Why Stubborn Fat Is So Hard To Burn

Stubborn fat...you know...that fat that just won't burn off no matter what you do. We all have it but some of us have it worse then others. This article is going to dive right into the fat cells and explain WHY stubborn fat is so hard to burn off as well as provide a simple solution you can use to really zone in and target that stubborn fat and burn it off once and for all.

When your hormonal pathways are broken down; stubborn fat develops. Ones age certainly plays a role as fat deposits increase and are more resistant as you get older. This is just a natural part of life which no one has control over, but there are some things that cause stubborn fat to develop which you do have control over.

Yo-yo or crash dieting is one of them. The more a person loses weight and then gains it back (also called the "rebound effect") increases the amount of stubborn fat on your body. A lack of exercise or any activity at all can also add to the stubborn fat problem, which is why those who do crash diets and refuse to exercise have the worst stubborn fat problems.

If we look back to our parents time or their parents time (depending on how old you are) you'll notice that most people back then weren't as fat as they are now. They never really had to deal with this stubborn fat issue because they engaged in physical labor on a daily basis. The biggest problem today is that we have technological conveniences which has caused a lot of us to become very lazy and inactive.

The reason stubborn fat is such a problem is because it resists the hormonal process that takes place when the 'fat burning process' starts up, causing it to metabolize very slowly.

For fat to burn, the adrenal hormones (also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline) attach itself to the fat cell receptors which causes them to "open up" so that the fat can be used for energy.

There are two kinds of receptors inside your fat cells. One is called alpha and the other is called beta. It's the beta receptors that are more active and they are the ones that respond to the adrenal hormones. In order for your body to lose fat, the adrenal hormones need to turn on and attach themselves to the beta receptors inside the fat cells so the body can use the fat as energy. However, this does not happen in people with stubborn fat.

According to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, stubborn fat has a lower ratio of beta to alpha receptors. Which prevents the adrenaline (adrenal hormones) from entering the fat cells to use as energy. He also points out that stubborn fat cells also have more estrogen receptors which can cause even more stubborn fat to build.

To make it even worse, if you take part in the typical modern diet and lifestyle that has little to no physical activity, it often results in insulin sensitivity as well your stubborn fat becoming so resistant to any attempts to lose it, it will seem like you're stuck with it forever.

Other contributors to stubborn fat are estrogenic compounds called "xenoextrogens". These are basically chemical byproducts of fertilizers, plastics, soy isoflavones, certain types of herbs and petroleum products. They are found in our food and water supply and they mimic estrogenic functions as well as help in binding to estrogenic fat receptors. This creates what is called "induced aromatase influence".

Aromatase is an enzyme that helps in converting androgens (a male hormone) to estrogenic compounds, which enhances the production of estrone. It is estrone that is the MAIN culprit in stubborn fat in both men and women. For a man one clear sign that a man has an enhanced production of estrone is when he develops "man boobs", which is an increase in breast fat as well as a gut. On a woman, it is evident by the size of her thighs and hips and butt as this is generally where women pack on those "extra pounds".

But there is a solution to this ever growing problem.

It all comes down to enzymes. There are two types of enzymes that deal specifically with fat cells. These are Lipogenic (Fat storing enzymes) and Lipolytic (Fat releasing enzymes). Now here's the good news. These enzymes respond really well to nutritional changes! What that means is that by changing our nutritional intake we can effectively increase or decrease these enzymes. So if we want to lose stubborn fat we need to increase the amount of Lipolytic (fat releasing) enzymes we have in our bodies and we can do that through the foods we eat.

Now I know this isn't anything new as I'm sure you're aware that you need to eat right, but the intent of this article was to show you WHY eating right is so important towards burning off that unwanted fat by giving you a glimpse at what is happening at the cell level.

Ok, so what kinds of foods should you be eating to reduce the amount of estrone being produced in your body?

To start with you should always try and radically reduce the amount of processed food you eat and do your best to eat organic foods as much as you can. Eat as much unprocessed foods as you can like fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also wild salmon is very beneficial to you as well. This is the basis of a healthy eating plan and should be followed daily.

So with that out of the way lets look at the kinds of foods that can help eliminate that stubborn fat. Try to consume an enormous amount of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts as these are very anti-estrogenic.

Eat citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and pineapple because they help your body against free-radical damage as well as help the liver to detoxify. You'll want to eat wild salmon and flaxseed for their omega-3 fatty acids.

Spices like turmeric (cancer fighter), milk thistle (liver detoxifier), dandelion root and ginger also help you lose stubborn fat by decreasing estrogen in your body.

Here's a quick break down of anti-estrogen, anti-stubborn fat foods that you should add to your meals daily.

Anti-estrogenic foods and estrogen inhibitors:
Cruciferous vegetables
Passion flower
Citrus fruits
Chamomile flower
Omega-3 oils
Wild salmon
Organic dairy

Foods That Promote Anti-estrogenic Hormones:
Raw nuts and seeds
Avocados
Olives and olive oil
Rice germ oil
Wheat germ oil

Foods That Serve as Cofactors and Promote Liver Detoxification:
Green vegetables
Spices (turmeric, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
Fruits (citrus, berries, apples, pineapple)
Whole oats and barley
Legumes (no soy)
Herbs (dandelion root, ginger, alma berries, milk thistle)

By adding these foods into your daily diet along with resistance training you will see a reduction in your stubborn fat. So take action with this, apply it and get that body you've always wanted.

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