YOUR FAT IS NOT YOUR FAULT

I urge you all to purchase this book by Carol Simontacchi, C.C.N., M.S. which includes delicious, easy gourmet recipes by Chef Margaret West. It states among many things that you will find a healthful alternative to conventional diets. You will soon be on your way to creating your own program of weight maintenance and healthful living, one that will benefit you forever.

Why I recommend this book is because this certified clinical nutritionist and the author of a number of books on nutrition, has exactly the same approach to eating that Jorge Cruise has, except that she explains the scientific side of it, which is what many of you fellow BFC Ambassadors need to figure out.

Jorge has come up with a combination of a 15/6. While Carol Simontacchi states that we have to balance our intake of protein, carbs and fats, and she helps us calculate this for ourselves, as follows:

PROTEINS:
Proteins produces amino acids, some simple and others complex which pass through the intestinal lining into the bloodstream where they are used to reconfigure over 300,000 different protein molecules.

To give you an idea of the range of functions these proteins perform, consider this short list of protein bodies: immune cells; nerve tissue; muscle tissue; visceral tissue such as the stomach, liver pancreas, esophagus, enzymes; hormones; neurotransmitters; and iron-binding molecules. The list is much longer, but just keep in mind that every functioning structure in the body is made up of protein, along with cofactors of minerals and vitamins.

It is easy to see how important it is to get enough protein in the diet, but beyond total protein consumption, how critically important that we receive all eight to ten essential amino acids daily. If even one amino acid is in short supply, some structure will not be synthesized, some function will not be performed Over time, poor health will result.

How much protein do you need? The average woman requires about 45 to 75 grams of protein a day just to build these 300,000 body structures. The average man requires from 55 to 85 grams of protein a day for the same reason. Many nutritionists use this simple formula to determine a person's individual need for protein:

DIVIDE YOUR WIEGHT BY 2.2, THIS IS YOUR WEIGHT IN KILOGRAMS AND MULTIPLY BY 0.8. THIS IS YOUR BASE PROTEIN REQUIREMENT. (this calculation is simply a guide
to help you fine-tune your own body's requirements) To this the author adds ''I encourage you to listen to your body. Eat SLOWLY just until you are satisfied, then STOP! You'll be amazed how easily your body communicates how much food it needs for your optimum health and vitality.''

There are other factors that might require you to add more protein to your diet, like periods of physical or emotional stress, which could cause negative nitrogen balance, whereby your body is using or burning more protein than is being replaced. If negative nitrogen balance continues for a long period of time, eventually the body starts breaking down muscle and other lean tissue to provide for other more critical needs like hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. Depending on your stress, activity or metabolism levels, you might have to add from 5 to 10 grams more protein to your diet. Again, listen to your body to figure this out.

CARBOHYDRATES:
Carbohydrates can so easily increase insulin secretion, which packs on additional pounds of fat weight. However, they are an essential part of the diet. As long as you enjoy them in balance with protein and fats, they will do just the job they were originally intended to do - provide energy to the body.

Carbohydrates, or sugars, are the fuels your body burns in each of its three trillion-plus cells to provide energy. The brain ''runs'' on carbs (or sugars). Carbs are the quickest, most readily available source of energy, and when carbohydrates are no longer available, the body burns fat, then protein. If carbs are underprovided, the body is often forced to cannibalize lean body tissue to provide fuel. So it's important to eat enough carbohydrtes to satisfy the body's energy requirement each day.

Select carbs that are low on the glycemic index and avoid foods that precipitously increase blood sugar. You would do well to virtually elilminate all starch foods, such as potatoes, yams, carrots, corn, grain products, and rice that so easily increase blood sugar. Feel free to indulge in as many ''greens'' as you wish. Green foods are free foods!

THE SCIENTIFIC WAY TO CALCULATE YOUR CARB NEEDS IS TO MULTIPLY THE AMOUNT OF PROTEIN YOU REQUIRE BY 1.3, REFER TO THIS HANDY GUIDE BELOW:

For 55 grams of protein, your body requirs 71.5 grams of carbs
For 65 grams of protein, your body requires 84.5 grams of carbs
For 75 grams of protein, your body requires 97,5 grams of carbs
For 85 grams of protein, your body requires 110,5 grams of carbs
For 95 grams of protein, your body requires 123,5 grams of carbs

Most animal-based protein (seafood, poultry, veal, lamb, beef) contain 9 grams of protein per ounce. If you require 65 grams of protein per day, plan to use about 7-1/2 ounces of seafood, poultry, or other protein per day, divided between breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Another way to measure protein you will need for each meal is to use the palm of your hand. Plan to eat a protein portion about the size of the palm of your hand. Carbohydrates can fill up the rest of the plate, as long as you are not using any starchy vegetables, sweetened beverages, or fruit.

She states: ''Remember this simple rule: You must include a protein portion with each meal if you wish to slow down the entry of sugars into your bloodstream and encourage your pancreas to secrete glucagon instead of insulin. Insulin = Fat! No more high-carb meals or snacks!

FAT:
It's no accident that nature distributed fat abundantly throughout the food chain. Fat is an extremely beneficial food. For example, fat is used to build hormones, some of which regulate blood pressure, heart rate, vascular dilation, blood clotting, immune response, and the central nervous system. Fat makes up a substantial part of the cell membrane of over three trillion cells, making the cell wall permeable so that nutrients can get into the cell and waste materials can be excreted from the cell, and rigid so that the shape holds firm against the pressure of the surrounding environment. Along with protein, fat acts as a receptor on the cell wall to invite nutrients and hormones into the cell.

