdly, you wait fifteen minutes when you have the craving because that is how long it usually takes an impulse to pass.  During that time, you ask yourself  “what is going on in my life”?  “What am I really feeling?”  “What will it cost me if I eat this?”  “Am I willing to pay the price?”  Often times the exploration of what is motivating you to eat will buy you the necessary time for the craving to pass.

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4.  What are “free radicals”?  I hear so much about them.  Why are they bad for me?

This requires a brief review of high school chemistry/physiology.  Remember how we learned that our body is composed of cells, which are made up of different types of molecules, which consist of one or more atoms?  Each atom has one nucleus and many neutrons, protons, and electrons.  A molecule is stable when its electrons are paired.  In chemical reactions such as the normal metabolic process in our body, an electron can become unpaired leaving it unstable.  This is the creation of a “free radical”.  The free radical wants to stabilize itself by pairing with another electron.  It then begins to scavenge from other molecules.  This creates an ongoing cascade that is damaging to our cells.  Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also foster free radicals.  The problem is free radical damage accumulates with age causing coronary artery disease (elevated cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides), diabetes mellitus, and types of cancer as well as other health problems.

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5.  What are “antioxidants” and what are their relationship to “ free radicals”?

Antioxidants are vitamins C, E, and beta carotene normally occurring in fruits and vegetables that are protective against free radicals.  They can donate an electron to a free radical neutralizing it and making it stable while not becoming a free radical themselves.  They are stable with or without paired electrons.  This terminates the cascading process of free radicals searching for electrons and causing damage to our cells.

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6.  Should I take antioxidants as supplements to prevent the oxidation caused by free radicals?

It may be helpful to take antioxidants as supplements, but you are not getting the cofactors that are present in the whole fruit and vegetable.   The antioxidants and cofactors may work in a synergistic fashion.  This explains why you hear so much today about eating your fruits and vegetables. Remember chronic diseases such as coronary artery disease (elevated cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides), diabetes mellitus, and certain cancers are the result of oxidative stress from free radicals.

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7.  What are "phytochemicals"?

Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds in plants that have protective capabilities for the body while not required for its normal functioning.  They therefore are not considered nutrients. There are many of them and they function in different ways.  Many act as antioxidants reducing oxidative stress.  Others have hormonal action imitating human estrogens, which help to reduce menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis.  Another group simulates enzymes that make estrogen less effective possibly reducing the risk for breast cancer.  Still another group interferes with the replication of cell DNA inhibiting the multiplication of cancer cells. There are phytochemicals that exhibit anti-bacterial properties.  Others have anti-adhesion properties preventing the adhesion of pathogens to human cell walls.  Some foods rich in phytochemicals are soy, tomato, broccoli, garlic, flax seed, onions, blueberries, cabbage, whole grains, and beans.  This is still another reason to eat our fruits and vegetables!

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8.  Is it bad to lift weights and build muscle when I’m trying to lose weight?  I have heard that muscle weighs more than fat.

You are right! Muscle does weigh more than fat, but muscle also has a more accelerated metabolism than fat, which means that it will burn your food more rapidly.  Muscle also has a tighter conformation than fat making you look thinner.  The most effective type of exercise for weight loss is “interval training”.  This is exercise at differing degrees of intensity.

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9.  What are “trans fats”?  I read about them all the time.

“Trans fats” also known as  “funny fats” or “demons in the diet” have no redeeming qualities.  Actually, there are some that occur naturally and they don’t present the same health risks.  Those that are engineered in the laboratory however create the problems.  They increase the risk of cardio-vascular disease and certain types of cancer.

Trans fats were created in the early 1900s as a healthier and yet practical alternative to saturated and animal fats.  People didn’t want to put oil on their toast in place of butter even though it was thought to be healthier.  Isn’t that ironic, since today we love to dip our bread in seasoned olive oil!  Anyway, polyunsaturated, vegetable fats such as soybean and cottonseed oils were infused with hydrogen atoms in a process known as hydrogenation.  The result was a stiffer more stable fat.  This was the introduction of margarine as a substitute for butter.  Hydrogenated fats also extended the shelf life of baked goods; thus, food manufacturers began using them liberally.

Subsequently, we have learned that hydrogenating a fat makes it more saturated: hence, very heart unhealthy.  If you pick up an item that lists “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” in its ingredients, do yourself a favor.  Put it right back on the shelf!

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