June 16, 2025 • 35 mins
Your body is sending you warning signals that go far deeper than your waistline. That stubborn belly fat isn't just an aesthetic concern—it's a metabolically active danger zone wrapped around your vital organs, disrupting everything from your hormones to your brain function.
In this eye-opening episode, we dive into visceral fat—the hidden inflammatory tissue that even slim people can carry in dangerous amounts. Unlike the fat you can pinch, visceral fat lives deep in your abdominal cavity, secreting inflammatory compounds that impact insulin sensitivity, liver function, hormone balance, and even cognitive health. You'll discover why that "beer belly" is scientifically accurate terminology and how visceral fat differs from fatty liver disease (they're related but distinct metabolic issues).
The truth about visceral fat accumulation might surprise you. It's not simply about calories or willpower—it's driven by insulin resistance, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, gut inflammation, and hormonal shifts. Most shocking? You can have normal weight yet dangerous levels of visceral fat, especially during perimenopause, menopause, or andropause. I share my personal journey with fatty liver disease and how liver health dramatically improved in just three weeks with targeted interventions.
You'll learn practical, science-backed strategies to measure and reduce visceral fat, including why resistance training twice weekly outperforms endless cardio, how gut health restoration creates metabolic transformation, and when tools like GLP-1 medications, skinny shots, and shape scale monitoring can accelerate your progress. Most importantly, you'll understand why addressing visceral fat is a crucial investment in preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hormonal chaos, cognitive decline, and premature aging.
Ready to evict your metabolic "toxic roommate" and restore whole-body health? Book your consultation at harmonyhubhealth.com where we don't guess—we test, scan, and create personalized metabolic reset programs based on your unique biochemistry and lifestyle factors.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is
to provide comprehensive,affordable, integrative care
that addresses the root cause ofhealth issues.
At the Hub, the focus is onindividual patient journeys.
I strive to optimize health,vitality and longevity,
fostering a community where eachperson can thrive in body, mind
and spirit.
(00:21):
I had some pretty interestingconversations this week with new
patients that were hopping onthe shape scale for the first
time and they had never reallyheard of visceral fat, and it
definitely is something thatneeds to be addressed.
So today I want to talk aboutthis type of fat that doesn't
jiggle you can't suck it intoSpanx but it absolutely deserves
(00:46):
your attention.
This visceral fat this is thatstealthy dangerous belly fat
that lives deep inside yourabdomen, wrapped around your
vital organs, like that clingyex who won't let go and, unlike
love, handles.
This one doesn't just affectyour genes, that's genes with a
J.
It impacts your entiremetabolic health.
(01:09):
Okay, this is not the pinch andinch that I do.
If you're getting an injectionin the office, this is visceral
fat.
If you've been working out,eating clean and wondering why
your labs still look likeprediabetes, this episode is
also definitely for you.
I want to dive into what it iswhy you can't always see it but
(01:31):
it still does some damage, howit messes with your hormones,
your liver and even your brain,and, most importantly, how to
evict it functionally andforever.
We'll chat a little bit aboutGLP-1s, the skinny shot, the
shape scale, and why your stressbelly might be more science
than lack of willpower.
(01:52):
Okay, so let's get visceral.
So what exactly is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is the deepinternal fat that wraps around
(02:14):
your abdominal organs like yourliver, your pancreas, your
intestines, your kidneys.
It's not the kind of fat youcan pinch.
Like I said, this is the hiddenfat stored inside your belly
cavity, beneath the abdominalwall, between your organs.
Think of it like a thick,inflamed sleeping bag wrapped
tightly around your vitalsystems.
(02:34):
Except, instead of keeping youwarm, it's disrupting your
hormones, inflaming your tissuesand blocking your metabolic
flow.
So what makes visceral fatdifferent and more dangerous is
that it's metabolically active,meaning it doesn't just sit
there.
It secretes hormones,inflammatory chemicals like IL-6
(02:54):
and TNF-alpha, and stresssignals that affect your entire
body.
It drains directly into theliver through the portal vein,
flooding it with free fattyacids and inflammatory compounds
.
It raises your risk for seriouschronic conditions, including
type 2 diabetes, cardiovasculardisease, fatty liver disease,
dementia and cognitive decline,hormonal imbalances and certain
(03:19):
cancers like breast cancer andcolorectal cancer.
Visceral fat is the biologicalversion of a toxic roommate.
It's loud, it's inflammatory,it messes with everything from
your blood sugar to your brain.
And this isn't just extrainsulation.
Visceral fat is like aninflammatory command center
secreting toxic cytokines thatwreak havoc on everything from
(03:42):
your blood sugar to your brainhealth and your blood pressure.
So I had someone ask me thisweek if fatty liver which I had
to talk with because of theblood results if the visceral
fat was the same as fatty liver.
And they are related butthey're not the same thing.
(04:03):
So I did want to start by kindof talking about the differences
of them.
They're kind of likedysfunctional cousins in the
metabolic family.
The difference is, you know,visceral fat.
Visceral fat is stored aroundinternal organs but not inside
them, in the abdominal cavity.
It goes around the liver, thepancreas, the intestines, the
(04:25):
kidneys, but it's outside oforgans but deep inside the belly
.
Like I said, it's metabolicallyactive and secretes
inflammatory chemicals and it'slinked to insulin resistance,
inflammation, cardiovasculardisease and type 2 diabetes.
So it's that angry blanketwrapping around your organs and
(04:47):
throwing metabolic tantrums.
On the other hand, fatty liver,also known as hepatic steatosis
, is fat stored inside the livercells, usually in the form of
triglycerides, so it's insidethe liver itself.
There's different types.
We have the non-alcoholic fattyliver disease and then we have
the alcoholic fatty liverdisease.
(05:08):
The non-alcoholic fatty liverdisease is caused by poor diet,
obesity, insulin resistance andof course, the alcohol fatty
liver is caused by chronicalcohol consumption.
They both lead to liverinflammation, that's
diatohepatitis, fibrosis,cirrhosis and even liver failure
.
Fatty liver is the organequivalent of hoarding junk in
(05:33):
your attic, until the housestarts to fall apart.
Visceral fat and fatty liveroften show up together because
they share the same metabolicroot causes, which is high
insulin levels, sugar overload,especially fructose chronic
inflammation, poor gut healthand a sedentary lifestyle.
And studies show that the morevisceral fat that you carry, the
(05:57):
higher your risk for developingfatty liver, even if your
weight is in that normal range.
So having high visceral fat isa strong predictor of hepatic
fat accumulation and progressionto NASH, what we call
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
But the good news is that whenyou treat one, the other often
(06:21):
improves as well.
So when you do reduce visceralfat, you're improving the
sensitivity of your cells toinsulin.
You're supporting your liverdetox pathways, you're
decreasing fat accumulation inyour liver cells and you're
lowering inflammation across theboard.
At Harmony Hub Health, I dotrack visceral fat with the
(06:41):
shape scale and we support liverusing different nutraceuticals
I love NAC and milk thistle andlipotropics Even the IV
glutathione or liver detoxblends even the skinny shot
helps with that and also justthe functional testing when I do
GI map or the metabolic panel,or even just your metabolic um
(07:08):
panel using your ALT and AST orGGT.
All of those things and thenthe GLP ones that we use along
with nutritional protocols andpersonalized detox support.
Just to be vulnerable.
Um, I myself.
I was told I had fatty liverwhen I had my gallbladder
removed and that is whatactually opened my eyes and
started my entire transformation.
