-by Gayle Pruitt, CN

You wonder why your waist becomes a little thicker each year….”Just getting older”, you tell yourself.  But why is it happening, really?  You’re doing all the right things.  You take a nice walk every day. You are eating good food and watching your calories.  And yet, your tummy is expanding! ………..So, what’s going on?

Well, as we age we lose muscle and muscle is what helps burn fat.  That nice little stroll you take every day is not enough. But before we talk about what to do about extra fat, let’s talk about how dangerous the hidden fat is that’s around our waist. This intra-abdominal fat, or visceral fat, is surrounding the internal organs; the liver, the kidneys, the pancreas, and sometimes even the heart. This can cause diabetes, strokes, hypertension, high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and sometimes sudden death. 

The fat is hidden… but the danger is real!

 Associate Professor from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Selcuk Adabag, says that the ratio of waist to hips is more important than body mass index calculating the risk of sudden cardiac death.

George Blackburn, MD, Associate Director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School, states that women whose waists are more than 35 inches around and men’s whose waists measure more than 40 inches are at the greatest risk for developing health conditions…. But people that measure less may still be in trouble…So what can we do?

Exercise is one of the most important things we can do…and you have to sweat.  A stroll in the park is nice on a sunny day, but it simply will not get rid of your tummy! You really need to exercise about 40 to 60 minutes a day…and not do only a cardio workout.  Some weight training to build muscle mass is also necessary…and…exercise becomes even more important as we get older.   

Additionally, according to Fred Pescatore, MD, and author of the bestselling book, Hamptons Diet, says, “Powerful compounds called catechins in green tea increase your body’s fat burning capabilities and particularly target stubborn belly fat.”

What about taking a probiotic?

There was a 2010 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that explains how probiotics could help reduce belly fat. Researchers found that taking certain strains of probiotics significantly reduced belly fat.

Of course we know to watch the amount of sugar we consume. And we also know that consuming excess amounts of potatoes, corn, grains, and fruit juice is not good for us. They turn into sugar quickly in the body and are likely to be stored as fat.

The way we do business in this modern day also contributes to obesity and a fat belly. We sit at the computer all day and eat at our desk. Somebody brings us a sandwich, chips and a drink, or something else that is seldom a healthy meal.

Some advise; Get up and move around during the day, drink some green tea, eat fresh vegetables and a little fruit, add some pasture-fed poultry, fish and some grass-fed meat and have some fun. Take a good probiotic and digestive enzymes and Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! 

Whew! I’m feeling skinnier already!

The author, Gayle Pruitt, has been a nutritionist/chef for 15 years earning her CN (Certified Nutritionist) degree from the American Health Science University’s National Institute of Nutritional Education/NINE in 1996. She is currently working with Convergent Marketing as a Nutritionist and Product Specialist. Gayle conducts nutritional research where she presently focuses on human and canine nutrition with a specialty in digestive issues and disorders. Prior to this time, Gayle was Executive Chef for MacNut Oil, a gourmet cooking company. She has worked as a personal chef, and owned and operated Fine Food Delivered, preparing and delivering unique meals for those with special dietary needs. Gayle also co-hosted a nationally syndicated radio talk show, Menu For Life Radio Show, with Dr. Ross Stewart, a behavioral psychologist  and recognized expert on the link between nutrition and brain chemistry. Gayle’s recipes have appeared in national magazines and in best-selling cookbooks, such as Hampton’s Diet Cookbook and 7-Color cuisine: A Cookbook and Nutrition Guide.  She was also the food writer for a Dallas-based magazine, Lifestyle Solutions.  In addition, she has conducted cooking demonstrations in many cities across the country for national food shows involving gourmet products.  Gayle is the author of the Dog-Gone Good Cookbook published by St. Martin’s Press and scheduled for release in February of 2013.

Comments

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments