overweight

Fat and Fit Don’t Mix

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get fit

Helloooo CONSUMER friendly, let’s get fit! .
http://www.tofugu.com/2011/10/12/what-do-sumo-wrestlers-eat/

I have very, very disappointing news to share with everyone: Being fit does not co-exist with being fat. At least that is what the Annals of Internal Medicine are claiming through a new study. But let us back up a little, where did this idea even come from?

Data has been floating around recently about the idea that one can be fit even if one is obese. Due to this data the acceptance of being overweight wasn’t thought of as anything more than a choice. But can there be repercussions from choosing to be fit and obese? Could there be health issues unbeknownst to us that the study is trying to bring attention to?

Related Article: To be Fat or Not to be Fat?

There is a stockpile of data showing that there is no ‘healthy level’ of obesity. Over 60,000 patients in 8 studies weighed in on the findings presented by the study mentioned above. The result was that those who were metabolically healthy but obese had a higher risk of death or cardiovascular events later in their lives than others of normal weight. The study simply concludes that being overweight or having excess weight poses a threat to your longevity. In addition to weight management, which of course is the inferred solution, one should always check their blood pressure and cholesterol levels to ensure their body stays healthy and fit.

Related Article: Fat, Poor Kids Just Got a Little Less Fat

Who wants to check their weight now? Go here for a Body Mass Index calculator! It will tell you whether you are at a societally normal weight, underweight, overweight, or obese. It is better to know than to be in denial.

In the end both your fitness level and your health level is quite clearly determined by you. If you choose to be a little overweight and still feel great then who is to say that in fact you aren’t going to live forever? Honestly, living life the way you want to is what matters most, if indeed you wish to be happy then live the way that makes you feel happiest. Doesn’t hurt to adjust some parts though! Cheers to living!

 

Research:

AoIM: Are Metabolically Healthy Overweight and Obesity Benign Conditions?

CNN Health: You Can Be Fat AND Fit, Researchers Say

NIH: Calculate your Body Mass Index

 

Wondergressive: The Dangers of Fat Acceptance

Wondergressive: To be Fat or Not to be Fat?

Wondergressive: Fat, Poor Kids Just Got a Little Less Fat. Still Poor.

Japanese Diet Secret: Black Soybean Tea (Kuromame Tea)

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black soybean kuromame

Kuromame Black Soybean Tea http://www.hirokoskitchen.com

 

Black soybean tea, otherwise known as kuromame tea, is another wonderful secret of how the Japanese maintain their weight and health. Obesity is arguably the worst health risk threatening the developed world, especially in the West. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one third, or 35.7%, of American adults, are obese. More than two-thirds of adults are considered overweight.

Kuromame tea is here to help you, if not save you. Kuromame, or black soybeans, a rare legumes native to China, and have long been used in Chinese medicine to clear toxins from the body and promote urination. Kuromame has also been linked to effective weight loss along with promoting a healthy diet. There are a few major components to black soybean kuromame tea that give it its remarkable fat shedding ability.

Related Article: Japanese Diet Secret: Kurozu (Black Vinegar)

 

Polyphenols in Black Soybean Kuromame Tea

Polyphenols are compounds known for their anti-aging properties. They are found in foods such as black rice, pears, and potatoes. Black soybeans contain a specific polyphenol called anthocyanin which is known to fight numerous human diseases. Anthocyanin has shown positive results in cancer prevention, anti-aging, reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis, lowering cholesterol, and promotion of lipid metabolism.

A study done by the Journal of Medicinal Food found that anthocyanin inhibited fat absorption in a group of mice that included a higher amount of fat in their diet compared to the control group. The mice did not gain any additional weight.

 

Isoflavones and Weight Loss

Isoflavones are themselves a type of anti-oxidant and help prevent certain types of cancer such as breast cancer. They also improves lipid metabolism. Lipid metabolism powers your weight loss, or more specifically fat loss. Kuromame tea can help you with this because black soybeans are filled with isoflavones. Lipid metabolism is the process of your body fat being mobilized to be used as energy. They also help to control circulatory blood fats.

There are two more very important components to black soybeans that make kuromame tea the choice for a healthier diet and effective weight loss. One is fiber. Black soybeans are a high carbohydrate legume. However, a large portion of  those carbohydrates come from fiber. Fiber helps to lower cholesterol and helps prevent a steep rise in blood sugar levels. The other important and not commonly known compound found in kuromame skin is saponin. Saponin is a chemical compound that also inhibits the absorption of fat.

 

Make Your Own Black Soybean Kuromame Tea

I have been making my own kuromame tea from the black soybeans I buy in the Asian markets near my house (which you can also buy on Amazon). There is really not much to it:

You grab a handful of black soybeans and put them in a pan over high heat. Let them roast for a few minutes. Nothing extra has to be added. Boil some water for later use. The black soybeans will be ready once you hear the skin crack and the color of the beans turns brown. Take the beans and put them in a french press or other utensil you normally use to prepare tea. Pour in the boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes, or let it sit until you are done drinking.

The reason I do not put down specific measurements is because you can adjust the amount of water to your own liking. Some people like kuromame tea with a smokier taste and some like it more diluted.

After drinking, you can eat the black soybeans themselves since they will be nice and soft. This way you can take in all of the healthy carbs and fiber available to you. It is also worth mentioning that black soybeans are low on the glycemic index, so they make a perfect snack for diabetics!

