Ultra Low Body Fat Isn’t Healthy

In today’s world being ‘ripped’ and ‘cut’ with an ultra low body fat percentage is often considered the Holy Grail of most people’s fitness aspirations. Images of fitness models, bodybuilders and other athletes with abdominals rippling and every muscle beautifully defined with ultra low body fat percentages adorn the pages of so many magazines and advertisements for health related products and services that many are led to believe that being under 5% percent body fat ( for men) and under 10% (for women) is the be-all-and-end all to their fitness dreams and aspirations. For many it also represents the quality of being super fit, and sadly few are aware that models and athletes they look up to don’t stay at such ultra low body fat levels for more than a few weeks out of the year and that in that state they are often very far from being fit and healthy.

Bodybuilders & Cyclists Aren’t Healthy At Extremely Low Body Fat Levels

As a natural bodybuilder I regularly competed at an insanely low body fat percentage of 3%. It was a grueling experience every time and in that world anyone over five percent was considered fat! Keep in mind that the average healthy young male has a body fat percentage of 10-20%!  This type of skewered perspective doesn’t only exist in the bodybuilding world, as the same rigorous standard applies for many other athletes as well. Long distance cyclists are a prime example. All the major contenders for the biggest cycling event in the world, the Tour De France, compete at just about 5% body fat or lower. Take a look at Lance Armstrong’s pictures right before a race and you’ll see that he has a bit of a gaunt look to him as opposed to what he looks like when he isn’t competing. In the cycling world the formula for winning an event like the Tour De France requires a sustainable energy output of 6.7 watts per kilogram of body weight. Increasing power is difficult however reducing body weight is a bit easier so cyclists do their best to be as light as possible by losing as much body fat as humanly possible.

Our Bodies Need Body Fat To Function

The problem is that our bodies need fat to function correctly and it might surprise you that the same athletes that look like the epitome of health don’t feel that energetic at such low body fat levels and suffer from suppressed immune systems and are extremely susceptible to colds and other viruses. Females usually experience a cessation in their menstrual cycle as a consequence of going too low as the body perceives itself to be in the throes of starvation and does its best to not get pregnant as it no longer has the capacity to carry a baby to full term with such low energy reserves. It is truly not a state that the human body wants to maintain and it explains to a large degree why it is inherently so difficult to reduce your body fat levels and why we have to go to unhealthy extremes to get ourselves at an ultra low body fat level.

What does it feel like to be under five percent body fat? I can tell from my experience that it isn’t pleasant at all. When I was competing the second my fat levels dropped below 5% the lethargy set in. I hardly had the energy or desire to do very much and my face had the sunken look of someone that hadn’t eaten in several months. It seemed as if someone so much as sneezed in my direction I would get a cold and I felt cold all the time (your body uses a layer of fat as a form of insulation to keep in your body heat- take that layer away and you lose heat very quickly and will have trouble staying warm in a cold environment.)  Above all I would have difficulty staying asleep- the body perceives such low fat levels as a famine response and forces you to stay awake longer in the hopes of finding food. When I filmed my workout DVD I had already made the decision that I would never again follow any type of extreme diet nor would I ever let myself drop under 5% body fat. Not only is an ultra low body fat level unnatural but we know now that fluctuations in weight can result in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease  and at the end of the day being healthy is more important than trying to achieve a low body fat percentage. The key is to find your own level and not use the calipers as part of a race to see how low you can go. Interestingly enough I can naturally maintain a level of 6 to 7 percent just by eating well and feel fantastic. But that relatively small dip of only two or more percentage points to under 5% makes a huge difference in terms of energy levels and overall health.  It just goes to show that there is a fine line between being superfit and super unhealthy.

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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As Little As One Drink Of Alcohol A Week Can Significantly Reduce Fat Loss

Here is the common statement- if you eat well and exercise regularly having a drink once a week or so isn’t going to affect your weight loss that much. Unfortunately, having worked with hundreds of people over the course of almost two decades I can tell you from personal experience that it will. In fact my observations over the years have borne out that by having as little as one drink of alcohol a week is more than enough to reduce your weight loss by over 60-70% as compared to those following the same dietary plan and exercise regime. More important is that for those final pounds to come off those that consistently had as little as one drink a week were never able to attain flat and rippling abdominals while those that did not drink were consistently able to do so while following the prescribed dietary and exercise protocols. Working with the individuals that indulged I was also always able to tell whether they were drinking or not as their performance in the gym was noticeably reduced if they consumed alcohol for well over 48 hours after consumption. Why does alcohol have such a negative impact on weight loss and performance- the standard idea is that alcohol is high in calories and to lose weight one must at all times burn more calories that you are taking in- but in reality this has nothing to do with why alcohol has such a negative effect as even low calorie alcoholic drinks are problematic. The real problem is that alcohol works to reduce the amount of fat your body is able to burn while increasing your appetite and lowering your testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after your last drink.

