It needs to be complemented by healthy dietary choices along with many other healthy lifestyle practices. We believe one of the great challenges for health and wellness providers is getting the desired results for their clients when certain self-defeating behaviours interfere with the health plans. These can be activities such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of movement, or a combination of other lifestyle factors. 

This is where the team of BrainFit Resorts can support you.

Our team has designed the Behaviour-Change Support Program to aid the implementation of your health plans with the science of behaviour change.

In our experience, some clients can prove challenging due to their seemingly uncooperative attitude, frequent cancellations, and coming up with excuses on a regular basis for not achieving their desired goals. Yet, in reality the issue is that these clients need a more targeted support approach where they are helped in developing specific skills they require to succeed in implementing the desired changes. 

The Behaviour-Change Support Program can help these clients by first identifying the behavioural patterns that are causing such problems, and introducing robust support systems that will help them make sustainable changes to their daily living. 

Promoting a healthier living is a task easier said than done, but the Behaviour-Change Support Program has a team of doctors and specialists who have a proven track record with helping your clients shift challenging and potentially unhealthy habits. 

The personalised solutions we employ are science-based and results-oriented, and our custom approach to each client creates a unique experience. 

Custom behavioural change strategies that are adapted for each client helps them achieve their prescribed goals and develop lifestyle habits that are health-enhancing and sustainable.

The Behaviour-Change Support Program is currently offering a 21 days free trial program so you and your clients can experience our expertise and capabilities, to uncover if we could be the client solution you’ve been looking for. If you want your clients to achieve improved health and make lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating healthy, losing weight or just enhancing their physical activities, then the Behaviour-Change Support Program at BrainFit Resorts is the perfect program.

How does the program work?

• We work with your client as a support team to apply your prescribed wellness plan.
• We apply the latest research into habit formation and behaviour change.
• We use a combination of strategies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, clinical hypnosis and mindfulness, delivered remotely via mobile apps, so clients can be supported in their native environments.
• We apply these strategies to achieve your short- and long-term health goals and support your customers with an individualised plan that fits their readiness stage and needs.
• We provide your clients with weekly and daily support with face to face sessions and text messages.
• We will send you a progress report during and at the completion of the program.

What are the benefits to you?

The benefits to healthcare providers include:

• You will increase client satisfaction and the effectiveness of your health care plans.
• You will have the benefits of a support service for your more challenging cases completely for free.
• You will have the opportunity to add your webpage link to our Behavioural Support webpage when you refer just three clients. 

Interested? Contact our Chief Clinical Psychologist, Dr Susanna Zito, at susanna@brainfitresorts.com for more information and to request a client referral form.

1. Individual risk factors assessment
2. Nutrition, supplements and brain-healthy diet
3. Physical activity and exercise
4. Stress reduction and management
5. Sleep health
6. Memory and information load management
7. Cognitive stimulation and training
8. Social engagement
9. Innovative cognitive enhancers/stimulants

Read also:

The Science Behind Dementia Prevention

5 Steps To Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

However, I think there is still a misconception that Psychologists are seen only when there is a serious mental health problem, overwhelming feelings, and disruption to life.

It is true that many Psychologists are trained in the assessment and treatment of Mental Disorders, in treating trauma, substance use issues, in supporting individuals and families dealing with grief and loss; issues that are serious, disrupt life and cause immense pain and suffering.

However, the specific set of skills Psychologists have can be used effectively to support change in people who want to simply shift their life and take better care of themselves.

It does not necessarily mean there is trauma or chaos.

It means someone has identified a gap in their life and wants to make a change that matters.

This can sometimes be difficult because of many reasons: poor insight, old habits, self-limiting beliefs, past history, or a limited set of coping strategies, can all get in the way.

A psychologist can help you change that, identify why this change matters to motivate you further, explore what behaviors you may be engaging in that keep you stuck, what skills do you need to develop, and what behaviors need to shift or be replaced with more self-serving ones.

This can be applied to many areas of one’s life, like lifestyle choices, health matters, nutrition, physical activity, relationships, parenting, employment, life goals, and also retirement.

I usually look for what life “gap” is the person experiencing.

