Oct. 9--Want to live a long and healthy life? Increasingly, research
points to healthy weight -- or healthy weight loss -- between the ages 20 and
50.
Fat loss, particularly fat around the waistline, helps prevent cancer,
diabetes, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, depression, and other
devastating kinds of chronic disease including Parkinson's, MS, and Lou
Gehrig's disease (ALS). Because women tend to live longer, they're more likely
to suffer chronic disease or mental health problems. That's no way to enjoy
longevity!
"The best way to maximize the probability of healthy survival is to
maintain at least moderate levels of physical activity and healthy body weight
throughout adulthood," says researcher Qi Sun, MD, in the nutrition department
at Harvard School of Public Health.
Reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S., obesity has also been linked
to lower cognitive function (loss of memory, attention, and other thinking
skills). In fact, new Canadian research finds age less important to brain
function than weight.
Right from the start, healthy weight loss has been central to both my
nutrition practice and my books. Unfortunately, the medical community wasted
years making Americans fear healthy fat. Instead, they promoted margarine (a
prime source of dangerous trans fat) and sugary, high-glycemic foods as "fat
free."
Fans of The Fat Flush Plan, one of my New York Times best-selling books,
know that certain essential and healthy fats not only promote health and
longevity but also healthy weight loss. By following this plan, millions of
people have lost water weight and abdominal fat.
Whether you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, good
fat:
--Transports fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, critical to longevity
and health (vitamin D is also linked to increased survival rates for women)
--Slows the absorption of high-glycemic foods, balancing blood sugar
levels and supporting cognitive function
--Is essential for serotonin, a brain chemical that fights depression and
controls food cravings
--Helps conserve muscle-building protein, essential for physical activity
that promotes longevity and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Every single cell in your body is protected by a membrane composed mostly
of fat. Shouldn't it be good fat if you want to prevent chronic disease -- and
remember exactly where you parked the car?
Your brain is 60 percent fat. Is it any wonder that good fat supports
mental health, helping to fight depression and focus attention at any age? Or
that your body craves fat -- any fat -- when you eat a high-glycemic, low-fat
diet?
A little fat goes a long way. All you need is a couple of daily
tablespoons of oil from fish, flaxseed, olive, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds,
or even coconut. Although it's a saturated fat, a little coconut oil doesn't
cause obesity because it's easily converted into energy rather than being
deposited as abdominal fat.
Also include some lean protein from omega-3-rich fish and seafood,
grass-fed meats, and free-range poultry in your diet. Snack on low-sugar
fruits (apples, berries, cherries, pears, plums). And indulge in all the
low-glycemic vegetables -- raw or steamed -- you can eat. Arugula, asparagus,
green beans, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, daikon (great fat burner), jicama,
kale, mushrooms, radicchio, and sprouts are great choices for healthy weight
and longevity.
Sources:
http://women.webmd.com/news/20090929/womens-weight-tied-to-healthy-aging
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/339/sep29_1/b3796
http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v17/n10/abs/oby2009161a.html
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