How to lose belly fat

There really is no such thing as loosing fat locally.  We want to hear that special creams, diets and foods can make us loose fat more easily acting upon certain body parts, but there really is no scientific back-up for any of those assumptions. 

Every person has its own metabolism and body type.  Depended on that, foods will be processed; fats will be burned and/ or stored.  It is so that certain body types metabolize certain foods more easily, whilst other foods are hardly being processed; this can result respectively in weight loss or weight gain.  Key is therefore primarily to find out what body type you have and what foods your body seems to metabolize more easily and secondly, exercise (burn more calories than you consume).

Some general diet rules

·         Drink enough water.  Water helps to get rid of toxins.  The fewer toxins the better the metabolism works.  A well hydrated body ensures a better muscle tonus.  Water contains 0 kcal and helps to reduce food cravings (often dehydration is confused with hunger). However do not exaggerate.  Recent studies show that excessive water intake can cause the brain to dilate, with possible death as a consequence.  Every person’s need is different.  A good rule is to drink 2 glasses on an empty stomach in the morning and 2 glasses before every meal. 

·         Eat an apple 20 minutes before each mail.  The pectin in the apple provides a feeling of saturation.

·         Replace bad carbohydrates such as, white bread, white rice, cakes, chips, biscuits, with good carbohydrates such as: whole grain bread, rice and pasta, oats, pulses and sweat potatoes. Avoid eating too much of them in any case because carbohydrates increase the insulin level.  This may result in a slowed down metabolism causing the excess carbohydrates to be stored as fat.

·         Avoid alcohol.  Not only is it bad for your health, alcohol contains only empty calories which are often being stored as fat.  Alcohol has no nutritious value whatsoever (except some controversial publications around the anti-oxidant qualities of red wine).

·         Eat lots of fruits and vegetable which contain a low glycemic index.  Make juice out of them is a good solution to increase your daily portions; however you miss out on the digestive benefits of fibers (usually contained in the skin).

·         Try to eat 35% of lean protein.  Most of us immediately think of meat but please remember some highly recommended sources of protein include: tofu, seitan, nuts, beans and green vegetables.

·         Consume healthy fats only such as refined olive oil, omega 3 or flaxseed oil.

·         Increase your calcium intake.  Recent studies have shown that increased calcium intakes may help regulate insulin resistance and as such may aid in weight loss.

Exercise guidelines

Although you might be tempted to only perform crunches and sit-ups in order to lose some of that stubborn belly fat; this is not the right way to go!  You can do as many crunches you wish, if your belly is covered with fat, the results will be there, but not show. 

I favor an aerobic work-out (such as running), combined with a muscle toning and flexing routine such as Yoga.  If you opt for a more intense form of yoga like power or Hatha Yoga, the benefits will be even more striking.

Some of my favorite yoga poses concentrating on the belly are:

·         Cobra Pose: Bhujangasana

·         Abdominal lift: Uddiyana Bandha

·         Bow Pose: Dhanurasana

·         Sun Salutation: Surya Namaskar

Another benefit of Yoga is it use of deep breathing techniques which help to burn fat which are stocked in various organs.  Combine stomach lifts with continuous breathing and you will reap results.

 

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