What important aspect of who they want to be is not being fulfilled, and from there, we look at what thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are getting in the way of value-driven action.

All of this can take time and practice for the person developing his new ways.

The Psychologist helps by bringing all the evidence-based knowledge into practice with tips on new habit formation, on how to effectively deal with the inevitable hurdles of change, whilst supporting the refinement of new effective behavioral skills.

So if you have tried to make changes but “it was too hard”, have old “unchangeable habits”, find “change too stressful”  and yet you are keen to shift your life for the better, I encourage you to consider reaching out to a Psychologist who may just be the right support for you.

We hope these tips provide you with some insights and assistance to living your most brain healthy life.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, and want to see more of our articles relating to psychology, check out the links to some of our other articles and videos below:

• VIDEO: Is your MIND getting in the way of YOUR life? (4 Minutes)
• Can STRESS be good for us?
• How to move past thoughts of negativity
• Why use Mindfulness Self Compassion?

Have you tried out Brain Health Survey?

This quick survey of 20 questions will give you a comprehensive PDF report that you can download straight to your desktop PC or mobile device and provide some guidance on what might be putting YOUR brain health at risk!

The survey is FREE and takes just 4-6 minutes on average to complete, so why not try it today? The results may just surprise you…

Click on the button below to start NOW!

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If you would like us to feature a particular topic or interest in one of our upcoming articles or videos, leave a comment below with the details or alternatively, send us an email to info@brainfitresorts.com.

We’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Lastly, if you know someone who may benefit from this article or any of our other features, please SHARE this article with them using the icons below and help us to better enrich the lives of those who need it.

Until next time… Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.

Whether it’s looking better, feeling better, having more energy, being more physically able, or more importantly, preventing a whole lot of medical issues.

But, the word diet comes with many negative connotations.

Eat this. Don’t eat that. This has high cholesterol. That has too much sodium.

It seems like today, there’s a million and one diet styles, choices, plans, issues, benefits, concerns, etc.

And, with each passing week, one form of research disproves a diet that was supposedly beneficial only the week before.

We know we have to eat healthily.

We know that as we age, more care and consideration should be given to our food choices.

But, with so many “diets” to choose from, how can you know for sure what you should and should not be consuming?

Well, today we aim to remove the myths around “fad diets” and give you EXACTLY what you need to know, so you can make the RIGHT changes in your food choices and live out your lifestyle in the way YOU want to.

What do we mean by “Diet”?

First, we start by taking some consideration of what a “Diet” actually is.

The formal definition of diet has two meanings:

1. The kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually
2. A special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.

In many ways, these two definitions are opposing and even mutually exclusive because the latter is a regime, a restricted plan, that is difficult to maintain and sustain.

Follow-up studies conclusively show that 95% of people who “went on a diet” could not maintain it after just one year.

This has been known as “yoyo dieting” when people on a weight-loss diet not only regained their pre-diet weight but even gained weight beyond their starting point.

Everyone knows that it is easy to lose weight, but the real challenge is to maintain it after losing it.

So, my answer to the question in the topic is: Yes to diet, but not to diet, or in other words: don’t eat food that you cannot habitually eat as part of your every-day life.

This means that restricting yourself is counterproductive and we need to find ways to make our diet a good habit that is sustainable.

Macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients

The composition of our diet is essential to meeting the needs of our body, in order to grow, develop, function and repair.

The food we eat contains the body’s building blocks and energy sources.

Macro-nutrients are those that we need in large amounts (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) are those we need in small amounts.

Let’s look at each of these in more detail, because over the last decade specifically, carbohydrates and fats continue to come under the microscope as the culprits for gaining weight.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy and they are broken down to sugar (glucose), which all cells can use.

Typically they can be found in plant food (fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, etc.).

However, carbohydrates have a limited capacity to be stored in the body as such, and when consumed in excess (beyond our energy requirements) they will be stored as fat, and unfortunately, this storage form is unlimited.

Fats

Fats or oils that we eat are broken down to fatty acids which are used as structural building blocks of all body tissues (cell membranes) and some organs which have a high-fat content (like the brain and nerves).

Fats also serve metabolic functions, by providing building blocks for steroids and some hormones or serve as solvents for hormones and fat-soluble enzymes.