After having a drink or two here is what happens to your body that you may not be aware of:

• A some of the alcohol consumed is converted into fat.
• Your liver converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
• The acetate is released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.
• The alcohol raises levels of the stress hormone, cortisol which also acts to increase muscle breakdown.
• The alcohol also reduces testosterone levels.
• The alcohol intake will increase your appetite thus making it more likely that you will overeat without being aware of it.

How Alcohol Inhibits Fat Loss

As we said earlier conventional thought is that beer bellies are caused by the excess alcohol calories being stored as fat- but studies have found that on average less than 5% of the alcohol calories you drink are converted by the liver into fat. Rather, the main problem with alcohol is that it reduces the amount of fat your body is able to burn for energy. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and sugar-free lemonade in half hour intervals. Each drink contained less than 90 calories and fat metabolism was measured both before and after consumption of the drinks. For several hours after drinking the vodka, whole body lipid oxidation which is the rate at which your body burns fat was reduced by 73%[1],!

Instead of being stored as fat, the tendency for your liver to convert alcohol into acetate. Acetate is used by your body as an alternative fuel source- one that replaces fat as a primary fuel source when it is present and available in your system. So when acetate levels rise your body burns more acetate and consequently significantly less fat. In the study it was found that blood acetate levels were 250% higher than normal and this sharp increase in acetate goes a long way in inhibiting fat loss.

Alcohol Makes You Eat More

The combination of alcohol and a high-calorie foods creates an even bigger problem as alcohol works to stimulate your appetite. The word aperitif is French in origin and refers to the alcoholic drink taken before meals to increase your appetite and has been a tradition for hundreds of years. A Canadian study showed that an aperitif increased calorie intake far more than a carbohydrate-based drink [2]. Many other studies have validated this and the bottom line is that you will always eat more when you consume alcohol with your meals.

Alcohol Reduces Testosterone Levels

As if it wasn’t bad enough, not only does too much alcohol inhibit fat loss, but it also decreases testosterone levels. Studies have shown that one bout of high alcohol consumption drinking raises levels of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and increases the breakdown of testosterone for up to 24 hours [3]. Even more alarming is the fact that it was found that the damaging effects of alcohol on testosterone are made even worse when you exercise before drinking [4]. The testosterone reducing effects of alcohol on testosterone could be one reason that people who drink a lot carry less muscle and thus are unable to achieve the levels of muscular development and fat loss required for a lean and sculpted physique. A 1993 study showed conclusively that alcoholic men have bigger waists and smaller muscles than those who abstain from alcoholic beverages [5].

Can You Have Maximum Weight Loss And Still Drink Occasionally?

Having alcohol with a meal will increase your metabolic rate, but will also reduce the amount of fat your body burns for energy — far more so than high protein, high carbohydrate, or high fat meals [6]. A drink once in a blue moon might not do that much but it is important to understand that if you really want to maximize your fat loss and muscle building efforts to create a truly lean and sculpted physique, alcohol is more of a liability than an asset. It isn’t always easy especially in many social situations, but at the end of the day it is important that we understand fully the consequences of our actions rather than pretending that a drink or two a week won’t make much of a difference.

References
1. Siler, S.Q., Neese, R.A., & Hellerstein, M.K. (1999). De novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics, and whole-body lipid balances in humans after acute alcohol consumption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70, 928-936
2. Buemann, B., Toubro, S., & Astrup, A. (2002). The effect of wine or beer versus a carbonated soft drink, served at a meal, on ad libitum energy intake. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 26, 1367-1372
3. Valimaki, M.J., Harkonen, M., Eriksson, C.J., & Ylikahri, R.H. (1984). Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol. Alcohol, 1, 89-93
4. Heikkonen, E., Ylikahri, R., Roine, R., Valimaki, M., Harkonen, M., & Salaspuro, M. (1996). The combined effect of alcohol and physical exercise on serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and cortisol in males. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 20, 711-716
5. Kvist, H., Hallgren, P., Jonsson, L., Pettersson, P., Sjoberg, C., Sjostrom, L., & Bjorntorp, P. (1993). Distribution of adipose tissue and muscle mass in alcoholic men. Metabolism, 42, 569-573
6. Raben A, Agerholm-Larsen L, Flint A, Holst JJ, Astrup A. (2003). Meals with similar energy densities but rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol have different effects on energy expenditure and substrate metabolism but not on appetite and energy intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77, 91-100

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Is Agave Really Better Than Sugar?