 

 

Sources:

Wondergressive: The Obese Shall Inherit the Earth

http://www.livestrong.com/article/305656-calories-in-black-soybeans/

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2000/07/03/general/its-a-drink-and-a-snack-black-soybeans/#.UYCFjbWG1rM

http://slism.com/diet/black-bean-diet.html

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jmf.2006.147

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1082894/

http://www.med.unc.edu/neurology/files/documents/child-teaching-pdf/OVERVIEW%20OF%20LIPID%20METABOLISM.pdf

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/33070

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

 

Recommended Reading for those Interested in More Japanese Secrets

Japanese Farm Food

To be Fat or Not to be Fat?

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America is fat, but it may also be healthy. A recent study on over weight individuals has sparked a lot of criticism. Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says:

We published an article in 2005 that showed, among other things, that (being) overweight was associated with lower mortality.

Since then, Flegal and her associates have been working on a study that involves reviews of over 100 previous studies linking weight and mortality. The study claims that those who are overweight but not obese might be able to live through medical crisis’ better than those who are thin. The idea is that you lose weight when you are facing something serious, be it stress or a medical problem, and that those with more fat on them can shed 20lbs without much impact on their body. However, if you are thin and you lose 20lbs you end up straining your body and energy which can worsen your health, ultimately causing a pre-mature death.

It might also have to do with the mentality of individuals. A healthy thin individual may not be as inclined to see the doctor as often as an overweight individual might. Let us say for instance that both a thin and an overweight individual has a dormant tumor. The overweight individual may detect it sooner due to more frequent checkups than the thin individual simply because of the “I’m healthy I don’t need to get a checkup” mentality. Not to mention the stubbornness of not seeing a doctor for routine checkups because it costs too much. I think it all boils down to living healthier lives and paying attention to your body! Experts say that ultimately it comes down to how you feel, if you are overweight but fit and you feel good then you are healthy! 

The obese make us fat Americans average, does that mean that the average sized people will live longer lives? What do you think? Maybe its time to stop hitting the gym and time to start eating more pies! Chocolate pies, raspberry pies, banana cream pies, mint pies, key lime pies….. mmmmm so many PIES!

 

Sources:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/02/health/overweight-mortality/index.html

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/mindfulness.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm

The Obese Shall Inherit the Earth

/ esfein / 3 Comments
jabba the hut

discountdivah.wordpress.com

As a species we are round, plump, overweight, porky, of ample proportions, jelly-bellied, elephanty- call it what you want. We are fat! We have evolved from scavenging bushes and laboriously hunting animals to survive a few more worrisome nights, to covering ourselves in chocolate and cream for sexual pleasure, all in the blink of a cosmic eye.

With that image in mind, hang on to your flab world, I have some back breaking news:  it’s official, we are obnoxiously, and fatally fat. The shocking truth is that we are now so fat that obesity is currently a bigger global health crisis than hunger. It’s official, according to a new study from The Lancet, obesity the leading cause of disabilities around the world. The health burden from high body mass indexes now exceeds that due to hunger.  The ‘big boned’ excuse isn’t going to cut it anymore.

Approximately 500 researchers from 50 different countries compiled health date from 1990 to 2010 into the Global Burden of Disease report. The numbers aren’t pretty.

Despite showing extremely high global immunization rates, the report revealed that:

Every country, with the exception of those in sub-Saharan Africa, faces alarming obesity rates — an increase of 82% globally in the past two decades. Middle Eastern countries are more obese than ever, seeing a 100% increase since 1990.

Ali Mokdad, co-author of the study, explains that:

The so-called ‘Western lifestyle’ is being adapted all around the world, and the impacts are all the same.

So what has obesity paved the way for as far as impacts go?  For the first time in history, noncommunicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes are the top reasons for years spent sick.

Mokdad added that:

All these problems are tied to obesity. We’re even seeing a large percentage of people suffering back pain now. If we could lower the obesity rates, we’d see the numbers of noncommunicable diseases and pain decrease as well.

The report wasn’t all negative at least.  People are living much longer than what was projected in 1990.  Men have gained 10.7 years of life and women have gained 12.6.  But, even those numbers are tinged by obesity, as the quality of life during old age has dramatically decreased.  On average, people all over the world suffer from illness and pain for the last 14 years of life.

Mokdad points out that:

We’ve figured out how to keep the person who suffered a stroke alive, but then they’re living disabled for years afterward. That’s not the quality of life that person expected.

Noncommunicable diseases are a huge problem for the world economy and your pocket as well.  A 2011 report from the World Economic Forum and Harvard School of Public Health outlines how these diseases will account for $30 trillion over the next twenty years, with an additional $16 trillion in mental health care costs.

Health professional say that stress is the greatest killer, and obesity is one of the most harmful stresses we can put on our bodies and lives. Let’s make sure we are addressing this issue on all levels, communally and individually.

Here is my number one hint in 2013 for losing weight and becoming healthier overall; drop the soda-pop. 

Take your last high fructose filled gulp and never look back.

 

Sources:

CNN: Global report: Obesity bigger health crisis than hunger

The Lancet: Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

World Economic Forum: The Global Economic Burden of Non-communicable Diseases

CNN: Time to address a neglected global epidemic

HuffPost: Soda, Other Sugary Drinks More Firmly Tied To Obesity In New Studies

Wondergressive: Obesity and Low Carb Fads: Where Did We Go Wrong? (Part 1)