They are further divided into saturated fats (meat, egg yolk and dairy products), unsaturated fats (fish, certain oils, nuts, and seeds), and trans-fats which are mostly artificial (i.e. resulting from an industrial process to increase the shelf-life of goods).

Over the last decade, there has been a tremendous change in our understanding of the role of fat in our diet and how bad it is for our health.

In general, unsaturated fats provide substantial health benefits, saturated fats are good, but in moderation, and trans-fats (or hydrogenated oils) are the “bad guys”.

Proteins

Proteins in our diet are broken down to amino acids, which serve as the structural elements of every cell, tissue, and organ in our body.

They also facilitate many vital processes of body maintenance and repair (enzymes, antibodies, DNA, and neurotransmitters).

Proteins are therefore essential for repairing and regenerating body tissues and cells, a healthy functioning immune system and manufacturing hormones.

They can be found in poultry, fish, meat, dairy products, as well as plant sources (beans, greens, seeds, and nuts).

Micro-nutrients

Micro-nutrients include vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins are organic compounds made by plants and animals and minerals are inorganic, exist in soil or water.

Vitamins and minerals are vital for growth, immune function, brain development, and many other important functions, and must be consumed from food, as the body is unable to produce them.

All diets contain a combination of these macro- and micro-nutrients in different proportions.

Healthy diets

Now that we have a good understanding of what’s IN the foods we eat, how does all of this translate into a healthy diet?

A healthy diet is one that helps to maintain or improve overall health.

A healthy diet provides the body with its essential nutrition: fluid, macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, and adequate energy (calories)

FROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet.

Diets have been intensively investigated for their effects on human health, by following large groups of subjects who kept daily records of what they ate for several years.

These subjects also weighed themselves regularly, took routine lab tests and were monitored for the development of a large myriad of diseases (cardiovascular, metabolic, dementia, cancer, etc.,) and the occurrence of disease-related deaths.

Low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets

For many years we used to advocate low-fat diets as the healthiest diets, believing that the fats we consume are the major contributors to body fat and obesity-related morbidity and mortality.

While there is some truth in that “bad fats” can contribute to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, it is not the fat we eat that makes us gain body fat, for the most part, this is the excess of sugars and carbohydrates in our food.

A landmark study followed 218,000 participants from 1000 communities, across 21 countries and 6 continents, with multiple ethnic groups and cultural diversity, examined the diet constituents that promote heart health and longevity globally.

This study, named PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological) and published in 2017, noted that higher carbohydrate intake is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, whereas total dietary fat and types of fat (except trans-fats) are not associated with cardiovascular disease or mortality.

It also noted that dietary saturated fat (the “old-time enemy”) had an inverse relationship with stroke and all-cause mortality; meaning that higher intake may be protective.

Many other studies have since similarly suggested that the long-running war on fat turns out to be a case of “friendly fire” (i.e., we have been shooting our aid and not the enemy).

Keto Diet and Intermittent Fasting

Ketogenic or Keto diets are characterized by very low consumption of carbohydrates (less than 20-30 gram of carbs/day) and relatively high consumption of fat (70% of daily calorie requirements) and protein (25% of daily calorie requirements).

These diets change your metabolism or the way in which the body processes energy.

In a keto diet, the body is deprived of glucose derived from carbs, so it starts using fat as an alternative source of energy.

Fat breakdown (mainly in the liver) results in the production of ketones, which are excellent alternative energy sources.

The keto diets have been shown to have health and anti-aging benefits, and have been associated with brain protection and lower cognitive decline. This is partly explained by the fact that ketones (resulting from fat breakdown) are the more efficient energy source for the brain than glucose.

Fasting has been shown for years to be an effective nonpharmacologic strategy for fighting a large range of disorders (metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, cancer and epilepsy), as well as promoting “detoxification” (cleansing) and longevity (anti-aging).

Intermittent fasting (IF) is not a diet, but rather a dieting pattern.

In simpler terms: it’s making a conscious decision to skip certain meals on purpose.

Intermittent fasting generally means that you consume your calories during a specific window of the day, and choose not to eat food for the larger part of the day.

