Part Two:
Avoid fat to burn fat? NO. Just the opposite. Eat fat to burn fat… eat sugar to gain fat.
Our goal should be to regulate blood sugar to reduce insulin surges by adjusting the macronutrients of foods (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) to burn fat and ketones instead of glucose for fuel. We are designed to be fat burners …not the sugar burners that most people in our society have become since we were taught to avoid fat and load up on carbohydrates. Fat makes us full, satiated and reduces sugar cravings. Our fat-soluble vitamins are Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat burners eat less, experience more long-lasting energy and less mood swings -more brain power, concentration, and focus.
Sugar burners are just the opposite- feeling hungry often, mood swings, lack of energy and focus. Sugar burners must eat frequently …think of fueling a fire. Would you fuel your fire with kindling or logs? Then we can dive into how sugar feeds the gut bacteria as Candida and other infections. A sugar burner only burns sugar- as compared to a fat burner who burns primarily fat but can burn sugar/glucose when needed. Don’t you want to rely on fat for fuel?
So how do you become a fat burner- or get into ketosis? Lowering your carbohydrates to a range (depending on the individual and activity level) 20 grams to 50 grams or up to 100 grams for someone doing more exercise. Ketosis is when the body is fuel almost completely by fat… still needing some glucose for the cells. When you are eating more fat in your diet, moderate protein (excess protein can be converted to glucose) and lower carbohydrates (low-glycemic vegetables)- you end up eating less and losing your appetite. You naturally fast- and unintentional. Fasting is effortless!
The first step is making sure you can digest your food properly- as we learn to work with clients as Nutritional Therapists. We could be eating a whole food, nutrient dense diet with the proper macro-nutrients to reduce insulin surges- therefore using fat and ketones for fuel instead of glucose. BUT if we can’t digest our proteins, emulsify our fats, and absorb our nutrients – then we are still going to have health problems from the inside out.
I discovered I haven’t been digesting my food right for I don’t know how long since my adrenals have been exhausting (HPA Axis dysregulation) – resulting excess cortisol leading to breaking down proteins (muscle tissue) to increase my glucose levels (protein converted to glucose in the liver called Gluconeogenesis). I haven’t been able to emulsify my fats and break down the nutrients since my adrenals (HPA Axis) have been over worked for years – leading to overwhelmed liver and therefore a cascade of events as the body systems are all inter-related as you will find out when you work with a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
What is my point?
We all should be fat burners and experimenting with how many carbohydrates we can tolerate to keep our blood sugar in balance so we can rely on fat and ketones instead of glucose for fuel… BUT we need to make sure we have proper digestion of our fats, proteins, and carbs as well as a healthy functional liver before we go full board low-carb, high-fat keto diet (LCHF).
Trust me … I lost five years of my life struggling to get help with the wrong treatment. Try Nutritional Therapy treatment instead then decide where you need to focus on. Get to the root cause of your ability to burn fat, optimize health, and improve performance. Find a NTP near you! www.nutritionaltherapyassociation.com
Stay tuned for part three…
Debbie Potts
Fitness Forward Studio
Host of ‘The WHOLE Athlete’ Podcast
Author of ‘LIFE IS NOT A RACE’ & ‘The WHOLESTIC Method’
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
NASM CPT, CHEK HCL, USAT Coach
118 105th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
