|
|
HOME |
PRODUCTS |
|
| |
SEARCH |
SITE-MAP |
| |
FAQs |
AUDIO |
ARTICLES |
CONTACT |
FEEDBACK |
PODCASTS |
LINKS |
| |
|
|
Dr.
Fat Speaks: An Interview with the Original "Fat Guru", Udo
Erasmus
|
| What's the real
skinny on fat? I mean, what do you know about fat? You
know you don't want to be fat, sure. You no doubt know
there are fats necessary for many bodily functions. You
know a percentage of your daily diet should be from fats.
You surely know the body uses fats for energy. But what
past that? Are you eating too much fat? Too little? Every
month it seems a new "expert" is telling us how much fat
to eat, and every month it seems to be a different amount.
We know Muscle Media 2000 readers want the whole story,
so we went to the fat source, to the man who has been
studying fat the longest, the "fat guru", if you will:
Udo Erasmus... |
 |
Muscle Media 2000: Let's start with your book. Why the
title Fats That Kill Fats That Kill?
Erasmus: There are really two stories there. For instance,
there are fats that promote tumor growth and fats that inhibit
tumor growth. There are fats that make your platelets sticky,
making you more prone to heart attacks and strokes. Other fats
have the opposite effect; they actually protect you. There are
fats that interfere with insulin function, which is important
for bodybuilders, and there are fats that are required for insulin
function. There are fats that slow you down and fats that increase
your energy levels. These two stories have to be told. And there
are a couple of substances from fats the body can't make but
absolutely has to have to live and be healthy; it dies if it
doesn't get any. These fats have to come from foods. They're
just as important as minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. They're
called essential fatty acids.
MM2K: Tell us a little about essential fatty acids and
distinguish between them.
ERASMUS: Well, essential fatty acids are Omega-6 or linoleic
acid and Omega-3 or alpha-linolenic acid. Omega-3's seem to
have better benefits in terms of energy levels, cancer, high
triglycerides, etc. It's the more therapeutic fat in our society
because of the way we eat these days. From Omega-6's and Omega-3's,
the body makes derivatives, from which it makes hormone-like
substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins come in good-guy
and bad-guy varieties. Simply, Omega-3's make the good guys
that block the production of the bad guys.
|
|
"Prostaglandins
come in good-guy and bad-guy varieties. Simply, Omega-3's
make the good guys that block the production of the bad guys."
|
MM2K: What kinds of fats are caused by the bad guys?
ERASMUS: Well, Omega-6's and stress will make the prostaglandin
2's; these are the bad guys. But Omega-3's will block the production
of prostaglandin 2's, so they have a remarkable calming effect.
You end up with more energy from them , but you actually feel
calmer. Essential fatty acids are also extremely important for
brain function.
MM2K: Now, if Omega-6's cause the production of bad prostaglandins,
why are they essential?
ERASMUS: The Omega-6's actually generate two families
of prostaglandins, one good and one bad. And there's a balance
between them. The bad prostaglandins are only bad in the context
in which we live. In fact, they have some good functions. They
are fight-or-flight prostaglandins. In the jungle, they made
sense: what they do is make your platelets stickier, so if you
get injured in a fight, you don't lose as much blood. They increase
your blood pressure and heart rate which gives you the burst
of energy you need if you're going to run away. They also block
kidneys from getting rid of water. So if injured, you could
lose more fluid without dying. Consequently, they're only bad
when you're chronically under stress, chronically in a fight-or-flight
situation, but today you don't get to run away or beat up your
boss or whoever is triggering that reaction.
MM2K: According to your book, as a population, we're
typically deficient in our essential fatty acid intake. How
so?
ERASMUS: We're not eating the right foods. The reason
for it is, essential fatty acids are very sensitive to destruction
by light, oxygen, and high temperatures. The oils rich in Omega-3's
are very difficult to keep fresh. You can take amino acids and
stick them on a shelf for three years. There's little deterioration
but not much. You can do that with vitamins and minerals, too.
But if you put essential fatty acid oils on the shelf for three
years, they turn into hardened paint. Chemically, they're completely
changed. So care has to be taken with oils that doesn't need
to be taken with other essential nutrients.
