Another bad thing that comes out of drinking beer (and any alcohol actually) is that what you are getting is a lot of calories, but these are empty calories (especially empty carbs) . You might say: “great”, if you are trying to gain weight, however empty calories does not mean muscle, but instead it just means more fat. So you will get calories that will go straight into being turned into fat in your body. So what you will end up looking like is skinny-fat, not the most sexy look of them all.

At this point I would like to officially unveil the concept of “beer time” (patent pending ). This means every time you are drinking beer, in order to keep yourself in check, you will start counting beer time. I already mentioned the concept in a previous post, but here I make it an official term and my contribution to the betterment of humanity. It’s a very simple concept really. An average beer is around 150 calories. A while back, I was on one of those elliptical machine that tries to pretend it’s a cross-country skiing machine, and noticed that I burned around 150 calories every 15 minutes. I was joking with a friend of what this means for our beer drinking habits and this is where I came up with the concept of beer time. So when you are out and drinking that glass of beer, remember that that is 15 minutes on the elliptical machine. When you take another glass of beer, that is 30 minutes on that elliptical machine. That’s the amount of time it will take you to burn all those empty calories you got from drinking beer. So think about that the next time you are drinking beer, and hopefully it will keep you in check. Unfortunately many people rack up weeks worth of beer time in just one night of going out.

I am actually reusing the image of the beer gecko in this post as well, since I find it very relevant to this post. Actually it’s not really that relevant, but it’s just a cool picture and drunk geckos can probably perform a lot of tricks (not including selling car insurance ). Seeing the size of that gecko and the amount of beer, I guess for him, he will need to do a lot of work to make up for his boozing habits. I guess, we could get the gecko on one of those spinning circle thingies that they sometimes have hamsters run on. His beer time will probably be measured in years!

So remember, if you are going out to drink, to drink responsibly! Every beer (or other alcohol) you put in, means that more empty calories are going into your body, which are then stored as fat, and this fat will need to get burnt off. So remember what that one extra drink is in BEER TIME!

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John Cisna, who is a teacher in Iowa, decided to go on an all McDonald’s diet and with it managed to lose weight and lower his cholesterol!

He had the kids in his class plan his meals based on the nutritional value of each meal. “What is cool is when you see one kid say, ‘It’s not McDonald’s that makes you fat. It’s your choices that make you fat,'” Cisna said. This gives further credence to your lifestyle determining whether you are healthy or not.

Is this the start of a new weight loss dieting fad? The McDonald’s Diet?

Read more:
Guy loses weight by eating McDonald’s

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So campaigns like this fat acceptance, are just a form of laziness. People don’t want to change and are lazy, and so instead of accepting the fact that the state they are in is bad and something needs to be done about it, they come up with BS like fat acceptance. If you are fat, you can lose all that weight (and if you are skinny you can gain it), you just have to accept the fact that it will take a little work. Actually, most likely it will take a lot of hard work and dedication, but the results of all that effort will be worth it. Trust me!

I believe it is your lifestyle that determines what your body looks like. Carbohydrates are now becoming the new bogeyman, the reason for all the health problems in the world today, just like fats (as in nutrient type) were before them. That’s why you had the low fat craze back in the day and now the craze is all about low carb diets. Yes, carbohydrates can lead to people becoming fat, however the reason is not because of carbohydrates themselves, but instead it is because of the way people live. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. If they are not used up by the body for energy straight away, a part of them gets stored in the body as glycogen. However glycogen storage in the body is limited and so once that is filled up, then the rest of the carbohydrates get stored as fat. So this fact is taken by some influential commentators to explain the obesity epidemic. Since they are influential, they start a trend and this explanation is accepted by the mainstream and most people in society. They are behind the tipping point for this and have a huge influence on what the average person does. Then you have an explosion in all kinds of diets and other “solutions” in order to fix the problem based on this explanation.

