When it comes to looking and feeling good one of the biggest goals people have is “ I want to lose weight and I want to lose fat”. Well not all fat is created equal. In fact one type of fat can be much more dangerous than many people realize. I know you are probably thinking fat is fat however that is not the case, there are two different types of fat and you should know the difference so let me explain.
Subcutaneous body f
at is the fat that lies directly under the skin. This is the fat that is visible to the naked eye, can usually be squeezed and even has the dimples and is the type of fat that causes cellulite.
This is the only fat most people know of or care about. Some subcutaneous fat is necessary for us to be able to physically and mentally function properly however it doesn’t tell the whole story in regards to whether or not you are healthy.
Visceral fat is the fat that can be found around your organs. This type of fat typically presents itself in the classic beer belly look. However a person can appear thin and still suffer from higher amounts of visceral fat. Studies show that this type of fat can be much more dangerous to your health. It is a main contributor to diabetes, heart disease and many other risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.
It is important to note that many people who have high levels of subcutaneous body fat usually have higher levels of visceral fat as well.
So how do we combat both types of fat? Well it starts with a healthy lifestyle which includes sound nutrition and exercise. The good news is that when you combine both you can actually decrease the more dangerous visceral fat twice as fast as you can subcutaneous fat.
Sound nutrition doesn’t mean another crazy diet where you drop some weight only to put more back on a month or so later. In fact, researchers at Duke University Medical Center say that “yo-yo” dieting patterns can actually cause an increase in visceral fat accumulation.
Stay away from highly processed foods that are loaded with ingredients that you can’t pronounce. A good rule of thumb if you can’t read it you shouldn’t eat it! The fewer the ingredients the better! Avoid food that are high in sugar and stick to whole grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and healthy nuts.
Exercise on a regular basis because studies show that individuals who live a very sedentary lifestyle have higher levels of visceral fat, and are continually adding to it, where those that are just moderately active were actually able to reduce visceral fat levels.