MM2K: So, I guess eating fish would be the place to start
in order to get more fatty acids, right?
ERASMUS: Well, it depends on whom you ask. Fish has some
derivatives of Omega-3's and Omega-6's. It was traditionally
a big part of the diet of coast Indians and Eskimos. But in
Europe and certain parts of India and Asia, flax was the oil
of choice, and it has about twice as much Omega-3 as fish oils
do, but it's more stable and easier to process. So it's preferable
except for one draw back: it's very rich in Omega-3's but lacking
in Omega-6's. You can become Omega-6 deficient, so flax has
to be blended and balanced properly in order to prevent that
risk.
|
|
MM2K:
So, with all these highly processed foods, it's difficult
to get the proper ratio of fatty acids in our ordinary
diets without supplementation.
ERASMUS: In the average diet, you're probably getting
very few Omega-3's. In the normal North American diet,
there aren't enough Omega-3's and way too many Omega-6's.
In fact, we're way overbalanced. |
|
MM2K:
Is there any way to balance this without supplementation?
ERASMUS: You could eat seeds rich in Omega-3's - flax
is the richest, but you have to grind it up. If you eat it whole,
it goes right through you. You could also eat high-fat, cold-water
fish like salmon, sardines, albacore tuna, mackerel, and rainbow
trout...those kinds of fish or eel and herring.
MM2K: It seems people have developed an aversion to fat.
They think if they eat fat, they'll get fat. Why do you think
that is?
ERASMUS: Because they've heard only half the story. They
heard about the fats that make them fat, like the hard and hydrogenated
fats. And they've also heard that fats make you sick; that's
mostly because of processing - like frying, hydrogenation, and
overheating - when supermarket oils are made, so we've become
"fat phobic", but the low-fat diet causes lots of problems.
It'll stunt the growth of children and cause dry skin. A lot
of bodybuilders have dry skin because they're on low-fat diets.
You have low energy levels. You don't produce the testosterone
you need for muscle building on a low-fat diet. You get a leaky
gut and food allergies. If you stay on a really low-fat diet
long enough, your hair will fall out; men become sterile; females
miscarry; people get knee pains, not joint pains - arthritis-like
conditions; and abnormal heartbeats. A lot of problems are caused
by not eating enough fat.
MM2K: That's not a pretty picture. What happens to fried
fats? Why aren't they safe?
ERASMUS: Well, they're exposed to the damaging effects
of light, oxygen, and high temperatures all at once. There's
a very consistent correlation between frying with fats and cancer,
hardening of the arteries, as well as inflammatory conditions.
MM2K: So are there any safe fats for frying?
ERASMUS: The only "fat" that's appropriate for frying,
in terms of health concerns, is water. That means steaming,
poaching, and boiling your foods. After you've prepared your
food that way, pour on a good oil or oil blend. That way you
get the essential fatty acids you need, you get the flavor enhancement
fats bring to foods,you haven't made the fat toxic by overheating
it. |
MM2K: Let's
switch to saturated fats. Biochemically, what are they?
ERASMUS: I'm not being completely accurate here, but all
hard fats have quite a bit of saturated fat in them.
MM2K: Hard meaning solid at room temperature?
ERASMUS: Yeah. Basically, pork, beef, and lamb fats, dairy
fats, etc., as well as tropical fats.
MM2K: It seems like every month you hear various recommendations
about eating higher-fat diets. Generally they say don't eat more
than 30% of your total fat calories as saturated fats. Is there
any reason at all to have saturated fats in the diet?
ERASMUS: No. The body can make it out of sugar and starch.
But you'll find some saturated fat in all fats, including the
ones rich in essential fatty acids. The body knows what to do
with them. But if you eat a lot of hard fats, they'll interfere
with insulin function and make your platelets stickier. The more
hard fats you eat, the more essential fatty acids you need to
override their effects. Don't be paranoid about them, but don't
eat a whole lot of them.
MM2K:
So an occasional steak is all right?
ERASMUS: Sure. A tablespoon of butter a day might
be okay, but you don't want to be a butter freak. And, bodybuilders,
who burn a lot of calories, can eat more saturated fats
than sedentary people because the body burns saturated fats
for energy. |
 |
MM2K: What about polyunsaturated fats?
