Truth About Belly Fat

Constantly, we see a downpour of ads claiming the benefits of certain supplements will “burn away belly fat”. As good as it sounds and as easy as it would be, the truth about belly fat is there is no such supplement that burns, blocks, or dissolves belly fat. Belly fat is a clear indicator that you are a greater health risks. Deep belly fat (the kind that makes for a classic beer belly) actually churns out proteins and hormones that make all kinds of bad things worse, including unhealthy cholesterol (LDL), blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides. It’s also a major cause of insulin resistance and inflammation.

Losing belly fat is not only an issue of what kind of food you eat, it is also extremely important to eat certain foods at a certain time, the type of food you eat affects whether belly fat stays or goes. In a study, two groups of people ate the same number of calories. One group got their carbs from refined grains, the other from beans and whole grains. The latter group lost more belly fat. You can, too! Replace two servings a day of refined grains (e.g., white bread, white pasta) with a couple servings of satisfying lentils, chickpeas, or kidney beans.

In a study in which obese people consumed either 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or a placebo each day, the apple cider vinegar group shed more body and belly fat than people who took the placebo — even though everyone was on the same diet and did the same workout. Don’t take it straight. Eat it with food, like on salad or mixed with beans or blended in a healthy sauce.

Movement: The original fat burner

Lying around the house or sitting comfortably in your easy chair instead of involving yourself in a physically active routine, is easily the way to continue to accumulate more belly fat. Movement is key to getting rid of unwanted belly fat and preventing additional belly fat. Crunches can firm up the muscles under your fat and keep your core strong, and that’s important for many reasons. But they won’t make that fat magically vanish on their own, and magically turn into muscle. To reduce or rid yourself of excess belly fat, you need regular aerobic exercise, such as walking and other simple but effective movements. Exercising can have an even more significant result when drinking green tea as a part of your regimen. Now, this doesn’t mean any green tea, I mean the herbal tea that has not been refined or processed. So, green tea in those fancy bottles with attractive labeling, are not just green tea. A very effective component in green tea called catechins, a compound in green tea, may boost your body’s calorie- and fat-burning mechanisms. It takes about 7 cups a day, but that’s not as much as it sounds. A large glass of iced tea often contains about 3 cups of liquid.

Change a few habits

Use a tape measure instead of a scale. This is a better way to monitor belly fat because everybody’s weight tends to fluctuate a little from day to day and watching your waistline is a more accurate view of potential health risks. Television is one of the most favored pass-times and instant entertainment, however, people who cut their TV time in half consume 100 fewer calories a day without even trying. That’s a pound every 35 days or about 10 pounds a year. Calories, coupled with stress combines for a bigger your waist. Stress makes the hormone cortisol climb, which makes you crave high-calorie snacks that get stored in your belly as fat. Studies have shown that people who eat six small meals a day have smaller waists than people who eat two or three large meals a day. Of course, “small” is the key. To rid belly fat for good, reduce and eventually eliminate sugar, syrups, and saturated and trans fats, and replace them with whole grains, vegetable proteins, fiber, exercise, and adequate rest.

Staying active is key to keeping in shape. By eating right and exercising you can whittle away your middle in no time!