Abdominal Fat

Abdominal fat and what to do about it.


Though the term might sound dated, “middle-age spread” is a greater concern than ever. As people go through their middle years, their proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase — more so in women than men.


Extra pounds tend to park themselves around the midsection. At one time, we might have accepted these changes as an inevitable fact of aging.  But we’ve now been put on notice that as our waistlines grow, so do our health risks.


Abdominal, or visceral, fat is of particular concern because it’s a key player in a variety of health problems — much more so than subcutaneous fat, the kind you can grasp with your hand. 


Visceral fat, on the other hand, lies out of reach, deep within the abdominal cavity, where it pads the spaces between our abdominal organs. Visceral fat has been linked to metabolic disturbances and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.


In women, it is also associated with breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery. Fat accumulated in the lower body (the pear shape) is subcutaneous, while fat in the abdominal area (the apple shape) is largely visceral. 


Where fat ends up is influenced by several factors, including heredity and hormones. As the evidence against abdominal fat mounts, researchers and clinicians are trying to measure it, correlate it with health risks, and monitor changes that occur with age and overall weight gain or loss. The good news is that visceral fat yields fairly easily to exercise and diet, with benefits ranging from lower blood pressure to more favorable cholesterol levels. 


Subcutaneous fat located at the waist — the pinchable stuff — can be frustratingly difficult to budge, but in normal-weight people, it’s generally not considered as much of a health threat as visceral fat is. Research suggests that fat cells — particularly abdominal fat cells — are biologically active. It’s appropriate to think of fat as an endocrine organ or gland, producing hormones and other substances that can profoundly affect our health. 


Although scientists are still deciphering the roles of individual hormones, it’s becoming clear that excess body fat, especially abdominal fat, disrupts the normal balance and functioning of these hormones. Scientists are also learning that visceral fat pumps out immune system chemicals called cytokines — for example, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 — that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. 


These and other biochemicals are thought to have deleterious effects on cells’ sensitivity to insulin, blood pressure, and blood clotting. One reason excess visceral fat is so harmful could be its location near the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestinal area to the liver. Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. 


Visceral fat is directly linked with higher total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that your body’s muscle and liver cells don’t respond adequately to normal levels of insulin, the pancreatic hormone that carries glucose into the body’s cells. Glucose levels in the blood rise, heightening the risk for diabetes. 


Now for the good news...so what can we do about tubby tummies? A lot, it turns out. The starting point for bringing weight under control, in general, and combating abdominal fat, in particular, is regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight. 


Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won’t get at visceral fat. 


Diet is also important. Pay attention to portion size, and emphasize complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks. Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help. 


Changing your lifestyle is never easy but certainly worth persuing.

Fastest Way to Lose Weight

What is the fastest way to lose weight?

This is probably the most asked question in the health and fitness industry around the world. The answer is a lot more complex than you think. There are many quick ways to lose weight, such as diet pills and fad diets, but are they really that good for you? Weight loss can be both fast and healthy, and I will explain how in the following few paragraphs.

The whole process of losing weight can seem daunting as there is a lot of information out there. It is much easier if we break up the different areas of weight loss and discuss them separately. They are Diet, Exercise, Goal Setting and Taking Action.

1. Changing Your Diet!

The first step to fast weight loss is of course changing your diet. This doesn’t mean immediately excluding all the foods you love from your diet. The change from an unhealthy diet to a healthy diet must be a slow and gradual process. The reason why most people fail and give in to cravings is that they make the change to suddenly, and naturally miss the food they used to eat more! Begin by making your breakfasts fat free for a week, then minimise the calories you eat for lunch the next week, then finally start preparing healthy dinners the week after. It is a good idea to have one cheat meal a week, this will keep the cravings at bay!

2. Add an Exercise Programme!

The next stage of the answer to the ‘fastest way to lose weight’ is to start an exercise programme. Again this does not have to be painful and strenuous. If you fitness levels are low, you will burn enough fat to really make a difference just by going for a walk. Research has proven the minimum requirements for effective fast fat loss is to exercise continuously for half an hour, at least 4 days a week. Try to get into a routine, such as exercises every afternoon as soon as you get home from work, or going for a walk every day after dinner. Walk with a friend, or grab you iPod and the 1/2 hour will be over before you know it. You will lose weight as well as decreasing your chances of many heart conditions and diabetes.

3. Set Your Goals!

The last step is to set some achievable goals. This will keep you motivated and help keep you on track. Start off by setting your long-term goal, which may be to lose 40 pounds in the next two months. Then break this down into smaller goals, such as to lose 5 pounds this week. Then work your hardest to get this.You will have some weeks better weeks and some weeks where you wont lose the five, but keep trying to hit that weekly target as best you can. Before you know it you have lost the 40 pounds you always wanted.

4. Take Action Now!

In conclusion, the fastest way to lose weight entails a combination of low-fat diet and moderate regular exercise.

We Don't Fail Diets...They Fail Us!

We Don’t Fail Diets...They Fail Us!

Decades of research has shown that diets are ineffective at producing long-term health and weight control. Only 5% of people who diet are successful and failure comes with a tendency for self blame. But with such a low success rate, clearly the problem isn’t personal weakness or lacking will power. Quite simply, “we are not failing diets; diets are failing us”.

