This is the Year of Prevention and Maintenance. : Is Belly Fat Causing You Grief?

Health Tip- Belly Fat

What is Belly Fat?

Belly Fat is the accumulation of abdominal fat resulting in obesity.

When you carry excess weight around your middle, you are compromising your health and putting yourself at an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high insulin, high triglycerides, stroke and cancer.

The Question Is
How do you know if you have too much Belly Fat?

Simply measure your waist:

Place a tape measure around your bare stomach, just above your hipbone.

Pull the tape measure until it fits snugly around you, but doesn't push into your skin.
Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
Relax, exhale and measure your waist, resisting the urge to suck in your stomach.

There are two types of Belly Fat

Visceral Fat and Subcutaneous Fat

Visceral Fat (intra-abdominal fat) lies deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs. Considered hereditary, this type of Belly Fat is dangerous fat that might lead to Cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Stroke, Breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, and other serious health problems.

Subcutaneous Fat - is located between the skin and abdomen. This type of fat is not a serious health risk, but it is more noticeable.

Fat that you can "Pinch"

Men and Belly Fat Causes:

Drinking alcohol excessively (lead to bigger belly)
Unhealthy diet
Muscle loss
Genetics
Medications

Belly Fat : fat woman holding her unzip jeans with measuring tape around her belly, a concept to get a diet

Women and Belly Fat Causes:

Lack of exercise
Unhealthy diet
Genetics
Hormonal Changes (especially after menopause)
Medications

Your weight is determined by how you balance the calories you eat with the energy you burn.

If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to pack on excess pounds "Belly Fat."

How to remove Belly Fat:

Eat a healthy diet (emphasize plant-based foods, fruits & vegetables)
Watch your portion control (home and restaurants)
Incorporate healthy:

Whole grains
Complex carbohydrates
Lean protein
Limit sugary foods
Replace saturated and trans fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat found in fish, nuts, peanut butter, sunflower, certain vegetable oils
Include physical activity in your daily routine (brisk walking for 30 to 40 minutes a day and 10 minutes of weight training twice a week can significantly decrease such fat)

Extra! Extra! Tips 

Do you know that if you maintain regular (daily) bowel movements it will help with Belly Fat.

If you do not release fecal matter on a daily basis it will be stored in the colon, which becomes more and more impacted over time, causing the excess fecal matter to cause the belly to bulge. Stored feces adds to your body weight.

Bowel regularity will help to give you that flat stomach.

Do you know that Belly Fat can also effect your Sex Life? 1 in 10 men world wide suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), which is an inability to get or maintain an erection. Check your middle.

Belly Fat doesn't just cause trouble for your heart and blood vessels but having a "Spare tire" is bad for your love life , too. This effects men and women.

Clogged arteries and blood vessels reduce blood flow not just to your heart but also to other critical organs, including your genitals. Without good circulation down there, you will have trouble.

For Women, a waist measurement of 35 inches or more for Men, a waist measurement of 40 inches or more indicates an unhealthy concentration of Belly Fat.

You! can tone your abdominal muscles with crunches or other targeted abdominal exercises, but only diet and regular exercise strategies can shed the Belly Fat.