Why fat cells matter:

The overriding theme of the book “Life’s 2 Short” is about keeping insulin levels as low as possible, which changes the way energy is used and stored in the body. The aim is to use the body’s stored energy and not to add to the stores.

This manifests in smaller, healthier fat cells with a high turnover rate of energy in the form of glucose stored as fat after eating, and used when caloric intake is low. The cells (mainly in the liver) make glucose from fatty acids released from the fat cells. This makes the body metabolically flexible.

But if we keep feeding the fat cells with more fat because insulin is elevated, they become huge (up to 10 times their size) and to slow down the process they become resistant to the effects of insulin. They will also begin to release inflammatory molecules and some of these land in the general circulation which causes damage to the inner lining of blood vessels.

So, why do we have fat cells (adipose tissue)?

Many reasons, but the most pertinent are the following:

1.      It acts as an energy reservoir during low food intake. It prevents starvation.

2.      It acts as insulation against cold (the fat under the skin).

3.      It acts as a shock absorber (the fat around organs like the liver).

4.      Surprisingly, it also acts as an endocrine organ (dumping hormones into the blood). The most important of those is the hormone Leptin, which signals to the brain that there is enough energy stored and that we can stop eating (also called the “satiety hormone”).

Without fat cells, we cannot survive. But if we over-feed them, they become the enemy within.

Stop eating sugary starches, and avoid added sugar; this will keep insulin low, and your fat cells will thank you by improving your metabolic flexibility and overall health.