Burn Fat by eating more Frequently

The University of Toronto conducted a scientific study  of eating more frequently versus three meals a day. They studied the effect of increasing the frequency of meals on blood fats concentrations and carbohydrate tolerance in average people. As compared with the three-meal diet, the increased meal frequency diet reduced  total cholesterol 8.5%, insulin  decreased by 27.9%. In addition, the average 24-hour urine cortisol (Stress-Hormone)  was lower.

This suggests that the common eating pattern, which is typified by infrequent meals with a heavy emphasis on a large end-of-day meal, is not useful for meeting goals because it is guaranteed to create large energy gaps during the day. The typical 2-3 meals a day, although this energy gap may be compensated for at the end of the day to put the person in an energy balance. You may maintain your weight, however this also leads to higher  % body-fat, meaning you look fat and out of shape.

The reason for a higher % body fat, becomes clear when you consider how blood sugar fluctuates (after a meal, it rises, levels off, and drops over a period of 3 hours.) With delayed eating, blood sugar drops and proteins (amino acids) are taken from muscle tissue to be converted to glucose (blood sugar). Although this may normalize your blood sugar, it does so at the expense of muscle mass, so you lose muscle tissue thus making you look weaker.

Additionally , both low blood sugar and large meals are associated with hyperinsulinemia ( high insulin response), which encourages the storage of fat. So, delayed eating followed by a large meal, which most people do, is an ideal way to lower muscle tissue, and increase fat tissue... not what should be done to achieve an ideal body composition. Since muscle tissue is metabolically active which means you burn more calories during the day, since muscles actively need energy.

The act of eating more frequently, plays a role in the thermic effect of food. The number of calories burned as a result of eating; a higher burn rate is considered good because  because it is associated with lower body fat. This thermic effect of food is higher in subjects eating at regular, short intervals when compared with subjects at irregular, longer intervals, e.g. you should have more frequent meals throughout the day.

In conclusion the more frequent the eating pattern, the lower the body fat and the higher the muscle mass.
What are you to do? Never get hungry. Since blood sugar is known to rise and fall in 3 hour intervals, it makes sense to have planned snacks. Best way to start this , is eat a bit less at breakfast, eat the remainder at mid-morning  and do the same for lunch and dinner. In other words you split your 3 meals into 6 meals a day, keeping 3 hours between meals.

Example ( first meal is at 6:30 a.m., the second  at 9:30 a.m., the third at 12:30 p.m., the fourth at 3:30 p.m., the fifth at 6:30 p.m.and the sixth at 9:30 p.m)

Include low energy-density foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which are rich in water and fiber, to help you feel full longer after eating. Add a small serving of protein at each mini-meal, such as fish, poultry, meat, nuts, nut (peanut, almond etc..) butter, eggs, legumes, non-fat yogurt. Protein increases satiety and prevents you from feeling hungry until your next mini-meal.

Combat Obesity with Antioxidants

As we all know the incidence of Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate.,  We all know what we have to do to fight it, however, many of us fail to do so for various reasons. The state of being obese is described as a state of chronic oxidative stress.  Obesity promotes various risk factors that increase heart disease. 

Oxidative stress in laymen's terms is the imbalance between reactive oxygen molecules and the body's ability to detoxify itself from the damage.  Oxidative stress is believed to be responsible for increasing heart disease, cancer, pulmonary disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and speeding up the aging process. 

A recent study concluded that obesity even in the absence of smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, or liver disease, can deplete the body's protective antioxidants.  Consistent with the notion that obesity is a chronic oxidative stress state. BMI and waist-to-hip ratio are significantly associated with oxidative stress markers in a large community based study.

 Because of this, recent studies have hinted at the therapeutic potential of Antioxidants in the reduction of body weight and influence on obesity related disorders.  Research on vitamin E, an antioxidant nutrient revealed that moderate amounts of antioxidant nutrient could reduce heart disease incidence by 40% in various age groups, when taking long term.  The study consisted evaluated close to 20,000 people between the ages of 50- 100 yrs. 

The aforementioned antioxidant works by protecting the arteries from the oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Another study conducted at Harvard, showed that men who used antioxidant daily had a 37% lower risk of heart disease, also it should be noted that they used the antioxidant long term.


In addition trace elements like selenium and vitamins A, C, and E and the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene serve important protective functions. These antioxidant chemicals protect you by reacting with and removing free radicals.

The “oxidative-modification hypothesis” posits that oxidation of LDL cholesterol - similar to butter turning rancid- contributes to the plaque-forming, artery-clogging process of atherosclerosis.

Therefor it is prudent for individuals to supplement their food intake with Antioxidants; the national cancer society encourages consumption of five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  As a 2013 gift, I will provide you with a list of Top 10 Antioxidants. 

1. Tomatoes 
2. Blueberries
3. Peaches
4. Red Kidney Beans
5. Cranberries
6. Acai Berry 
7. Artichokes
8. Prunes
9. Kale
10. Bell Peppers  

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