In the continuing quest for a guilt-free sweetener agave has taken center stage in most so called organic foods as an all natural alternative to sugar. Agave nectar is significantly sweeter than sugar and a naturally occurring substance as opposed to chemically created artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. It’s ‘natural’ origins make it immensely popular with the ‘health-food’ industry and is aggressively marketed to the health conscious as a healthy alternative to sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The reality is that not only is agave nectar in the form we find in health food stores unnatural, but also just as bad for your health as corn syrup and regular sugar if not worse.

Agave Isn’t Natural- It’s A Highly Processed Product

The first and most important issue to address is the idea that high concentrations of agave nectar are natural and it isn’t. Nectar is not found in high concentrations and the form of agave found in the health food stores is not the same as what you would find in nature. Naturally occurring agave nectar contains inulin, a fiber like ingredient that does have some health benefits, however during the manufacturing process, enzymes are added to the inulin to break it down into a more digestible form of sugar- fructose, which creates a high fructose syrup. (More on the dangers of fructose later on in the article)

Agave Has A History Of Causing Health Problems

The argument that agave nectar was used by the Native Indians of the Southwest American continent is also a bit misleading as it omits the fact that Spanish settlers reported that all of the tribes that used agave had a tendency towards extreme tooth decay. The Indians chewed the sweet heart of the plan but not without negative consequences. Before we dismiss cavities and tooth decay as inevitable, as many here in the West tend to assume, we should look to the examples of tribes where no such sweeteners were used- agave or honey. Dr. Weston Price, a dentist and one of the first Europeans to make the connection between bad health and Western dietary practices made detailed studies of several African tribes including the Masai of Tankanika, the Chewya of Kenya, the Muhima of Uganda, the Watusi of Rwanda and the Neurs tribes in Sudan and cavities were almost non-existent- less than 0.5%. Cavities come from what we eat-regardless of dental hygiene as many native people studied by Dr. Price never brushed or cared for their teeth the way we do today and yet remained free of cavities.

Agave Has More Fructose Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

 
Far more important is the chemical composition of agave nectar. While touted as a low glycemic substance that could be great for diabetics as a sugar alternative, agave nectar is composed of mostly fructose. Fructose, as found naturally in fruit with the presence of fiber, vitamins and minerals  has been consumed by humans for millions of years- however in isolation studies have shown that it can actually increase insulin resistance, raise triglycerides (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease) and increase visceral abdominal fat which also in turn puts you at a greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Studies have continually found that fructose in isolation is a major problem and agave nectar is almost 90% fructose! That’s far more than table sugar and several times more than the levels found in high fructose corn syrup! 

Agave Poses A Health Threat Since It Is Marketed As Being Healthy

In the end agave nectar poses a considerable health threat as while most people are aware of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, and the consumption of sugary food products and do their best to eliminate them or cut down their consumption, thanks to brilliant marketing on the part of the ‘health food industry’ few are aware that products such as agave are bad for their health and thus are more apt to use it freely as they believe it to have positive qualities. It is a unfortunate but common occurrence in today’s world where more so called health foods are sold more than any other time in our history and yet rates of obesity and diet related disease continues to climb. Agave isn’t the only offender but it is one that you should avoid if you are seeking optimum health and proper weight management.

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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Without Regulation Supplements Are Always A Risk

Here in the United States a legislative loophole makes it possible that health food products ranging from protein powders, to energy bars, fat burners and a wide range of bodybuilding supplements are allowed to be produced without any real oversee with regards to its marketing claims or its content. Most would be surprised to learn that some supplement companies got started in someone’s basement, and that there is no such thing as pharmaceutical grade whey protein/creatine or any such product as such companies don’t make the type of products you would find in at a GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies dietary supplements as foods and are thus exempt from the stringent manufacturing practices required for the pharmaceutical industry. Quality control is thus left to the discretion of the individual manufacturers, which is why so many products are often found to be harmful or containing harmful ingredients after being on the shelves for several years. In Europe all such supplements are banned due to the potential health risk posed by many of the unregulated vitamins, herbs and supplements that we here in the United States use on a daily basis and with good reason.

