Burn Stored Fat through Thermogenesis

The Cometa Wellness Center

There are many facets to an effective weight-loss program. Losing weight is all about changing the composition of the body. When someone tells you, "you look like you've lost weight", they are not looking at what you weigh on the scale; they are looking at you. This is a very important principle to remember when embarking on any effective weight loss program. The goal is to burn stored fat in our body as fuel, AND to build lean body mass. As we effectively replace fat mass with lean body mass, our body changes, but the amount of actual weight we lose will vary and the process of pounds lost can be slow. This is why the scale is not your friend, but your foe when you want to "lose weight".

Any effective and positive change that we make in our body towards healthy weight loss must start with a shift in the internal process of Thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the term used to describe how our body produces cellular energy in the form of heat. The best source of the cellular energy for heat conversion is our fat cells. The ultimate goal in weight loss is to increase our metabolic rate through thermogenesis. As we raise our metabolic rate through thermogenesis, we are literally burning our stored fat for daily fuel.

I can’t count the number of people whom I have heard recite the same words: "I haven't changed a thing; I eat the same food, do the same exercise and yet I have gained 10 pounds this year!" Although how we eat and exercise may not change, WE humans CHANGE! Our physiology is always in flux and changes day to day, especially over the years. Aging itself is associated with a reduction in our metabolic rate, which means we do not burn calories as effectively as we age. Reduction in cellular energy expenditure was, at one stage of our evolution, life saving when starvation was an issue and concern. Of course, starvation still exists, but when it does not, we need to be more proactive in our role to promote thermogenesis through changes in diet, exercise and the correct supplement program. This will eventually bring balance on a cellular level, so that we are better able to use stored fat as cellular energy and shift our metabolism away from the storage of energy as fat.

Proper nutrition is the hallmark for all good health, including a healthy weight-loss program. Unfortunately, it is not something we were all taught or raised on. "Health-full" eating takes time, thought and energy. Eating a whole foods diet is KEY. What does it mean to eat "whole foods"? Whole foods are all about eating fresh food. Some simple guidelines for wholesome eating are not to eat anything you need to cook in a microwave oven, and avoid anything that comes out of box, jar, can or freezer package. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store for everything you put in your mouth will help this process A LOT!

"Eating Right" is a responsibility. It is as important as breathing and sleeping (two other aspects of healthy living that people are not great at!) It is always nice to learn that the more fresh (raw or lightly steamed/sautéed) vegetables a person eats daily, the easier it is to burn fat as fuel through Thermogenesis. Plus, eating fresh vegetables helps to eliminate retained water that stored fat brings into the tissues. Yes, that is right! Fresh vegetables burn fat and help to get rid of water retention!

Consider an effective weight loss program more like a shift in your metabolism. The TWO benchmarks for effective weight loss are:
1. Raise the metabolic rate for fat cell energy expenditure (i.e. burn fat as calories).
2. Don't store fat as calories.

Nutritional changes to reach your weight loss benchmarks
We must always remember that our bodies are designed to store calories. It may not sound fair, but we store calories better as we age, and our ability to burn calories naturally diminishes as we age. OUCH! It is up to us to keep those calories for fuel and not store them away as fat. Integral to correct calorie handling is to NOT stimulate Insulin. INSULIN STORES EVERYTHING. Starches such as pasta, rice and grains, potatoes of all colors, breads and all sugar-containing foods WILL stimulate insulin.

Dietary Strategies for reducing Fat Mass and increasing Lean Body Mass
~Reduce all starchy carbohydrates in the diet, such as bread products, pasta, rice and potatoes
~Avoid all sugar.
~Avoid anything from a box, can, jar or boxed from the freezer.
~Shop the perimeter of the grocery store for all of your food.
~Consume at least four cups of fresh vegetables daily.
~Limit fruit to 2 servings of low-glycemic idex (LGI) fruit a day. LGI fruits are all berries, apples, pears, citrus, peaches, plums and cherries. Avoid high-glycemic idex fruit. These are bananas, pineapples, grapes, mangoes, all dried fruit and most fruit juices.

A diet rich in lean proteins, vegetables and low-glycemic-index fruit does not stimulate insulin.

When we need to jump start the fat burning and calories expenditure machine, it would be worthwhile to consider Thermo-fit. Thermo-Fit contains botanical extracts which optimize metabolism, increase thermogenesis, and decrease the conversion of excess carbohydrates into fat. In conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, Thermo-Fit helps to promote and maintain healthy body composition.

To encourage the safe and effective process of weight loss, we can also look at the very innovative Isagenix nutritional and cleansing formulas created by John Anderson. Through the flushing of impurities that are often stored in the "stubborn fat", the Isagenix nutritional and cleansing systems, together with dietary changes and regular exercise, combine to maximize our thermogenesis potential.

The cellular effects of chronic toxin exposure, stress and hormonal imbalance must be considered and addressed if we are to lose and keep off extra weight and inches. The key to supplementation for burning calories is to reach our TWO benchmarks for effective weight loss. Remember, these are to both raise the metabolic rate for fat cell energy expenditure (i.e. burn fat as calories) and to NOT store fat as calories. Eating right is the foundation for any weight loss program. But, you can always support yourself further with the supplement Thermo-fit to increase your metabolic rate through enhanced thermogenesis to burn stored fat more effectively. In turn, the Isagenix nutritional and cleansing formulas further support weight loss through the flushing of impurities that are often stored in the "stubborn fat". In combination, this very strong program WILL certainly allow your body to finally lose fat, unwanted pounds and inches for good! Good luck and always remember when it comes to food and you:
                            View the forest, not the trees, because you are what you eat!

Ariane Cometa MD, holistic doc
The Cometa Wellness Center