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October 20, 2020 By Meenakshi Sharma Leave a Comment

What Is Visceral Fat & Why It Is Dangerous

You might have heard of the term belly fat but you might not be aware of terms like subcutaneous and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the kind you can grasp with your hand on any part of your body. It is situated under the skin. Belly fat or what experts call visceral fat is a particularly dangerous type of fat that forms inside the abdomen. It’s a type of fat that surrounds the internal organs, like the liver and intestines and is also known as ‘active fat’ as it influences how hormones function in the body.

You can have too much belly fat even with a normal BMI. So pay attention to your waist circumference rather than the number on the scale.

How To Measure It

Waist size: This is an easy way to get a rough estimate. Wrap a tape measure around your waist over your belly button (don’t suck in your stomach). In women, 35 inches or more is a sign of visceral fat. In men, it’s 40 inches.
BMI: Body mass index is a formula for how much you weigh relative to your height. A BMI of 30 or higher is overweight. That could be a sign of visceral fat. In Asia, a BMI of 23 or higher could be a concern.
Hip-to-waist ratio: You divide your waist size by your hip size. Some doctors think the number gives a good idea of your risk for visceral fat. But studies suggest it may be no better than a simple waist measurement.
Body shape: Look in the mirror. If you’re an apple – a big trunk and slimmer legs – it often means more visceral fat and is more common among men. Women are more likely to be pears with bigger hips and thighs. Research shows that upper body fat is more dangerous to your health, which might be one reason why women usually live longer than men.
Imaging tests: These scans are the only way to check the exact amount of visceral fat you have. If your doctor orders a CT scan or an MRI test to check for another medical condition, they can also get a detailed picture of your visceral fat.

Risks & Dangers Of Excess Visceral Fat

Increased Inflammation: If you have more fat stored than you need, especially around visceral organs like the liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas and intestines, your body becomes inflamed. This kind of fat stores inflammatory white blood cells and this is why inflammatory belly fat is linked with cognitive decline, arthritis, diabetes and so on.
Higher Risk of Diabetes: Visceral fat is thought to play a large role in insulin resistance, which means a heightened risk for developing diabetes. Abdominal fat is viewed as a bigger health risk than hip or thigh fat, not only for diabetes but for many other chronic diseases too. Some evidence suggests that pear-shaped women are better protected from metabolic diseases like diabetes compared to big-bellied people. While men are more likely to store noticeable levels of visceral fat, women are definitely at risk, too.
Makes It Harder to Lose Weight: One of the main reasons is that stored body fat affects hunger levels, especially visceral fat. Leptin hormone which is released by stored fat plays an important role in appetite control, metabolism and weight loss . Leptin is a satiety hormone and ghrelin is a hunger hormone are two of the most hormones to pay attention to in reference to losing weight naturally. Your “set point” is basically the weight that your body tries to maintain through control of the brain’s hormonal messengers. When you eat refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, the fat-storing hormones are produced in excess, raising the set point and making it hard to follow a moderate-calorie, healthy diet.
Higher Risk for Heart Disease and Strokes: Fat-generated inflammatory cytokines are the main contributors to heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. When your body is inflamed, your liver becomes overwhelmed with cholesterol and toxins, which leads to plaque buildup in your arteries. Visceral fat is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease markers like high triglycerides, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
More Likely to Battle Dementia: Research shows that people with the biggest bellies have a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies. The bigger the belly, the more negative impact felt on the brain’s memory . In fact, many experts now feel that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) levels rather than BMI should be considered as an important risk factor in the development of dementia.
Higher Likelihood to Have Depression and Mood Problems: Visceral fat is a unique pathogenic fat that consists of metabolically active adipose tissue that interferes with the hormones and healthy neurotransmitter function. Depression is especially associated with greater fat storage in women. In a study of middle-aged women over 50 years old, visceral fat, but not subcutaneous belly fat or waist circumference, was related to depressive symptoms.

How Can You Get Rid Of It?

Exercise: is an excellent way to reduce visceral fat. People should include both cardio vascular exercise, which raises a person’s heart rate and strength training, which improves muscle size, into their routines. Cardio exercise could include running, cycling, swimming, aerobics, circuit training. Strength training could include squats, weights, pushups.
Reduce Stress: When someone is stressed, their body releases a cortisol hormone, which increases how much visceral fat a person’s body stores. People with high visceral fat try to reduce their stress levels by relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, and other stress management tactics, can help a person lose visceral fat more efficiently.
Diet: A healthy diet should include fruit and vegetables, whole grains like quinoa, millets and oatmeal, and lean protein like skinless chicken, fish, eggs, beans, complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans. Studies suggest that more calcium and vitamin D in your body may be linked to less visceral fat. So load up on leafy greens like collards, spinach, tofu and sardines are also good picks, as are low-fat dairy foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk.

