excess fat Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Burn Fat While You Sleep

The AHA! Team — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 05:21:47 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – If you’re having trouble sleeping, chances are you’re also living with a broken metabolism. But repairing your ability to sleep soundly through the night can help you melt away unwanted pounds – without lifting a finger. In a study published in the Journal of Lipid Research, researchers from Penn State University linked sleep-wake cycles to your native ability to burn fat while you rest. Fifteen participants – all healthy men in their 20s – started the study by sleeping for 10 hours a night in their own homes. Then they spent 10 nights at Penn State’s clinical research center. While there, they were fed carb-heavy meals – and slept no more than five hours for four consecutive nights. During this stage, the participants reported feeling sluggish and less satisfied with the meals they ate. Unsurprisingly, they also gained weight. The researchers took blood samples from the participants and found that their insulin levels rose as sleep restrictions worsened. But when the participants were able to return to a 10-hour sleep schedule, they were able to return to their normal body weight.1 This study highlights just how connected your sleep schedule is to your fat-burning potential. But the effects of a poor night’s sleep go beyond just physiological. Putting off sleep can also encourage behaviors that lead to further weight gain. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people get less sleep, they’re more likely to take a trip to the kitchen for a late-night snack. When this happens, your body releases cortisol – a stress hormone that encourages your body to conserve as much energy as it can. In other words, instead of burning fat the way it should – you’re just sitting on unused energy. This is the perfect storm for unwanted weight gain.2 If you’re experiencing random hunger episodes in the middle of the night, I don’t blame you… Because the modern world has set us all up for failure. How The Modern World Keeps You Awake The idea of a midnight snack is only something that could happen in modern times. For the vast majority of human history, eating when the sun went down was almost unheard of. Picture yourself living among our hunter-gatherer ancestors. There are no streetlights or sprawling metropolises brightening the night sky. There are no screens demanding constant attention. And the campfire you share with your community does little more than light up your immediate surroundings. In those times, if you wanted to eat, you had to either track down a wild animal yourself or find something edible close to your settlement. During the blackened hours of the night, this is almost impossible. That’s why hunting, gathering, and every other step in food preparation were done during the day – when you could see your surroundings and what you were doing. Of course, our ancestors were not only preparing food, they were trying to avoid becoming food for something else. In short, humans evolved to eat during the day. And in today’s world of near-constant illumination, we are fighting against our own biology. Unwanted weight gain is just one of many consequences. Sleep problems are also getting worse. According to the National Institutes of Health, between 50 and 70 million Americans have sleep disorders. That’s one out of every three adults.3 Fortunately, you can begin to solve both problems by turning to nature. Here are some tips I share with my patients to help them repair their native metabolism – so they can burn fat while they sleep. 3 Ways To Burn Fat While You Sleep 1. Limit artificial light. The screens you stare at all day – your smartphone, your computer, your television, and almost every other electronic device emits blue light. Studies show this type of light interferes with your body’s natural ability to produce melatonin – the “shut-eye” chemical that helps you sleep.Eliminating screens from your life entirely is almost impossible. But there are ways to adapt so that you can keep your exposure to a healthy minimum.Start by keeping your bedroom as dark as possible during the night. Darkness encourages melatonin production. Don’t turn on the TV past a certain time. If you enjoy reading before bedtime, opt for a traditional book instead of a tablet. If you can’t get your bedroom completely dark, try a sleep mask. 2. Use high-quality melatonin supplements. Melatonin does more than make you sleepy. Recently, it’s been discovered that “the sleepy chemical” acts as a mitochondrial decoupler. This means that the melatonin being absorbed into your system has a protective effect on the “batteries” in your body’s cells, and encourages them to be more active.It helps your body remove damaged mitochondria, as well as help transport protons across the inner membranes in your cells…which burns calories.4 Melatonin supplements can be found in almost any drug store or convenience store, but not all of them will absorb into your system properly. That’s why I recommend shopping for sprays, drops, or sublingual tablets. They’re easier to absorb and get to work faster. 3. Try intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting doesn’t mean starving yourself. It means reorienting your body to process food the way human beings evolved to.Our hunter-gatherer ancestors often fasted out of necessity, routinely fluctuating between feasting and famine depending on how successful a hunt was – or the resources they had access to. Fasting is a primal tradition – and it helped our ancestors develop the fat-burning potential they needed to remain fit.It encourages your body to process food during the waking hours of the day and allows you to rest at night when you’re supposed to. I recommend starting with a simple, safe fasting schedule: Start your day with a 10 a.m. breakfast Take lunch in the afternoon as you normally would Finish your dinner by 6 p.m. Eat no additional food from 6 p.m. until 10 a.m. the following morning To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: Ness K, et al. “Four nights of sleep restriction suppress the postprandial lipemic response and decrease satiety.” J of Lipid Res. 2019;60(11):1935-1945. Nedeltcheva, A. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2009. “Sleep Health | NHLBI, NIH.” Www.nhlbi.nih.gov, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million. Demine S, et al. “Mitochondrial uncoupling: A key controller of biological processes in physiology and disease.” Cells. 2019;8(8):795 To read the original article click here.

