Monthly Archives: August 2023

Slim Is Not Always Healthy

Being slim is often associated with good health, but this isn’t always the case. The reality is that many people can be slim but unhealthy, lacking essential nutrients or suffering from hidden medical conditions. Understanding that true wellness encompasses more than just a slender appearance is crucial.

Factors such as diet, exercise, mental health, and overall lifestyle play significant roles in determining one’s health.

This article will explore why being slim doesn’t necessarily mean you’re healthy and provide tips for achieving true wellness.

  • How do we judge the health of weight

Obesity statistics often take estimates of body fat using body mass index [BMI]. Although BMI is not perfectly correlated with body fat percentage. It is a quick and easy method for collecting data using just the person’s height and weight.

  • If you’re not overweight, does a healthy lifestyle matter?

Many people think if they’re able to stay lean while eating poorly and not exercising, then that’s OK. But though you might appear healthy on the outside, you could have the same health concerns as overweight and obese individuals on the inside.

Being Slim but unhealthy brings various risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke or cancer, we often think about health indicators such as smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body weight. But poor diet and physical inactivity also each increase the risk for heart disease and have a role to play in the development of some cancers.

So even if you don’t smoke and you’re not overweight, being inactive and eating badly increases your risk of developing heart disease.

  • Unhealthy diets are bad for your body, but what about your brain?

Body weight was not hugely different between the groups eating a healthy diet and those on high fat and sugar diets. So this shows negative consequences of poor dietary intake can occur even when body weight has not noticeably changed. Body weight is not always the best predictor of internal health. Relationship between body weight and cognitive functioning was present even after controlling for a range of factors including education level and existing medical conditions. Many people use low body weight to excuse unhealthy eating and physical inactivity. Slim but unhealthy body weight is not the best indicator of internal well-being. A much better indicator is your diet. When it comes to your health, it’s what’s on the inside that counts and you really are what you eat.

  • Thin doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, mind the fat inside 

“People is thin. People is fit”. This is a misconception most of us have. Being thin doesn’t necessarily mean being fit. Most of us envy that slim people next door, who hogs junk foods day in and day out but hardly gains weight. But it would be interesting to note that it could be purely because her fats are deposited around her organs and not under the skin that she doesn’t look fat. This is a lesser-known dangerous condition, referred to as Thin outside Fat inside (TOFI).
Even people who are health conscious and maintain their weight through diet, rather than exercise, are likely to have major internal fat deposits even if they look slim. Without getting clear alarming signals of visible belly fat, thin people falsely assume that they are healthy. Usually people who are fat from inside are essentially on the verge of being obese in the future purely because they consume more sugary and fatty foods, and do little exercise.

  • Slim but Unhealthy- Why?
  1. FAT LEVELS: Even though on the outside it may not seem like it, but thin beings have more fat in their bodies. The visceral fat (fat layering our organs) and subcutaneous fat (fat under skin) is way higher in thin bodies than in ‘fat’ or healthier bodies. So, even though they are eating extra pani-puris, remember that it is only loading up the fat in their body. It may not seem so harmful right now, but can and will in the future!
  1. PRONE TO DIABETES: Yes, thin people are more prone to type 2 diabetes than those on the heavier side. This is purely because of their unhealthy eating habits and erratic lifestyle changes. It’s not always good to believe that ‘dieting is not for thin people’.
  2. LETHARGY ISSUES: Thin people tend to have lethargy issues more than healthy people. This happens due to bad eating habits and how this affects their health. For example, if you are thin and keep binging on street food thinking it does not hurt your body, well, it’s time you think again. Your lethargy issues are due to horrible and frequent eating habits!
  1. LOW METABOLIC RATE: Another interesting discovery in our research is that the nutrient absorption is low in thin people. This means whatever food they eat, healthy or unhealthy; their body does not absorb its nutrition. This is not a good thing as this leads to low metabolism which makes them prone to a variety of lifestyle issues like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
  1. DEAD SKIN: One major issue with ‘naturally’ thin people is their skin. If they do not practice healthy eating and regular exercise, their skin is bound to show it. Their skin appears to be dull and dry. After all, what you put inside your body shows outside as well, right?
  1. LOWER IMMUNITY: A consequent issue is bad immunity. Thin people tend to get sick more often than their healthier friends. This is entirely dependent on their eating habits and how they live their life.
  • Fat stigma, thin privilege

Fat stigma has led us to draw a direct and exclusive connection between fatness and ill health, often disregarding the many other aspects of a person’s life that also bears on their bodies and health. There are plenty of thin people suffering from illness and all manner of health complications too. But the privileges western culture has accorded to thinness mean that these people will never be subject to the same interrogations, or faux concerns, about their health. Unhealthy diet fads hardly come under the same kind of criticism.

