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Can you really flush the fat away?

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By Brian Foley from Activate Fitness

I had a client talk to me last week about something they had seen online about 'Fat Burning' and how they had been told it can be 'flushed' out with the right teas and other potions.

Never in all of the science classes I’ve taken and in all of the years I’ve been studying human metabolism and health, have I ever heard of a ‘flush’. Turns out, the person who posted the picture - a ‘health coach’ - said that’s what happens to fat cells when we lose weight. Of course, she was selling a product.

Another person on the Internet floated the claim that the ‘flush’ happens when we lose weight.

This person said that after the cells release fat, they temporarily fill with water, making you feel ‘squishy’. She said that this water retention occurs because ‘the fat cells are hoping to fill up again with fat’.

Apparently, this person doesn’t understand science because, despite her compelling description, she’s absolutely wrong.

Our fat cells don’t fill with water after they release triglycerides during weight loss. They just sort of…wait there, like when the train takes half an hour reversing into Killarney Station and it’s baltic outside!

The question is where does it go? And maybe there isn’t a ‘flush,’ but do fat cells disappear or leave the body when they’re empty?

All very good questions, and all about to be answered in this week’s and next week's article.

Warning: People who use words like 'flush' and 'burn' about the complex human metabolic process should be ignored. But you knew that already.

What are fat cells?

Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t born with all of our fat cells. We accumulate them – at least what’s determined to be our baseline number – until well into our teens.

Most of the fat in our bodies is what we refer to as white fat, or WAT (White Adipose Tissue). White fat stores triglycerides for energy, cushions our organs, keeps us warm, and produces hormones.

When we eat fat, it gets broken down and metabolised by the liver into triglycerides. These are stored in the fat cells, liver, and to a small extent, in muscle. When your body needs energy, it releases the triglycerides into the bloodstream in a process called lipolysis.

The body tries to maintain a balance of ‘lipid turnover’, which is the name given for the process of storing and removing triglycerides in fat cells for energy. Of course, if you go into calorie deficit, this balance tips, and you lose weight.

Recent research measuring lipid turnover rates showed that lipid removal slows as we age – basically, our cells continue to take up fat, without losing as much of it. That may make it harder to lose weight as we get older.

In Part 2 next week, we'll look at macronutrients and what happens to fat when we lose weight.

In the meantime, if you would like some free advice from qualified professionals, visit www.activate.ie/nutrition.

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s


World renowned Paralympian and world record holder Jason Smyth paid a visit to St Brendan’s College on Wednesday afternoon as part of a high profile visit to Killarney.


The six time Paralympic gold medallist spoke to second year students from St Brendan’s College, alongside students from neighbouring schools St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and Killarney Community College.
The interactive talk and interview took place ahead of World Sight Day, with the legendary sprinter sharing his personal journey with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that left him legally blind at eight years old.
The Derry native, who holds the world record as the fastest Paralympian on earth over 100 metres, offered inspiring insights into overcoming physical adversity and achieving success at the highest level of world sport.
The school visit formed the opening leg of his Killarney schedule before he took centre stage later on Wednesday evening at The Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Smyth headlined An Evening with Paralympian Jason Smyth, an event organised by the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce as part of its winter schedule, sponsored by AIB.

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Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

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Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

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