Body fat or adipose tissue is a constituent of the human body. Its primary function is to provide energy to the body. Body fat builds up differently in men and women. Recent studies explore the health consequences ensuing from these differences. 

Usually, men have an  apple-shaped  body. This is because men accumulate visceral fat   fat that is stored in the abdominal cavity   around the belly. Women, on the other hand, depict a  pear-shaped  body because they have more fat deposits around the hips. Visceral fat is extremely dangerous because it affects the internal organs of your body, including the liver, intestines, and pancreas. 

Body Fat Percentage in Men and Women 

To evaluate your health, it is essential that you know your body fat percentage (BFP). A healthy body fat percentage depends on a number of variables such as age, body type, gender etc. For example, BFP range tends to be higher in women than in men because women require more body fat. The average BFP of females falls in between 25% and 31%. 

What is a good body fat percentage?

Ideally, for men between ages 20-40, healthy BFP ranges from 8%-19%; between ages 41-60, normal BFP ranges from 11%-22%; between ages 61-79, the normal should be between 13%-25%. For women aged between 20-40 years, healthy BFP ranges from 21%-33%; between ages 41-60, normal BFP ranges from 23%-25%; between ages 61-79, the normal should be between 24%-36%. 

What body fat percentage is unhealthy?

Body fat percentage below or above the normal range (as stated above) is considered unhealthy. For instance, if the BFP of a woman aged between 20-40 years is more than 30%, then it is considered overweight. Similarly, if a 50-year-old man has BFP below 11%, he is deemed underweight. Nevertheless, there are several ways to maintain a good body fat percentage.

How to Lose Body Fat Percentage?

Many people come up with questions like   Is it hard to lose body fat percentage? Certainly not, unless you have a serious underlying condition (obesity or PCOD). You can reduce your BFP by following the pointers below- 

  Follow a protein-rich diet   It will decrease your appetite, reduce calorie intake, and preserve muscle mass. Good protein sources include dairy products, meat, eggs, legumes, seafood etc.   Add vinegar to your diet   Induces a sense of feeling full, lowers body fat, and reduces calorie intake 

  Eat more healthy fats   Helps you burn fat quickly. Coconut oil, olive oil, and avocados are good sources. 

  Reduce carb intake   Cutting down on refined carbohydrates like white bread/rice, pasta, snacks, cereals etc. can help you shed that extra flab. 

Besides following a healthy diet, you should also engage in physical activities to bring down your body fat percentage to its normal range. Exercise more often   begin strength training to get rid of belly fat and build muscle mass. You can also lose fat by consuming these natural fat burners:

  Caffeine   boosts metabolism and helps you burn more fat as fuel

  Green tea extracts

  Protein powder/supplements   boosts metabolism and reduces appetite 

  Soluble fibre 

Having a healthy body fat percentage is the key to staying fit and steering away from a host of ailments. Therefore, maintaining a balanced diet along with moderate exercise and routine check-ups is extremely important. 

How Body Fat Affects Men's & Women's Health Differently?

Cheese vs butter- what should be a part of your daily breakfast?

Both cheese and butter taste great, but when it comes to making them a part of your daily diet, you must keep their nutritional content in mind. Check how they rate nutritionally.

1. Calorie content

Butter is much higher in calorie content than cheese. While 100 grams of cheese have 349 calories, the same amount of butter comprises 717 calories. Moreover, 306 of the calories present in cheese are in the form of fat, while 713 calories come from fat in butter.

2. Fat content

Cheese and butter are both made from milk, but their fat content differs due to their different methods of preparation. 100 grams cheese contains 32 grams of fat, with 18 grams of saturated fats and 1.1 grams of trans fats. On the other hand, the fat content of butter is 81 grams per 100 grams butter, with 51 grams of saturated fats, and 3.3 grams of trans fats. This is the reason why butter is mostly avoided by people who aim at maintaining optimum weight.

3. Vitamin and protein content

There is only 0.8 gram of protein in butter, in comparison to 18 grams in the same quantity of cheese.