ERASMUS: Well, polyunsaturated just means more than one
double bond. These are the fats that are liquid at room temperature.
They include the essential fatty acids, polyunsaturated is a sloppy
term I'd like to abolish from the English language. Polyunsaturates
can have different effects, like the Omega-6's have opposing effects
to the Omega-3's in some ways. Some are toxic because they have
been overheated or chemically changed. So it's not a good term.
MM2K: So do polyunsaturates arise primarily from processing?
ERASMUS: They're liquid at room temperature and include
the essential fatty acids along with some things that have been
damaged by processing. All the oils you see on the grocery-store
shelves have been overheated, except for extra virgin olive oil,
which is not a good source of essential fatty acids.
MM2K: What are trans-fatty acids?
ERASMUS: Those found in some margarines, shortening, partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils. They're in all kinds of convenience
foods like the croutons people use on their "healthy" Caesar salads.
They're also found in soup mixes, breads, cookies, frozen foods,
candies, dry soups - all kinds of things. And the trans-fatty
acids have a long list of detrimental effects: they double your
risk of heart attack and, in research studies, have been shown
to do a number of other not-very-pleasant things. For example,
they interfere with liver function and insulin function and make
your platelets stickier. They're correlated with low-birth-weight
human babies; in fact, they're not allowed in baby foods. They
increase abnormal sperm and interfere with pregnancy with animals.
Additionally, they reduce the effectiveness of liver detoxification
functions, and that's important for athletes and people who are
using steroids. When you interfere with liver functions, you interfere
with the metabolism of those kinds of substances and many others.
MM2K: You never see any labels on foods that say they contain
"trans-fatty acids," do you?
ERASMUS: If foods have trans-fatty acids in them, then
usually hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated is on the label.
And we tell people, "If you see the 'H' word on the label, get
the 'H' out of there."
MM2K: Okay, tell me how much fat is too much? Particularly
for a bodybuilder.
ERASMUS: The traditional diets that kept people healthy
had about 15% to 20% of calories from fats, but they were essential-fatty-acid-rich
fats. They were actually oils - seeds, nuts, and oils. The Inuit
(Eskimos) got 60% of their calories from fats, but the fats were
completely unprocessed. The Inuit chewed whale blubber, which
is rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 derivatives. So the amount of fat
can go quite high, from a health point of view, without doing
damage. Bodybuilders have to look at their own bodyfat. One oil
we've used in bodybuilding is called "Udo's Choice Perfected Oil
Blend." It's made with flax, sunflower, sesame, rice germ, oat
germ, medium-chain triglycerides, and Vitamin E. It's a nice blend
- both essential fatty acids are properly balanced, and it's richer
in Omega-3's. Another one we've used is flax. I prefer the blend
because of its balance. But some of the bodybuilders work with
flax, and that may be more important closer to showtime because
it's richer in Omega-3's, and the Omega-3's can increase metabolic
rate.
|
|
MM2K: A lot of bodybuilders are using flaxseed oil
exclusively. Are they perhaps creating some sort of imbalance
by relying too heavily on flax alone?
ERASMUS: Short term, they're okay. Long term, they're
going to have problems. You see, I was the one who introduced
flax oil for consumption. That was my first oil. And I've
moved away from it because of the poor balance of Omega-3's
to Omega-6's. It's too rich in Omega-3's, and people become
Omega-6 deficient if they use it exclusively for too long.
MM2K: What if I can't use Udo's Choice and I'm using
flax oil; what can I do right now to remedy this situation?
ERASMUS: If you mixed flax and sunflower-seed oil,
you could balance the Omega-3's to 6's. Use about three tablespoons
of flax to every tablespoon of sunflower.
MM2K: Let's switch gears again. How is it that adding
fats can improve levels of testosterone?
ERASMUS: If you don't get the right kinds of fats,
you interfere with testosterone production. If optimize the
amount of essential fatty acids you get in your diet, then
you optimize your body's ability to make testosterone. But
the optimum is obviously going to be different for different
people. Some people's bodies naturally make more; some naturally
make less.
