Fat localisation in women's bodies : Truth revealed

One the biggest morphological difference between men and women is certainly how fat is stored in both genders' bodies. For the average woman, her fat percentage is from 18 to 25% of her weight. For men, this average is from 10 to 15%. There's such a big difference because the woman will, at a moment of her live, feed a fetus and then an infant with her own reserves. So she has to stock some energy ( which here is fat ), for her future pregnancy. 

                                          Here are the main fat localisations in women's bodies

Did you know that the different places where the body stores fat is linked with where the woman comes from. For example, in hot countries, fat is mostly stocked in the butt, the hips ( for Mediterraneans ) and around the navel ( for some Asiatics ). This particular way to store fat is to keep women to be covered with a too hot fat '' jacket ''. While in colder countries, the fat is stored more evenly to ensure a better protection in harsh winters. Doesn't matter the way fat is stored in your body, you have to know that it's there for a reason. It's there to allow survival of the women and her baby in case of possible starvation.

It's really important to know that losing almost all your fat can lead to serious hormonal problems which could lead to amenorrhea ( no more periods ) and so to a brief infertility. This brief infertility exists for a good reason though, it prevents the woman to give birth to a baby that she wouldn't be able to feed with her own reserves and which could be harmful for the baby's life.

I really hope it helps you understand better your body so that you can cherish it even more ! :)

xx

Chryseis

The truth about FATS

Okay everybody, it's about time that you read about REAL, PROVEN facts. Indeed, I'll give you some of my own knowledge plus serious infos from real sources. And all that, simplified just for you, so my beloved readers can finally understand what's hiding behind the world of FATS ( lipids ).

As you probably have heard previously, there are good fats and bad fats. But it goes further than this. Here's the list of the main lipids in our body and of the functions they have :

Triglycerides : Stocks energy, insulation, protection

Glycerophospholipids : Main component of our cell membranes

Steroids :

      - Vitamin D : Controls calcium in body, required for growth and bone repair

      - Adrenal cortex hormones : Metabolism control, stress resistance, water/electrolytes control

      - Sexual hormones : Maintains sexual features

      - Cholesterol : Other component of cell membranes, useful for Vitamin D and steroid hormones

      - Bile salts : Useful for good absorption of fats and overall digestion

Ecosanoids : Act on the reaction to hormones, coagulation, inflammation, immunity, etc...

Other fats :

      - Carotenes : Useful for producing vitamin A ( for your eyes ), antioxidant

      - Vitamin E : Repairs muscle tissue, prevents scars, antioxidant

      - Fatty acids : Used to produce ATP ( energy in our body )

      - Lipoprotein : Carry lipids in blood, get rid of cholesterol excess of blood

See? Fats are not ALL bads but of course, they're not all good too. For example, fatty acids comes in 3 forms. Saturated fatty acids are easily stored in our body because it only has single covalents bonds. You find them in red meats and whole dairy products mostly. Monounsaturated are less prone to store in our body because it has one double covalent bond. You can find them in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and avocados. And as you can guess, polyunsaturated have more than one covalent bond so they don't really get stored as fats. You find them in sunflower oil, salmon or tuna. There are the essentials fatty acids too ( Omega-3 and Omega-6). These are the ones that your body can't produce itself so they have to be taken from foods or from supplements.

You certainly don't have to take off all of the fats in your diet, you need them. Your cell membranes are made of them so basically, you're made of them! Just make sure that you eat the right ones.

I'll talk to you guys in an other post about the actual lipid metabolism! 

xx

Chryseis