Welcome to the most advanced and effective
nutritional program in the world. In fact, this program is so exceptional
only two types of people do not respond to it, those who do not
do it, and those who are dead. Everyone else can and will lose
body fat on this program.
 Articles:
Knowledge = Success:
There is no substitute for knowledge. In order to be truly successful, a basic
understanding of nutrition must be achieved. Learning nutritional rules will
enable you to make the appropriate life style changes necessary for long
term results. Reading the following information will set the stage so that
you can understand how the human body gains and looses stored energy (fat).
Once you understand these basic principles, no one will ever be able to trick
you into a false sense of hope or wishful thinking. More importantly, you
will know how to reduce your body fat for the rest of your life.
Laws of Thermodynamics:
Food is energy, and all energy adheres to the same set of laws. The laws of
thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is the study of energy. The first law states:
Energy is never created or destroyed, but rather only converted from one
form to another. The second law states: Energy always travels in one direction,
and all processes are irreversible. When applied to nutrition, the first
law relates to how food is either transformed to kinetic energy (movement)
or transformed to stored energy (fat). When the second law is applied to
nutrition, we can see how there is a flow and direction to the energy of
food. We eat the food, it is then converted to chemical energy, then
to stored energy, then to kinetic energy, then to heat energy and then
finely it leaves the body. Because fat is stored energy, the only way to
remove it from the body is to convert it to kinetic energy (movement). Therefore,
if you consume more energy (food) than you use, you gain weight; if you consume
less energy than you use, you lose weight. “It does not get any simpler
than that!”
Energy For The Body:
The human body can only receive energy from four things: Carbohydrates (4kcals
per gm.), Proteins (4kcals per gm.), Fats (9kcals per gm.) and Alcohol (7kcals
per gm.), collectively known as Macro Nutrients. That is it. Nothing else
in this world can provide the body with energy. Not vitamins, minerals or
any other supplements; not herbs, not water, not even wishful thinking. Many
times people confuse neurological stimulation with energy for the body. Neurological
stimulation is provided by caffeine, certain types of herbs, and drugs like
amphetamines. The simplest way to understand the difference is to use an
automobile for an example. Neurological stimulation would be the battery
and Macro Nutrients would be the gasoline and oil.
In The End, Macro Nutrients Are
All Exactly The Same Thing:
The energy from carbohydrates,
proteins, fats and alcohol all end up to be exactly the same
thing, a chemical compound called ATP (Adenosine triphosphate).
Calories or kcal. is a way of measuring this energy. ATP is used to make only
one thing in our body, kinetic energy (movement).
All Macro Nutrients Are Good For
You:
Aside from the fact that carbohydrates, proteins, fats and alcohol all end
up to be the same thing in the end, they also have specific roles to play in
our bodies:
Carbohydrate:
(sugar) is the body’s most versatile
energy source. Any time we need to move abruptly for a short period
of time or move for hours on end, the muscles call on carbohydrates
to supply energy. Sprinting, jumping, swimming, tennis, soccer,
weight training and many other types of similar activities require
the use of mainly carbohydrates to get the job done.
Carbohydrates
are the best source of energy for these activities because carbohydrates
do not need oxygen available in the working muscles (anaerobic).
Our brains and red blood cells rely on carbohydrates exclusively.
When people say they have no energy to do something, chances are
they are low in carbohydrates. All foods which are mainly carbohydrates
are also mainly sugar. This can range from jellybeans to broccoli,
from apples to pasta and breads.
Carbohydrates are an absolute
necessity for all bodily functions including the use of fat. In
fact, If you want to reduce your body fat, you have to eat carbohydrates
everyday and often. Why? Because our bodies can only store a limited
amount of carbohydrates at any given time, about 2,000kcals worth.
That’s it. That is enough to run a 2.5 hour race or move
about for 8-12 hours. If we don’t replenish it, everything
stops.
So, why the big brouhaha about eating carbohydrates? Basically,
some marketers have been able to capitalize on the fact that eating
carbohydrates increases a hormone called insulin. One of insulin’s
jobs is to help store “extra” carbohydrates as fat.
Remember the key word here is “extra”. Unfortunately
what is not disclosed in many of the low carbohydrate diets is
the fact that insulin has many other jobs as well. Such as, insulin
is one of the most potent appetite suppressants we have. Insulin
increases our energy output. And, insulin helps store carbohydrates
in our muscles, which is necessary for us to be active. As a matter
of fact, if our muscles are low in carbohydrates, they get first
dibs on whatever carbohydrates we eat. Insulin can not even convert
any remaining carbohydrates to stored fat until our muscles are
completely full of carbohydrates first. So obviously, if you are
always using your muscles by being active (which you need carbohydrates
to do) your body is not going to store any as fat. Furthermore,
because you are being active, you are also using more of your fat
as energy. Hence, eating carbohydrate helps you lose fat.
Fats:
is the most abundant and requested energy source in our body.