The Science

The reason 95% of diets fail is simple – low calorie diets makes your body think you are starving; slowing down your metabolism and making it more efficient at storing fat. When the diet stops, metabolism remains slow and inefficient, resulting in weight re-gain (sometimes at an even faster rate). Additionally, low calorie diets cause a loss in muscle and fat in equal amounts. However, the weight re-gained is all fat. Again, this causes a slowed metabolism and results in extra weight gain, a less healthy body composition, and a less attractive physique.

The Problem

Alarmingly, many diet programmes force calorie intake to dangerously low levels, based on the common theory that consuming fewer calories than you burn will equal weight loss. In reality, by consuming fewer calories than needed to maintain life-sustaining activities, you’re actually losing muscle in addition to fat. Your body begins to break down its own muscle to provide the energy necessary for survival.

The Solution

Most weight-loss programs measure success solely in terms of pounds lost. They don’t account for the quality of the process or the likelihood of sustained weight loss. For long term good health you need to focus on enjoyable physical activity and nutrition. Exercising regularly and eating lean-supporting calories, protein and complex carbohydrates, and reducing fat supporting acidic calories will not only help you look and feel better, it will significantly reduce your risk of disease.

A Time for Change

Contrary to popular belief, leading a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult, painful or time consuming. Making gradual, simple changes to diet and physical activity will make great improvements in health and wellbeing. To be successful, every food and exercise must be a pleasurable experience; less enjoyment = decreased likelihood of success. It’s that simple. So take the frustration, guilt and deprivation out of weight management, and allow yourself to adopt gradual, realistic changes that will make healthy eating and physical activity a permanent pleasure. You will soon discover what your body is capable of and begin to look, act and feel you’re very best.

Milk

Is Milk Really Healthy for You?

Learn the FactsBy: Alan Aragon, M.S.

"Milk is a deadly poison," according to the Dairy Education Board. In fact, if you peruse this special interest group's Web site, notmilk.com, you'll find dozens of articles about the purported evils of this popular beverage. One claim, for example, is that milk from cows contains cancer-causing hormones and dairy industry dollars have kept that fact bottled up. All of which may leave you second-guessing your next sip.

However, as a nutritionist, I've found that most men thrive on milk, whether their goal is to lose fat or build muscle. So to be sure it's safe, I've investigated all the anti-milk claims, sifting through the research while also turning a critical eye to pro-milk propaganda. After all, the only agenda I have is my clients' health. The result: all your milk questions, answered.

Is Milk a Fat-Burning Food?

Maybe. In a 6-month study, University of Tennessee researchers found that overweight people who downed three servings a day of calcium-rich dairy lost more belly fat than those who followed a similar diet minus two or more of the dairy servings.

In addition, the researchers discovered that calcium supplements didn't work as well as milk. Why? They believe that while calcium may increase the rate at which your body burns fat, other active compounds in dairy products (such as milk proteins) provide an additional fat-burning effect.

Of course, the key to success is following a weight-loss diet to begin with. After all, downing your dairy with a box of doughnuts is no way to torch your gut.


Does It Build Muscle?

Absolutely. In fact, milk is one of the best muscle foods on the planet. You see, the protein in milk is about 20 percent whey and 80 percent casein. Both are high-quality proteins, but whey is known as a "fast protein" because it's quickly broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the bloodstream. That makes it a very good protein to consume after your workout.

Casein, on the other hand, is digested more slowly. So it's ideal for providing your body with a steady supply of smaller amounts of protein for a longer period of time—like between meals or while you sleep. Since milk provides both, one big glass gives your body an ideal combination of muscle-building proteins.

Do Hormones Make Milk Unhealthy?

Not unless you're injecting the milk. Here's the full story: In 1993 the FDA approved the use of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in cattle. This practice resulted in greater milk production at less cost to the dairy farmer, a savings that has been passed on to you at your local supermarket. But it has also sparked much controversy, because rBGH boosts milk's concentration of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a hormone that's been linked to cancer.

Unlike steroid hormones, which can be taken orally, rBGH and IGF must be injected to have any effect. That's because the process of digestion destroys these "protein" hormones. So drinking milk from hormone-treated cows doesn't transfer the active form of these chemicals to your body. However, there is one ethical downside to consider: It's not good for the cows. Canadian researchers discovered that cows given hormones are more likely to contract an udder infection called mastitis.

What About Antibiotics?

No one really knows. Some scientists argue that milk from cows given antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance in humans, making these types of drugs less effective when you take them for an infection. But this finding has never been proved.

If you're uneasy, you can purchase antibiotic-free (and typically hormone-free, as well) milk from specialty grocers, such as Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, or select USDA-certified organic milk, which is available at most supermarkets.

Skimmed or Whole?

It depends on your taste. While you've probably always been told to drink reduced-fat milk, the majority of scientific studies show that drinking whole milk actually improves cholesterol levels, just not as much as drinking skim does.

One recent exception: Danish researchers found that men who consumed a diet rich in whole milk experienced a slight increase in LDL cholesterol (six points). However, it's worth noting that these men drank six 8-ounce glasses a day, an unusually high amount. Even so, their triglycerides--another marker of heart-disease risk—decreased by 22 percent.

The bottom line: Drinking two to three glasses of milk a day, whether it's skimmed, 2 percent, or whole, lowers the likelihood of both heart attack and stroke—a finding confirmed by British scientists.

If you're dieting, the lower-fat option is an easy way to save a few calories. When it comes to building muscle, though, whole milk may be your best choice: Scientists at the University of Texas medical branch in Galveston found that drinking whole milk after lifting weights boosted muscle protein synthesis—an indicator of muscle growth—2.8 times more than drinking skimmed did.