However, both cheese and butter are rich in vitamin a and choline, containing about 945 ius and 2499 ius vitamin a per 100 grams respectively. Vitamin a is known for improving your vision, boosting immunity and promoting cell growth. Also, vitamins e and k, and folate are present in small amounts in cheese and butter. They ensure good health of your red blood cells, help in blood coagulation and in maintaining bone metabolism (the process of forming new bone tissues). Additionally, cheese also contains vitamin b6, b12 and betaine.

4. Mineral content

Ample amount of minerals like calcium, phosphorus and potassium are present in both cheese and butter, which help in strengthening your muscles, minimising the chances of osteoporosis, maintaining acid-base balance in your body and diminishing the chances of heart diseases. Moreover, cheese also contains iron, selenium and zinc in smaller amounts, whereas butter has traces of fluoride, zinc, selenium and magnesium, which enhance your immunity and promote fertility among both men and women.

5. Energy giving capacity

Butter being rich in fat can boost up your energy level instantly. While cheese also provides your body with energy, it does not have an instant action like butter.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on'consult.

Cheese vs Butter- What should be your daily breakfast preference?

Lemons are known worldwide for the amazing health benefits they offer. Lemons are indeed a perfect source of so many nutrients like riboflavin, thiamin, magnesium, iron, pantothenic acid, potassium, vitamin B6, etc. And, when it s the combination of lemon and water, it becomes as tasty and refreshing drink as beneficial to one s health. The practice of drinking lemon water is quite common among people as it is not only rich in nutrients, but also very easy to make. But there can be a possibility that you might be drinking it the wrong way and missing the many health benefits of lemon.

The common practice of drinking lemon water
People choose to drink lemon water regularly to enjoy all its benefits. But often, what they misunderstand is the ideal way in which the lemons need to be used in making the lemon water. And as a result, they miss out on a number of health benefits, offered by lemons.

The majority of people simply slice up the lemons, squeeze out the juice from them and then throw the lemon peels right away. And, it is exactly where the whole way of drinking lemon water gets wrong. Because it is the lemon peels that are mostly the nutrient rich parts of the entire lemon fruit.

The proper way in which lemon water should be drank
The best way to drink lemon water in the right way is by adding the peels to it. You must make sure to buy organic lemons that are fresh and seem juicy enough. Wash them properly and cut them into thick or thin slices, as per the preference of one. Then, squeeze the freshly sliced lemons into either hot or cold water. But be certain not to dispose of the peels.

Rather, one needs to grate the peels of the already squashed lemons into the lemon water, to make it filled with all the nutritional values of lemon and also the right way of having a healthy glass of lemon water.
One can also put the rest of the lemon slices aside in a travel cup or mug and fill it up with cold or boiling water to have another healthy cup of lemon water later.

The benefits of having lemon water the right way
When one includes both the juice of the lemons as well as the grated peels in his or her lemon water, the drink becomes the best source of consuming all the nutrients of the entire fruit. Lemon peels are known to contain 5 or 10 times more the vitamins that lemon juice does. As a result of adding all the parts of the lemon to the lemon water, one can receive a boost in the intake of antioxidants, vitamins C and B, volatile oils, and an increase in the resistance power of the body s immunity system.

Lemon Water - Did You Know You Were Drinking It The Wrong Way?

Struggling with extra weight and flab? Well, we are here to help! Remember to take it slow and easy with your weight loss journey so that the effects are more lasting. Reducing weight in a month is a matter of making the best use of dietary tweaks and a work out regimen. 

Here are a few tips to lose weight in a month. Set a realistic goal of about 5 to 6 kgs in a month and get set go!

1. Food Diary: What you eat is the first thing that affects how smooth and effective your weight loss journey is. Remember to take stock of what you are eating in a day. Maintain a food diary for at least a week and take a look at it at the end of the week to realise where you may be going wrong. Remember to report even a bite of a snack or that piece of chocolate you took! You will be surprised with your findings. 

2. Diet Alterations: Get your diet under control by dividing it up into five or six small meals. Include vegetables, fruit, grains, water and some amount of dairy. Try to eliminate meat and sugar from your diet for a month. Also, you can substitute white rice with brown rice or other grains like quinoa. Have oats for fibre and remember to drink plenty of green tea and water. 

3. Dietary Additives: Adding ingredients like almonds, prunes, blue berries, and even chia seeds will do wonders for your overall diet plan. When you are in the mood for a snack, reach out for these fat burning substances that will get your metabolism to work overtime. 

