ABDOMINAL FAT: RISKS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE

This article is for everyone. As always, consult you primary care provider before starting any weight-loss regimen.
Did you know that at nearly 40 percent of adults in the U.S. are clinically obese? And new reports paint a dire picture across all the Western World? Aside from distress over your looks, excess fat in the abdominal region is a serious risk factor to your health. Health complications such as diabetes, gout, cancer, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea are a result of excess belly fat and fat around the organs.
Now, there are two types of fat as far as this is concerned:
1) Subcutaneous fat: This fat is just under the skin, covering the abs and muscles.
2) Visceral fat: This fat lies deeper, underneath the abs, surrounding the organs.
Visceral fat is more dangerous, by far (the aforementioned diseases) since it is around the vital organs including the heart, liver and kidneys. Another condition that visceral fat can lead to is insulin resistance, usually through lack of exercise and poor diet. This renders the pancreas helpless in regulating blood sugars, the main sugar being high fructose corn syrup.

What to do about it
It is an oft-repeated mantra in the fitness world that “bodies are made in the kitchen.” In my view this is counterproductive, simply because you still have to put in the work when you’re dieting. Work such as researching diets, becoming a label reader, knowing how to spot fake health food, etc. – plus, knowing how the body works and how your body responds to exercise and diet.
Whatever you decide on doing in your fitness endeavors, make sure they’re enjoyable, fun and effective. In any case, stick with the basics – high-intensity cardio like interval training and sprints, plus strength training/resistance training. A fitness regimen based on interval training (running/sprints) and resistance training will set the table in creating not only a fat-burning environment, but also directly assist in the regulation of cholesterol, blood sugars, and even viruses.

Enter healthy eating
Fitness icon Jack LaLanne once quipped that “Exercise is king and diet is queen.” Truer words were never spoken. The standard suggested diet given by the USDA contains a very high grain intake count. This will not help you lose weight and slash visceral fat and subcutaneous fat at all. A diet based on healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, free-range eggs, fatty fish and fish oils (plus increasing protein intake and fiber intake) will help you win the battle of the bulge.

Enter veggies
As far as veggies go, eat cruciferous veggies like brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. These fat-fighting vegetables contain vital nutrients and IC3 (an essential phytonutrient).
In closing, I hope these tips have clarified whatever ‘fitness fiction’ you have taken as gospel. Hard work, educating yourself on fitness and committing to fitness (bka get to the gym and exercise) are just three of the basics. THE BASICS ALWAYS WIN.
Sources: https://www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it
American College of Cardiology. “Why belly fat is dangerous for the heart”. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 September 2016.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160926142822.htm

Advocate Staff