The canary in the coal mine.

Don't ask me, but beauty may only be skin deep. However if you have too much deep fat, you may be in deep shit. Subcutaneous fat resides just below the surface of your skin. People carry it in different ways. Are you an apple? Are your a pear? Maybe a banana? It's hard to reduce fat. You can't reduce it one spot. Visceral fat surrounds your intestines, kidneys, liver, pancreas & other vital organs. It's much worse than subcutaneous fat.

Fat is more than skin deep.

Whenever you see a picture of visceral fat, you almost always see a protruding stomach. We've all known a relatively thin person who has succumbed to the "beer belly" or "pot belly" effect. MRI & CT scans provide the most accurate measurements of visceral fat. You can also measure your waist circumference. If you're a man with a waist circumference of 40 inches or more, you're at risk. Women with a waist circumference of at least 35 inches are also at risk. Visceral fat has been linked to a panoply of diseases: heart disease, diabetes 2, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's, sleep apnea, etc.

visceral fat not fun

Visceral fat is not your average fat. It's very active. You might say it's downright belligerent. It produces hormones that interfere with your liver. These hormones also increase your appetite. Visceral fat produces chemicals called cytokines that cause inflammation. Inflammation is the root of all diseases. Quite simply visceral fat is "a bad hombre". I couldn't resist. The comedy gold that is this election just ended.

Don't fear the fat.

The good news about visceral fat is that it's much easier to lose than subcutaneous fat. The best place to begin is with your diet. Make sure you are eating lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, beans & nuts. Avoid sugar. Consume less processed foods & refined carbs like white rice & white bread. Consume unsaturated fats like fish, nuts & olive oil. Limit your intake of saturated fats & trans fats. Always exercise portion control & measure what your eat & drink. Finally restrict your alcohol consumption. These are just good nutrition practices that help everyone.

Get moving.

If you have visceral fat, you also need to burn more calories. The Department of Health & Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Make sure that you're getting enough sleep. Finally keep your stress in check. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can compromise your metabolism & appetite control. Thanks for reading.

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