Boiling, steaming, baking, and grilling foods will help to make meals healthier and lower in fat. On the other hand, certain foods encourage belly fat like trans fats are found in meats and dairy as well as in deep-fried or processed foods. Also avoid sodas, candy, baked goods, and other foods sweetened with fructose. This is why it’s important to kick your sugar addiction and address weight gain and visceral fat formation early on, as opposed to letting the situation escalate. So, read labels and avoid ingredients like “partially hydrogenated oils” or “high-fructose corn syrup”.

We hope this article helps you! If you want to measure visceral fat, you can try out the GOQii Balance – a smart body composition monitor. For more on healthy and unhealthy fats, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

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October 19, 2020 By Roopa Tandur Leave a Comment

Which Foods Are Good For Liver Repair?

Liver is the largest endocrine gland located in the right side of the upper abdomen. It has the most important function in the body that includes sorting out:

Which nutrient or medicine should be processed, like proteins into urea
Which nutrient should be converted for storage like vitamins and minerals, sugars into glycogen
Which nutrient should go to the blood and which ones need to be eliminated through stool.
Improving a person’s immunity

Though the liver can regenerate itself, there are many foods which one can consume to keep it healthy and safe. Any damage to the liver can cause metabolic disorder and death. So let’s look at some foods which can help you with liver repair!

Foods That Help Liver Repair

Coffee: Studies prove that coffee drinkers are at less risk of developing liver disease. Caffeine in coffee slows down scarring and helps fight liver cancer especially alcohol related cirrhosis. The acids in coffee can also help fight against the Hepatitis virus.
Green Tea: is high in antioxidants. Hence, it improves liver enzymes and prevents oxidative damage and fat deposition in the liver. Studies prove that green and black tea extracts reverse the negative effect of a high fat diet but the studies also involve large quantities (5-10 cups) of tea so being cautious and consulting a doctor or dietician before deciding on the number of cups per day is a good option.
Berries: Dark coloured berries like blueberries and cranberries contain anthocyanins which give them the dark, deep colour. They help in improving immunity and reduce formation of scar tissues and lesions in the liver. Consuming berries 3-4 times a week also inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the liver.
Grapefruit: contains antioxidants known as Naringenin and Naringin. Studies have shown that antioxidants Naringenin can reduce development of hepatic fibrosis which is build-up of excessive connective tissue leading to chronic inflammation. These antioxidants decrease the amount of fat build up in liver tissues and increase the amount of fat burning enzymes which prevent excess fat build up in the liver, thereby, reducing inflammation. Antioxidant Naringin improves the liver’s ability to metabolise alcohol and reduce negative effects of alcohol to some extent.
Beetroot: is an excellent food for liver health as it helps breakdown toxic waste which can be excreted but acts well when taken in juice form. It contains nitrates and antioxidants which reduce oxidative damage and inflammation by increasing detoxification enzymes and improving bile. Betaine and Pectin present in beetroot helps in removing toxins from the body and prevent their re-entry.
Cruciferous Vegetables: like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale have glutathione which triggers enzymes of the liver that help eliminate toxins from the body. They also help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as they help reduce fat in the organ and inflammation as well. These vegetables have high levels of indole which helps lower inflammation, which is generally present in obese people.
Nuts: are nutrient dense snacks which contain unsaturated fats, vitamin E and antioxidants and micronutrients (selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and many others) which help dilate blood vessels, reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Eating a handful of nuts regularly helps keep your liver healthy!
Fatty Fish: like salmon, tuna, and sardine are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids which help reduce inflammation and prevent build-up of excess fat and maintain enzyme levels in the liver. Try including fatty fish like salmon and herring 2-3 times a week in your diet.
Olive Oil: contains omega 6 fatty acid which helps reduce inflammation. Studies show that olive oil is a good source of triglycerides which are processed outside the liver and hence help reduce deposition of fat cells in the liver. Having 1-3 tsp of olive oil daily in the diet helps clean the liver and supports weight loss. Be sure to balance this oil with other healthy fats.
Garlic: contains selenium which helps detoxify the liver and activate enzymes that help the body remove toxins. Garlic contains Allicin, which gets activated when crushed. It is a powerful antioxidant, antibiotic and antifungal in nature. The antioxidant compounds in garlic act as a barrier between liver and toxins and keep toxic substances away.
Grapes: especially the red and purple ones contain resveratrol, an antioxidant which helps reduce inflammation and remove toxins, as they contain vitamin C. They also increase antioxidant levels in the body.

We hope this article helps you with your liver repair. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more information on this subject, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

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October 17, 2020 By Aruna Bhatia 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: Chinese Quinoa Pulao

Have you been craving for some delicious chinese food? Knowing that it might not be safe to order from your favorite restaurant or hit up your local street food joint yet, we’ve got an exciting recipe for you! Satisfy your cravings with this delicious Chinese Quinoa Pulao recipe that’s a healthy twist on fried rice!