(07:30):
I went to a surgeon for agastric sleeve, I was overweight
, I had sleep apnea, I had highblood pressure and when I
started my nurse practitionercareer, I started in solid organ
transplant at University ofMaryland practitioner career.
I started in solid organtransplant at University of
Maryland, day in and day out.
I was providing care for liver,kidney and pancreas transplant
patients Up to that time.
(07:58):
I was already a nurse for 11years at that point, but it was
the first job as a nursepractitioner and I was so
fascinated.
Um, had I actually liked thepeople I worked with, I'd
probably still be there, but I'mgood at leaving toxic people in
toxic environments.
Now I stay away from as manytoxins as I can, but I learned
so much and I am a learner.
If you know me, that's what Ido.
I just love to learn.
(08:19):
But I saw what fatty liver did.
I was obsessed with the liverto the point that I was actually
surprised I did not stopdrinking alcohol in 2011 when I
saw with my own eyes how toxicit was to the body.
I don't mean the drunk driverswho crashed and then we
harvested their organs.
I mean just how vital the liveris and how, once your liver
(08:42):
goes, there's no backup and itis a miserable and painful,
long-suffering death.
You know your kidneys go andyou have dialysis.
The heart goes and you can geta fake pump and medications to
help it squeeze.
The liver goes and it is worsethan any horror film that I can
imagine.
Yet daily we do things todisrespect it.
(09:03):
That can be a whole podcast byitself, but long story short.
I was put on a pre-op diet todecrease fatty liver and
visceral fat, because bellysurgery is hard enough and when
you have visceral fat in the wayso many complications can
happen, it's just harder to do.
And when my surgery was done myliver was shiny and beautiful.
(09:26):
I was able to rid my liver offat by health choices in three
short weeks.
Now I didn't learn this untilafter my sleeve, but had I known
that I could reverse my fattyliver like that, I probably
would not have even had thesurgery.
Don't get me wrong.
I think they're great and Icredit the surgery as a start of
my entire health overhaul.
(09:46):
It's what sparked my interestin metabolic health and allowed
me to really dive deep into howto help others with all the
things I was struggling with.
I still have photos aftersurgery that shows my shiny,
beautiful liver.
I'm surprised I haven't framedit yet, but I do still have
visceral fat.
According to my shape scaleit's gotten less, but I do still
(10:07):
have some.
I'm still a work in progress.
Fatty liver is easier and fasterto reverse than visceral fat,
especially in the early stages,but they're often intertwined
and addressing one, like I said,can really improve the other.
Non-alcoholic fatty liverdisease is highly responsive to
lifestyle changes.
In fact, it can start clearingfrom the liver within weeks of
(10:31):
dietary and metabolicintervention.
The liver does regenerate veryquickly, especially with support
.
You don't need drastic weightloss.
Studies show that losing just5-7% of your body weight can
significantly reduce liver fat.
Your body weight cansignificantly reduce liver fat,
and lowering fructose andimproving insulin sensitivity
(10:52):
leads to rapid reduction inintrahepatic fat that's liver
fat.
Research also shows that liverfat can decrease before visible
weight loss occurs, especiallywhen you lower your carb content
.
The Mediterranean diet is greatfor that.
If you go on time-restrictedeating like intermittent fasting
, if you do takeliver-supporting nutrients like
(11:13):
the glycine, the choline, theNAC, the milk thistle, or just
GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide,visceral fat is very stubborn.
So this is much more hormonallydriven, especially if your
cortisol is high, if yourhormones are not balanced, like
that estrogen, testosterone andprogesterone, if there's chronic
(11:37):
inflammation, if you have poorsleep, if you're in
perimenopause, menopause orandropause, and it's still one
of the first fat depots toshrink.
With consistent lifestyle andmetabolic interventions You'll
likely feel and function better.
Your blood pressure will godown, you'll have more energy,
(11:59):
you'll have improved insulinbefore you see big changes, but
they do work together.
So improving fatty liverimproves insulin sensitivity,
which helps burn visceral fat,and reducing visceral fat
improves liver function, lowersyour ALT, your AST and reduces
that whole fatty liver risk.
(12:21):
Glp-1s like semaglutide,liraglutide and the skinny shots
target both effectively whenpaired with nutrition and
movement.
And you may wonder how thisvisceral fat accumulates.
It isn't just the result ofeating too many cookies or too
many donuts, although thatdefinitely does contribute.
(12:42):
It accumulates when your bodyis under metabolic stress,
struggling to balance insulin,cortisol and inflammation.
So we'll break down theseculprits, okay.
Insulin resistance isdefinitely the gateway to belly
fat.
Visceral fat loves a good sugarspike.
When you eat too many refinedcarbs or sugary foods, your body
(13:03):
releases insulin to shuffleglucose into cells.
Over time your cells stopresponding to shuffle glucose
into cells.
Over time your cells stopresponding efficiently and
insulin stays elevated.
If you haven't listened to myinsulin resistance Bridgerton
podcast, you can see that that'sin season one.
High insulin does equal fatstorage mode, especially in your
(13:26):
abdomen.
This is why people can beeating normal I'm going to put
that in quotes calories, butstill accumulate visceral fat
because their insulin is stuckin overdrive.
And if you've ever had a bloodpanel with me, I usually do
check a fasting insulin.
And the second one would bestress, stress and cortisol.
(13:49):
You know it's belly fat's bestfriend.
So chronic stress whether it'straffic jams or work deadlines
or unresolved trauma from yourpast, they all raise cortisol
levels.
And cortisol tells your bodylet's store that fat Now.
You might be running from atiger later.
(14:09):
So where does your body storeit?
It puts it right in thatvisceral cavity.
Cortisol also increasescravings for salty, fatty,
sugary foods.
So this is that feedback loopthat you get that just causes
the problem.
And then the third culprit isthat sleep deprivation.
If you are getting less thanseven hours of night of good
(14:30):
sleep, your body produces moreghrelin, which is the hunger
hormone.
It suppresses leptin, whichtells you that you are full from
eating.
You become less insulinsensitive and it stores more fat
in the belly.
So even short-term sleeprestriction has been shown to
(14:51):
increase visceral fat in healthyindividuals.
And then we have alcohol.
So alcohol is processed by theliver and if you consume excess
of that it slows down fatmetabolism.
Add in blood sugar swings fromyummy cocktails, beer and wine
and you've got the perfect stormfor central fat accumulation.
(15:11):
That's why they call it a beerbelly.
You know it really isclinically accurate.
And then low muscle mass equalshigher fat storage.
So muscle is metabolicallyactive tissue.
Less muscle means fewercalories burned at rest and less
glucose uptake from thebloodstream.
So that glucose it has to gosomewhere and visceral fat is
(15:33):
very happy to volunteer.
This is why resistance trainingis non-negotiable if you're
serious about reversing visceralfat, and I don't mean you need
to live in a gym, okay, I don'teven want you working out five
days a week.
I don't even want you workingout five days a week.
Two days of just resistancetraining, two days of muscle
work a week is really all youneed.
(15:56):
And then hormone imbalances andaging is a really big culprit.
As estrogen, testosterone, dheaand growth hormone levels start
to go down, hello midlife.
Your body shifts its fatstorage pattern.
So women more belly fatpost-menopause due to low
estrogen.
Men get increased visceral fatwith low testosterone and both
(16:19):
men and women have less musclemass, slower metabolism and
higher inflammation.
So visceral fat becomes thebody's new favorite storage unit
when hormone signals start tobreak down.
And not least important but thelast one I'm going to say, is
gut inflammation and dysbiosis.
So an unhealthy gut microbiomecauses more inflammation.
