Holistic weight reduction - Part10 - Maintenance of Holistic Health -Physical & Emotional

MENTION MUST BE MADE of a number of other factors, which while they are not usually considered to be part of the advice for ideal weight maintenance, are indeed essential instructions for an integrated approach to health. They are physical exercise, emotional equilibrium and mental relaxation. All of these become even more important when weight reduction becomes essential.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Most individuals who are moderately physically active without any programmed physical exertion use approximately 300-400 calories of energy for daily activities. Programs such as walking use 100 Calories per mile covering the distance in approximately 15-20 minutes, whereas strenuous exercise programs such as aerobic exercises, jogging, tennis, racquet ball etc may use up to or more than 600 calories per hour. It is a good idea to be aware of the energy content in common food items as the number of miles one has to walk to use up the energy contained in them (see Appendix A), because most individuals are surprised when they are told that an apple contains the energy required to walk a mile and that a meal of a hamburger and potato chips will require ten miles of walking before its energy content is used up! The caloric equivalence of food items and specific physical activities is the best method of determining how many calories are likely to get stored as another layer of adipose tissue if enough exercise is not undertaken. Remember that 4100 unused calories will result in another pound of fat on the body - usually in the most undesirable location! Physical exercise undertaken on a daily basis has the additional advantage that it reduces the amount of insulin circulating in the body, improves the sense of emotional well being by reducing the circulating levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. It also reduces blood levels of triglyceride better than any other method.

Physical exercise also has a profound effect on the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of the body. BMR is the rate at which the body uses energy to maintain its temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and to keep the organs working when the body is at rest. BMR is maintained at a normal level due to the action of the thyroid hormone produced by a gland in the neck of the human body. This hormone maintains a constant breakdown of the neutral fat triglycerides in the adipose tissue into free fatty acids and alpha glycerophosphate. The free fatty acids so formed in the adipose tissue will be re-synthesized into triglycerides again if fresh supplies of alpha glycerophosphate are available in the adipose tissue. If not, the free fatty acids are released into the blood stream and are used up for energy productions in the working muscles of the body and especially the heart. Greater intake of glucose or its precursors, including other carbohydrates than can be immediately used for energy production will provide fresh supplies of alpha glycerophosphate in the adipose tissue and will prevent depletion of adipose tissue storage. Thus for effective reduction of weight intake of carbohydrate, in all its varied forms, should be kept to no more than 600 calories (150 gm) per day. Restriction of carbohydrates, which proved very effective in the Atkins’ diet, may well have been related to this specific metabolic characteristic of the adipose tissue.

Physical exercise stimulates adipose tissue breakdown by the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which also converts triglycerides into free fatty acids and alpha glycerophosphate. This effect is dependent on the presence of adequate levels of thyroid hormone in the body. If adequate exercise (see chapter 7), in the context of restricted caloric intake is not associated with weight loss, it is imperative to check out the thyroid status of the individual.

EMOTIONAL EQUILIBRIUM & MENTAL RELAXATION

It has been mentioned already that stress hormones increase levels of fatty acids in circulation, and raise blood glucose levels. Because of the persistence of childhood patterns of rewards in the form of food, especially sugar containing knick-knacks, emotional distress often leads to ingestion of high energy non-nutritional foods mistakenly called ‘empty calories’. There is no such thing, as people realize when these ‘empty calories’ settle on their abdomen or thighs! The only way of effectively dealing with addiction to food as a solution for stress is to use principles of mental relaxation to produce emotional equilibrium and mental tranquility. Addiction to highly sugared cookies, chocolate coated candies such as M&M are a guaranteed way to obesity with very little assurance of sustained reduction of emotional distress. Emotional hostility and displaced anger increase acid production in the stomach and may induce a sense of hunger pangs, even when fuel levels are high in the blood stream. Therefore methods of mental relaxation such as Yoga and meditation can also be helpful adjuncts to a weight reduction program.

About the Author : Abe Kurien MD, is a proponent of holistic medicine. He writes profusely on subjects of Weight reduction. His enlightening articles can be found on the smatix weight reduction section : Health and Nutrition Information and Resources