5 Rules to Lose Visceral Fat
“Skeletal muscle accumulates intramuscular fat through age and obesity. Muscle quality, a measure of muscle strength per unit size, decreases in these conditions.”
In an interview with Thomas DeLauer Dr. Sean O’Mara suggests that deviation from our “evolutionary expectation,” as Drs. Heying and Weistein term it has disasterous results. O’Mara posits five lifestyle factors that produce viseral fat (fat within organs including skeletal muscle) which are the talk of national converstation with RFK Jr. confirmed as Secretary of HHS:
Processed Foods: Eliminating processed foods, especially processed carbohydrates, reduces visceral fat.
Alcohol: Even small amounts contribute to fat accumulation and impair metabolism.
Poor Sleep: Lack of quality sleep leads to increased visceral fat.
Stress: Higher stress levels correlate with more visceral fat storage.
Endurance Exercise: Long-duration exercise (e.g., excessive running or cycling) can make it harder to lose visceral fat.
If we think about these points it becomes nearly immediately clear that we have not been exposed to any of these things over our 1.8 million year evolution from Homo Erectus. Certainly not refined carbohydrates or alcohol; processed carbs and industrial seed oils have lead directly to our obesity epidemic and we’ve seen what the latter did to Native American tribes since the 1800’s because any amount of alcohol is toxic.
We can examine the last three in reverse order: endurance exercise is stressful and the Strength Lab has several clients who cannot sleep after triathlons or long runs. I’m sure many of you have experienced stress in the evenings impeding your healthy sleep and surely there are those with sleep apnea who untreated have experienced a steep decline in their quality of life. That’s not to say there are endurance athletes who have developed a sort of addiction to their sport and claim they can’t do without it.
O’Mara suggests the antidote to these five are:
Meat-Centric Diet: Prioritizing the healthiest meats over carbohydrate-heavy diets.
Fermented Foods & Microbes: Adding probiotic-rich foods to improve gut health and digestion.
High-Intensity, Infrequent Exercise: Short, intense workouts (e.g., sprints, bodyweight exercises) every few days.
Sun Exposure: Increases nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and overall health.
Fasting: a 72 hour fast promotes autophagy, a process that helps reverse disease and optimize health.
Like humans, the healthiest meats are grass-fed