Role of visceral fat and its effects on our body

Visceral fat is stored in a person’s abdominal cavity and is also known as ‘active fat’ as it influences how hormones function in the body. An excess of this fat can, therefore, have potentially dangerous consequences.

Because the abdominal cavity is close to many vital organs, such as the pancreas, liver, and intestines. The higher the amount of fat a person stores, the more at risk they are for certain health complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.

Health risks of carrying excess visceral fat:

  • Heart disease
  • type 2 diabetes
  • raised blood pressure
  • breast and colorectal cancer
  • stroke
  • Alzheimer’s disease

High levels of visceral fat can result in increased insulin resistance which may lead to glucose intolerance and even type 2 diabetes.

Ways to get rid of it:

The dangers of storing excess fat can be extreme and immediate, so it is essential to make diet and lifestyle changes as soon as possible as losing weight can help a person reduce their levels of fat.

  • Exercise

Exercise is an excellent way to reduce this fat. People should include both cardiovascular 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
  • Reducing stress: stress can also play a role in storing excess fat. This is because when someone is stressed, their body releases a hormone called cortisol, which increases how much visceral fat a person’s body stores. 

Relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, and other stress management tactics, can be beneficial and help a person lose visceral fat more efficiently.

  • Diet

A healthful diet that is low in sugar laden, fatty foods will also help a person lose weight and excess visceral fat. A healthful diet should include:

  • lean proteins
  • fruit and vegetables
  • Complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans, and whole grains.

Bottom line:

Usually, it is possible to avoid high levels of visceral fat by leading a healthy and active lifestyle. Those who do store dangerous amounts of visceral fat can reduce their levels by making positive changes to their lifestyle. Changes include eating a nutritious, low-fat diet, increasing the amount of exercise, and lowering stress.

How Workout Helps Your Summer Even Better

Sounds interesting, YEAH! We are well aware of the fact that “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”. This simply means that without taking any break from work, a person tends to become both bored and boring. And just to keep that away, one should indulge oneself in various kinds of activities that keep one on the right track and not let the life out of oneself. Summer workout benefits are undoubtedly one of the best and most apt options. And working out does not necessarily mean going to the gym, it could be easily done at home as well. 

Well, I am sure that immediate reaction to a workout signifies gym, which most of you will neglect as the scorching heat is right upon your head. Do not worry folks, as I am there to guide and support you. But that is not something one should adhere to. Working out, taking a walk, running or playing with kids outside in some park is never a bad idea. It keeps oneself in shape, energetic and has been considered one of the finest stress-buster. Well, you will not have the feel until you start with it- as it is well said that ‘only the wearer knows about the shoe bite’. 

Summer workout benefits: My simple advice to you people is- 

  • Please DO NOT over-exert yourself and keep yourself hydrated. This is important because when one sweats, it increases the pace of the body temperature to cool down and it can be done in an organized way when the right amount of water is given to the body. This gives clarity to the fact that working out in summer improves the ability of the body to cool itself down, hence improving your metabolism as well. It has also been considered beneficial as it increases the blood flow to the skin which helps the body to cool down. Eventually, the body gets used to it and becomes more responsive to the demands of workout sessions through sweating and increased blood circulations.
  • Have fresh fruits and vegetables like watermelon, peaches, plum, strawberries, star fruit, orange, cantaloupe, kiwi, grape fruits & vegetables like cucumber, leafy vegetables, lettuce, celery, mint, spinach, tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, and radish.
  • Consume adequate fibers and proteins- as will help you in your work-out routine. [Protein like curd, buttermilk, yogurt & fibers like whole wheat cereals].

Summer Workout benefits have proven to make you more efficient and agile. Improvements in heart rate and sweat rate are also the add-ons. And if all such things can push people to the brighter sides of their lives, then probably there is no harm in stepping out of the houses and participate oneself in some or the other activity which keeps the pace of life going. 

All I will say is just enjoy your work- out session and keep your body tuned!