(16:41):
You get leaky gut and you getthat altered fat storage.
So studies do show gutimbalances can affect how your
body stores and redistributesfat, with visceral fat becoming
a default storage depot.
So what if you don't have ashape scale?
How do you know if you havevisceral fat?
It is very sneaky.
You just have to use some othertools.
(17:02):
One of them is looking at yourwaist circumference.
If you're a woman and it'sgreater than 35 inches.
If you're a man and it'sgreater than 40 inches, this is
a red flag for visceral fat andmetabolic syndrome.
You can also calculate yourwaist to hip ratio.
This is where you measure yourwaist.
Measure your hip.
Look at the ratio.
If it's greater than 0.85 andyou're a woman, or if it's
(17:24):
greater than 0.9 and you're aman, this strongly correlates
with cardiovascular risk.
You can go and get a DEXA scan.
This is a high-end scan thatcan precisely measure fat
compartments, including visceralfat.
It is the gold standard, butit's not exactly affordable or
accessible to everybody.
There is an in-body scannerthat you can find at a local gym
(17:48):
or some weight loss clinics dohave an in-body.
You can also get an MRI or a CTscan.
It's very accurate but again,not practical unless you're in
some type of research, trial orgetting scans.
For another reason, my favoriteis the ShapeScale.
That's what I had at MonarchBeauty and Spa.
It is a non-invasive 3D scannerthat gives you the visceral fat
(18:12):
score, maps fat distributionand lets you see your internal
health progress, not just yourpant size.
And what I like to look at ismetabolic syndrome, because
metabolic syndrome and visceralfat are just a dangerous duo.
So visceral fat is theringleader in the metabolic
syndrome gang, a cluster of riskfactors that raise your chances
(18:34):
for diabetes, heart disease,stroke and early death.
So you get diagnosed withmetabolic syndrome if you have
three of the following okay, thefirst one was that waist
circumference so 35 inches forwomen, greater than 40 for men.
If your triglycerides aregreater than 150, if your HDL is
less than 50 for women, lessthan 40 for men, if your blood
(18:56):
pressure is greater than 130over 85, and if your fasting
glucose is greater than 100.
So you only need three of thoseand you have metabolic syndrome
.
And what is telling there isthey don't ask you what your
weight is.
So even if your weight isnormal, you can have metabolic
syndrome.
A lot of people think ifthey're not obese, then they
(19:18):
definitely don't have to worry,but you do.
If you check these boxes, thenvisceral fat is most likely
present and causing metabolicdysfunction.
One of the glorious parts ofvisceral fat is that it does
respond very quickly to theright interventions.
Studies now show that a 5% to10% loss of body weight can lead
(19:40):
to a 20% to 30% drop invisceral fat, and this
translates to major health wins,just as a health marker, you
know.
Improvement with less visceralfat, improved insulin
sensitivity to restore thatmetabolic flexibility.
Blood pressure shown to dropwithin weeks.
Triglycerides and HDLnormalized inflammation can
(20:04):
definitely drop and you'll see adecrease in the CRP or
inflammatory markers.
There's reported improvedmemory and focus and better
brain function.
And just hormones bettercortisol, better estradiol and
testosterone balance.
You'll feel it and I'll measureit with the shape scale.
You want to let your progressbe visible and visceral.
(20:27):
One of the tools I do like touse are glp-1 medications
because those are science-backedfat burners.
They're more than a trendyweight loss hack.
They're actually metabolicreset tools.
I do not put everybody withvisceral fat on glp-1s, but they
really do help reduce visceralfat.
It improves your insulinsensitivity.
(20:49):
It reduces appetite andcravings all of that food noise.
It lowers inflammation and itpromotes preferential loss of
visceral fat over subcutaneousfat.
And you know, those improvedlipid markers, blood sugar and
blood pressure are amazing.
So clinical studies do show a20% drop in visceral fat mass in
(21:11):
GLP-1 users, even without majorlifestyle changes.
So imagine what happens whenyou pair it with functional
medicine and some nutrition.
At Harmony Hub Health I docombine GLP-1s with metabolic
panels and hormone testing,nutrient therapy and the shape
scale.
We also have the Skinny Shot,and for those that are not using
(21:32):
GLP-1s but are looking for anaffordable booster, the Skinny
Shot is a game changer.
So this has methionine thatsupports liver detox and fat
metabolism, inositol that booststhat insulin sensitivity.
It has choline that helpstransport and eliminate fat, and
B12, preferably methylcobalaminthat gives you energy, mood and
(21:55):
metabolism.
So these all support fatbreakdown, especially in the
liver.
It can reduce belly bloat andvisceral fat accumulation and it
boosts energy while supportingdetox pathways.
Think of the skinny shot as anudge for your liver to stop
hoarding fat and to startreleasing it.
And I do love the compoundsthat have arginine and carnitine
(22:16):
.
It's just the chef's kiss ontop.
You can come to Monarch Beautyand Spa for the skinny shot, or
you can also order it from meafter consultation and you can
give it to yourself at home.
Another big topic is if your gutis a mess, your metabolism
probably is too.
So we're learning that youcan't fix body fat without
(22:39):
fixing gut health first, andvisceral fat is no exception.
When you have leaky gut youthen have have inflammation,
which then leads to fat storage.
So when your gut lining isdamaged this is also known as
that intestinal permeability orleaky gut undigested food
particles, bacteria and toxinssneak into your bloodstream.
(23:00):
This is a very hard concept tovisualize in your brain.
I do have great handouts when Italk about gut health and
office that kind of show thatand this triggers an immune
response and chronic low-gradeinflammation.
So this disrupts your insulinsignaling.
(23:20):
This raises your cortisol.
This promotes that fat storage,especially visceral fat, as a
protective buffer around yourorgans.
You know it wants to protectyour body, so your cells get
surrounded by fat.
So leaky gut makes your bodythink it's under attack, so it
stores belly fat because itwants to protect you.
(23:40):
And the bacteria in your gutdirectly affects how your body
extracts energy from food,regulates metabolism and stores
fat.
When your gut is dominated bybad bugs like firmusutes and
yeast overgrowth.
You're more likely to extractmore calories from the same food
, store more fat viscerally andhave increased
(24:01):
lipopolysaccharide levels.
That's LPS.
It's a toxic byproduct thatraises inflammation and insulin
resistance.
Also, when you have gut brainaxis disruption, this affects
hunger, cravings and stress.
So your gut talks to your brainvia that vagus nerve and
produces neurotransmitters likeserotonin and dopamine.
When your gut is inflamed orimbalanced, this communication
(24:25):
gets scrambled.
So you feel more hungry, youcrave more sugar and ultra
processed foods.
You have a lot more mood swings, which then leads to more
emotional eating.
Your cortisol rises and ittriggers even more visceral fat
gain.
So your gut bacteria can makeyou store belly fat by hijacking
your mood and cravings.
(24:45):
And then when you have slowdigestion and you cause the
sluggish detox, then you getmore belly fat.
So constipation, bloating andpoor motility mean toxins are
not being eliminated efficiently.
This bogs down the liver, itpromotes estrogen recirculation
and encourages fat storage inthe abdominal cavity to trap
(25:08):
those toxins.
Your body is not being lazy,remember, it's protecting you.
But the result is moreinflammation and more visceral
fat.
At Harmony Hub Health I can useGI map testing to assess
dysbiosis leaky gut markers likethe zonulin, that LPS and
inflammation.
Leaky gut markers like thezonulin, that LPS and
(25:30):
inflammation.
We also have the HTMA or thehair tissue mineral analysis and
the food sensitivity testing topinpoint gut related triggers.