It is used more often than any other form of energy. But unlike
carbohydrates, in order for fat to be used as an energy source,
first there must be a sufficient amount of oxygen available to
the working muscles. Because of this, fat is used mainly when we
are moving slowly or continuously for a long period of time (45
minutes or more). Also, where as carbohydrates are very limited
in their storage ability, fat is almost limitless (our bodies can
store over 100,000kcals of fat). However, this does not mean we
can just stop eating fat altogether. Our bodies have a unique mechanism
which is designed to protect us against starvation. If we restrict
the intake of fat too much (<5gm, per day) our body will try
to conserve what we have by slowing down our metabolism, making
it harder to loose the extra fat. On the other hand, if we eat
too much fat our body will not have a need to tap into our fat
storage. If however, we take in just the right amount in combination
with plenty of carbohydrates to make us very active, we will burn
the extra fat right off of our bodies. Creating this unique energy
Protein’s:
last priority in our body is to be used as an energy source
for movement. Protein’s main objective is to be used in structural development
and as a transporter. It is used to make and repair all of the tissue, muscles,
organs, hormones and bones in our bodies. It is also used as a main transporter
for many of the chemicals and hormones that flow through our veins. In emergency
situations, protein can be used as an energy source. This emergency situation
is when the body is too low in carbohydrates. The reason is, our brain and
red blood cells can only use carbohydrates as an energy source. When the body
is too low in carbohydrates, it has a unique way of making a substitute energy
source. This is done by combining stored protein (muscles) and stored fats
into a substance called a ketone. In fact many popular diets known as ketonic
diets rely on this process to reduce body weight. The problem with this tactic
is, the ketone body that is created is toxic to the liver, kidneys and other
organs. Also sacrificing the muscles for energy reduces the bodies resting
metabolism. The resting metabolism accounts for over 60% of all the calories
we burn each day. Furthermore, the weight that is lost in this type of diet
is mainly due to muscle and water loss not fat loss. Lastly and most importantly,
this type of diet is not conducive to an active life style. It is well established
that an inactive lifestyle is a greater health risk than being overweight.
Alcohol:
is discretionary spending for the body. It is the only
one of the 4 nutrients which is unnecessary for life support. Although
alcohol has a caloric value (7kcals. per gm.) it does not have
a specific role in the body’s metabolism. Never the less,
for many people alcohol is a part of their regular diet. It would
be unrealistic to assume those who are interested in reducing their
body fat would simply stop consuming the beverage. So… in
an effort to accommodate all, the Hard Candy Diet is designed to
include alcohol, if necessary.
The digestion and metabolism of
alcohol is such that quantity/time is very important. Because the
liver (where alcohol is metabolized) can only handle a certain
amount per hour, there is a very clear line between alcohol consumption
which increases body fat, and alcohol consumption which has no
effect on body fat or may even help reduce it. General guidelines
for the quantity/time (per hour) ratio is as follows: 4 - 6oz.
of 12 proof (e.g. wine or beer), 2 - 4oz. of 24 – 48proof
(e.g. liqueur), or 1.5 - 2oz. of 80proof (e.g. scotch, whiskey,
brandy, tequila, gin). The time of day alcohol is consumed is also
important. Alcohol should not be consumed before a meal.
The reason
is alcohol increases the metabolism of other foods and interferes
with the hormonal feedback system which controls the appetite-satiety
mechanism. This will lead to over eating and an increase in fatty
food intake. Alcohol should not be consumed during a meal. The
reason is a greater amount of alcohol will be consumed in an effort
to satisfy thirst and as previously stated, alcohol will cause
over eating and increase fatty food intake.
Therefore, alcohol
should only be used after a meal, preferably after dinner just
before bed (a night cap). This will relax a person and deepen their
sleep, allowing for a better nights rest. Also, the alcohol will
lower the blood sugar level causing the body to be slightly hypoglycemic,
this is an excellent environment for the secretion of many important
sleep hormones, i.e. Growth Hormone. As a result there will be
an increase in cellular repair and development. There is also an
increase in fat utilization during sleep. Adhering to these guidelines
will allow for the coexistence of alcohol consumption and body
fat loss. Not adhering to these guidelines while continuing to
drink alcohol will severely hamper or prevent a successful body
fat reduction program. A side note; during social events, drinking
within the quantity/time ratio will allow you to consume alcohol
over an extended period of time with little to no detriment to
your body fat loss program
It Is As Simple As 1+1:
Body fat regulation is no more complicated than these two simple equations:
More energy in and less energy out = Body fat gain.
Less energy in and more energy out = Body fat loss.
It does not matter if it comes from carbohydrates, proteins, fats or alcohol
the rule is always the same. Remember the first law of thermodynamics? You
can not store more energy than you eat. You can not use more energy than you
have. Remember the second law? If you eat the food, you have to do something
with it, or it will not go away. Is it starting to make sense to you now?
Putting It All To Work:
Stored energy (fat) is energy ready to be used. Food is stored energy and so
is body fat. Kinetic energy is energy being used some how, such as in movement.
Given these two facts, it stands to reason, if you want to get rid of extra
body fat (stored energy) you must convert it into kinetic energy (movement).
Most nutritional programs fail in the long run, because they are not conducive
to or designed to emphasize the importance of movement, work or exercise.
This is where the ATP Diet differs. The ATP Diet works, because
it is designed to encourage and nutritionally support an active life style,
while placing the body in an optimal state for fat utilization and reduction.
|