They come in various shapes and forms:

• Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) is the strictest form of IF besides religious fasting, which involves 24-hours complete fasting followed by a 24-hours non-fasting period. There is an alternate day modified fasting (ADMF) which allows the consumption of approximately 25% of daily calorie needs on fasting days instead of full fasting.
• Whole-day fasting (WDF) involves regular one or two fasting days per week. As an example, 5:2 diets requires five non-fasting days and 2 fasting days in a week. During the fasting days, it allows approximately 500 to 600 calories or about 25% of regular daily caloric intake.
• Time-restricted feeding (TRF) involves eating only during a certain number of hours each day. An example can be 16:8 diets which advocate 16 fasting hours cycled by 8 non-fasting hours.

FROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting

Clinical studies suggest that intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss, reversal or improvement of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and abnormal lipids (elevated cholesterol or triglycerides).

There are also anecdotal accounts of improved cognitive skills in people with dementia or pre-dementia.

However, there are no good, long-term human studies that have examined the effects of IF on human cognition and its ability to prevent cognitive decline or dementia.

Brain-healthy diets

Many diets were initially investigated for their protective effects on cardiovascular health.

Considering the role of cardiovascular disease in cognitive decline and dementia, it makes sense to advocate a heart-healthy diet for brain health.

However, over the last several years a lot of research has come out which informed us about those diets which also protect our brain.

The Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits of people who lived in the olive-growing regions of Italy and Greece, who in the 1960s had a very high life expectancy and low rates of coronary heart disease and certain cancers.

It has repeatedly shown positive effects for general and cardiovascular health by numerous studies, and it also tops the list of best diets for brain health.

It is typically low in saturated fats and is characterised by a high intake of whole grains (cereals), fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, lentils), nuts, healthy unsaturated fats (mostly olive oil) and fish; regular and moderate intake of alcohol (usually wine during meals); and low intake of red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy.

A large body of evidence supports that the Mediterranean diet has a protective role against cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and its early stages (MCI).

Of particular importance, the recently completed PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta Mediterránea) study is the first clinical trial that compared the effects of a long-term Mediterranean diet (MeDi) intervention to a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat).

The trial, conducted in Spain, showed that greater adherence to the MeDi resulted in a 30% reduction of major cardiovascular events and superior cognitive performance over a period of 6.5 years.

Interestingly, a subgroup supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) had the strongest positive effect on cognitive function and was the only dietary component that slowed the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

The DASH Diet

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed from an initiative to examine dietary factors that affect blood pressure. The DASH diet is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains (cereals), low-fat dairy products, fish, chicken, and lean meats, and therefore is designed to be low in saturated fat; moderately high in protein; and low in sodium (salt), sweetened beverages, and red and processed meats.

While some studies suggested that the DASH diet protects the brain against cognitive decline and dementia, other studies could not support this.

The MIND diet

The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet was based on the dietary components of the MeDi and DASH diets with modifications that highlight the foods and nutrients shown to be associated with dementia prevention.

Among the MIND diet components, there are 10 brain-healthy food groups (green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, seafood, poultry, olive oil, and wine) and five unhealthy food groups (red meats, butter and stick margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried/fast food).

Hence, MIND diet uniquely specifies consumption of berries and green leafy vegetables and does not specify high fruit consumption (both DASH and MeDi), high dairy consumption (DASH), or high fish consumption (MeDi).

There is limited support for the protective effects of this diet on cognitive functioning.

So which diet should I choose?

As you can see from the components of all these diets there is a significant overlap in the characteristics of all diets that are associated with better cognitive function.

There is a general consensus that your diet should have a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and fish as well as reducing consumption of red meat, sugars (sweets and sugary drinks), trans and saturated fats, salt, and highly processed or pre-packaged foods.