However, this explanation is missing the larger picture. The larger picture is that our society has become largely sedentary. In our society people sit at work staring at the computer, to come home, sit down and turn on the television (or start browsing the internet). That is the primary lifestyle of many people and the main reason why they are overweight and unhealthy. In other societies (for example in Asia), carbohydrates make up an even larger percentage of the diet of the people and they are not as fat (although since the sedentary lifestyle is spreading, that is changing) as the people in the Western world. The sedentary lifestyle not only leads your body to burn off less of the calories that you eat, but according to scientific studies, prolonged sitting can turn off lipases, the main fat-burning enzymes. This means that if you sit a lot, you are more likely to get fat.

There are other problems in today’s society that arise from our lifestyles. We have generally weaker bodies than our ancient ancestors. They did not sit on their ass all day, but instead walked around and did things throughout the day, which made their bodies naturally strong. People in today’s society generally have back problems. The main culprit here is once again our sedentary lifestyle. We sit all day and the muscles in our backs and hamstrings become weakened, leading to back pain and bad posture.

Another problem linked to lifestyle is the explosion of eye problems in many parts of the world. Particularly East Asia has been hit hard. According to a scientific study, around 90% of Asian schoolchildren have myopia (are nearsighted). The explanation for this phenomenon is probably not genetic. They did a comparative study of schoolchildren in China and immigrant Chinese schoolchildren in Australia, and there were large differences between the two groups, even if genetically they are the same. The explanation for this is that schoolchildren in Asia spend too much time indoors (studying or playing computer games) and not enough time outside and do not get much sunlight. This damages their eyes and causes eye problems.

What can we do about this? Look at your own life and what type of problems you might be having. Examine the underlying reasons behind them and try to determine whether your lifestyle is contributing to these problems. Once you have done that, try to change up the way you live. In this way, you can lessen the problems that you are having. Problems that society unfortunately creates for us. However you do not need to be shackled by your outside environment, but can create ways of at least partially rising above this environment. This will be the key in whether you are healthy, fit and sane…

So: Get off your ass and do something!

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Fats are one of the three main macronutrient types for your body, together with proteins and carbohydrates. Unlike carbohydrates, some types of fats are considered essential for your body and life. This means that you need to get them from the outside by ingesting food, otherwise your body cannot produce some elements necessary in order to keep functioning. Fats are often misunderstood by the general public. They have a very bad image, however in fact, many types of fats are good for you and your health. Your body needs fats in order to perform its functions. The key here is in the types of fats that you consume and also the amount. If you want to gain weight and muscle, then fats should definitely be a part of your diet.

Fats are a wide group of compounds that are usually soluble in organic solvents, but insoluble in water. They are also called triglycerides, because chemically they are triesters of glycerol and any of the several types of fatty acids. When triglycerides are metabolized, the glycerol in them gets converted to glucose, which means usable energy for the body. The enzymes that break them down are called lipases and are produced in the pancreas.

Fats are a subset of a wider group of compounds called lipids. Lipids include triglycerides, phospholipids, and also sterols (one type of sterol is called cholesterol). You get all of these types of lipids when you eat, however triglycerides make up the most significant group of lipids in our diets. They make up around 95% of the lipids in our food and bodies.

Sources of Fats
Fats come in two forms: liquid and solid. The ones that at room temperature come in liquid form are called oils. Most oils come from plants (edible plant fats). Examples of these oils include ones from: palms, soybean, rapeseed (a subtype of rapeseed is for example canola oil), sunflower seeds, peanuts, cottonseeds, palm kernels, coconuts, olives, corn…etc. Solid fats usually come from animals. The main example are the fats from under the skin of different animals. In some cases, fats from animals can also come as oils, for example fish oils.

