Lose weight and improve your overall health with these expert tips
Fat around our tummy is associated with health risks, but the good news is you can shed inches from your waist with some tweaks to your lifestyle. Forget restrictive diets, these easy tips will leave you with more energy, feeling healthier and, most importantly, help you reduce your visceral fat.
CALCULATE YOUR RISK
We know that carrying fat around the tummy is more dangerous than elsewhere on the body. Dr Sarah Cooke explains: “Carrying fat around the middle is associated with fat also being around your organs – known as visceral fat, which is linked with a higher risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and high blood pressure. Abdominal fat can also increase the risk of cancers, including breast and endometrial cancers.” How do you know if you are at risk? “You may be able to visually tell, but it’s more accurate to do measurements. The British Heart Foundation has a good calculator which takes into account gender and ethnicity.
You can also calculate your waist-to-hip ratio which is your waist measurement divided by your hip measurement (at the widest point). High risk of disease from abdominal fat is defined as a ratio over 0.9 for men and 0.85 for females.”
GO BACK TO BASICS
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become a bit of a buzz phrase recently, but they’re usually defined as foods with more than five ingredients. “Think about those foods that you could not recreate in your kitchen,” explains nutritionist Natalie Burrows. “Reduce those foods as they are generally unfamiliar to the body, often high in sugar, fat and salt.” Instead focus on your whole foods. “Go back to what nature gave us, spend longer in the fruit and vegetable aisle. I always say what grows in the ground, walks on the land, swims in the sea – or an egg – are your whole foods! That encompasses your meats, fish, fruit and veg.”
EAT THE RAINBOW
It’s a lovely phrase, but Natalie explains that eating as many colours as possible will provide you with the best nutrients. “When we see all those different coloured fruit and vegetables, it’s nature’s way of telling us that they contain different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. So what you’ll get from a lovely red tomato versus a broccoli is different, nature is trying to give you something different