See the below recommendations:

Foods to include

• Consume predominantly a plant-based diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits. Choose local and seasonal fruits and vegetables when available, however, be certain to frequently include:
  • Raw leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (eg, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and radishes)
  • Fresh or frozen berries
• Include unsalted nuts, or all-natural nut butter, daily as a snack, cooking ingredient, or adding to salads
• Ensure that your diet is rich in whole grains, beans, and pulses
  • Routinely add beans, peas, and lentils to soups, salads, casseroles, and other main dishes
  • Select high-fiber cereals, brown rice, and whole-grain bread and cereals
• Consume fish frequently, with an emphasis on fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel
• Use extra virgin olive oil as your main culinary oil.
• Select low-fat milk (skim or 1%), yogurt (0%-2%), and cheese (~22%)

Foods to limit

• Limit your intake of meat and poultry
  • More severely restrict your intake of red and processed meats such that they are only consumed occasionally
• Restrict your use of butter, hard margarine, cream, or high-fat dairy spreads
• Limit your intake of sweets and processed foods including:
  • Pre-packaged sides and meals (eg, canned soup, instant noodles, frozen appetizers, and TV dinners)
  • Salty snacks (eg, potato chips and fries) or fried food
  • Store-bought dairy desserts (including ice cream, frozen yogurt, puddings, and custard)
  • Baked goods, especially store-bought (eg, cookies, muffins, scones, croissants, doughnuts, cakes, and pie)
  • Candy, chocolate, bonbons
  • Pop, sweetened fruit juice, or any other sugary drinks

We hope these tips provide you with some insights and assistance to living your most brain healthy life.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, and want to see more of our articles relating to nutrition and brain-healthy foods, check out the links to some of our other articles below:

• Understanding Belly Fat and What To Do About It
• How Iron and B Vitamins Improve Brain Activity
• Apricots: A Daily Nutrition Booster
• Can Vitamin C and E Help Prevent Dementia?

Be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button below so we can send you videos, blogs, and articles just like this one, as we release them.

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If you would like us to feature a particular topic or interest in one of our upcoming articles or videos, leave a comment below with the details or alternatively, send us an email to info@brainfitresorts.com.

We’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Lastly, if you know someone who may benefit from this article or any of our other features, please SHARE this article with them using the icons below and help us to better enrich the lives of those who need it.

Until next time… Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.

References:

• Dehghan M, Mente A, Zhang X, et al. Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet 2017;390:2050-2062.
• Zhu Y, Bo Y, Liu Y. Dietary total fat, fatty acids intake, and risk of cardiovascular disease: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies, Lipids Health Dis. 2019 Apr 6;18(1):91.
• Wu L, Sun D. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of developing cognitive disorders: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Sci Rep. 2017;7:41317.
• Loughrey DG, Lavecchia S, Brennan S, Lawlor BA, Kelly ME. The Impact of the Mediterranean Diet on the Cognitive Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Adv Nutr. 2017;8(4):571–586.
• Greenwood CE, Parrott MD. Nutrition as a component of dementia risk reduction strategies. Healthc Manage Forum. 2017 Jan;30(1):40-45. doi:10.1177/0840470416662885.

Eating or consuming food is natural.

Food gives energy, and it is how we can carry out our everyday activities like walking and cooking.

However, there can be extra energy left from the food we eat.

Although a small part is stored as carbohydrates (glycogen) in the muscles and liver, the bulk of the excess energy is stored as fat.

This fat can be stored in different parts of the body: if it is stored in the chest, waist, hips and buttock region, it is called subcutaneous fat; while if it is stored between the internal organs in the abdomen, it is referred to as “visceral fat” or more popularly as “belly fat.”

There are several factors that determine where excess fat is stored in the body, some of which includes heredity and hormones.

Subcutaneous fat has little to no adverse effect on a person’s health and lifespan; belly fat, on the other hand, leads to major implications and is closely related to morbidity and mortality than body weight or body mass index (BMI).

Abdominal or central Obesity occurs when there is an excess storage of belly fat.

Abdominal Obesity which is also referred to as “potbelly” or “beer belly” is strongly associated with a lot of illness and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, abnormal lipids (elevated bad cholesterol and triglycerides), fatty liver, cardiovascular diseases (including heart attacks), stroke, dementia, and cancer.

Abdominal Obesity can be measured manually by measuring the waist circumference or more accurately by x-ray and magnetic imaging (DXA, CT, or MRI).

Body weight as a measure of body fat – BMI

BMI (Body Mass Index) is also known as weight/height ratio and is the official standard for measuring total body fat and is widely used by health professionals to advise about the health risks of overweight and Obesity.