There are no such safeguards in place to protect the general public here in the United States, as a supplement can be made with no safety assurances, without having to answer to any quality control standards, and the product need not have any scientifically proven benefit. The argument is not really about whether these products are effective or not, or even whether they should be available to the public at large- more so the question is truly why they are exempted from safety testing and standardized quality controls. In the end it is a matter of safety.   Every search on this subject will result in pro-supplement propaganda, as the supplement industry rakes in over 13 billion dollars a year, and a lot of money is funneled towards keeping you, the consumer believing that these products are not only healthy, and scientifically validated in their effectiveness, but are also an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and nothing could be further from the truth. In the end, the numerous recalls on supplements found to be harmful as well as the lack of long term research on the safety of many mainstream supplements are more than enough reason not to use them. Besides, I have seen hundreds of people achieve their health and fitness goals, many reaching the highest achievements possible in terms of performance and the human physique, and they did due to their consistency and hard work, not from taking a pill or a powder. 

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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There Is Nothing Wrong With Red Meat

Contrary to what many experts would have you believe there is nothing wrong with eating red meat. Official health recommendations called for Americans to cut back on their red meat consumption several years ago and ever since red meat has been regarded by most as potentially hazardous to your health. The irony is that the ‘science’ used to come to these conclusions was not at all a matter of science, but conjecture. Back in the 1970′s when the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease was established, saturated fats became the enemy. So much so that many prominent official health  organizations recommended switching from traditional foods high in saturated fat to ones containing partially hydrogenated oils, or trans fats. Margarine was preferred over butter and red meat- a high source of saturated fats was put into the verboten category, cited as increasing risks of heart disease, colon cancer and type two diabetes. We know today that these recomendations were completely flawed- as trans fats have been identified as a strong causative factor in the very ailments they were supposed to prevent. We also know that the whole cholesterol causes heart attacks theory is flawed. Researchers today observe that half the people who get heart attacks don’t have high cholesterol levels and half the people with high cholesterol levels don’t get heart attacks. Yet still there is a herd type mentality that takes the flawed sciences of the nutritional authorities as gospel truth.

Red Meat Has Been Consumed Regularly for Thousands Of Years Without Any Problems

To condemn red meat as potentially unhealthy is to ignore the several hundred thousand years of our evolutionary history where red meat was a main source of protein. Metabolic disease was not prevalent at that time, nor were high incidences of colon cancer and obesity. Equally ignored were the eating habits of other cultures where red meat has continued to be a staple for generations. Koreans eat a substantial amount of red meat in their diets, with those that can afford it eating beef several times a week. Pork- another often vilified meat is also a firm part of the Korean diet and yet according to data from the National Cancer Institute, Korean women have one of the lowest cancer rates on the planet.  For Korean males, the cancer rate is slightly higher but still lower than that of the United States, but most importantly rates for colon and rectal cancer for beef-eating Koreans are extremely low- in spite of their high beef consumption. Incidences of cardiovascular disease in Korea is also significantly lower averaging  21 per 100,000, compared to 66.8 per 100,000 here in the U.S.  

Large Scale Review Finds That Processed Meats- Not Red Meat In Its Natural Form Can Increase Risk Of Diet Related Illnesses

Interestingly enough a recent Harvard review of twenty different studies of several thousand people found that there was no correlation between red meat intake and coronary heart disease. The studies did find that processed meat intake was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% increase in risk of type 2 diabetes. The study concluded that it is the consumption of processed meats, not red meats that is associated with higher incidence of coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Once again the problem lies not with natural foods but their man made food product derivatives. Food products like hot dogs, bacon, cold cuts and deli meats all fall into that category and my recommendation would be to remove them from your diet completely. The way in which beef in particular is raised here in the U.S. still raises some concerns, and so it is always best to pay a few dollars more for beef that isn’t raised using modern intensive farming methods. As ‘science’ is slowly learning, the more processed a food is, the less like it is going to be good for the human body, but the foods that we have been eating for several thousand years are aleays the better choice.

References: 
Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis- Renata Micha RD, PhD*, Sarah K. Wallace BA, and Dariush Mozaffarian MD, DrPH

Kevin Richardson is the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training 10 Minute Workouts™ and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here.

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