Nutrition News: Are You Skipping Calories?
By Dr. Craig Bentham
 In the last couple of decades, Americans have been bombarded with countless ideas on ways to lose weight. The list includes: low-cal/low-fat/low-carb diets, appetite suppressants, diuretics, and surgeries-many with celebrity endorsements or "real life"testimonials. We need to filter through all of the conflicting information and realize that there is no quick fix to healthy and lasting weight loss. The fact is that even with all the weight loss intervention available today, Americans are 32% heavier than just 20 years ago (Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-NHANES IIl).
We at CurvesHealthClub are always looking out for our readers' health interests. We continue to hear from our readers, friends, and family that when you want to lose weight, your solution is to simply cut back on your daily food intake. For example, skipping breakfast, or only having an apple for lunch, seems to be a popular strategy. Therefore, the goal of this article is to answer the question, "Why does a low-calorie diet set you up for failure?"
First, let us clarify that a low-calorie diet (LCD) is considered to be the consumption of less then 1200 calories per day. We have to ask ourselves this simple question-does it make good sense to starve your body to lose weight? Yes, I agree that when you do a low-calorie diet you will lose weight, but what exactly are you losing? The answer...muscle! A low-calorie diet will not only deprive your body of nutrients, but also cause devastating muscle loss. According to the Exercise and Sports Science Review, written some 30 years ago, "reducing calories to 800-1200 per day, which is below the body's essential energy requirement to maintain vital functions, causes you to cannibalize your own muscles for fuel."Therefore, instead of losing the right kind of weight, fat, your body composition has made a shift for the worse – with the destruction of important muscle tissue.
Low-calorie diets = muscle loss
 Research has found that 1 pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories at rest (Dr. Colgan,1994); therefore, every pound you lose with a low calorie diet is causing a major energy deficit to your body. It is essential that you understand the fact that muscle is the engine of your body. Almost all of the energy created in your body comes from the work done by muscles; the burning of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins occurs in the mitochondria (energy production center) of each and every muscle cell. Research studies have found that even one ounce of muscle loss lowers your basal metabolic rate and reduces your ability to burn fat (Lohman TG, Human Biology, 1991). Moreover, because you have decreased your body's metabolism, when you return to a regular caloric intake you will quickly regain any weight you have lost, and likely even more.
Low-calorie diets cause a release
of fat storing enzymes
The human body is an amazing machine. Through evolution, the human body has equipped itself to combat periods of fasting and starvation. When the body is denied nutrients, it increases the release and activity of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. The main function of this enzyme is to collect any digested fat from your bloodstream and store it in fat cells (Kern, New Engl J Med, 1990). Ultimately, this fat-storing enzyme will hinder your chances of weight loss.
Let's reiterate the damaging effects of the low-calorie diet (under 1200 calories per day):
- Vital muscle loss
- Release of fat-storing enzymes
- Decreased metabolism
- Loss of energy
- Ultimate weight gain with return to regular caloric intake
Once you begin eating normally again, you'll quickly gain the fat back, but not the muscle, setting yourself up for the vicious cycle of "yo-yo"dieting. Dieting has become an American obsession, but we hope that our readers are able to understand the value of proper nutrition and exercise. We encourage you to start focusing on improving your health through small and simple "lifestyle"changes, and realize that your weight loss and health transformation is a work in progress...don't expect immediate results. Rest assured, however, that if you choose to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition into your life, permanent success will follow!
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Ask the Doctors
By Dr's. Jeff, Craig and Marissa
Question: I've heard conflicting information with respect to which form of exercise is the best for fat burning. Do you have an answer?
 Answer: We are glad that you asked this question. It is a well known fact that the weight loss industry has highly promoted aerobic exercise as the best way to lose weight. Their theory is that the harder and longer you work aerobically, the more fat you'll burn. This is absolutely wrong!
Yes, aerobic exercise is great for your cardiovascular system. However, moderate to high intensity aerobic exercises like running, rowing, cycling, and aerobics classes can cause the stripping of muscles, almost as much as they contribute to the stripping of fat (Dr. M. Colgan, Chronicles,1995). Hopefully, you've already learned from our past articles that muscle is the most metabolically active tissue in your body; in fact, one pound of muscle has the capability of burning 50 calories at rest! Muscle is the engine in which body fat is burned!
By far, our best recommendation for fat burning is high-repetition resistance training. The key is to work on building every muscle throughout the body, to improve the efficiency of that fat burning engine. According to the Medical Science Sports Exercise Journal, in 1985 (17: 466-471) Pavlou provided conclusive evidence that resistance exercise yields an increase in fat burning, by not only maintaining muscle mass, but actually increasing muscle, thereby providing more muscle cells in which fat will be burned. Over the last 20 years, numerous studies have shown that resistance exercise raises your metabolic rate, not only while you are exercising, but for up to 18 hours afterwards (Brit J Clin Pract 1987; 41:684-688).
With all this said, the key to maximize fat burning is to include in your workout regimen a high-repetition resistance training program. Furthermore, research has found that to optimize your fat-burning potential, the repetitions should be greater then 20 reps, which will build more muscle and burn more fat!
Guess what? The Curves program provides exactly what you need to maximize weight loss and fat burning! So keep up the good work!
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Recipe
of the Month
Carrot Lemongrass Soup
 8 cups Asian or vegetable stock- 6 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp coarse sea-salt
- 3 lemongrass stalks
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste
- 2 lbs carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
- 1 x 398 mL can coconut milk
- 2 tsp sambal oelek
- 2 tsp minced lemon zest
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Plain yogurt
Directions:
Heat stock while preparing the soup ingredients. Add the lime leaves and keep warm. Cut lemongrass 4" from the root end. Discard the top and peel the outer layer from the bottom piece. Smash the lemongrass with broad-bladed knife (be careful). Mince and set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tsp salt. Cook the onions until translucent. Add minced garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and coriander; saute and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped carrots and remaining 2 tsp salt. Saute for several minutes, then pour in the hot stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are soft (about 15 minutes).
Remove the lime leaves and puree the soup with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. Whisk in coconut milk and sambal oelek and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add the lemon zest, juice and season to taste with salt or more sambal.
Garnish each bowl with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and a spoonful of yogurt, if you like.
Thank you to Victoria's famous "hot-spot" REBAR for this recipe.
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