I have cortisol testing,microbiome mapping to explore
that gut adrenal fat connectionand then the shape scale to
monitor visceral fat reductiononce your gut health is restored
.
Scale to monitor visceral fatreduction once your gut health
is restored.
So fix your gut and your bellymay start fixing itself.
(25:51):
Visceral fat is not just aweight issue.
It's a warning sign that yourgut, your hormones and your
metabolism all need support.
And if we go back to hormones,visceral fat and hormones causes
just endocrine chaos.
Visceral fat isn't just passivestorage.
It's an inflammatory hormone,disrupting endocrine organ all
(26:15):
by itself.
So it produces and interfereswith several key hormones that
regulate everything frommetabolism to mood.
So when you have chronicvisceral fat, this causes
chronic inflammation, whichcauses chronically elevated
cortisol.
Chronically elevated cortisolsuppresses your thyroid function
, it increases insulinresistance and it keeps you in
(26:38):
fat storage mode.
And in women, excess visceralfat leads to estrogen dominance,
especially after age of 40 whenprogesterone naturally declines
.
In men it increases aromataseactivity, converting
testosterone to estrogen.
This causes fatigue, belly fatand low libido.
And these anti-aging,fat-burning hormones take a
(27:03):
nosedive as visceral fat andinsulin resistance climb.
So that's your DHEA and yourgrowth hormones they just go
down.
Visceral fat also promotesresistance to leptin.
This is your hormone that tellsyou you're full.
So when your brain thinksyou're starving, the cravings go
out of control.
So visceral fat hijacks thefeedback loops that regulate
(27:25):
hunger, fertility, fat burningand mood.
And you have to think of yourliver as a detox rock star.
But when it gets choked byvisceral fat with metabolic
sludge, you know, visceral fatincreases free fatty acids
circulating to the liver,causing triglyceride buildup and
(27:46):
inflammation.
This is what progresses to NASHor that non-alcoholic steatosis
, hepatitis, fibrosis and liverdysfunction, and it really slows
down your phase one and phasetwo detox pathways.
An overworked fatty livercannot clear estrogen, histamine
or environmental toxins veryefficiently.
(28:06):
So this backs up your entiredetox and hormone clearance
system.
Your ALT and AST on your bloodwork is going to go up even
before major symptoms even startto appear.
So the liver plays a huge rolein maintaining blood sugar.
So fat accumulation equalsinsulin resistance and erratic
glucose output.
(28:27):
Fatty liver and visceral fat areoften two sides of the same
metabolic coin.
And visceral fat does not juststay in your belly, it sends an
inflammatory signal straight toyour brain.
Cytokines cross the blood-brainbarrier.
Il-6, tnf-alpha and CRP fromvisceral fat contribute to
neuroinflammation, which islinked to poor memory, low mood
(28:50):
and anxiety, brain fog andcognitive decline.
Even Alzheimer's right now isbeing referred to as type 3
diabetes.
It does impact the HPA axis.
Chronic visceral fatdysregulates the hypothalamic
pituitary adrenal access,worsening stress resilience and
messing with your cortisolrhythm.
(29:10):
If you've ever heard of BDNF,this is brain-derived
neurotrophic factors, but itreduces them.
So fewer new brain cells,slower brain repair and impaired
learning and impaired memory.
It's even shown in studies thatit can shrink brain volume.
Higher visceral fat correlateswith smaller hippocampal volume.
(29:33):
This is a part of the brainthat manages your memory and
your learning.
So have I scared you intowanting to change the amount of
visceral fat you have?
Now we'll talk about, okay, howdo we get rid of it and how do
we get rid of it for good?
Number one clean up your diet.
You want to focus on wholefoods, protein and fiber.
(29:54):
I have some people asking mewell, can you give me a full
diet plan?
Yes, here's your diet plan.
Just cut out ultra processedfoods to start.
If you don't do anything else,cut out ultra processed foods
and I guarantee in a few weeksyou're going to feel completely
different.
But you do want to focus on thewhole foods, the protein and
(30:15):
the fiber.
You want to ditch the excesssugar, the alcohol, especially
those processed carbs.
You can try intermittentfasting.
It's not for everybody.
If you are looking for helpwith that, definitely have a
consultation.
I do not believe that's foreverybody.
The second thing you want to doto get rid of visceral fat is to
move more and do it moresmartly.
(30:37):
A lot of people aim for 10,000steps a day.
I'm not a huge fan of that.
Many people add yoga or walkingto lower cortisol.
I do love that, but what I dolove is resistance training and
I do love a little bit of HIIT.
It's the best fat burning combo, mixing HIIT with resistance
training.
(30:57):
And I don't mean five days aweek, I don't mean living in the
gym.
Start with two days a week.
Okay, two days a week for 45minutes, and you're gonna be
amazed with how you feel.
The third thing is to managestress, because cortisol
directly increases visceral fat.
This is when we have to usethat self-care of the PEMF mat
(31:20):
or starting journaling or breathwork, anything restorative that
can kind of help manage stress.
I do love the Pulseto.
I think it's an amazingstimulator for the vagus nerve.
The fourth thing that's veryimportant is optimize your sleep
.
Seven to nine hours of highquality sleep can really keep
(31:41):
your hormones in check.
You can use an aura ring, likeI do.
I know a lot of people like thewhoop, but you want to make
sure your sleep is optimized.
I can do a whole other podcaston just optimizing sleep.
Number five is support yourhormones.
You know, get functionalhormone labs.
If you have hormone imbalance,you need to address them.
(32:02):
If you have estrogen dominance,or if you have low testosterone
, or if you have adrenal fatigue, they need to address them.
If you have estrogen dominanceor if you have low testosterone
or if you have adrenal fatigue,they need to be addressed.
You can address them with BHRT.
We can talk about adaptogens.
I do have the Dutch test aswell, which is great at seeing
how those are fluctuating.
And then you know number sixI'm going to say use functional
(32:26):
tools wisely.
Glp-1s for metabolic reset,skinny shots for liver and fat
support, and then that shapescale to track visceral loss
visually, not just with scalenumbers.
Okay, so that is our visceralfat eviction plan, easier said
than done, but definitelysomething that I can be here for
you every step of the way toget it gone.
(32:49):
So to do a little recap,visceral fat is not about vanity
and it is not about weight.
It is about your hormones, yourbrain, your liver and your
future self sending an SOSwrapped in inflammation and
belly bloat.
So if you're tired of hearing,oh, just eat less and move more
when your labs are screamingmetabolic mayday, it's time for
(33:11):
a different approach.
At Harmony Hub Health, I don'tguess, I test, I scan, I retest.
I'll show you exactly where youstand with a shape scale.
We'll uncover root causes withfunctional testing and guide you
through a personalizedmetabolic reset program that
doesn't involve starving orsigning up for bootcamp.
Let's get that visceral fat topack its bags and restore your
(33:33):
energy, your hormones andmetabolism along the way.
Book your consultation now andfind out what your belly's been
hiding.
It's not just leftover tacos.
So head towwwharmonyhubhealthcom and visit
my website.
You can also email me atmichelle M-I-C-H-E-L-E at
(33:55):
harmonyhubhealthcom, or you canjust make your appointment if
you want to see me in person atMonarch Beauty and Spa in
Manchester, maryland.
Come and see me in person andwe'll dig into your labs, your
lifestyle, your stress and yoursleep the whole CSI belly fat
edition and craft a custom planto torch that toxic fluff.
(34:16):
You can also step on the shapescale where in 60 seconds you'll
get a 3D scan that showsvisceral fat levels, muscle
balance and where you'resecretly hiding that midnight
snack evidence.