4. Mental Hunger: Do a quick check every time you get hungry out of turn. If it is not your meal time, there may be chances that you are suffering from emotional or mental hunger, which usually passes in a few minutes once you down a glass of water and distract yourself with an enjoyable activity and deep breaths. 

5. Exercise: This is one aspect that many people ignore. Work out everyday to support your diet and weight loss journey. Have coffee an hour before your workout session for quick fat burning. 

Tips to Reduce Weight in a Month

Are bananas really your ticket to weight loss?

Bananas are your friends, truly!

Bananas as against the age old myth can really help in your weight loss process. A medium sized banana has a number of healthy nutrients that can help you in losing weight. A 100gm banana has about 90 calories, 3 gm of fiber and 23 gm of carbohydrates. It is a filling and satiating snack and can really give you a good dose of nutrients in minimum calories. Coming to the reasons that make this fruit an ideal weight loss food option, here are a few reasons:

1. Boosts your body's metabolic rate while controlling your appetite

Unripe bananas contain a form of starch known as resistant starch that slows down the digestion process. It works by feeding the healthy bacteria in your gut, causing oxidation of the fat tissues and suppression of your hunger pangs. According to findings published in a study, if you replace 5% of your carbohydrate requirement with a food rich in resistant starch, it can result in about 30% of fat burning post your meal.

2. Rids you of your bloating complaints

Since this fruit contains a good amount of potassium, it can help in diminishing water retention, thereby reducing the instances of belly bloat.

3. Forms the bulk of your fiber intake

Being a good source of fiber, having bananas every day can help in improving your digestion and subsequently aid in weight loss. Since fiber can't be digested by the body, it helps you to meet the bulk of your food requirements, which makes you fell fuller for a longer time and reduces your chances of overeating.

4. Is a fuel for your body

Bananas are considered to be the best source of energy before and after a workout. They provide your body with all the nutrients it requires. They are rich in easily digestible natural sugar that provides your body with optimal energy. They are also a rich source of potassium, making them perfect for warding off dizziness and muscle cramps that sometimes accompany a post-workout. Starting your day with a banana can reduce your sweet cravings in the later half of the day.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Related Tip:&#x00a0;3 Amazing Ways To Melt Belly Fat with Bananas

Are Bananas Really Your Ticket to Weight Loss?

Why am I not losing weight? (weight loss tips inside)

Many of my clients when first consults with me, they ask this question' despite trying so many strategies, why I am not losing weight?

When I ask them about their efforts, they share:

I did the gm diet for a month

I took herbal life shake for three months

I went on fruits and liquid diet

I do gym every day!

Ok, wait! any sensible approach? this is usually my reaction to that.

'so did I do any wrong?' they ask me suspiciously.

Of course, by following above methods you are hampering your metabolism and pushing yourself to many essential nutrient deficiencies. Every second day I get cases of low iron, vitamin b12, calcium, low muscle mass and a high percentage of fat.

Do we have any way to lose weight and not feel tired and dull whole day?

Yes, there is.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet and eating a variety of food is the only way to get long lasting weight loss result. By eating right, you can improve your metabolism and nourish your body so that you don't fall for a metabolic disorder like diabetes, thyroid, PCOD, heart disease etc. I have helped hundreds of clients every month to give them a long lasting healthy weight loss.


Few tips to get you started on your weight loss journey:

	Have filling breakfast which consists of cereal (complex carbohydrate), a protein source (egg/ beans/ milk and milk product) and vitamin and mineral source (fruit/ vegetables).
	Have in between snacking of fruits and nuts.
	Have plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
	Have good fats e. G. Almonds/ walnuts/ flax seeds/ avocado/ pumpkin seeds/ coconut etc.
	Drink plenty of water and avoid empty calories (soft drinks).
	Avoid bakery products.
	Eat variety in terms of cereal, pulses, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
	Include any form of physical activity for 45 mins per day.
	

If you would like to consult with me privately for healthy weight loss, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: If You Diet for Weight Loss, Here are 5 Myths You Might be Living With!

Why am I not losing weight? (Weight loss tips inside)

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