Sources of “good fats”:
avocados
olives
tofu
sunflower oil
canola oil
olive oil
nuts
peanut butter
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
flaxseeds
fish
seafood
milk

Structure of Fats
All triglycerides have similar structures, being composed of a glycerol molecule and three fatty acids attached to it. Fatty acids are one of the main constituent parts of fats, but what are they? A fatty acid is a type of carboxylic acid and consists of a long hydrocarbon chain capped by a carboxyl group (COOH). They can serve as fuel and also form adenosine triphosphate, otherwise known as ATP. ATP can basically be described as the engine of the body, as these enzyme molecules can store energy and then release it when it is necessary.

Fatty acids differ in length and how “saturated” they are. They are usually composed of carbon molecules attached to hydrogen molecules. These are attached together through different types of bonds, for example single or double bonds. Saturation is determined by the number of hydrogen attached. If the maximum number possible of hydrogen molecules is attached, then the fat is saturated. If there are holes, then the fat is unsaturated.

1) Saturated Fat
Saturated fats usually come from animal sources (although palm and coconut oils are also major sources of saturated fats), and a lot of times are solid at room temperature. They are also usually pretty stable. They also contain no double bonds between the different carbons in their chains and the number of carbons in each chain can differ from 3 to 36.

2) Unsaturated Fat
Most unsaturated fats come from plant sources and are usually liquid at room temperature (therefore referred to as oils). Unsaturated fats are highly unstable, especially at room temperature. The carbons in their chains usually contain at least some double bonds and there are certain hydrogen molecules missing.

There are two kinds of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are composed of fatty acids that have only one double bond in their carbon chain and the rest are single bonds. This means there is room for only one more pair of hydrogen atoms. On the other hand, polyunsaturated fats have several double bonds and several hydrogen atoms can be accepted and linked into the chain. These double bonds can be arranged in two ways, either as -cis or -trans. Cis fats are usually naturally occurring, while trans fats are usually manufactured.

There are many different types of polyunsaturated fats. Two fatty acids are considered essential: linoleic, linolenic, while arachidonic acids can sometimes be considered essential if the body is deficient in linoleic acid or cannot convert it to arachidonic acid. The spellings of some of these acids might be almost the same, but watch out, because they are different. Linoleic acid is a type of Omega-3 acid, while linolenic and arachidonic are both examples of Omega-6 acids.

Roles of Fats
So what roles do fats play in the body? Fats in the body primarily serve the role of energy reserve and insulation. They can be burned down and turned to energy for the body when it is needed and not enough is being supplied at that moment through the ingestion of food. Fats also serve as components of cell membranes. They are also important for the digestion and transportation of vitamins A, D, E and K, as these are fat soluble and need fats in order to be processed and used in the body.

These are the main roles of fat in the body:
1) Storage and provision of energy: Fats store energy in the body for subsequent use. Fats are composed of glycerol bound to fatty acids. When needed, the fats storage can be accessed and the glycerol can be broken down into glucose for immediate use. The process of conversion of fats into glucose is called gluconeogenesis. Fats can also be used as immediate energy themselves and provide much more energy per gram (9 calories per gram) than carbohydrates or protein. They are used as energy when carbohydrates are not available.

2) Provide structure: Fats form the structural elements of cells and cell membranes.

3) Supply of essential fatty acids: These essential fatty acids are essential for the normal functioning of different types of tissue in the body.

4) Transportation: Some vitamins (A, D, E, K…etc.) are only fat soluble and so fats transport them throughout the body where they are needed.

5) Insulation: Fats stored in adipose tissue provide insulation for the body. They can also protect vital body organs.

6) Coverings of nerves: Nerves are covered by substances made of fats and so this is essential for nerves to carry impulses.

7) Important in the production of hormones: Some fats are very important in the production of hormones.

8) Production of milk in mothers: Fats also have temporary importance in females, as they are necessary for the production of milk in mothers.

Problems with Fats
Consumption of too many fats can cause an unhealthy weight gain and obesity. If you are underweight, then you need to gain weight and so any type of weight gain is positive, however there are limits and you don’t want to have too much fat and look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Too much fat can also cause too much bad cholesterol, which can clog up your arteries and cause all kinds of problems.