So no more guessing, no morepinching or standing on a sad
bathroom scale that has zeroidea how awesome your organs
could look.
(34:36):
So expect science-backednutrition, hormone tuning, glp-1
guidance if that's your jamskinny shots and enough
functional medicine magic tomake your mitochondria throw a
party.
This podcast is for educationalentertainment.
It is not a substitute for yourpersonal health care provider,
(34:57):
your neighbor's questionable gymadvice or that late-night
TikTok wellness guru with thering light and zero credentials.
Talk to a real clinician,preferably me, before starting
any program, especially one thatinvolves needles, peptides or
giving up four caramelmacchiatos a day.
Now go, be healthy and rememberfriends.
(35:19):
Don't let friends hoardvisceral fat.
Welcome to Harmony Hub Health, where my mission is
to provide comprehensive,affordable, integrative care
that addresses the root cause ofhealth issues.
At the Hub, the focus is onindividual patient journeys.
I strive to optimize health,vitality and longevity,
fostering a community where eachperson can thrive in body, mind
and spirit.
(00:21):
I had some pretty interestingconversations this week with new
patients that were hopping onthe shape scale for the first
time and they had never reallyheard of visceral fat, and it
definitely is something thatneeds to be addressed.
So today I want to talk aboutthis type of fat that doesn't
jiggle you can't suck it intoSpanx but it absolutely deserves
(00:46):
your attention.
This visceral fat this is thatstealthy dangerous belly fat
that lives deep inside yourabdomen, wrapped around your
vital organs, like that clingyex who won't let go and, unlike
love, handles.
This one doesn't just affectyour genes, that's genes with a
J.
It impacts your entiremetabolic health.
(01:09):
Okay, this is not the pinch andinch that I do.
If you're getting an injectionin the office, this is visceral
fat.
If you've been working out,eating clean and wondering why
your labs still look likeprediabetes, this episode is
also definitely for you.
I want to dive into what it iswhy you can't always see it but
(01:31):
it still does some damage, howit messes with your hormones,
your liver and even your brain,and, most importantly, how to
evict it functionally andforever.
We'll chat a little bit aboutGLP-1s, the skinny shot, the
shape scale, and why your stressbelly might be more science
than lack of willpower.
(01:52):
Okay, so let's get visceral.
So what exactly is visceral fat?
Visceral fat is the deepinternal fat that wraps around
(02:14):
your abdominal organs like yourliver, your pancreas, your
intestines, your kidneys.
It's not the kind of fat youcan pinch.
Like I said, this is the hiddenfat stored inside your belly
cavity, beneath the abdominalwall, between your organs.
Think of it like a thick,inflamed sleeping bag wrapped
tightly around your vitalsystems.
(02:34):
Except, instead of keeping youwarm, it's disrupting your
hormones, inflaming your tissuesand blocking your metabolic
flow.
So what makes visceral fatdifferent and more dangerous is
that it's metabolically active,meaning it doesn't just sit
there.
It secretes hormones,inflammatory chemicals like IL-6
(02:54):
and TNF-alpha, and stresssignals that affect your entire
body.
It drains directly into theliver through the portal vein,
flooding it with free fattyacids and inflammatory compounds
.
It raises your risk for seriouschronic conditions, including
type 2 diabetes, cardiovasculardisease, fatty liver disease,
dementia and cognitive decline,hormonal imbalances and certain
(03:19):
cancers like breast cancer andcolorectal cancer.
Visceral fat is the biologicalversion of a toxic roommate.
It's loud, it's inflammatory,it messes with everything from
your blood sugar to your brain.
And this isn't just extrainsulation.
Visceral fat is like aninflammatory command center
secreting toxic cytokines thatwreak havoc on everything from
(03:42):
your blood sugar to your brainhealth and your blood pressure.
So I had someone ask me thisweek if fatty liver which I had
to talk with because of theblood results if the visceral
fat was the same as fatty liver.
And they are related butthey're not the same thing.
(04:03):
So I did want to start by kindof talking about the differences
of them.
They're kind of likedysfunctional cousins in the
metabolic family.
The difference is, you know,visceral fat.
Visceral fat is stored aroundinternal organs but not inside
them, in the abdominal cavity.
It goes around the liver, thepancreas, the intestines, the
(04:25):
kidneys, but it's outside oforgans but deep inside the belly
.
Like I said, it's metabolicallyactive and secretes
inflammatory chemicals and it'slinked to insulin resistance,
inflammation, cardiovasculardisease and type 2 diabetes.
So it's that angry blanketwrapping around your organs and
(04:47):
throwing metabolic tantrums.
On the other hand, fatty liver,also known as hepatic steatosis
, is fat stored inside the livercells, usually in the form of
triglycerides, so it's insidethe liver itself.
There's different types.
We have the non-alcoholic fattyliver disease and then we have
the alcoholic fatty liverdisease.
(05:08):
The non-alcoholic fatty liverdisease is caused by poor diet,
obesity, insulin resistance andof course, the alcohol fatty
liver is caused by chronicalcohol consumption.
They both lead to liverinflammation, that's
diatohepatitis, fibrosis,cirrhosis and even liver failure
.
Fatty liver is the organequivalent of hoarding junk in
(05:33):
your attic, until the housestarts to fall apart.
Visceral fat and fatty liveroften show up together because
they share the same metabolicroot causes, which is high
insulin levels, sugar overload,especially fructose chronic
inflammation, poor gut healthand a sedentary lifestyle.
And studies show that the morevisceral fat that you carry, the
(05:57):
higher your risk for developingfatty liver, even if your
weight is in that normal range.
So having high visceral fat isa strong predictor of hepatic
fat accumulation and progressionto NASH, what we call
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
But the good news is that whenyou treat one, the other often
(06:21):
improves as well.
So when you do reduce visceralfat, you're improving the
sensitivity of your cells toinsulin.
You're supporting your liverdetox pathways, you're
decreasing fat accumulation inyour liver cells and you're
lowering inflammation across theboard.
At Harmony Hub Health, I dotrack visceral fat with the
(06:41):
shape scale and we support liverusing different nutraceuticals
I love NAC and milk thistle andlipotropics Even the IV
glutathione or liver detoxblends even the skinny shot
helps with that and also justthe functional testing when I do
GI map or the metabolic panel,or even just your metabolic um
(07:08):
panel using your ALT and AST orGGT.
All of those things and thenthe GLP ones that we use along
with nutritional protocols andpersonalized detox support.
Just to be vulnerable.
Um, I myself.
I was told I had fatty liverwhen I had my gallbladder
removed and that is whatactually opened my eyes and
started my entire transformation.
(07:30):
I went to a surgeon for agastric sleeve, I was overweight
, I had sleep apnea, I had highblood pressure and when I
started my nurse practitionercareer, I started in solid organ
transplant at University ofMaryland practitioner career.
I started in solid organtransplant at University of
Maryland, day in and day out.
I was providing care for liver,kidney and pancreas transplant
patients Up to that time.
(07:58):
I was already a nurse for 11years at that point, but it was
the first job as a nursepractitioner and I was so
fascinated.
Um, had I actually liked thepeople I worked with, I'd
probably still be there, but I'mgood at leaving toxic people in
toxic environments.
Now I stay away from as manytoxins as I can, but I learned
so much and I am a learner.
If you know me, that's what Ido.
I just love to learn.
(08:19):
But I saw what fatty liver did.
I was obsessed with the liverto the point that I was actually
surprised I did not stopdrinking alcohol in 2011 when I
saw with my own eyes how toxicit was to the body.
