of Internal Medicine long-term
study that followed 15,184 people
showed that normal-weight
people with bulging bellies had
the worst survival rates—even
worse than those of obese folks.
The problem: visceral fat, deep
in the belly, which pumps out
hormones and immune-system
chemicals that disrupt levels
of blood sugar, blood pressure,
cholesterol, and triglycerides in
the blood. This can then lead to
blood-vessel damage, followed
by plaque clogging the arteries.
What you can do:Eat at least
three small, healthy meals a day,
spacing out the calories. In a
new Ohio State University study,
researchers manipulated the
meals of mice to mimic meal-
skipping and yo-yo dieting.
It turned out that these mice
gained more belly fat than
those that ate regularly. As for
exercise, a large 2015 study
from the London School of Eco-
nomics and Political Science
found that women who walked
briskly for 30 minutes five
days a week tended to be a half-
inch slimmer in the waist
than gym-goers working out
at a moderate level, and almost
two inches slimmer than couch
potatoes. “Walking is an easier
activity for women to fit into
their busy schedules, making it
the best activity for reducing
belly fat,” says lead author Grace
Lordan, Ph.D., an assistant
professor in the department
of social policy at the London
School of Economics. The ulti-
mate message: The best exercise
is whatever you’ll do often.
There’s another key factor:“Prolonged exposure to stress
causes an increase in the hormone
cortisol, which is linked to de-veloping abdominal fat,”
explains Marianne Legato, M.D.,
director of the Foundation for
Gender Specific Medicine, in
New York City. You can cut
back on cortisol with any stress-
reduction technique that works
for your mind, body, schedule,
and budget, from meditation to
aromatherapy, massage to exer-
cise (which is also good for your
lungs and heart directly).Get smart about your gut.
Why it matters: A 2013 study
in Nature Medicine pointed out
that meats—formerly believed to
be harmful to your heart simply
because of their cholesterol
and fat content—may actually be
harmful for a different reason.
When they are digested, a
by-product of the process is a
substance called TMAO, which
has been shown to accelerate
atherosclerosis in mice. In the
future, doctors may give a
TMAO blood test alongside your
annual cholesterol check.
What you can do: Eat foods
abundant in fiber and contain-
ing little fat, like dark leafy
vegetables, says researcher
Stanley L. Hazen, M.D., Ph.D.,
head of preventive cardiology
and rehabilitation at the Cleve-
land Clinic. Also, use less butter
and more olive oil, and eat more
fish. What enhances gut health
overall is a diverse microflora,
and many of the foods that
encourage this (such as those
leafy vegetables) are, in fact,
the same ones that are good for
the heart. —Elena Rover115
HOW-TO HANDBOOK Health
TryBeyondToday.com
Get your trial offer at
while supplies last.
NO
NO
CORN, WHEAT OR SOY
REAL MEAT, POULTRY OR FISH IS THE
#1 INGREDIENT IN DRY AND PATÉADDED ARTIFICIAL COLORS,
NOFLAVORS OR PRESERVATIVESPOULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL
Purina trademarks are owned by Société des
Produits Nestlé S.A.