Burn fat naturally and healthily

Proper nutrition, needed for basic survival, is also used to help speed up the metabolism. This means eating five to six mini meals per day. I am not giving you the go-ahead to eat five to six 2,000-calorie meals. Assuming that you’ve figured your daily caloric intake to be 2,000 calories, each of the meals should approximate a proportional caloric distribution. Aerobic exercising, the key to developing a fat burning machine, also speeds up the metabolic rate. It really doesn’t matter the type of aerobic exercise you choose. Make sure to do it at least four times per week for at least 20-30 minutes. This is a key folks! To lose fat, you must do an aerobic activity as part of your routine. An increase in muscle mass is the third element needed to burn fat. Aerobic exercise does this to a limited degree, but lifting weights is the best method by far.

As an important source of energy, carbohydrates are needed for all the bodily functions. They provide readily available calories for energy and help to regulate fat and protein metabolism. Basically, carbohydrates are broken down into two types, simple and complex. The simple carbohydrates such as those found in fruits are very quickly digested. Complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, and pasta are not as quickly digested, but are still very efficient.

Carbohydrates are broken down and converted by the body into glucose or blood sugar. These are utilized as fuel for the brain first, the nervous system, and the muscles. Excess carbohydrates not used by the body are converted into fat to be used later as an energy reserve. When we can efficiently condition our bodies to utilize our fat stores for fuel, fat burning occurs and fat loss results. If you want to be obese, keep stuffing your face with starchy and sweet foods. One gram of carbohydrate requires approximately four calories to yield energy.

Fats, also called lipids, are a very highly concentrated source of energy. They are a necessary substance for good health. Aside from providing energy for the body, fats are extremely important in other respects. For example: fats act as carriers for the important fat-soluble vitamins; fats protect the internal organs; fats preserve body heat; fats slow down the digestive process giving a longer feeling of fullness following a meal.

There are two basic types of fats or fatty acids: saturated and unsaturated. One of the ways to tell the difference is that saturated fats are hard at room temperature and unsaturated fats are not. Too much fat ingestion will also lead to excess weight and obesity. Although there is no Recommended Dietary Allowance set down by the National Research Council, many nutritionists agree that 25 to 30 percent per day is appropriate. Fats require more than double the calories to burn as carbohydrates and proteins. One gram of fat requires nine calories to burn.

The most plentiful of the three substances mentioned is protein and is a key element in the development of all body tissues. It is especially important to the integrity, building and maintenance of muscle tissue. As a source of energy, protein gives four calories per gram, the same number as carbohydrates.

The National Research Council (NRC) suggests that 0.42 grams of protein per pound of body weight are the minimum needed for a healthy body. This means that a 200-pound man would require 84 grams of protein a day to satisfy the body’s needs for tissue repair. Let’s play with the numbers for just a second. If an active 200-pound man required 3,000 calories per day, 84 grams of protein would equal 336 of those calories (84 x 4 grams). That means that only 11.2% of the overall caloric content would be protein. The NRC also suggests at least a 30% fat intake. That means 900 calories of fat per day. The remainder would include carbohydrates (approximately 1,800). Do you begin to see why America has become so overly fat?

Many experts claim that the percentage of carbohydrates, proteins and fats should be as follows: 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 30% fats. Other experts contend that all food types should be divided into equal thirds. Still others insist on 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat.

Those in the bodybuilding world have for a very long time used almost a 1:1 ratio of protein to pound of body weight. In that case, a 200-pound man would require 200 grams of protein to satisfy the needs of the body due primarily to the effects of intense weight training. Bodybuilders for years have used the following as a rule-of-thumb. Proper combinations of foods, due to the extent and type of training, should be 60% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 10% fats.

Let’s work the numbers again. Two hundred grams of protein equals 800 calories per day. A daily intake of 3,000 calories translates to about to 27% protein. This is much closer to the ideal many bodybuilders use and it satisfies the claims of many of the experts. Anyone who has studied nutrition will concur that there are many differing opinions as to the appropriate percentages for optimum muscularity and minimum body fat. As I have stated, food alone will not do the trick. Exercise is the key!

The bottom line is that you need to find the correct combinations for you. Once you do, you can experiment with mixing and matching with the variations and percentages to more finely tune yourself. In any event, do not be afraid to learn more about nutrition so you can apply this very important part to your healthful lifestyle.

Clearly, we as Americans have become quietly more obese due to the high content of empty carbohydrates, nonfat, processed foods, and lack of consistent exercise. It’s time to get busy and take charge of our health and fitness needs.