I don't mean the drunk driverswho crashed and then we
harvested their organs.
I mean just how vital the liveris and how, once your liver
(08:42):
goes, there's no backup and itis a miserable and painful,
long-suffering death.
You know your kidneys go andyou have dialysis.
The heart goes and you can geta fake pump and medications to
help it squeeze.
The liver goes and it is worsethan any horror film that I can
imagine.
Yet daily we do things todisrespect it.
(09:03):
That can be a whole podcast byitself, but long story short.
I was put on a pre-op diet todecrease fatty liver and
visceral fat, because bellysurgery is hard enough and when
you have visceral fat in the wayso many complications can
happen, it's just harder to do.
And when my surgery was done myliver was shiny and beautiful.
(09:26):
I was able to rid my liver offat by health choices in three
short weeks.
Now I didn't learn this untilafter my sleeve, but had I known
that I could reverse my fattyliver like that, I probably
would not have even had thesurgery.
Don't get me wrong.
I think they're great and Icredit the surgery as a start of
my entire health overhaul.
(09:46):
It's what sparked my interestin metabolic health and allowed
me to really dive deep into howto help others with all the
things I was struggling with.
I still have photos aftersurgery that shows my shiny,
beautiful liver.
I'm surprised I haven't framedit yet, but I do still have
visceral fat.
According to my shape scaleit's gotten less, but I do still
(10:07):
have some.
I'm still a work in progress.
Fatty liver is easier and fasterto reverse than visceral fat,
especially in the early stages,but they're often intertwined
and addressing one, like I said,can really improve the other.
Non-alcoholic fatty liverdisease is highly responsive to
lifestyle changes.
In fact, it can start clearingfrom the liver within weeks of
(10:31):
dietary and metabolicintervention.
The liver does regenerate veryquickly, especially with support
.
You don't need drastic weightloss.
Studies show that losing just5-7% of your body weight can
significantly reduce liver fat.
Your body weight cansignificantly reduce liver fat,
and lowering fructose andimproving insulin sensitivity
(10:52):
leads to rapid reduction inintrahepatic fat that's liver
fat.
Research also shows that liverfat can decrease before visible
weight loss occurs, especiallywhen you lower your carb content
.
The Mediterranean diet is greatfor that.
If you go on time-restrictedeating like intermittent fasting
, if you do takeliver-supporting nutrients like
(11:13):
the glycine, the choline, theNAC, the milk thistle, or just
GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide,visceral fat is very stubborn.
So this is much more hormonallydriven, especially if your
cortisol is high, if yourhormones are not balanced, like
that estrogen, testosterone andprogesterone, if there's chronic
(11:37):
inflammation, if you have poorsleep, if you're in
perimenopause, menopause orandropause, and it's still one
of the first fat depots toshrink.
With consistent lifestyle andmetabolic interventions You'll
likely feel and function better.
Your blood pressure will godown, you'll have more energy,
(11:59):
you'll have improved insulinbefore you see big changes, but
they do work together.
So improving fatty liverimproves insulin sensitivity,
which helps burn visceral fat,and reducing visceral fat
improves liver function, lowersyour ALT, your AST and reduces
that whole fatty liver risk.
(12:21):
Glp-1s like semaglutide,liraglutide and the skinny shots
target both effectively whenpaired with nutrition and
movement.
And you may wonder how thisvisceral fat accumulates.
It isn't just the result ofeating too many cookies or too
many donuts, although thatdefinitely does contribute.
(12:42):
It accumulates when your bodyis under metabolic stress,
struggling to balance insulin,cortisol and inflammation.
So we'll break down theseculprits, okay.
Insulin resistance isdefinitely the gateway to belly
fat.
Visceral fat loves a good sugarspike.
When you eat too many refinedcarbs or sugary foods, your body
(13:03):
releases insulin to shuffleglucose into cells.
Over time your cells stopresponding to shuffle glucose
into cells.
Over time your cells stopresponding efficiently and
insulin stays elevated.
If you haven't listened to myinsulin resistance Bridgerton
podcast, you can see that that'sin season one.
High insulin does equal fatstorage mode, especially in your
(13:26):
abdomen.
This is why people can beeating normal I'm going to put
that in quotes calories, butstill accumulate visceral fat
because their insulin is stuckin overdrive.
And if you've ever had a bloodpanel with me, I usually do
check a fasting insulin.
And the second one would bestress, stress and cortisol.
(13:49):
You know it's belly fat's bestfriend.
So chronic stress whether it'straffic jams or work deadlines
or unresolved trauma from yourpast, they all raise cortisol
levels.
And cortisol tells your bodylet's store that fat Now.
You might be running from atiger later.
(14:09):
So where does your body storeit?
It puts it right in thatvisceral cavity.
Cortisol also increasescravings for salty, fatty,
sugary foods.
So this is that feedback loopthat you get that just causes
the problem.
And then the third culprit isthat sleep deprivation.
If you are getting less thanseven hours of night of good
(14:30):
sleep, your body produces moreghrelin, which is the hunger
hormone.
It suppresses leptin, whichtells you that you are full from
eating.
You become less insulinsensitive and it stores more fat
in the belly.
So even short-term sleeprestriction has been shown to
(14:51):
increase visceral fat in healthyindividuals.
And then we have alcohol.
So alcohol is processed by theliver and if you consume excess
of that it slows down fatmetabolism.
Add in blood sugar swings fromyummy cocktails, beer and wine
and you've got the perfect stormfor central fat accumulation.
(15:11):
That's why they call it a beerbelly.
You know it really isclinically accurate.
And then low muscle mass equalshigher fat storage.
So muscle is metabolicallyactive tissue.
Less muscle means fewercalories burned at rest and less
glucose uptake from thebloodstream.
So that glucose it has to gosomewhere and visceral fat is
(15:33):
very happy to volunteer.
This is why resistance trainingis non-negotiable if you're
serious about reversing visceralfat, and I don't mean you need
to live in a gym, okay, I don'teven want you working out five
days a week.
I don't even want you workingout five days a week.
Two days of just resistancetraining, two days of muscle
work a week is really all youneed.
(15:56):
And then hormone imbalances andaging is a really big culprit.
As estrogen, testosterone, dheaand growth hormone levels start
to go down, hello midlife.
Your body shifts its fatstorage pattern.
So women more belly fatpost-menopause due to low
estrogen.
Men get increased visceral fatwith low testosterone and both
(16:19):
men and women have less musclemass, slower metabolism and
higher inflammation.
So visceral fat becomes thebody's new favorite storage unit
when hormone signals start tobreak down.
And not least important but thelast one I'm going to say, is
gut inflammation and dysbiosis.
So an unhealthy gut microbiomecauses more inflammation.
(16:41):
You get leaky gut and you getthat altered fat storage.
So studies do show gutimbalances can affect how your
body stores and redistributesfat, with visceral fat becoming
a default storage depot.
So what if you don't have ashape scale?
How do you know if you havevisceral fat?
It is very sneaky.
You just have to use some othertools.
(17:02):
One of them is looking at yourwaist circumference.
If you're a woman and it'sgreater than 35 inches.
If you're a man and it'sgreater than 40 inches, this is
a red flag for visceral fat andmetabolic syndrome.
You can also calculate yourwaist to hip ratio.
This is where you measure yourwaist.
Measure your hip.
Look at the ratio.
If it's greater than 0.85 andyou're a woman, or if it's
(17:24):
greater than 0.9 and you're aman, this strongly correlates
with cardiovascular risk.
You can go and get a DEXA scan.
