Fat (Adipose)

Culturally, we sensationalize fat. Fat’s bad. Fat’s good. There’s skinny fat, and there’s just fat, fat. There are countless fat-reducing diets and there is a sociological push to embrace ones own fat. We shouldn’t comment on persons fat, while at times a doctor must in order to offer the best possible care. But a doctor who prescribes fat reduction is often considered cruel and/or cold – sometimes even lazy, because it seems that that’s the only answer he or she will give no matter what the person’s complaint or ailment. And far too many of us are obsessed with fat. Even the thinnest or most fit of us will see fat in the mirror and sleep with a scale under our bed. Read more “Fat (Adipose)” →

Bone

Bone provides support and protection to your body. It produces blood cells, and stores both minerals and triglycerides. We like to think of our bones as hard, static, solid, unmoving or unchanging pieces to our skeleton. But believe it or not, your living bone tissue is forever growing, remodeling and repairing itself (or in other words, breaking itself down and building itself back up). It is not stagnant or static at all, but is forever changing inside your body. Read more “Bone” →

Blood, Cardiovascular System & Obesity

Blood
Your blood is a fluid connective tissue. Its plasma is combined mostly of water with a wide variety of dissolved substances including nutrients, wastes, enzymes, plasma proteins, hormones, respiratory gases and ions. It also contains red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to body cells, while removing carbon dioxide from cells to the lungs for exhalation. Blood carries nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract, and hormones from the endocrine cells to other body cells. Blood also transports heat and waste products to various organs for elimination. White blood cells and platelets are some of the building blocks of your immune system, aiding in defense against foreign bodies (viruses and bacteria, for example), and tissue repair. Blood acts to protect by clotting, which creates a barrier against excessive loss from the cardiovascular system after injury, and white blood cells are involved in immune responses. These immune responses include injury recovery, allergy response, and phagocytosis (or consumption and destruction of dead cells and other noxious substances). In addition, several blood proteins like antibodies, act to protect us against disease in a variety of ways. Read more “Blood, Cardiovascular System & Obesity” →

You are Basically a Big Bag of Chemical Molecules

Types of Tissues

It wasn’t until I was well into an anatomy & physiology class in college that I gave any thought to what was actually under my skin. It just wasn’t something I’d just casually think about. And as such, sayings like, “you are what you eat,” though familiar, had no real meaning to me.

The human body is made up of tissues, which are made up of cells, which are made up of molecules formed by organic chemical compounds. What I’m saying is you are basically a big bag of chemical molecules bundled together into cells that create tissues and organs. Read more “You are Basically a Big Bag of Chemical Molecules” →