Saturated fat is usually considered not healthy for you, however recent studies show that there are certain positive health benefits. It is usually the unsaturated fats that are considered healthy for you, however even there we have to make a distinction. So when people talk about “healthy fats”, they usually mean unsaturated fats. Some unsaturated fats are also considered unhealthy however. The trans fats, which are usually a result of artificial processes, are considered unhealthy and should be reduced to a minimum level in your diet.

Summary
Fats are an important part of any diet. They are especially important if you want to gain weight. They should compose around 20-30% of your diet. However don’t gobble down any type of fat. Try to eat “healthy” fats from natural sources such as fish oil or avocados. These are sources of essential fats and have positive benefits for your body and health.

Your diet should incorporate both saturated and unsaturated fats and try to avoid trans fats. Remember that moderation is key here. While eating too much saturated fats can be unhealthy for you, you still need to incorporate saturated fats in your diet, especially if you are trying to gain weight.

To give you a perspective of what drinking beers means for your workout, try doing cardio on one of those stationary machines in the gym. I was recently on one of those stationary skiing machines, where you hold the handle bars, and move your legs in a sliding motion, similar to what you would do if you were cross-country skiing. The machine had a counter which counted how many calories you burn while doing the exercise. After 15 minutes of doing the exercise, the counter showed 150 calories burnt. That’s one beer! So now, when I go on one of those machines, I count my time using “beer time”. So if you are on the machine for 30 minutes, in beer time, that’s 2 beers. So when you are drinking beer, think about this. Every beer you down equals 15 minutes on the stationary skiing/sliding machine. With the amount of alcohol that some people drink, not even 24 hours on one of those machines would be enough to counteract their daily drinking habits.

So remember, drinking a moderate amount of beer is not bad, and can even be healthy, however drinking too much will give you a belly. In my opinion it’s better to have a six-pack on your stomach, than to hold one in your hand!

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What is a microbiome you ask and why I should I care about it? Also what does this have to do with weight gain? The microbiome are the communities of microorganisms, literally trillions, that live inside the human body. Many people don’t realize that besides things like organs, blood, hormones…etc., the body also contains trillions of little microorganisms that live inside it and have a significant impact on it. These are most often single-celled organisms belonging to the Archaea kingdom. Archaea are prokaryotes and have no cell nucleus or organelles within themselves. There are however some bacteria as well. All these are generally considered harmless and usually do not cause disease (except for some rare circumstances). Many of them can aid the human body in a variety of functions, but recent changes in the human environment have also altered some aspect of the microbiome for the worse. Recent research indicates that some of the microorganisms can play a significant role in how a person gains weight.

Dr. Ilseung Cho, of the NYU School of Medicine, does research into what role the gut microbiome plays in various things, including obesity (and unhealthy weight gain). He summarizes his research in this way: “Obesity is a significant health problem that is facing the United States, with the majority of the population being either overweight or obese. Though the deterioration of diet and exercise has certainly contributed to this problem, we believe that alterations in the gut microbiome also play a significant role. It is a well-known fact that subtherapeutic antibiotics are regularly given to various animals in the agricultural industry to promote growth. Those antibiotics enter the foodstream and may promote similar effects in humans. We are actively developing a murine model to demonstrate that exposure to low-dose antibiotics can alter weight gain and body composition.”

There are numerous teams in the world working on the issues relating to the gut microbiome, obesity and weight gain. For example research done at the University of Chicago, led by Dr. Yang Xin-Fu, found that regulation of the microbiome could be one of the keys to regulating obesity and weight gain. They found that regulating certain bacteria in the stomach could prevent the onset of obesity and weight gain. However the exact bacteria that could help in this are yet to be established and further research needs to be done. There are other teams working on unraveling all this, but the research is so new at the moment, that most of the bacteria discovered through it are still to be named. So maybe in the future, one of the ways to combat obesity and unhealthy weight gain will be through vaccines and antibiotics.

 
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Dr. Ilseung Cho on obesity and weight gain: