What Does the Type of Fat You Eat Have to Do With the Shape of Your Hips?

Men and women are biologically predisposed to be attracted to a particular type of body shape in the opposite sex. Men generally like curvy women, but today’s female…

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Men and women historically have always been attracted to a particular type of body shape in the opposite sex. There are biological reasons for this.

Men have always been drawn to curvy women, especially women with smaller waists and rounded hips. While waist and hip sizes may vary, historically, men have universally been attracted to women with a waist to hip ratio of about 66%, and curvy hips and thighs.

Yes, ladies, contrary to what many of us believe, men generally do not wish we looked like stick figures or rail thin models.

Unfortunately, the majority of today’s American women, especially younger women in their 20’s, have a waist to hip ratio of closer to 75%, meaning that the waist is about 75% of the total hip measurement. American women’s waist size is getting bigger.

Why is this? It has to do with the type of fats in our diet today. 

The type of fat you eat gets stored in different parts of the body. Typically, fat from Omega 6 fats like the kind found in vegetable oils, grains and processed foods is stored more in the waist or belly. Fat from Omega 3 fats is more likely to be stored in the hips and thighs.

When women lose weight, it generally is lost in other parts of the body first.

Much to a woman’s frustration, the fat in the hips and thighs is usually the last to go, and the most difficult to lose, as the body stores this valuable fat here for purposes of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

According to Will Lassek, M.D., and Steven Gaulin, Ph.D. in the book, “Why Women Need Fat”,  the fat that is stored in a women’s hips and thighs is rich in a very valuable substance that is concentrated in this part of the body. This fat is high in something called DHA—which is a component of the Omega 3 fatty acids in our diets.

DHA is extremely important for proper brain and nervous system function, as nerve cells are made primarily of this type of fat.

Omega 3 fats and DHA in our diets come from wild caught fatty fish, grass fed beef and dairy products, and free range chickens and eggs. But sadly, the North American diet and the diet of most civilized countries, is mostly grain-based and not only are our diets too high in grain based, processed foods, but beef cattle, dairy cows, and chickens that produce the meat, dairy, and eggs in our diet are also fed grain as well, making commercial meat and dairy way higher in Omega 6 fats, not Omega 3 fats.

(This may also be the reason for the rise in autism, ADHD and other issues related to brain health—our diet is very poor in Omega 3’s and DHA.)

So according to Mother Nature, mothers breast feed their children, and the fat in a mother’s milk is pulled from stored fat in the  hips and thighs primarily.

Mens’ ancient biological brains are actually telling them that a woman with a smaller waist and curvy hips and thighs carries an abundance of the good fat, DHA from the Omega 3 fats in her diet. Since DHA is vital for the brain and nerve tissue, DHA means smarter, healthier children.

And other studies show that children and mothers who live in countries with have a high amount of Omega 3 fats in their diets, and higher DHA in their bodies, tend to score higher on tests of academic ability and intelligence. Some of these women from other countries have up to 4x more stored DHA in their bodies than American women. Not surprisingly, American children score 31st out of 64 countries on the same academic tests–much lower than the children from mothers with higher DHA, according to Lassek and Gaulin.

Today’s average American woman is about 20lbs heavier than the average woman in the 1970’s, with a much bigger waist (waist to hip ratio) measurement. Why the change?

The long answer has to do with a variety of things from extra large portions, high fructose corn syrup and sugar in everything to ‘supersizing’ and processed foods. But in terms of the type of fats in our diet and how our bodies store fat, it boils down to the kind of fat that is most prevalent in our diets right now.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are considered “Essential Fatty Acids” and come from our diets. We depend on our food supply to get these fats, but unfortunately for most of us, our diets are overloaded with Omega 6 fatty acids, which come from vegetable oils, and grains, primarily.

The Standard American Diet contains up to 20x more Omega 6 fats than Omega 3 fats. That’s WAY more than the proper ratio we need to be healthy.

So, in order to get enough Omega 3 fatty acids, the average American must eat more of everything, just to get the right amount of  Omega 3 fats.

And studies also show that Omega 3 fats are much more satisfying to the body and that we are hungrier after eating foods with Omega 6 fats,so that also leads to more eating.

And, Omega 6 fatty acids actually tend to be stored in the waist and around the belly, rather than the hips (and men store more belly fat as well), so our diets and the type of essential fatty acids we eat, ends up being a very big factor that determines our body shape.

So, ladies, if you want a smaller waist and curvier bottom, eat more Omega 3 fats from wild caught fish, grass fed meats and dairy, and free range eggs.

Cut way back on the Omega 6 fats, by avoiding all grains and vegetable oils. You not only will have a better body shape, but you will produce healthier, smarter children and YOUR brain will be healthier and function better as well.

The correct balance of Omega 3 fats to Omega 6 fats is crucial for our health and for survival, as well as a more attractive body.

Choose wisely!

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Till next time,

Stay healthy and lean and curvy!

cat e1335982521218 Are Eggs Really As Bad As Cigarettes? Really?

References: Will Lassek, M.D., and Steven Gaulin, Ph.D, Psychology Today, Feb. 2012, and the book, “Why Women Need Fat”.

DSC 6815 e1335982388100 Are Eggs Really As Bad As Cigarettes? Really? Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition.  She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

                                Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

 

Natural Paleo Fixes for Seasonal Allergies

 

Ahh yes, it’s ragweed and hay fever season again.

Every year, it hits me a ton of bricks. I wake up one morning and find I’m in a sleepy fog, my energy is gone, and my head is full, my eyes are irritated and itchy, and I’m sneezing and wheezing. This spring and early summer, we had more than the usual amount of rain, so I’m guessing the ragweed crop is especially bountiful. Oh joy.

About 1 out of 5 of us are allergic to ragweed in some form or another.

And with over 17 species of ragweed out there, that’s plenty out there to cause allergic reactions.

While some of you may head to your local Walgreen’s to load up on antihistamines, decongestants, and Kleenex, I usually start first with my diet.

While I eat a primarily Paleo style diet year ‘round, I find that really sticking to it during allergy season makes a huge difference in my allergic symptoms and how I feel.

There is a way to get some major relief from seasonal allergies with a Paleo style diet. Yep, that’s right. Diet can really make a BIG difference.

Take a close look at your diet. What you ARE eating and NOT eating has a big effect on the how your body reacts to other allergenic substances.

The thinking here is to avoid foods that cause inflammation—even if those foods do not directly cause an allergy.

I found out that totally eliminating grains from my diet, almost totally eliminated my allergy symptoms as well. And it’s not a gradual thing, but almost overnight, allergy symptoms will improve. While I’m not exactly sure why, I have a strong suspicion that it’s linked to the fact that grains cause inflammation, and inflammation is what makes allergies symptomatic.

Cutting out refined, processed foods that contain lots of sugar, chemically altered saturated fats (hydrogenated oils), and omega 6 (vegetable) oils will help your body's inflammatory load.

This includes anything with white flour, high fructose corn syrup, and chemical preservatives. So forego the cookies and candy for now.

And as much as I hate to say, if you drink, it’s best to eliminate alcohol for now, too.

Both red and white wine contain sulfites and histamines that can really make allergy symptoms worsen. And beer is made from grains and yeast, which is often also a problem—at least during allergy season. Ciders can have these same issues as well.

And you will want to avoid foods that are related to the pollen producing plants.  Here’s a tip from one of my favorite health and nutrition bloggers, Mark Sisson:

“If you know the source of your particular allergy,[i.e., ragweed, tree pollen, etc] you can further pinpoint foods that tend to trigger what’s called “oral allergy syndrome,” a reaction to allergen-related foods that affects primarily the lips and mouth. Check out the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia information on cross-reactive foods for those with seasonal allergies.”

 

For instance, if you have a problem with ragweed, you may also want to avoid bananas and cantelope during hayfever season.

Avoid pasteurized, conventional dairy products as much as possible during allergy season as well. You can be sensitive to pasteurized dairy, and not realize it, but it definitely can increase mucous secretions, and contribute to sinus problems.

If you MUST have dairy, find grass fed dairy, especially the raw, unpasteurized kind.

Grass fed dairy is rich in CLA, which is short for conjugated linoleic acid. Among CLA's many benefits is that it strengthens the immune system and lowers allergy reactions. And, grass-fed has about five times the amount found in the conventional dairy products.

Load up on antioxidant plant pigments—like the ones found in berries, peppers, red onions, and other britghtly colored fruits and veggies, to strengthen your mucous membranes and stabilize your immune cells. And these foods contains particiular nutrients like vitamin C and quercetin that are very powerful natural antihistamines.

Dark green leafy veggies like salad greens, parsley, kale, and spinach also contain magnesium, which can help breathing and stop the wheezing.

And speaking of avoiding inflammation, increase your EFA's.

Essential fatty acids  are known and proven to fight inflammation. The EPA and DHA in wild caught fish, fish oils and grass fed meat is one of the best preventative measures you can take for allergy problems.

Tea, especially green tea, red tea, and white tea contain a flavonoid that not only reduces inflammation for offers support for the immune system. And regular black tea isn’t too bad either.

And there is some buzz on eating local honey, but I am not convinced. Because the bees get their pollen from nearby plants and flowers, the honey can be kind of like an allergy shot. Start with a little bit (a half teaspoonful or so) and work your way up to see if it helps.

Some other quick fixes can be implemented right away to bring about some immediate relief.

