#20: Why Is Fat Stubborn?

Dr. Frank Suarez defines Metabolism as all the movements, changes, and actions which your body does to convert food and nutrients into energy in order to survive.

There are many processes, movements, actions, and changes that the human body carries out to be able to survive: digestion, absorption, breathing, immune system, circulation, eliminations, etc. Each one of these processes has something in common: MOVEMENT.

The movement always involves the use to energy. No energy, no movement. Let’s think about this for a second. What I am really saying is that you get to think of energy beyond physical movement.

How often, we’ve said or heard someone say “I don’t have the energy to exercise, play, garden, and perform physical activities. I am just too tired.”

I want you to think of energy from a cellular level. Pretty cool insulin receptors are outside the cell membranes. They bind with insulin circulating in the bloodstream. When these two pretty things bind, the cell opens its arms to the circulating glucose in bloodstream and uses for energy.

Energy for what?

• Gland and organ function
• Mental clarity, attention, and focus
• Optimal cellular growth and repair
• Relationships, career, fun and more

The metabolism is a sum of all the movements that the body executes to be able to exist as a body.

When we say that we have a ‘slow metabolism’, in reality, we are saying that the movement of the body isn’t at the optimal rate.

Slow metabolism shows up in different ways, including constipation, accumulation of toxins, bad circulation, lots of infections, bad digestion, weight problems, and obesity.

Let’s think about this again. What happens when we have excess glucose in the body?  Insulin raises. Excess insulin will damage insulin receptors. Uhhh…how will your cells be able to welcome glucose in and generate awesome energy for you to conquer the day?

It’s true that’s not all about nutrition and lifestyle. Genetics plays a role but a much smaller degree than most people give credit for.

Btw, my metabolism is about 13% below the average of women of my age and race. I will talk more about this in the future.

So what does metabolism have to do with fat? I am glad you asked…

Let me keep it real and simple for you.

Fat will make us fat when there is enough insulin present. The weight and obesity problems aren’t because of the fat we consume. They are caused by a combination of fats and refined carbs.

Overconsumption of refined carbs like pizza, processed grains, pasta, white flour, sweets, sodas, and pastries leads to fat storage. It also raises insulin. Excess insulin will also impact the health of your thyroid and ultimately, slow down your metabolism.

So now you have a bit of extra fat and is stubborn—it is hard to get rid of. Fat becomes a villain. The question is, should fat be a villain here?

Let me give some highlights about this important organ. I want you to gain some appreciation and even be grateful for its existence.

Fat is essential to health as it plays essentials roles far beyond being the storage of excess calories and heat.

• Enables transmission of brain signals
• Makes and secretes essential hormones (incl. adiponectin)
• Controls appetite
• Is essential for puberty, sexual maturation, and reproduction
• Is used to produce heat and insulate organs
• Serves as messenger to our immune system
• Helps sustain body function during sickness and recovery

WOW…isn’t it incredible? And if you are asking why it’s such a big deal and why we are so focusing having as little as possible.

For now, let’s explore fat as an endocrine organ and what types there are.

Fat Is An Endocrine Organ

What does that mean? Scientists refer to fat as an organ. What’s that all about? Beyond storing excessing energy and giving us heat, fat is also capable of synthesizing a number of biologically active compounds that regulate metabolic homeostasis or equilibrium.

• White Fat (stores energy) and that’s the type of fat we want to release!
  • Visceral or belly fat (abdominal cavity). Visceral fat can become inflamed and lead to many disease
  • White fat makes and secretes Adiponectin hormone
    • Sensitizes body’s response to insulin
    • Guides glucose and fat to subcutaneous fat
  • Brown Fat (burns energy). The color comes from the high density of mitochondria. It is found in the back, heart region and back.
    • Increases insulin sensitivity
    • Burns calories to produce heat
    • Has potential to reduce white fat
    • Beige fat is the new brown

Raise your hand if you would like to sign up for brown fat?

The ordeal about fat is that having too little or too much isn’t good. There is a sweet spot and you will want to know more about.