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4 Signs Your Belly Fat is Causing Excessive Inflammation

The AHA! Team — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:02:37 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, isn’t just an energy reserve. It’s metabolically active, releasing inflammatory molecules like cytokines that can spread inflammation throughout your body. When it comes to inflammation, many of us think of joint pain or sore muscles. But did you know that one of the most common sources of chronic inflammation may be hiding in plain sight? It’s belly fat. This type of fat—particularly the kind that surrounds your organs—isn’t just extra weight; it’s highly inflammatory and can significantly impact your health. Belly Fat: Here’s Why It’s a Concern Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, isn’t just an energy reserve. It’s metabolically active, releasing inflammatory molecules like cytokines that can spread inflammation throughout your body. Research shows that belly fat contributes to systemic inflammation, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers. Research Highlights: Studies in The Journal of Clinical Investigation and Harvard Health confirm that high levels of visceral fat lead to metabolic disruptions and raise inflammatory markers, like C-reactive protein (CRP). This silent inflammation often goes unnoticed but may be at the root of various health issues. Do You Have Inflammatory Belly Fat? Key Signs to Look For If you’re wondering whether inflammation could be affecting you, here are some common indicators: Waist Size: Men with waists over 40 inches and women over 35 inches are more likely to have high visceral fat levels. Low Energy and Fatigue: Chronic inflammation can drain your energy reserves, leaving you feeling sluggish and tired. Digestive Issues: Bloating, constipation, and discomfort are often tied to abdominal inflammation. Joint Pain: Even if you aren’t overweight, visceral fat’s inflammatory nature can aggravate joint pain or stiffness. Testing for Inflammation: The CRP Test If you’re concerned about inflammation, a simple blood test called the CRP (C-reactive protein) test can help. High CRP levels are a key marker of inflammation and can signal an increased risk of inflammatory diseases linked to belly fat. Consider asking your healthcare provider about this test to better understand your inflammation levels. Natural Ways to Combat Inflammatory Belly Fat The good news is that there are effective, natural methods to help reduce both belly fat and inflammation. Here’s what I recommend: Adopt a Low-Carb or Ketogenic Diet: Research supports low-carb and ketogenic diets such as the Keto Zone diet as effective strategies for reducing visceral fat. When you enter ketosis, your body burns fat for fuel, particularly targeting stubborn belly fat. This approach can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation at the same time. Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Foods and Herbs: Nature offers powerful inflammation fighters. For example, turmeric contains curcumin, which is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, and ginger has gingerols that help soothe inflammation. Including these in your diet can help manage inflammation naturally. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are a source of inflammation. Foods like berries, leafy greens, and other colorful vegetables provide a range of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress and protect your cells. Maintain a Healthy pH Balance: While our bodies work to regulate pH naturally, a diet rich in alkaline-forming foods—such as vegetables, fruits, and certain supplements—can help support this balance, which may reduce inflammation and promote overall wellness. Exercise Regularly: Staying active is essential for reducing visceral fat. Aerobic activities, such as walking, running, or cycling, are particularly effective at targeting belly fat. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days to help manage both weight and inflammation. Prioritize Sleep and Manage Stress: Poor sleep and chronic stress increase cortisol, a hormone linked to belly fat storage. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and lower inflammation. Final Thoughts from Dr. Colbert Belly fat is more than a cosmetic issue—it’s a source of inflammation that can harm your health. If you recognize any of the signs of inflammatory belly fat or have elevated CRP levels, consider adopting a lifestyle that supports reduced inflammation. By focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet, regular physical activity, and stress management, you can help protect your body from the damaging effects of inflammation and support long-term wellness. To read the original article click here.