MM2K: Biochemically, what is going on there?
ERASMUS: The essential fatty acids are required for
testosterone production. They give the cells in our glands
the energy to do their biochemical work. For example, your
thyroid gland and pineal gland - we've seen people who have
low thyroid levels, which lowers metabolic rate, improve thyroid
function by getting essential fatty acids. I think that's
because they improve the cell's ability to function properly.
MM2K: How might a bodybuilder introduce higher levels
of essential fats to his or her diet?
ERASMUS: The blend is convenient and can be poured
onto anything. You can put it on salads or mix it in shakes
- that's a really nice way to take it. You can mix it in yogurt
or in the yolk of soft-boiled eggs. You can put it on your
vegetables, mix it in your pasta, etc. Oils go with everything
- fruits, vegetables, grains, starches, or protein.
MM2K: Bodybuilders are typically eating at least six
times a day. Can they add oil to every meal?
ERASMUS: Yes. The way I measure oil requirement is
by how the skin feels. That'll work for bodybuilders too.
If your skin is soft, smooth, and velvety, you have enough
oil. If your skin is dry, you need more oil. I've seen bodybuilders
who have really dry knuckles. They need more oil. I work with
bodybuilders whose knees hurt. They need more oil. But the
skin is the easiest way to tell. And you'll find in winter,
when it's cold, your skin gets drier than in summer when it's
warm. So in winter you need more oil.
MM2K: How much should you have with each meal?
ERASMUS: For me, in summer, probably 2 1/4 tablespoons
a day, so that's about 10% of my calories. In winter, I need
about 2 3/4 tablespoons, so I need half a tablespoon more
in winter. For bodybuilders, they may need a little more.
They may need three, four, even five tablespoons, depending
on how big they are and how much physical exercise they get.
But either way, the skin feel will tell them. It's different
for different people, but everyone can monitor it.
|
MM2K: Can essential fatty acids help reduce soreness
or speed up recovery?
ERASMUS: Yes, because they increase metabolic rate and
oxygen metabolism. Anything that speeds up your body's ability
to use oxygen means you can go longer before you're tired. You
also recover from exercise quicker. That's true for fatigue
and healing. Athletes who take essential fatty acids find that
their bruises , sprains, pains, and ligaments heal quicker.
And, of course, when you're bodybuilding, your muscles are injured
on a molecular level, not on a gross level. We also find that
people don't swell so much after surgery. These healing effects
happen because essential fatty acids are involved in the processes
of every cell.
MM2K: What do you recommend for a daily ratio of protein,
fats, and carbs?
ERASMUS: The athletes I work with and talk to say 30/30/40
[30% protein, 30% fats, and 40% carbs] is too low in carbs and
too high in protein, and usually go on a 20/20/60 diet. I'd
modify that a little and do 20% protein, 30% oil - the right
kinds of oils - and 50% carbs. But again, you can't give a number
that works for everybody. Athletes have different needs. I need
more protein than a lot of people I know, and it's different
for different athletes. So to some extent, you have to experiment.
You just can't say, "This is the way it's got to be for everybody."
MM2K: Earlier, you suggested 15% to 20% might be better,
but now you say 30%. Is the 30% fat more for athletes?
ERASMUS: Well, I say 30% because I think increasing your
protein too much has some detrimental effects. Too much protein
is hard on your kidneys and liver, and if your liver doesn't
work properly, it's also hard on your brain and other internal
organs. If the fats are rich in essential fatty acids, you can
go up to 60% without causing major problems, so I'd rather keep
the proteins lower and increase the fats...
|
Certainly,
much of what Udo Erasmus has said here was news to many
of us. He definitely spooned up a heaping amount of food
for thought. You shouldn't be afraid of fats. You know
this now. Although we covered much ground in the area
of fats, there's much more too it. Like he said, "There's
more to the story."
And in his professional opinion, that's why people are
afraid of fats. "When people think of fats, they're not
thinking of the good ones, the ones that stimulate calorie
burning. Before this, they were getting only half the
story."
|
|
|
Remember
to visit our ARTICLES
section for the latest
research articles, scientific studies, athlete statements
and publications by Udo
Erasmus.
|
|
|
