Alpha and Beta Receptors - How They Affect Fat Loss or Fat Gain

We all carry two fat receptors inside of our bodies. These two fat receptors act as opposites. Alpha fat receptors are responsible for decreasing fat burning and restricting the amount of blood flow that passes through the cell. While beta fat receptors increase ability to burn fat and increases the blood flow that passes through the fat cells. Research has shown that we are all born with a predetermined amount of alpha and beta fat receptors. So if at birth you had a larger amount of alpha fat receptors, if you fall into the many traps that life can throw in our direction, you may hold onto fat and struggle to lose those extra pounds.

There are a some habits you can develop that may help to increase the efficiency, and the rate that your beta receptors burn fat. Adopting a few of these habits may help you on your way to winning the war on fat.

• Eat whole grains, lean proteins, an abundance of vegetables and fruits lower on the glycemic index. Remove all bad carbs, and replace them with complex carbohydrates lower on the glycemic index.
  
  
• Do a minimum of 30-45 minutes of exercise, starting with three days per week if you are not currently involved in an exercise program, and work your way up to five times a week. Make sure you are eating smaller meals throughout the day, and especially an hour or two before your exercise session. Training while starving yourself can force your body to breakdown precious muscle for energy, defeating the purpose of exercise.
  
  
• Keep yourself fed. Eat smaller meals, say four meals with two snacks, for a total of 5-6 meals per day. This way you will never be hungry by eating often, and the constant nourishment can provoke a spike in your metabolism.
  
  
• Break down your cardio into two smaller sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, 20 minutes each. This was give you two guaranteed spikes in your metabolism throughout the day.
  
  
• Do a detox to clear your system of all toxins. I don't recommend attempting a juice detox diet or anything extreme. I would suggest taking a few days to drink filtered water, a detoxifying herbal tea, raw or slightly steamed vegetables and low glycemic fruits. During this time you may choose to refrain from any intense exercise. You could bounce on a rebounder (a rebounder has been know to help get your lymphatic system circulating and eliminate waste through movement caused by the bouncing on one). You may also want to take EDTA which has been know for removing heavy metals from your system (do not take this for an extended period of time) or calcium d-glucarate, another supplement know to aide in detoxifying your system. You can also sit in a sauna for quick little session. This will help your detox program. I suggest using a near infrared sauna. This are much more comfortable, and the heat from a near infrared sauna can penetrate deeper then a regular dry sauna. This makes it possible for your body to sweat at lower temperatures avoiding the feeling of suffocation that a traditional dry sauna may bring on.
  
  
• It is a must to include well rounded, resistance weight training sessions into your exercise program. Resistance training (weight lifting) increases your lean muscle mass which increases your metabolism in general, and your resting metabolic rate. This will assist in fat loss. But something even more interesting, an increase in lean muscle mass will increase your testosterone levels naturally (don't worry woman, an elevated amount testosterone that you have increased naturally will not have you growing a beard or speaking like a man). This increase in testosterone has a positive effect in your body's ability to burn fat. When researchers took fat cells and exposed them to testosterone in a test tube the the activity of lipoprotein lipase (this enzyme promotes fat storage) was significantly reduced.

I am sure all these things are things you have heard of several times, but hearing the scientific reason why you may carry more fat in one place and less in the other and what helps to awaken one fat receptor and deactivate another may help you to understand that you don't need a miracle and that it is all based on your system and how you have treated it in the past and what you do to undue any damage your system has suffered. For instance, it has been proven that people who have yo-yo dieted their whole lives may struggle more than people who have not given in to many fad diets that have failed. It is best if we as adults learn to treat our bodies like temples and not abuse or damage them and become a slave to fad diets. It's also important to teach our kids, FROM BIRTH, how to eat healthy, clean, and always follow a healthy lifestyle. This will give our children a fighting chance and not start them down the path to painful failures by trying one fad diet after the next.

There are things you can do as an adult to try to fix the damage done. First, decide if perhaps you need a medical doctor that can help you, if you can't fight the battle on your own. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I can refer you to one. But there are many things you can try first. Yohimbe, carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, DHEA (you would need to have a blood test done to confirm if you are deficient), propolmannan (life extension has a great supplement that has propolmannan in it) and eating power foods that are loaded with fiber, protein and complex carbs that are low on the glycemic index. Some of my favorites are quinoa, green peas, and lentils. You can also add to your supplement regimen, if you are not taking any yet. These include fish oil, vitamin D, a good multi-vitamin, CoQ 10 and vitamin C.

Here are some of my favorite supplements:

• MSM
• Gymnema Sylvestre
• Biotin
• Glutathione with Cysteine and C.

There are more but this will give you enough to research and find out which ones you like the best and create your own regimen. All of these supplements not only may help you shake off some of those stubborn pounds, but also help to correct deficiency in your system, give you more support, and strengthen your immune system. These improvements will only improve the way your body functions and either directly or indirectly assist in shedding stubborn fat.

One last thing I would like to suggest is whey protein. Whey protein is great for helping you shed unwanted fat and recover from stress and exercise. Whey protein stimulates your metabolism. Whey is derived from calcium rich milk products. Foods that have a high calcium content may help increase fat loss, even more so if you are on low calorie diet. Whey has been proven to strengthen and support your immune system. Whey is high in amino acids and glutamine which can also help to support your gastrointestinal system. This may give you relief from digestive stress which may cause cramps, bloating and diarrhea. Whey contains two major proteins, lactoferrin and lactoferricin. These two proteins function as antioxidants because of their iron binding capacity. Whey is also loaded with proteins high in cysteine. These cysteine rich proteins play a big role in the synthesis of glutathione. Glutathione is a major intercellular antioxidant.

All of the above information may help you gain the advantage over stubborn fat. I suggest you research all the information and do what is right for you. I can write thousands of articles and offer up all the advice in the world but you need to believe and understand what you are doing in order for you to be fully committed. So do your own research, get committed and BURN THAT FAT!

By Diane Mohlman