This is a high-end scan thatcan precisely measure fat
compartments, including visceralfat.
It is the gold standard, butit's not exactly affordable or
accessible to everybody.
There is an in-body scannerthat you can find at a local gym
(17:48):
or some weight loss clinics dohave an in-body.
You can also get an MRI or a CTscan.
It's very accurate but again,not practical unless you're in
some type of research, trial orgetting scans.
For another reason, my favoriteis the ShapeScale.
That's what I had at MonarchBeauty and Spa.
It is a non-invasive 3D scannerthat gives you the visceral fat
(18:12):
score, maps fat distributionand lets you see your internal
health progress, not just yourpant size.
And what I like to look at ismetabolic syndrome, because
metabolic syndrome and visceralfat are just a dangerous duo.
So visceral fat is theringleader in the metabolic
syndrome gang, a cluster of riskfactors that raise your chances
(18:34):
for diabetes, heart disease,stroke and early death.
So you get diagnosed withmetabolic syndrome if you have
three of the following okay, thefirst one was that waist
circumference so 35 inches forwomen, greater than 40 for men.
If your triglycerides aregreater than 150, if your HDL is
less than 50 for women, lessthan 40 for men, if your blood
(18:56):
pressure is greater than 130over 85, and if your fasting
glucose is greater than 100.
So you only need three of thoseand you have metabolic syndrome
.
And what is telling there isthey don't ask you what your
weight is.
So even if your weight isnormal, you can have metabolic
syndrome.
A lot of people think ifthey're not obese, then they
(19:18):
definitely don't have to worry,but you do.
If you check these boxes, thenvisceral fat is most likely
present and causing metabolicdysfunction.
One of the glorious parts ofvisceral fat is that it does
respond very quickly to theright interventions.
Studies now show that a 5% to10% loss of body weight can lead
(19:40):
to a 20% to 30% drop invisceral fat, and this
translates to major health wins,just as a health marker, you
know.
Improvement with less visceralfat, improved insulin
sensitivity to restore thatmetabolic flexibility.
Blood pressure shown to dropwithin weeks.
Triglycerides and HDLnormalized inflammation can
(20:04):
definitely drop and you'll see adecrease in the CRP or
inflammatory markers.
There's reported improvedmemory and focus and better
brain function.
And just hormones bettercortisol, better estradiol and
testosterone balance.
You'll feel it and I'll measureit with the shape scale.
You want to let your progressbe visible and visceral.
(20:27):
One of the tools I do like touse are glp-1 medications
because those are science-backedfat burners.
They're more than a trendyweight loss hack.
They're actually metabolicreset tools.
I do not put everybody withvisceral fat on glp-1s, but they
really do help reduce visceralfat.
It improves your insulinsensitivity.
(20:49):
It reduces appetite andcravings all of that food noise.
It lowers inflammation and itpromotes preferential loss of
visceral fat over subcutaneousfat.
And you know, those improvedlipid markers, blood sugar and
blood pressure are amazing.
So clinical studies do show a20% drop in visceral fat mass in
(21:11):
GLP-1 users, even without majorlifestyle changes.
So imagine what happens whenyou pair it with functional
medicine and some nutrition.
At Harmony Hub Health I docombine GLP-1s with metabolic
panels and hormone testing,nutrient therapy and the shape
scale.
We also have the Skinny Shot,and for those that are not using
(21:32):
GLP-1s but are looking for anaffordable booster, the Skinny
Shot is a game changer.
So this has methionine thatsupports liver detox and fat
metabolism, inositol that booststhat insulin sensitivity.
It has choline that helpstransport and eliminate fat, and
B12, preferably methylcobalaminthat gives you energy, mood and
(21:55):
metabolism.
So these all support fatbreakdown, especially in the
liver.
It can reduce belly bloat andvisceral fat accumulation and it
boosts energy while supportingdetox pathways.
Think of the skinny shot as anudge for your liver to stop
hoarding fat and to startreleasing it.
And I do love the compoundsthat have arginine and carnitine
(22:16):
.
It's just the chef's kiss ontop.
You can come to Monarch Beautyand Spa for the skinny shot, or
you can also order it from meafter consultation and you can
give it to yourself at home.
Another big topic is if your gutis a mess, your metabolism
probably is too.
So we're learning that youcan't fix body fat without
(22:39):
fixing gut health first, andvisceral fat is no exception.
When you have leaky gut youthen have have inflammation,
which then leads to fat storage.
So when your gut lining isdamaged this is also known as
that intestinal permeability orleaky gut undigested food
particles, bacteria and toxinssneak into your bloodstream.
(23:00):
This is a very hard concept tovisualize in your brain.
I do have great handouts when Italk about gut health and
office that kind of show thatand this triggers an immune
response and chronic low-gradeinflammation.
So this disrupts your insulinsignaling.
(23:20):
This raises your cortisol.
This promotes that fat storage,especially visceral fat, as a
protective buffer around yourorgans.
You know it wants to protectyour body, so your cells get
surrounded by fat.
So leaky gut makes your bodythink it's under attack, so it
stores belly fat because itwants to protect you.
(23:40):
And the bacteria in your gutdirectly affects how your body
extracts energy from food,regulates metabolism and stores
fat.
When your gut is dominated bybad bugs like firmusutes and
yeast overgrowth.
You're more likely to extractmore calories from the same food
, store more fat viscerally andhave increased
(24:01):
lipopolysaccharide levels.
That's LPS.
It's a toxic byproduct thatraises inflammation and insulin
resistance.
Also, when you have gut brainaxis disruption, this affects
hunger, cravings and stress.
So your gut talks to your brainvia that vagus nerve and
produces neurotransmitters likeserotonin and dopamine.
When your gut is inflamed orimbalanced, this communication
(24:25):
gets scrambled.
So you feel more hungry, youcrave more sugar and ultra
processed foods.
You have a lot more mood swings, which then leads to more
emotional eating.
Your cortisol rises and ittriggers even more visceral fat
gain.
So your gut bacteria can makeyou store belly fat by hijacking
your mood and cravings.
(24:45):
And then when you have slowdigestion and you cause the
sluggish detox, then you getmore belly fat.
So constipation, bloating andpoor motility mean toxins are
not being eliminated efficiently.
This bogs down the liver, itpromotes estrogen recirculation
and encourages fat storage inthe abdominal cavity to trap
(25:08):
those toxins.
Your body is not being lazy,remember, it's protecting you.
But the result is moreinflammation and more visceral
fat.
At Harmony Hub Health I can useGI map testing to assess
dysbiosis leaky gut markers likethe zonulin, that LPS and
inflammation.
Leaky gut markers like thezonulin, that LPS and
(25:30):
inflammation.
We also have the HTMA or thehair tissue mineral analysis and
the food sensitivity testing topinpoint gut related triggers.
I have cortisol testing,microbiome mapping to explore
that gut adrenal fat connectionand then the shape scale to
monitor visceral fat reductiononce your gut health is restored
.
Scale to monitor visceral fatreduction once your gut health
is restored.
So fix your gut and your bellymay start fixing itself.
(25:51):
Visceral fat is not just aweight issue.
It's a warning sign that yourgut, your hormones and your
metabolism all need support.
And if we go back to hormones,visceral fat and hormones causes
just endocrine chaos.
Visceral fat isn't just passivestorage.
It's an inflammatory hormone,disrupting endocrine organ all
(26:15):
by itself.
So it produces and interfereswith several key hormones that
regulate everything frommetabolism to mood.
So when you have chronicvisceral fat, this causes
chronic inflammation, whichcauses chronically elevated
cortisol.
