Belly fat is maligned for its way of tampering with any outfit that doesn't involve a muumuu, 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 now 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: It's worse than just being generally overweight; you're looking at increased risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
1. Take a walk before breakfast
Zero Belly Diet panelist Martha Chesler did just this as part of her Zero Belly program, and the results were astonishing. “I saw changes immediately,” she reports. In less than six weeks on the program, Martha dropped over 20 pounds and an astonishing 7 inches from her middle by combining the Zero Belly Foods with a pre-breakfast walk.
2. Eat more protein
Of
course you know that protein's essential for a slimmer you—you couldn't
have made it through the Paleo and South Beach crazes without hearing
all about it. 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, MD, Director of the Obesity Clinic at Cornell.
And insulin promotes fat storage, especially around your belly
(yippee!). A diet high in protein may protect you against insulin
resistance, Aronne says. In one study, obese women who followed a diet
for eight weeks that was roughly 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat
lost significantly more fat—including visceral pudge—than women who
stuck to a plan that was 16% protein, 55% carbs, and 26% fat.
3. Make sugar your enemy
Fighting
belly fat is 80% healthy diet. Reduce calories by filling yourself up
with protein, vegetables, whole grains, and replacing bad habit snacks
with good ones. For example, if you have a sugar craving, replace your
calorie laden latte with a Muscle Milk lite, one of my favorites,
because it has zero sugar and a ton of protein that will satiate while
also torching my sugar craving! Another great trick is a sprinkle of
cinnamon in your morning coffee or oatmeal- the spice has been shown to
help stabilize blood sugar. It also slows the rate at which food exits
the stomach, which helps you feel fuller longer.
4. Eat healthy fatty acids
Yup,
you heard me! It takes fat to burn fat. Like I said above, it’s sugar
that gets you fat, not fat. Good fats include foods rich in Omega 3′s,
like salmon, avocados & walnuts. These foods are full of nutrients
that help keep you satiated throughout the day.
5. Get enough sleep
If
you want to work late at night, think again. When your biorhythms are
off, you end up eating more. When you’re tired you produce more ghrelin,
which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing
sleep can also alter your hormone production, affecting your cortisol
levels that cause insulin sensitivity, prime reasons for belly fat!
Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can
do for your body shaping goals.
6. Consume Foods with fibers
As
in, make sure you're eating a lot of it. 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% after five years.