You may not care about having “six-pack” abs, but carrying too many pounds around your midsection has to do with much more than how good you look. Too much belly fat can increase your risk of several serious health challenges, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer. This is because excessive abdominal fat is associated with visceral fat located deep within the abdominal cavity.
Some visceral fat can protect organs such as the intestines, pancreas, and liver. However, too much of this fat can release harmful substances into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of health challenges.
If you have been carrying excess weight around your midsection, it’s important to adopt a plan to shed those risky pounds. Begin by practicing the habits below and you may be on your way to greater health.
Reduce Belly Fat with Good Dietary Habits:
- Choose whole foods. Be intentional about eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. Eating whole grains is also important for their nutritive value in contrast to refined grains, which can add unwanted pounds.
- Switch to plant-based protein. Compared to animal proteins, plant-based proteins are lower in saturated fat, which aids in better weight management and lowers the risk of heart disease. Plant proteins are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They promote gut health and help to regulate blood sugar.
- Increase your fiber. Eating fiber-rich foods can help reduce belly fat by making you feel full and curbing your appetite. Fiber also helps to improve gut health and manage blood sugar and insulin responses.
- Choose healthy fats. Saturated fat, which comes mostly from animal sources can increase visceral fat. Switch to healthier fat sources like nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and coconut.
- Avoid artificial sweeteners. Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners, like aspartame and saccharin, are associated with increased subjective hunger and a heightened motivation to eat. Consider moderate use of more natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and stevia.
- Avoid late heavy meals. It is best to eat heavier food, such as proteins, earlier in the day when your metabolism is running higher and can digest these foods more efficiently. Eating within three hours of bedtime can also cause fat to accumulate around your belly. Evening meals (if at all) should be food that will digest easier, like fruit or a smoothie, and a slice of whole grain bread.
Reduce Belly Fat with Regular Physical Activity:
- Include strength training. Whether you use weights, body-weight exercises (like pushups), or bands, resistance training changes your body’s composition by replacing fat with muscle. If going to the gym is not your thing, that’s fine. You can do effective strength training exercises right in the comfort of your home. There are plenty of videos online that can help get you started.
- Remember the cardio workouts. Physical activities like jogging, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking will burn calories and reduce body fat. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes, 4 to 6 times weekly. You can alternate days of cardio and strength training, or you can add a little of both on each day you exercise.
- Try interval training. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), increases your metabolism, which helps you not only burn fat during your workout but also after the workout. This is known as the “afterburn” effect. There are phone apps and watches with interval timers to help you cycle between low and high intensity for the duration of your workout.
Reduce Belly Fat with Other Healthy Lifestyle Habits:
- Manage stress. Stress can increase belly fat by triggering a release of the stress hormone cortisol which encourages fat storage. Exercise is a great tool for managing stress. You may also try strategies like breathing exercises, prayer, or nature walks.
- Get quality sleep. A lack of sleep can disrupt the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which regulate appetite. When you don’t get adequate sleep, leptin decreases, and ghrelin increases, which can lead to increased hunger and weight gain. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and try to get to bed at the same time every night—ideally a couple of hours before midnight or earlier.
If you have belly fat, isn’t it time to get rid of it so that you can reduce the health risks that are associated with it? A “spare tire” is great for your car but not for your waist. Why not start practicing these habits today and experience greater health?
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