Have you ever wondered why fat bellies keep growing fatter
in spite of all you do to keep it down? Well, perhaps you have been trying the
wrong methods or not trying hard enough.
But you can cut down those belly fit and fit into those
beautify clothes you always dreamed of and look tantalizing to you spouse.
Belly fat can make your jeans feel extra snug, but really
there's something way worse about the stuff: When white fat expands in your
abdomen nestling deep among your organs, it sets you up for some serious health
trouble.
We know that this type of fat—called visceral fat—churns
out stress hormones like cortisol and inflammatory substances called cytokines
that affect the body's production of insulin. The result: Besides obesity,
you're also looking at increased risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. No thanks. Check out these eight tips
to finally rid your body of that excess stomach.
1. Never Stop
Moving
There's one thing to like about visceral fat: It yields
fairly easily to aerobic exercise. Running, biking, or swimming—basically
anything that gets your heart rate up—wins over resistance training when it
comes to getting rid of the stuff. A recent study from Duke University found
that jogging the equivalent of 12 miles a week is enough to melt belly fat.
2. Load Up on
Protein
You know that protein's essential for a slimmer you. But
here's why protein really needs to play a prime roll on your plate: "Your
body starts to produce more insulin as you age, since your muscle and fat cells
aren't responding to it properly," explains Louis Aronne, M.D., director
of the obesity clinic at Cornell University.
Insulin promotes fat storage—especially around your
belly—and a diet high in protein may protect you against insulin resistance,
says Aronne.
In one study, obese women who followed a diet for eight
weeks that was roughly 30 perecent protein, 40 percent carbs, and 30 percent
fat lost significantly more fat—including visceral pudge—than women who stuck
to a plan that was 16 percent protein, 55 percent carbs, and 26 percent fat.
3. Pile on
Polyunsaturates
This just in: Saturated fat packs on more visceral fat than
polyunsaturated ones, according to a recent Swedish study.
When subjects ate 750 more calories daily for seven
weeks—either in the form of palm oil (saturated) or sunflower oil
(polyunsaturated)—the former gained more visceral fat while the latter gained
more muscle mass and less body fat. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in nuts,
seeds, and fish.
4. Stock Up on
Vinegar
Obese people who consumed a tablespoon or two of vinegar
daily for eight weeks showed significant decreases in body fat—particularly
visceral fat—according to a 2009 Japanese study.
"One theory is that the acetic acid in the vinegar
produces proteins that burn up fat," explains Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor
of medicine at the University of Maryland, author of Fight Fat After 40.
5. Sleep
Better
Routinely squeaking by on five hours or less per night
increases visceral fat levels, according to a 2010 Wake Forest University
study. As you likely already know, eight hours is ideal. These can help.
6. Don't
Oversleep on the Weekends
Women who wake up and go to bed at the same time each
evening have lower levels of body fat, according to a recent Brigham Young
University study. Chaotic sleep habits cause your internal clock to go haywire,
which in turn causes your body to secrete fat-storing hormones like cortisol.
7. Drink Tea
Moderate exercisers who stocked up on the antioxidants
found in green tea—called catechins—were more likely to lose abdominal fat
while exercising than those who didn't take them. One study put the daily dose
at 625 mg—the equivalent of two or three eight-ounce cups of green tea.
8. Eat More
Fiber
In a 2011 trial, subjects who increased their soluble fiber
intake by 10 grams a day—the equivalent of two small apples, one cup of green
peas, and one half-cup of pinto beans—reduced visceral fat by 3.7 percent after
five years.
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