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Excessive Abdominal Fat Linked to “Shocking” Problem for the Brain

The AHA! Team — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:11:46 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Obesity is not an unusual phenomenon in the Western world. For example, in the United States, you’re actually MORE likely to meet a person carrying around extra body fat than not, with about 75% of adult males, 60% of adult females, and 30% of children falling into the overweight or obese category. These figures are shocking, to say the least. But perhaps more alarming is recent research revealing how excess body fat impacts the brain. Studies have found that higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with changes in brain structure and function across all ages. In children, higher BMI correlates with reduced working memory performance and smaller gray matter volume in areas related to memory and cognitive control. Similarly, research on adults shows that higher BMI and waist-to-hip ratios are linked to overall gray matter atrophy, with specific reductions in regions tied to cognition and reward. In short, carrying extra body fat doesn’t just affect physical health – it may be shrinking the brain. Research reveals the shocking association between obesity and brain health The researchers of a study published in Neurology analyzed brain MRI imaging of 9,652 people, 19% of whom were obese or overweight (they measured body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and total fat mass to help determine this). It turns out that having a high BMI plus a high waist-to-hip ratio (indicating a greater amount of abdominal fat) makes you more likely to have lower gray matter volume in your brain. If you’re wondering, gray matter contains a majority of the nerve cells in your brain and is important for everything from self-control to physical movement. Loss of gray matter and overall brain shrinkage are associated with things like dementia and other cognitive health problems. Incredibly, these changes remained even after the researchers adjusted for other factors known to affect brain mass, including age, physical activity levels, high blood pressure, and smoking. They conclude: “The combination of heightened BMI and WHR may be an important risk factor for gray matter atrophy.” While the researchers acknowledge that they have a bit of the “chicken or the egg” conundrum – ‘Did the brain shrinkage lead to obesity or did obesity lead to brain shrinkage?’ – we certainly think it’s reasonable to assume the latter, considering that we know so many other ways being overweight can impact brain health and mental function. The connection between BMI, brain structure, and cognitive performance in children In even more recent research, scientists explored the effect of obesity on children’s brain health. They found that higher BMI was associated with poorer working memory performance and smaller gray matter volumes in key brain areas, including the left superior frontal gyrus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and medial orbital frontal cortex. Children with higher BMI also showed weaker activation in the caudate, amygdala, and other brain regions involved in memory tasks. Specifically, the dysfunction in the caudate appeared to mediate the relationship between higher BMI and lower working memory accuracy. This study on children supports the growing body of evidence that higher body fat not only affects physical health but also impacts brain function. Interestingly, these brain changes were linked to poorer memory abilities, suggesting that obesity in childhood may have long-term implications for cognitive development. Other surprising ways abdominal fat impacts your brain function Having excess body fat is linked with an increased risk for serious health conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. But it also can hurt your head, too! For instance, being overweight has been shown to: Lead to a “tolerance” to sugary and fried foods (much like people who use drugs become tolerant to their drug of choice and need more and more of it to get the same high-inducing effects), which is believed to be a major driver of food addiction Decrease the size of a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex (necessary for controlling impulsivity), which can lead to uncontrolled eating Impair memory, likely due to hormones released by fat cells that trigger inflammation and damage tissues The takeaway here is simple and direct: maintaining lean body weight is good for you from head to toe. So, commit to a balanced whole foods (organic) diet, stay physically active – regularly, and do everything you can to reduce the level of (chronic) stress you experience. Remember, you deserve to be happy, healthy, and energetic – all the days of your life. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov Neurology.org Sciencedaily.com Livescience.com To read the original article click here.

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More Belly Weight Increases Danger of Heart Disease Even if BMI Does Not Indicate Obesity

