We women (and men increasingly, too) are much concerned with our appearance. We want to look fit, slim and beautiful. Perhaps you recognize periods of yourself when you are focused on that scale a lot. Each day weigh how many pounds you have lost – or perhaps gained back. Disappointment, joy, frustration, relief and dissatisfaction are just some of the emotions that you can experience frequently during such a period.
There are few people who truly experience “losing weight” as enjoyable. Yes – when those pounds fly off. But when you constantly have to fight those temptations and the pounds still don’t fly off. We would like to introduce you to EHBA – First Aid for Losing Weight, or Protein, Hydrate, Be Happy and Look Different.
We adopted this blog from Rachel of Food Your Thought. Rachel is an Applied Psychologist & Orthomolecular Nutrition Coach. She is incredibly fascinated by how food affects our behavior, feelings and health. Rachel believes that the choices we make now affect how we feel 10 years from now. With this, she inspires (young) adults toward daily healthy eating behaviors through lectures, lectures & trainings. In addition, Rachel enjoys writing blogs about the impact of nutrition, psychology and a positive mindset.
Proteinsand fats
We have learned to avoid fat. Fat is bad and it makes you fat. However, we desperately need fat. Our cells are made of proteins and fats. Our fat cells are also made up of proteins and fats. And our body can generate “energy” in two ways: namely, via oxygen-rich combustion and via oxygen-poor combustion.
Deoxygenation
Deoxygenation occurs in (physical) stress situations. Stress is an elastic term in this case. Examples that fuel a physical stress situation: Shortage of water, too high blood sugar, wrong pH levels and/or many wrong parasites in the intestines. Low-oxygen combustion has the advantage that it provides energy quickly, but the disadvantage that you cannot sustain it indefinitely. This is because it releases lactate, which causes acidification.
It can also mean that the pounds will stick around longer because this way of burning only requires glucose. Because today we eat more carbohydrate-rich products containing sugar and grains (which are converted directly into glucose) and less fiber-, fat- and protein-rich products such as vegetables, fish, eggs, grass-fed meat and nuts/seeds, the result is that the body handles a stressful situation and oxygen-depleted combustion is initiated. This also means that much leftover glucose is converted into body fat.
Oxygen-rich combustion
Normally, when the (acute) stress situation is over, cells switch to oxygen-rich combustion. This provides much more energy. But … it also takes more energy and needs more nutrients to get going. For this you need both glucose and fat. When your body maintains an oxygen-rich burn, it does not experience a stressful situation – allowing you to better burn fat cells for more energy.
BUT… a few things are required for that to happen, for the body to switch to oxygenated combustion:
- The important thing is to keep breathing (oxygen) 😉
- Have sufficient red blood cells; depend on sufficient protein
- Being able to make sufficient hemoglobin; dependent on sufficient iron
- Be able to build hemoglobin in red blood cells; depends on sufficient vitamin B12
When your body is in a (physical) stress situation, it actually retains fat. This has everything to do with being able to survive – always having the ability to run away from acute stress. This principle may somewhat explain why losing weight is more difficult. After all, our body is a complex system and with our Western diet, we also make it very complex for our body.
In addition, there is an advantage to eating more fat and protein: it takes longer for it to be digested and therefore you are satiated longer. And so you have fewer cravings for temptations like cookies, candies and chips. What fat is convenient to eat? Fatty fish, eggs, grass-fed meat, frying in coconut fat, olive oil over salads and soup, seeds, kernels and nuts.
Hydrate
Drinking water. No soda, but water. In fact, soft drinks are seen by the body as “food. You are thirsty – in need of water – and fill it with a glass of Coke, this keeps you thirsty. This is because Soft drinks are made of sugar and this needs to be “digested. These sugars from soft drinks do not need our body and are converted into fat rather quickly. Today, our tap water and food contain fewer and fewer minerals. You can supplement this by adding a grain of Celtic Sea Salt to your bottle of water. Give it an extra flavor by adding fresh lemon or mint.
Celtic sea salt – or minerals – help get the water inside your cells. And not just transport it. Celtic sea salt or Atlantic sea salt contain all minerals. Other (manufactured) salt contains only sodium and chloride – these minerals actually cause high blood sugar levels. Too high blood sugar and a lack of water puts your body under stress.
Summary
A diet with more fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables, more fat- and protein-rich foods like fatty fish, eggs, grass-fed meat, coconut fat, olive oil, nuts, kernels and seeds. And more water (1.5 – 2 liters) with a little Celtic Sea Salt in it, provide stable blood sugar levels and more nutrients in the body. This causes the body to switch to oxygenated combustion earlier, contributing to an ideal body weight that fits your own unique physique (without unnecessary fat storage).