Fat keeps the skin soft and supple and helps to avoid premature wrinkling of the skin. Fat is an excellent energy source, particularly for the heart. And fat keeps the metabolism running fast! We need fats in our diets. The problem comes when we eat far too much of the wrong types of fats.

An important rule of thumb I personally follow is that I never eat anything that has been put together in a chemist's lab, including new food artifacts like the ''fat substitue'' Olestra. these substances are toxic. they do not build the type of long-term, vibrant health I want for my body. They do not perform all those important functions listed above, and they taste bad!

The types of fats you want to include in your diet are the raw, unprocessed vegetable oils like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and the oils from nuts and seeds. You need to include the fats found in fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, and halibut. These oils are extremely beneficaial in protecting the heart and nourishing the nervous system. I encourage all my clients to include at least two to four tablespoons of raw oils in their diets each day by making salad dressings from olive oil, by using flaxseed oil in their morning protein drink, and by eating vegetables that are rich in essential fats (avocados and nuts and seeds, such as sesame, almond, and other nut products). Flaxseed oil is a nutritious oil from flax that can be purchased from your local health food store. Be sure to keep it refrigerated. It oxidizes rapidly if not preserved carefully.

YOU WILL NEED TO INCLUDE ABOUT HALF THE AMOUNT OF FAT AS YOUR PROTEIN REQUIREMENT, GRAM FOR GRAM. (IF YOU REQUIRE 55 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER DAY, YOU WILL WISH TO ENJOY ABOUT 25 TO 30 GRAMS OF FAT - IF YOU REQUIRE 75 GRAMS OF PROTEIN, INREASE THAT AMOUNT TO ABOUT 35 TO 40 GRAMS OF FAT).

Don't worry too much about the fat content of the diet. If you are eating whole, natural foods, the fat will balance itself out without your help. Just rstrict yourself to the healthy fats described above. Potato chips, ice cream, and deep-fried chicken must not be included!

Step-by-step weight loss principals:

1. Include a good source of protein with EVERY meal;
Choose from fish, chicken, turkey, moderate amounts of beef, tofu and eggs.
Beef can be pro-inflammatory, and should be limited to once every 2 weeks or so.

2. Eat a large portion of greens with both lunch and dinner;

3. Strictly limit foods that are high in carbs;
Limit foods like rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and most of all, grains. Especially be
careful to avoid all bread and pasta products. I know of no surer way to start dropping
excess weight than by eliminating all wheat products from your diet!
With every meal include a protein portion along with benefical fats to further slow the
release of sugars into the bloodstream.

4. Exercise moderately every day. Check first with your physician if you have more than 25
lbs. to lose or have a physical condition that requires monitoring by a professional. Even
if your condition is compromised by overweight or another health challenge, your doctor
will be able to put together a program that is right for you.

5. Drink water!
Your body is 65% water. Every enzymatic reaction that occurs in the body requires water.
Without it, life ceases. Maintaining that 65% water content is so important that even if your
body drops just 1% fluid level, dehydration sets in, and if the body becomes just 5%
dehydrated, serious health consequences follow. You must drink water! By the time you
feel thirsty, you're already 1% dehydrated. You need to drink 8 to 10 8 oz. glasses of water
a day just to hydrate the tissues and eliminate toxic waste.

6. Avoid all nonfoods.
Nonfoods are all carbonated beverages, all canned foods, and all processed foods. Nonfoods
include highly allergenic foods like dairy and wheat products, corn and corn-based products
like fructose, coffee, tea, and anything with artificial flavors or preservatives. Nonfoods are
rancid oils like margarine, shortening, and any food made with these unhealthy fats.
Nonfoods include such common supermarket items as potato chips, corn chips, cookies,
pastries, bagels, simulated fruit beverages, or anything that comes in a box, a can, or a
wrapper.

Once you discover the secret of balancing your body's glucagon and insulin output by balancing what goes into your mouth, you won't want to eat any other way!

CAROL'S RULES FOR HEALTHY EATING:

1. Never eat anything that comes with instructions.

2. Never eat anything that comes in a box, a can, or a wrapper.

3. Never eat anything white. (Potatoes are brown; rice is beige, cauliflower is cream colored,
and ice cream is nasty!).

4. Never eat anything you can't spell or pronounce.

5. Never eat anything you just can't live without (you're probably allergic to it).

Like Jorge, Carol states ''If you are going to lose weight and keep it off, you're going to have to turn your back on the Amercian food culture and learn to eat your ANCESTRAL diet. Your grandpartens enjoyed moderate amounts of protein foods, small amounts of seasonal fruits, and lots of vegetbles washed down with clean water. They ate what was in season at the time, freshly harvested. Some foods, like winter squash, potatoes, carrots, and a few other fruits and vegetables that could be stored in a cellar were saved for the winter; everything else was eaten as soon as it was picked from the field or the garden.

This is the type of diet your body was designed to eat, and it will bring your waistline back under control. It may not be the most entertaining diet. It may not excite the interest of the chic crowd. It may not catch the attention of the media. But trust me, it is the diet your body was meant to eat, and your body will reward you by dropping those excess pounds and adding years of vital health to your life.''

Those of you who want to know the science behind the BFC program, well buy Carol Simontacchi's book YOUR FAT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, and empower yourselves even more, because you will have done your own research. Or have your local library order it for you.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to my American Friends!

Jane Skreslet