Healthy Information

Novel Belly Fat Strategies May 29, 2008
Dr. Carlos Santo

Perhaps the biggest battle that most of us face with each decade of life is waistline expansion. As obesity rates rise to more than 30 percent, excessive belly fat plagues America more than just about any other country - and the problem only appears to be worsening.

Unfortunately this isn’t just a cosmetic issue. We’ve known for decades that a host of health conditions are related to an ‘apple-shaped’ body, defined by a waistline which is larger than the hips. Fat cells in the abdomen act differently than elsewhere in the body. They tend to secrete more inflammatory chemicals making arteries more prone to plaque formation, and increasing the chances of heart attack and type II diabetes.

Looking for greater confidence in the bedroom? Get a handle on your stress level! Our self-esteem can take a great hit as excessive ab flab affects how we look and feel in our clothing (not to mention our swimsuits). Cortisol, one of the major stress hormones, will actually make you fatter, and if kept unchecked stress will continue to make it harder to lose those inches, until or unless you hop off the stress merry-go-round. 

 

Unfortunately, recent research shows that you can do a thousand crunches a day and eat like a bird, but if your days are full of stress, that beach bod will continue to elude you. See <http://toolstolife.com/article/Boost-Your-Metabolism-Lose-Those-Inches-26> for more info on this topic.

So what can you do? Let’s take a look:

Follow the Mediterranean diet as much as possible. High in fish, nuts and seeds, whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, and low in saturated fats and processed foods, this diet is extremely anti-inflammatory and will lower your insulin and cortisol levels.

The omega-3 fats that are so high in this diet help us battle stress by reducing inflammation in our nervous system, helping us to better adapt to our busy lifestyles. Deep, cold water fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel are some of the best sources.  If you don't like fish, try flaxseeds, hempseeds or walnuts.

Watch the comfort foods. While starchy foods like bread, cookies, and muffins might make you feel better in the short - run, over time they increase your insulin and cortisol and that merry-go-round will spin even faster. See <http://toolstolife.com/article/Comfort-Foods-and-Holiday-Blues-24>.

Exercise right. Too much can be as bad as too little, so choose activities you enjoy rather than toil over. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if it feels more like play and less like work too.

Smell the roses. Meditation doesn’t always have to mean sitting cross-legged in a dark room for two hours. Yoga, long walks, and other things that bring you joy can help balance your cortisol and boost your feel-good brain chemicals for many hours to days.

Hope this helps. Stick around for more summer tips in weeks to come