August 2005 Wetsuit Explanation The "wetsuit" is a name for lean body mass (LBM) which consists of bones, muscles, organs, and the cells that make these up. These cells are always in a state of flux. They function for a while, (having their "shelf-life") then are destroyed or die off as new ones are made. Think of your skin; outer layers exfoliate and new layers are always growing from underneath. Red Blood Cells live for about 120 days, organs weeks to a couple months, and the GI tract replaces itself every few days. Think of how you eat; are you giving your body healthy nutrients to build new cells? Or are these cells coming from 7-11 and fast food? Protein is the building blocks of these cells. Picture carpenters waiting with hammers to build this body, do they have enough nails, steel and wood (protein) or are they short on supplies? Are the supplies (food) high quality? What kind of supplies have you been giving these carpenters for the last month? If a month of new organs cells have been made, are they high quality ones? Respect the wetsuit, think of it as your "host" on this planet or as the "church or temple". See "Wetsuit and Protein Needs" handout/archived website topic to calculate your needs. The antioxidants and phytonutritients are the colors in our plant foods. Did these carbs come from the ground or a tree before you bought them? Or were they made at a candy plant? Colors in plant foods are not the same as the colors of Skittles. (Though they are not forbidden) These antioxidants protect our cells from damage while they're having their shelf life in our body. The more colors and Fruits and Veggies, the more protection we have. The people in Okinawa, Japan have the highest percentage of 100 year olds on the planet. These centurions are living high quality lives too; they're planting their gardens, doing Tai-chi, working in the community, and do not have diseases. They consume 9-17 servings of veggies and fruits a day, and aim for 5 different colors on every plate. Basal Metabolic Rate- These are the calories it takes just to survive. If we eat under this, our poor little wetsuit is deprived and can't repair itself the way it want to. The carpenters are waiting and have little or nothing to do, because repairing and cell replacement is not happening. If we eat under Basal Metabolic Rate for a while, our body can override us and make us binge to re-fuel. The survival instinct is VERY strong. Don't take this personally; it is a neurochemical wiring to survive. Depriving yourself is like being held back like a sling shot that keeps getting tighter and tighter, and when it's let loose. BAM. Face in cake. Don't deprive yourself. See "Calculating Calorie Needs" handout/web archive to calculate your needs.

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