When you start watching what you eat and become more active, the pounds seem to melt off pretty quickly. However, when it comes to belly fat, you may have hit that point in your weight loss journey where those stubborn inches around your middle just won’t come off.
Belly fat is a big issue for your long-term health and comes with significant risks, especially in women with a waist of 35 inches or more and in men when their waist reaches 40 inches. Increasing abdominal girth is associated with a condition called metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance – both associated with an increased risk of type-2 diabetes.
Risks of Belly Fat
Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is located deep within a cavity in the belly. This fat surrounds some of the body’s vital organs, such as the stomach, liver, and intestines. In fact, visceral fat is so close to the liver that the liver can turn the fat into cholesterol. But this isn’t the only health problem that comes with belly fat.
Belly fat is ‘active,’ which means that its cells are pumping out chemicals that promote disease. Some of the most common health risks of carrying excess belly fat include:
- Cardiovascular disease including heart attack
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Breast and colon cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Dementia
Combat Belly Fat
It may seem impossible to shed those stubborn pounds from your waist, but it is crucial that you lose this fat for your overall health and well-being. Here are some of the best ways to combat and target belly fat.
Avoid Sugary Foods and Drinks
One study shows that excess sugar, specifically fructose, can lead to fat building up around the abdomen and liver. When you consume sugar, it breaks down during digestion, and the result is a molecule of glucose and fructose. If your liver is at full capacity, it converts the sugar and stores it as fat in the belly.
Cutting out sugar may be one of the most important steps to losing belly fat. This doesn’t just mean eliminating candy and sweets from your nightly routine, but it also means cutting sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks out of your diet. It is critical to avoid processed foods that are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. In order to do so, it’s worth the moment it’ll take to read the nutrition facts labels.
You don’t have to say goodbye to your favorite cocktails or fruit smoothies. At CardioMender, MD we have everything from High Protein Cocktails to High Protein Tropical Smoothies that can curb your cravings.
Do Fat-Burning Exercises
Spot-reduction is the idea that fat in a certain area of the body can be targeted for reduction through exercise. Unfortunately, you cannot spot-reduce belly fat through exercise. However, there are several workouts that do put your body in a fat-burning state, which may promote weight loss in the belly. Some of the best fat-burning exercises include:
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – Interval training that incorporates short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or low-intensity exercise.
- Weight Training – A type of strength training that uses weights or resistance bands.
- Jogging or Running
Consume Enough Protein and Fiber
Before you restrict your favorite foods and buy salads kits for the week thinking that cutting calories will help you lose belly fat, think again. Your body actually needs the proper nutrients to help you burn fat, including soluble fiber and protein.
Soluble fiber attracts water and turns it into a gel that helps slow down food as the body digests it. This type of fiber has been shown to promote weight loss by helping your body feel more full for longer periods of time.
High-protein diets have been known to be a “successful strategy to prevent or treat obesity through improvements in body weight management. These improvements are thought to be due, in part, to modulations in energy metabolism, appetite, and energy intake.”
At CardioMender, MD, we have plenty of products in our Pantry that can help you get enough and the right balance of nutrients in your diet. Check out our delicious Protein Bars and Protein Snacks!
Try CardioMetabolic Lean and Calcium Pyruvate today to help support maintaining optimal weight management!*
*These supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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