Chronically elevated cortisolsuppresses your thyroid function
, it increases insulinresistance and it keeps you in
(26:38):
fat storage mode.
And in women, excess visceralfat leads to estrogen dominance,
especially after age of 40 whenprogesterone naturally declines
.
In men it increases aromataseactivity, converting
testosterone to estrogen.
This causes fatigue, belly fatand low libido.
And these anti-aging,fat-burning hormones take a
(27:03):
nosedive as visceral fat andinsulin resistance climb.
So that's your DHEA and yourgrowth hormones they just go
down.
Visceral fat also promotesresistance to leptin.
This is your hormone that tellsyou you're full.
So when your brain thinksyou're starving, the cravings go
out of control.
So visceral fat hijacks thefeedback loops that regulate
(27:25):
hunger, fertility, fat burningand mood.
And you have to think of yourliver as a detox rock star.
But when it gets choked byvisceral fat with metabolic
sludge, you know, visceral fatincreases free fatty acids
circulating to the liver,causing triglyceride buildup and
(27:46):
inflammation.
This is what progresses to NASHor that non-alcoholic steatosis
, hepatitis, fibrosis and liverdysfunction, and it really slows
down your phase one and phasetwo detox pathways.
An overworked fatty livercannot clear estrogen, histamine
or environmental toxins veryefficiently.
(28:06):
So this backs up your entiredetox and hormone clearance
system.
Your ALT and AST on your bloodwork is going to go up even
before major symptoms even startto appear.
So the liver plays a huge rolein maintaining blood sugar.
So fat accumulation equalsinsulin resistance and erratic
glucose output.
(28:27):
Fatty liver and visceral fat areoften two sides of the same
metabolic coin.
And visceral fat does not juststay in your belly, it sends an
inflammatory signal straight toyour brain.
Cytokines cross the blood-brainbarrier.
Il-6, tnf-alpha and CRP fromvisceral fat contribute to
neuroinflammation, which islinked to poor memory, low mood
(28:50):
and anxiety, brain fog andcognitive decline.
Even Alzheimer's right now isbeing referred to as type 3
diabetes.
It does impact the HPA axis.
Chronic visceral fatdysregulates the hypothalamic
pituitary adrenal access,worsening stress resilience and
messing with your cortisolrhythm.
(29:10):
If you've ever heard of BDNF,this is brain-derived
neurotrophic factors, but itreduces them.
So fewer new brain cells,slower brain repair and impaired
learning and impaired memory.
It's even shown in studies thatit can shrink brain volume.
Higher visceral fat correlateswith smaller hippocampal volume.
(29:33):
This is a part of the brainthat manages your memory and
your learning.
So have I scared you intowanting to change the amount of
visceral fat you have?
Now we'll talk about, okay, howdo we get rid of it and how do
we get rid of it for good?
Number one clean up your diet.
You want to focus on wholefoods, protein and fiber.
(29:54):
I have some people asking mewell, can you give me a full
diet plan?
Yes, here's your diet plan.
Just cut out ultra processedfoods to start.
If you don't do anything else,cut out ultra processed foods
and I guarantee in a few weeksyou're going to feel completely
different.
But you do want to focus on thewhole foods, the protein and
(30:15):
the fiber.
You want to ditch the excesssugar, the alcohol, especially
those processed carbs.
You can try intermittentfasting.
It's not for everybody.
If you are looking for helpwith that, definitely have a
consultation.
I do not believe that's foreverybody.
The second thing you want to doto get rid of visceral fat is to
move more and do it moresmartly.
(30:37):
A lot of people aim for 10,000steps a day.
I'm not a huge fan of that.
Many people add yoga or walkingto lower cortisol.
I do love that, but what I dolove is resistance training and
I do love a little bit of HIIT.
It's the best fat burning combo, mixing HIIT with resistance
training.
(30:57):
And I don't mean five days aweek, I don't mean living in the
gym.
Start with two days a week.
Okay, two days a week for 45minutes, and you're gonna be
amazed with how you feel.
The third thing is to managestress, because cortisol
directly increases visceral fat.
This is when we have to usethat self-care of the PEMF mat
(31:20):
or starting journaling or breathwork, anything restorative that
can kind of help manage stress.
I do love the Pulseto.
I think it's an amazingstimulator for the vagus nerve.
The fourth thing that's veryimportant is optimize your sleep
.
Seven to nine hours of highquality sleep can really keep
(31:41):
your hormones in check.
You can use an aura ring, likeI do.
I know a lot of people like thewhoop, but you want to make
sure your sleep is optimized.
I can do a whole other podcaston just optimizing sleep.
Number five is support yourhormones.
You know, get functionalhormone labs.
If you have hormone imbalance,you need to address them.
(32:02):
If you have estrogen dominance,or if you have low testosterone
, or if you have adrenal fatigue, they need to address them.
If you have estrogen dominanceor if you have low testosterone
or if you have adrenal fatigue,they need to be addressed.
You can address them with BHRT.
We can talk about adaptogens.
I do have the Dutch test aswell, which is great at seeing
how those are fluctuating.
And then you know number sixI'm going to say use functional
(32:26):
tools wisely.
Glp-1s for metabolic reset,skinny shots for liver and fat
support, and then that shapescale to track visceral loss
visually, not just with scalenumbers.
Okay, so that is our visceralfat eviction plan, easier said
than done, but definitelysomething that I can be here for
you every step of the way toget it gone.
(32:49):
So to do a little recap,visceral fat is not about vanity
and it is not about weight.
It is about your hormones, yourbrain, your liver and your
future self sending an SOSwrapped in inflammation and
belly bloat.
So if you're tired of hearing,oh, just eat less and move more
when your labs are screamingmetabolic mayday, it's time for
(33:11):
a different approach.
At Harmony Hub Health, I don'tguess, I test, I scan, I retest.
I'll show you exactly where youstand with a shape scale.
We'll uncover root causes withfunctional testing and guide you
through a personalizedmetabolic reset program that
doesn't involve starving orsigning up for bootcamp.
Let's get that visceral fat topack its bags and restore your
(33:33):
energy, your hormones andmetabolism along the way.
Book your consultation now andfind out what your belly's been
hiding.
It's not just leftover tacos.
So head towwwharmonyhubhealthcom and visit
my website.
You can also email me atmichelle M-I-C-H-E-L-E at
(33:55):
harmonyhubhealthcom, or you canjust make your appointment if
you want to see me in person atMonarch Beauty and Spa in
Manchester, maryland.
Come and see me in person andwe'll dig into your labs, your
lifestyle, your stress and yoursleep the whole CSI belly fat
edition and craft a custom planto torch that toxic fluff.
(34:16):
You can also step on the shapescale where in 60 seconds you'll
get a 3D scan that showsvisceral fat levels, muscle
balance and where you'resecretly hiding that midnight
snack evidence.
So no more guessing, no morepinching or standing on a sad
bathroom scale that has zeroidea how awesome your organs
could look.
(34:36):
So expect science-backednutrition, hormone tuning, glp-1
guidance if that's your jamskinny shots and enough
functional medicine magic tomake your mitochondria throw a
party.
This podcast is for educationalentertainment.
It is not a substitute for yourpersonal health care provider,
(34:57):
your neighbor's questionable gymadvice or that late-night
TikTok wellness guru with thering light and zero credentials.
Talk to a real clinician,preferably me, before starting
any program, especially one thatinvolves needles, peptides or
giving up four caramelmacchiatos a day.
Now go, be healthy and rememberfriends.
(35:19):
Don't let friends hoardvisceral fat.
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