Welcome to another episode of The Matter Over Mind Experience.
I am your host, Master Trainer & Weight Management Expert, Narado Zeco Powell
Recently, I have been receiving my questions from listeners about health, fat-loss and other topics.
Even though I address these questions, I have come to realize that many people have similar questions
So, going forward, I will aim to provide 1 to 2 Q & A episodes per month.
Feel free to email me any questions you may have @ narado@zecohealth.com or dm on IG @zecohealth
I will not disclose your name or any information about you.
Let’s begin today’s Q & A session
Question 1- In order to maximize fat-burn, should I eat fat and protein at night or carbs?
This is a tricky question. Remember, do not confuse anything I say as direct nutrition advice
This answer comes down to sleep quality. We know that our brain prefers glucose or ketones
On a standard low carb diet, the brain will still largely depend on glucose, the sugar found in your blood, for fuel.
However, the brain may burn more ketones than on a regular diet.
On a ketogenic diet, ketones are the primary fuel source for the brain.
So, unless you are on a ketogenic diet or if you are metabolically flexible, you may want to feed your body glucose in the evenings
I generally say, at a complete meal, fats, protein & fiber then eat carbs i.e berries for dessert.
This will keep your blood sugar steady and provide your brain steady dose of glucose
Question2- If I want to lose weight, should I focus on low carb so my body is always in fat burn?
Well, this comes down to being metabolically flexible.
Being in fat-burn, can be good in the short term, but we have enough science to know that over time, our bodies downregulate it’s ability to burn carbs efficiently
So, if you return to eating carbs, your body will likely store them
This is why I recommend training your metabolism to have the ability to break down fats & carbs
This is being metabolically flexible
Question3- I fast for 16 hours daily for the past few week, but I have only lost 2 pounds. Why would that be?
This question came from a female
I highlight this because fasting windows for men & women are different
When we fast too long, we can actually stress our bodies
This stress response can slow down our metabolism & lower our BMR
Note, my answer here is regarding daily fasts
Studies show that women should not fast more than 12 to 14 hours daily
This seems ideal for most women I have worked with
Question4- I heard that cold exposure can improve weight loss, is this true & how?
In principle yes, cold exposure can activate brown fat
Brown fat breaks down blood sugar (glucose) and fat molecules to create heat and help maintain body temperature.
Cold temperatures activate brown fat, which leads to various metabolic changes in the body.
Most of our fat, however, is white fat, which stores extra energy.
Too much white fat builds up in obesity
Scientists have also discovered that white fat behaves like brown fat when exposed to cold temperatures
Research tells us that temperatures around 66 degrees can activate brown fat
So, yes, cold exposure can activate brown fat
Question5- What is the best kind of breakfast for weight-loss?
This is a tough one, again, please do not confuse with nutrition guidance and before making any dietary changes, please consult a medical or dietary professional
First, we need to know that insulin is usually higher in the mornings
The boost in sugar is your body’s way of making sure you have enough energy to get up and start the day
It’s called the dawn phenomenon or the dawn effect
Another thing that triggers this is If your blood sugar drops too low in the middle of the night while you are sleeping, your body will release hormones in an attempt to “rescue” you from the dangerously low blood sugar
Another reason why eating a balanced and feeding your brain and body glucose the night before can be helpful
Regarding mornings, eating a balanced breakfast with minimal carbs is best for most people
The same idea as dinner
What I say is stay away from high sugary breakfasts
Try to eat balanced and whole foods
These simple, processed, sugary foods are among the worse things you can do for your health and metabolism
There is it fam
Feel free to email me questions @ narado@zecohealth.com or dm ms on Instagram @npowell4
