| Turn Off The Fat Genes... |
"It doesn't make any difference what I eat."
"Weight problems just run in my family."
"It's all in my genetics."
...how many of thee excuses have you heard (or how many of them have you used yourself?)
Genetic research
has finally shot these limiting beliefs down in flames, and hopefully set you
free to lead your life in a sexier body...
Genes do influence our size and shape, but studies clearly show that if you
change your diet and lifestyle, you can override hereditary effects to a great
degree. Contrary to popular understanding, genes are not dictators; they are
committees. They do not give orders; they make suggestions. You can counteract
your fat genes and boost your thin
genes.
We often think of genes as unchangeable because, when it comes to eye color or
hair color, they really are decisive. If they call for blue eyes or brown hair,
that's it. But the genes that establish your size and shape are much more
flexible. They need to be able to adjust your appetite and your calorie burning,
depending on whether food is plentiful or not, and whether you are working hard
or resting. Unlike eye or hair color, your body has to be able to change its
composition from minute to minute, from day to day.
Although your chromosomes are extraordinarily complex, there are just five key
gene groups you need to know about: * Taste genes determine the foods you crave.
In taste experiments, scientists use a test substance called PROP
(6-N-propylthiouracil). About one in four people can taste its bitterness very
strongly. These people avoid grapefruits and never go near black coffee.
Although their acute taste sense is generally an advantage, the downside is they
may avoid healthy vegetables, such as broccoli or cabbage, that have a hint of
bitterness. If this group includes you, you'll want to find ways to flavor these
healthy vegetables so you will include them in your routine.
Another one in four people cannot taste PROP and are called "taste
blind." Their problem is they may tend to overeat, making up in quantity
what they are missing in taste. If this includes you, and you tend to be
indiscriminate in what you're eating, you'll want to take care to emphasize
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, and to be very cautious about fatty
foods and their hidden calories.
* A gene on chromosome 7 makes leptin, the appetite-taming hormone. In 1997,
English researchers reported the case of two cousins who became extremely obese
very early in life. They demanded food continuously and ate much more than their
siblings. At age 8, one weighed 189 pounds. She had so much trouble walking she
had to have liposuction of her legs. Her cousin was only two years old but
already weighed 64 pounds. It turned out they shared a rare mutation blocking
the leptin gene. With no leptin to curb hunger, their appetites were voracious.
You are not likely to have this same gene abnormality. However, your leptin may
not be working perfectly either. Very-low-calorie diets disrupt its
appetite-taming effect, causing your appetite to run out of control. The key to
keeping leptin working right is to avoid severe calorie restrictions. If you eat
at least 10 calories per day per pound of your ideal weight, you are unlikely to
run into serious problems.
* A gene on chromosome 8 builds LPL, the key enzyme that stores fat in your
cells. It waits along the walls of the tiny blood vessels that course through
your body fat, and its job is to extract fat from your bloodstream and pass it
into your fat cells for storage. If your LPL is doing its job a little too well,
you can change this genetic tendency by choosing foods that have little or no
fat in them. Once again, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are your
best friends.
* The hormone insulin, coded on chromosome 11, is part of your body's system for
increasing your metabolism after meals. Depending on the type of foods you
choose, you can help insulin spark a pronounced after-meal burn that releases
calories as body heat rather than storing them as fat. Low-fat, vegan diets,
along with regular exercise, make insulin more efficient.
* Believe it or not, exercise aptitude is largely biological, too. People who
love to go for a five-mile run at the crack of dawn are genetically different
from other people. They are endowed with a better capillary network that brings
oxygen to working muscles and a more efficient fuel-burning mechanism. If you
did not get these genetic advantages, you can do the next best thing. If you
begin a regular exercise program and stick with it, your muscle cells begin to
look more and more like those of natural athletes.
There is no need to be daunted by your family genes. Yes, some of us will
always be bigger and others smaller. But with a healthy, low-fat diet and
regular physical activity, your genes can stop working against you and start
working for you.
Let me show you the way out: www.TurnOffTheFatGenes.com
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