NOT ALL FAT IS CREATED EQUAL
Did you know that there are two types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral?
You can also measure your waist size since visceral fat tends to congregate in your abdominal cavity. According to Medical News Today, if a woman’s waist measures 35 inches or more, she likely is carrying too much visceral fat. The same is true for a man’s waist that measures 40 inches or more. The best course of action is to reduce and prevent visceral fat, which can be challenging, as the only true way to eliminate visceral fat and keep it off is through proper diet and exercise. Here are some methods to reduce your risk of harmful effects of excess visceral fat: • Prioritize sleep and ensure that you are getting enough. • Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily (aerobic exercises are especially beneficial). • Consume a healthy and balanced diet consisting of proteins, fruits, and veggies. • Avoid smoking. • Reduce sugary sodas and drinks.
Subcutaneous fat is the "pinchable" fat commonly found around your midsection, arms, and legs. Visceral fat, however, wraps around your organs, so it’s much harder to see or even notice. Compared to subcutaneous fat, visceral fat puts you at a higher risk for health complications. Some potential health concerns that can result from excess visceral fat include Alzheimer’s, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke. So, how do you measure your visceral fat, and how do you get rid of it? While it’s difficult to measure, costly imaging tests can accurately report just how much visceral fat is hanging around your internal organs. As a cheaper alternative, you can use your body mass index, or BMI, as an indicator of healthy weight ranges and appropriate fat levels based on your body measurements.
• Limit alcohol intake. • Avoid trans fats. • Reduce stress levels.
No matter how fit or in shape you are, having some fat on your body is normal and healthy. However, to keep your body healthy and performing its best, reducing visceral fat is essential!
DOES MILK REALLY STRENGTHEN BONES? How the Components of Milk Make the Difference
From a young age, you may have heard that drinking plenty of milk will give you strong bones. This is so ingrained in us that it’s assumed to be a fact. However, it’s not strictly milk that makes your bones strong; it is the components. The calcium that milk contains is what makes bones stronger. Our bodies need calcium to keep bones dense and strong; without it, they can become fragile and break much easier. Calcium is a critical mineral that the body requires to function, and calcium is what gives bones and teeth their hardness and structure. If you’re not getting enough calcium from a diet, your body pulls it from your bones to sustain other functions that are more important for immediate survival. But calcium is only one piece of the puzzle. Our bodies also need vitamin D to help absorb it. Vitamin D keeps proper calcium and phosphate levels in our systems, ensuring normal bone mineralization. In simpler terms, without enough vitamin D, we couldn’t form new bone tissue, and the existing bones would become weak and brittle!
milk can affect an individual's health. Some are allergic to the protein in milk, while others have to limit consumption due to lactose, which can be tough on those with diabetes and people who digest it poorly. But luckily, for those with these conditions, you don’t have to rely solely on milk to receive the calcium your body needs! Consuming other foods with the proper amount of calcium, vitamin D, and protein gives the body the building blocks it needs to make and maintain strong bones.
Some examples of calcium-rich foods include the following:
• Green leafy vegetables, including bok choy, collards, kale, spinach, and turnip greens. • Almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tahini (sesame paste), and dried beans. • Salmon and sardines that are canned with their bones (you can actually eat these soft bones!). • Fruits and other vegetables, including figs, oranges, broccoli, and edamame. Bone health is complex, and there are many lifestyle-related factors that affect it. But to improve and maintain strong bones, you need to have adequate amounts of calcium in your diet.
So, milk isn’t the only thing you need to develop healthy bones. Some people may have dairy sensitivities or autoimmune diseases where
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