What You Will Need

Quinoa – 1 cup
Water – 2 cups
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
Soya sauce – 1 tsp
Red chilli sauce – 1 tsp
Oil/Ghee – 2 tsp
Mixed vegetables (carrot, green beans, cabbage and capsicum) – 2 cups
Chopped onion – 1 medium
Chopped garlic pods – 3
Chopped green chilli – 1

How To Prepare

,Heat a pan with one tsp of oil/ghee
Add soaked, rinsed and strained quinoa.
Let it roast for a minute on a medium flame and keep stirring it.
Now add two cups of water to it and salt to taste.
Once it starts boiling, turn the flame on low, cover and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep checking to prevent burning.
After 15 minutes, switch the flame off and keep it covered for 5 minutes so it gets steam cooked. After 5 minutes check if the quinoa is cooked and not sticking to the pan.
Next we take another pan and add a spoon of oil to it. Once the oil is heated, add 2-3 garlic pods and chopped onion.
Slowly add chopped vegetables, a little salt and cover it for a minute till all vegetables are cooked but still crunchy.
Now add 1 tsp soya sauce, one tsp red chili sauce and half tsp black pepper powder. Give it all a mix.
Finally, add the cooked quinoa and stir it all well. Your Chinese Quinoa Pulao is ready!

Please Note: Quinoa has high quantities of saponin coatings on the outside of the kernel which is bitter to taste. So it’s very important to rinse it well after soaking it for at least 10-20 minutes. 1 cup of dry quinoa will give almost 3 cups of cooked quinoa.

Highlights of the Chinese Quinoa Pulao Recipe

It is a good one pot meal consisting of proportionate carbs, protein, fiber and fat.
It will give you a healthy satiety for your cravings for restaurant style Chinese food, without any guilt.
Suitable for balanced dinners, for weight loss, diabetics, PCOS and muscle builders as well.
This dish is excellent for vegetarians as they have to rely upon good sources of plant protein and quinoa is complete protein as it has all the essential amino acids which the body is unable to make itself

We hope you try and enjoy this delicious Chinese Quinoa Pulao recipe! Do leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below! For more Healthy Recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE cooking sessions on GOQii Play.

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October 16, 2020 By Neha Goyal Leave a Comment

Is Lactose Free Milk The Same As Dairy Free Milk?

Many of you must have heard about lactose intolerance. When somebody has this condition, milk falls in the list of “don’t” for them. It is a very common digestive problem where the body is unable to digest lactose, a sugar mainly found in milk & most dairy products. What it means is that your body does not have sufficient amounts of the digestive enzyme ‘Lactase’ to break down milk sugar. Lactose free milk is free of these carbs that cause discomfort while providing all the benefits of regular milk.

What is Lactose Free Milk?

Lactose free milk is commercially produced in such a way that it is free of lactose. For this, 3 methods are used:

Addition of lactase enzyme in the milk which pre digests or breaks lactose into simpler sugars. Thereafter, milk is pasteurized to deactivate lactase to increase milk’s shelf life.
Passing milk over lactase which is bound to a carrier. Using this method produces the same effect as above, but the enzyme is not present in the milk.
Mechanical removal of lactose through membrane fractionation & other ultrafiltration techniques while preserving normal flavor of milk.

With the first two methods, breakdown of lactose into simpler sugars gives milk a sweeter taste (as perceived by your taste receptors). But ultra-pasteurized milk tastes different (cooked flavor) due to heat applied during preparation.

What Are the Pros and Cons?

Now that you know what lactose free milk is, you might be wondering if it is good for you. Some reported benefits include:

Prevents symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Easy to digest.
A little sweeter than regular milk.
Good for bones as calcium & Vit D is the same as before. In fact, some manufacturers fortify it with extra calcium & Vit D.
Low fat versions are good for heart health.
Complete protein profile.

Despite its benefits, there are also some cons to it: .

Not suitable for people with dairy allergy.
Not suitable for vegans.
Technically it is a processed food as it is treated with heat & chemicals to make it safe for use.
Sometimes sweeteners may be added by manufacturers.
Presence of simpler sugars due to breakdown of lactose might increase the glycemic index of the product.

Difference Between Lactose Free and Dairy Free Milk

While these two sound similar, they actually aren’t. Despite being different from regular milk, lactose free milk is prepared from regular cow milk. Basically, it’s an animal product which still has proteins like whey & casein in it after removing lactose. On the other hand, dairy free milk is a plant based product, made using nuts, seeds, grains & legumes. These milk options are very popular among vegans or people with dairy allergy (immune system’s reaction to proteins in milk) to replace regular milk in different recipes. There is a wide array of dairy free alternatives available in the market these days such as rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, flax milk & soy milk.

So the final take away from lactose free vs dairy free is that something dairy free is automatically lactose free but not vice versa. Now that you know the difference, your choice will be dependent on your health and body! We hope this information helps you. If you have any queries, leave them in the comments section below!

For more information and topics like these, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

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