However, BMI has several flaws, one of which is that BMI reflects body fat without showing how it is distributed in the body.

For example, an athlete who is fit might have little body fat, but because of he or she is muscular, the BMI would be high which does not truly reflect the amount of excess body fat in the body.

There are people in the normal BMI range with an excess of abdominal fat (aka as TOFI, thin-outside fat-inside), whose health risks are similar to those of obese people.

BIA or BMI?

BIA (Body Impedance Analysis) is another method used for estimating body fat.

The principle BIA uses is that since muscle tissue retain lots of water when compared to fat tissues, which contain little water.

So, a person with more muscle than fat will contain more water and will thus be less resistant to electricity as water is a great conductor of electric current.

BIA sends a weak electrical current through the body of the person to measured, and an estimation of the body fat percentage is made based on the body’s resistance to the electric current.

BIA has been integrated into more modern digital scales, which shows a person’s body fat percentage. Some of the more sophisticated scales can even offer a compartmental fat assessment, including visceral and subcutaneous fat percentages.

In summary, reducing belly fat is more important that barely checking body weight, as a person’s weight does not totally show the amount of excess body fat he or she has. It is thus best to calculate the BMI and also measure your body fat separately.

How to measure belly fat yourself

The easiest method of measuring belly fat involves simply using a flexible (stretch-resistant) tape measure.

Steps to measure your Waist Circumference (WC)

This technique requires that you measure the circumference of your “tummy” around the widest part of your belly.

The process is as follows:

• Step 1: Stand with your arms at the sides, feet positioned close together, and weight evenly distributed across your feet.
• Step 2: Wear little or no clothes so that your measurements are as close to your skin as possible.
• Step 3: Align the tape measure to the level of the belly button and circle the entire route around the body.
• Step 4: The tape measure should be placed gently on the skin and held at a level parallel to the floor.
• Step 5: Relax and avoid contracting any abdominal muscle.
• Step 6: Position the tape measure correctly, breathe in, exhale, and then take the measurement.

It is recommended to measure at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone.

The number that indicates abdominal Obesity for a man and woman is different.

For a man, the ideal size is 37 inches (=94 cm) and below, while a woman is 31.5 inches (=80 cm) and below.

A man with abdominal Obesity will have a waist measurement greater than 40 inches (= 102 cm), while that of a woman is anything greater than 35 inches (= 89 cm).

Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)

Abdominal Obesity can also be measured by comparing the abdominal and buttocks circumference.

To calculate your waist to hip ratio, you’ll start by measuring your abdominal circumference.

Then measure your hips circumference around their widest part. Now divide your waist size by your hip size to get your waist to hip ratio.

Men with WHR above 0.95 are said to have abdominal Obesity or pot belly, while for women, the number is 0.85.

How to lose belly fat

Losing weight is the best way to lose belly fat.

However, by going on a low-calorie diet, you cannot determine the exact part of the body the weight loss will occur.

It is thus important to not only diet but also include exercise in your weight loss routine.

Structured exercises like visiting the gym and being physically active are more important than dieting.

Also, a combination of cardio and strength training is the best approach as opposed to specifically exercising the abdominal muscles to reduce fat.

Sandy McGrath, Personal Trainer for the National Institute on Aging, produced THIS 20-minute home workout which we feel is a great way to get you up and about each day.

Why not try it for yourself? Click on the video below and get moving!

We hope these tips provide you with some insights and assistance to living your most brain healthy life.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, and want to see more of our articles relating to nutrition and brain healthy foods, check out the links to some of our other articles below:

• Healthy Bodies Make Healthy Minds
• How Iron and B Vitamins Improve Brain Activity
• A Daily Nutrition Booster
• The Great Benefits of Yoga

Be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button below so we can send you videos, blogs, and articles just like this one, as we release them.

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If you would like us to feature a particular topic or interest in one of our upcoming articles or videos, leave a comment below with the details or alternatively, send us an email to info@brainfitresorts.com.

We’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Lastly, if you know someone who may benefit from this article or any of our other features, please SHARE this article with them using the icons below and help us to better enrich the lives of those who need it.

Until next time… Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.