Not only is stomach fat embarrassing and unsightly, it's also a red flag that can signal serious health problems. But it's not the visible fat that's the biggest problem; it's the fat deep within the abdomen known as visceral fat that is the real killer.
Heart disease and type two diabetes are both conditions that are strongly correlated with visceral fat. It's hugely important therefore to keep belly fat in check by making the right lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, there's no way to specifically target fat on the stomach. It can only be lost as part of an overall fat loss program. There are however plenty of ways to lose fat, and some of them are pretty straightforward, if not necessarily easy.
Eliminate refined sugar: When sugar (a refined carbohydrate) is eaten it quickly enters the bloodstream elevating blood glucose levels. The body reacts by producing insulin to bring those levels back to normal. The problem is, when too much sugar is eaten it creates an excess of glucose. This excess ends up being stored by the body as fat. Further more, there is research indicating that visceral fat build up is made worse by the consumption of refined carbohydrates.
The consumption of refined sugar is best limited to treats and special occasions. At other times, it should be completely avoided. This can be a challenge since sugar is used in so many products. That said, sugar can be largely avoided and taking just this one step is a massive aid to fat loss and overall health.
One additional sugar danger is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This concentrated form of sugar is even more damaging to health than ordinary table sugar, and again, should be completely avoided. The simplest way to do this is to avoid any kind of processed foods (see below).
Avoid trans fats: Like sugar and HFCS, trans fats are ubiquitous in processed foods and are at least as damaging to health. Any kind of mass-produced fried or baked goods are likely to contain it and should be given a wide berth. Trans fats have no nutritional benefit and are linked to a number of health problems, not least of which is weight gain.
They're attractive to manufacturers because they're cheap and they extend the shelf life of foods. But they have zero benefit to consumers since they have absolutely no nutritional value. They cannot be properly metabolized by the body and end up accumulating in the cells and encourage visceral fat build-up. Stick instead to natural fats like butter, olive oil and coconut oil.
Cut the processed foods: Not only do they tend to contain trans fats, they also tend to have high levels of salt and sugar. Manufacturers load up their products with these ingredients to add the flavor that is lost in processing. They also may contain a lot of chemical additives that are nutritionally useless. Stick to whole, fresh, home cooked foods.
A common complaint from people is a lack of time or energy to cook at home. This simply reflects a lack of knowledge and know-how. The fact is, it's incredibly simple to rustle up tasty and nutritious food. Some quick Googling will bring up many recipes that are fast and easy to prepare. Healthy meals are not only easy to make, they're also a vital step in combating the dreaded stomach fat.
Heart disease and type two diabetes are both conditions that are strongly correlated with visceral fat. It's hugely important therefore to keep belly fat in check by making the right lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, there's no way to specifically target fat on the stomach. It can only be lost as part of an overall fat loss program. There are however plenty of ways to lose fat, and some of them are pretty straightforward, if not necessarily easy.
Eliminate refined sugar: When sugar (a refined carbohydrate) is eaten it quickly enters the bloodstream elevating blood glucose levels. The body reacts by producing insulin to bring those levels back to normal. The problem is, when too much sugar is eaten it creates an excess of glucose. This excess ends up being stored by the body as fat. Further more, there is research indicating that visceral fat build up is made worse by the consumption of refined carbohydrates.
The consumption of refined sugar is best limited to treats and special occasions. At other times, it should be completely avoided. This can be a challenge since sugar is used in so many products. That said, sugar can be largely avoided and taking just this one step is a massive aid to fat loss and overall health.
One additional sugar danger is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This concentrated form of sugar is even more damaging to health than ordinary table sugar, and again, should be completely avoided. The simplest way to do this is to avoid any kind of processed foods (see below).
Avoid trans fats: Like sugar and HFCS, trans fats are ubiquitous in processed foods and are at least as damaging to health. Any kind of mass-produced fried or baked goods are likely to contain it and should be given a wide berth. Trans fats have no nutritional benefit and are linked to a number of health problems, not least of which is weight gain.
They're attractive to manufacturers because they're cheap and they extend the shelf life of foods. But they have zero benefit to consumers since they have absolutely no nutritional value. They cannot be properly metabolized by the body and end up accumulating in the cells and encourage visceral fat build-up. Stick instead to natural fats like butter, olive oil and coconut oil.
Cut the processed foods: Not only do they tend to contain trans fats, they also tend to have high levels of salt and sugar. Manufacturers load up their products with these ingredients to add the flavor that is lost in processing. They also may contain a lot of chemical additives that are nutritionally useless. Stick to whole, fresh, home cooked foods.
A common complaint from people is a lack of time or energy to cook at home. This simply reflects a lack of knowledge and know-how. The fact is, it's incredibly simple to rustle up tasty and nutritious food. Some quick Googling will bring up many recipes that are fast and easy to prepare. Healthy meals are not only easy to make, they're also a vital step in combating the dreaded stomach fat.
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