  • First and most obvious is to close the windows in your home. Yeah, we’ve had our share of hot, humid weather and most of us are into full-on AC, but don’t get excited over that first cool day and open everything back up again. The pollen is still out there.
  • Lots of folks just swear by a neti pot to rinse out the nose and sinuses daily. Neti pots can be found in most natural foods stores. To the uninitiated, it sounds a little crazy, but it can actually be a soothing and cleansing way to clear out the sinuses and help you breathe easier. Basically, it involves using purified water, a touch of sea salt and rinsing the salt water through the nasal passages. Once they try it, most people find Neti to be a soothing and pleasant experience. I guess it’s time for me to dig mine out and start using it again too.

Beyond that, I recommend a couple other nutritional supplements that work as well as or better (without the side effects) as pharmaceutical drugs:

  • Vitamin C- Taking 2000 to 5000 mg a day will act like a natural antihistamine in addition to its other immune strengthening benefits. Build up your dosage gradually as larger doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea.
  • Freeze dried stinging nettle capsules cut down on the itching, and sneezing of allergies as well. Stinging nettle is thought to be as good as, or better than antihistamine hay fever medications. The dose used is usually two 300 mg capsules taken whenever the symptoms were experienced.

 

I have to tell you, I have tried all sorts of allergy remedies.

From over the counter medications, to the newest and latest prescription allergy medications, inhalers and nasal sprays, I've tried them. I even went through the whole process of allergy shots twice a week for several years. None of those things worked worth a darn, until I changed my diet.

Now, my allergy problems are virtually non-existant.

I may not stick with a Paleo style, no grain/no sugar diet 100% of the time, but when allergy season rolls around, I get back on the wagon, and feel great!

Give it a try. It works.

 

Till next time,

Stay healthy, lean and allergy free!

 

 

 

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Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Fountain of Youth Is Right Under Your Nose

 

Our DNA is coded with a life span.

At the ends of each chromosome lies something called a ‘telomere’.

What exactly is a Telomere, and why should I care?

Telomeres protect chromosomes and prevent them from fusing into rings or binding with other DNA. I like to think of telomeres as being kinda like the little hard plastic ends on the ends of shoelaces, to put it simply. They keep the laces from coming undone.

Telomeres do a similar thing with chromosomes.

When a cell divides, as they do thousands of times every day, strands of DNA get snipped to in the process. The places that are snipped are the telomeres. And the telomeres get shorter and shorter each time.

Eventually the telomere gets too short, and the DNA becomes damaged, putting a halt to the cell’s ability to reproduce. This is where aging occurs.

The rate at which this happens varies among individual people and cells. This is why some people are may be more susceptible to age related disease than others.

How does this affect aging in our bodies?

Scientists can actually determine a cell's age and can estimate how many more times it may replicate by studying the length of the telomeres in a person.

As we age, we look for ways to lengthen our lives, slow aging and keep our cells young.

Recent scientific research shows omega 3 fats can actually slow down the rate at which telomeres on chromosomes shorten. This latest study on omega 3’s and their effect on telomeres that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) show that those that had the highest levels of omega 3‘s also had the slowest rates of telomere shortening over 5 years. And the patients with the lowest levels of omega 3’s had fastest rate of telomere shortening.

In other words, those with the highest levels of omega 3 fats, aged the slowest.

This is the first real study that shows a direct connection between a particular nutrient and real anti aging benefits.

Omega 3’s stellar health benefits just keep coming in, including: preventing heart disease, protecting the immune system, weight loss, keeping skin smoother, improving mental health, preventing cancer, and helping fight inflammation.

Telomere length is an important marker of true biological age that accurately predicts illness and lifespan in many areas of health. And, scientists have already shown that rodents live about one-third longer when given a diet enriched with omega 3’s from an animal source.

Obviously you are going to want to load up on omega 3’s.

The best source for well-absorbed omega 3’s fatty acids is from animals, primarily grass fed meat, wild caught fatty fish and pastured eggs. And don’t forget to load up on those antioxidant rich fresh vegetables and fruits.

You can find what foods contain the MOST amounts of quality omega 3 fats in The Fat Burning Kitchen Book.

Till next time,

Stay young, lean and healthy!

 

   

 
Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN,is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.
 
Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.
Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.
 
 

Sources:

Nathan Seppa, “Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids tally up”, Science News, February 13th, 2010; Vol.177 #4 (p. 14).

Julie Steenhuysen, Fish oil protects against cellular aging: study, Reuters, Jan 19, 2010 . Guardian.co.uk

Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD; Jue Lin, PhD; Elissa S. Epel, PhD; William S. Harris, PhD; Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD; Mary A. Whooley, MD, “Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease”JAMA. 2010;303(3):250-257.