Why is Visceral Fat Harmful?
The strong desire for six pack abs among men and women appears to be motivated by society’s push for young, shapely and beautiful bodies. Toned abs, after all, are synonymous with sex appeal where both sexes are concerned. But flat, toned and muscled abs is not just for vanity’s sake.
Scientific research has uncovered that men and women with wide girths have higher risks for cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, diabetes and other chronic degenerative diseases. The six pack abs diet then takes on another dimension of importance beyond the attainment of a hunky or sexy body.
Visceral Fat Explained
First, it must be emphasized that individuals with wide girths are more likely to have greater amounts of visceral fat. This is where the imperative need for six pack abs comes in, as we shall see later.
Visceral fat accumulates around the internal organs particularly the liver. These fat cells are less numerous than subcutaneous fat but are more dangerous in two basic ways:
• Because of their large size, visceral fat cells become atrophied and then produce cytokines, hormones that promotes inflammation. Cytokines have been closely linked to tumor growth, hypertension, and aging, among other unhealthy consequences.
• Because visceral fat cells are stored around the liver, the organ’s functions are also adversely affected. Keep in mind that the liver processes fats so that any adverse effects on it will lead to arteries hardened by fat deposits particularly of LDL cholesterol. You are then more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis as well as suffer from heart attacks.
Ideal Visceral Fat
Of course, visceral fat is important in the body’s healthy functioning especially as it provides for a protective cushion for the organs. However, too much visceral fat will result in the abovementioned risks for various diseases and disorders so it is important to lessen its presence in your body. Your first step is to work for six pack abs – or their equivalent of a slimmer waist first.
So, how slim is slim? Health experts assert that men with waistlines of 40 inches or greater are high risk while women with waistlines of 35 inches and above are also considered high risk. If you fall in one of these categories, we suggest starting on your weight loss program; the six pack abs is just icing on the cake, so to speak, but a very good icing, at that.
Fighting Visceral Fat
The good news is that you can fight visceral fat. Here’s how:
• Adopt a healthy diet like the six pack abs diet. The main emphasis is on eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains while eliminating greasy, fatty and processed foods from the diet. Saturated fats are a big no-no.
• Adopt an exercise program that can trim your waistline while also strengthening your entire body. A combination of cardio, weight training and flexibility training is best.
Indeed, achieving six pack abs is not just a matter of vanity but a matter of living a healthy, long and happy life.
Filed under Diet by . 
In a generation where the health craze, signing up for gym memberships, and making wiser food choices seems to be all the rage, most people are aware that soda is no good for the body. In fact, it is downright harmful to it. Filled with chemicals and loaded with high fructose corn syrup, there is no worse nightmare for someone whose goal is to have six pack abs or just to be plain healthy.
The sad part of all is that the marketing people who work in soda companies understand that people are now aware of these detrimental effects soda has on the body. Hence, they came up with diet soda. Surprisingly, many people fall for the marketing tactic and deception that diet soda is beneficial to the body. This could not be further from the truth. Diet soda is no better than regular soda and it will not contribute in any way to losing weight and getting healthy.
In fact, studies have shown that people who drink diet soda tend to put on more weight than those who drink ordinary soda on a regular basis.
According to Dr. Fowler from the University of Texas, the risk of being overweight increases by 41 percent for every can of diet soda that a person consumes in a day. These results are no joking matter. The bottom line is, diet soda is not good for you and it should have no place in your home or in your diet. This does not just apply to fitness junkies, but anybody who wants to live a longer and healthier life.
But why exactly is diet soda so bad for you? Diet soda is bad for the body because the artificial sweeteners used it in trigger a hormonal response in the body that promotes the storage of fat. It also tells the body to crave for refined carbohydrates and sweets after the drink has been consumed. This means that not only will you end up chugging a glass of toxic calories; you might just munch on a chocolate bar or a muffin afterwards.
Diet soda is also not a good drink because people mistakenly carry the notion that since they are consuming fewer calories with their drink of choice, then this affords them the privilege of eating more. Obviously, this is not the case at all. Whether it is diet soda or not that they take with their meal, it still adds extra calories.
If you are serious about adopting a healthier lifestyle, a nutritious diet and regular exercise are absolutely necessary. This means giving up unhealthy, sugar-loaded, chemical-laden drinks like diet soda. Your body has no use for this and it is just pure junk. The artificial sweeteners found in diet soda only serve to spike your blood sugar levels and then let them crash shortly afterwards—leaving you with a craving for more sweets.
If you are looking for an alternative to diet soda, choose something that is not filled with artificial sweeteners. You can opt for water with lemons in it or unsweetened iced tea. Don’t forget that there are countless options for tea to choose from—chamomile, black, green, peppermint, ginger, chrysanthemum and so many more. Organic teas are extremely beneficial to the body and you can take your pick from numerous flavours and varieties. Tea is a very good alternative to diet soda as it does not contain any artificial sweeteners. So remember, the next time you find yourself in the grocery, skip the soda section and move on to the organic teas aisle instead. Your body will surely thank you in the future.
Filed under Weight Loss by .