AHA Publisher — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:00:35 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – DALLAS, April 22, 2021 — People with abdominal obesity and excess fat around the body’s mid-section and organs have an increased risk of heart disease even if their body mass index (BMI) measurement is within a healthy weight range, according to a new Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation. “This scientific statement provides the most recent research and information on the relationship between obesity and obesity treatment in coronary heart disease, heart failure and arrhythmias,” said Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the writing committee and a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator and chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. “The timing of this information is important because the obesity epidemic contributes significantly to the global burden of cardiovascular disease and numerous chronic health conditions that also impact heart disease.” A greater understanding of obesity and its impact on cardiovascular health highlights abdominal obesity, sometimes referred to as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, as a cardiovascular disease risk marker. VAT is commonly determined by waist circumference, the ratio of waist circumference to height (taking body size into account) or waist-to-hip ratio, which has been shown to predict cardiovascular death independent of BMI. Experts recommend both abdominal measurement and BMI be assessed during regular health care visits because a high waist circumference or low waist-to-hip ratio, even in healthy weight individuals, could mean an increased risk of heart disease. Abdominal obesity is also linked to fat accumulation around the liver that often leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which adds to cardiovascular disease risk. “Studies that have examined the relationship between abdominal fat and cardiovascular outcomes confirm that visceral fat is a clear health hazard,” said Powell-Wiley. The risk-inducing power of abdominal obesity is so strong that in people who are overweight or have obesity based on BMI, low levels of fat tissue around their midsection and organs could still indicate lower cardiovascular disease risks. This concept, referred to as “metabolically healthy obesity,” seems to differ depending on race/ethnicity and sex. Worldwide, around 3 billion people are overweight (BMI = 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) or have obesity obese(BMI ?30 kg/m2). Obesity is a complex disease related to many factors, including biologic, psychological, environmental and societal aspects, all of which may contribute to a person’s risk for obesity. Obesity is associated with greater risk of coronary artery disease and death due to cardiovascular disease and contributes to many cardiovascular risk factors and other health conditions, including dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. For this statement, experts evaluated research on managing and treating obesity, particularly abdominal obesity. The writing group reports that reducing calories can reduce abdominal fat, and the most beneficial physical activity to reduce abdominal obesity is aerobic exercise. Their analysis found that meeting the current recommendations of 150 min/week of physical activity may be sufficient to reduce abdominal fat, with no additional loss from longer activity times. Exercise or a combination of dietary change and physical activity has been shown in some instances to reduce abdominal obesity even without weight loss. Lifestyle changes and subsequent weight loss improve blood sugar, blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels – a cluster of factors referred to as metabolic syndrome – and reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, studies of lifestyle change programs have not shown a reduction in coronary artery disease events (such as heart attack or chest pain). In contrast, bariatric surgery for weight loss treatment is associated with a reduction in coronary artery disease risk compared to non-surgical weight loss. This difference may be attributed to the larger amount of weight loss and the resultant changes in metabolism that are typical after bariatric surgery. “Additional work is needed to identify effective interventions for patients with obesity that improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality, as is seen with bariatric surgery,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement also addresses the “obesity paradox,” which is sometimes observed in research, particularly in populations that have overweight or have Class I obesity (BMI = 30 to 34.9 kg/m2). The paradox suggests that even though overweight and obesity are strong risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, they are not always a risk factor for negative cardiovascular outcomes. The writing group notes that people with overweight or obesity are often screened earlier for cardiovascular disease than people with healthy weight, thus resulting in earlier diagnoses and treatment. “The underlying mechanisms for the obesity paradox remain unclear,” said Powell-Wiley. “Despite the existence of the paradox for short-term cardiovascular disease outcomes, the data show that patients with overweight or obesity suffer from cardiovascular disease events at an earlier age, live with cardiovascular disease for more of their lives and have a shorter average lifespan than patients with normal weight.” In reviewing the effects of obesity on a common heart rhythm disorder, the writing group reports there is now “convincing data” that obesity may cause atrial fibrillation, a quivering or irregular heartbeat. Estimates suggest obesity may account for one-fifth of all atrial fibrillation cases and 60% of recently documented increases in people with atrial fibrillation. Research has demonstrated people with atrial fibrillation who had intense weight loss experienced a significant reduction in cumulative time spent in atrial fibrillation. “The research provides strong evidence that weight management be included as an essential aspect of managing atrial fibrillation, in addition to the standard treatments to control heart rate, rhythm and clotting risk,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement identifies areas of future research, including a call for further study of lifestyle interventions that may be most effective in decreasing visceral adiposity and improving cardiovascular outcomes. Powell-Wiley said, “It’s important to understand how nutrition can be personalized based on genetics or other markers for cardiovascular disease risk. She added, “as overweight and obesity prevalence increases among adolescents worldwide, it is critical to address how best to develop upstream primary prevention interventions and better treatment strategies, particularly for young patients with severe obesity.” To read the original article click here.

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