A Little Bit Of Abdominal Fat...
...isn’t such a bad thing. It helps to protect your vital organs, after all!
It’s a fine balancing act, however, as storing too much fat around our abdomen can be dangerous and has been linked to some pretty nasty health problems.
Some of the culprits are fairly obvious, especially when eating a lot of processed foods and not doing much exercise. However, there can be some surprising reasons behind belly fat and these can come into play even if we think we’re living a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the factors that can make us more likely to store fat in our abdominal areas.
It’s a fine balancing act, however, as storing too much fat around our abdomen can be dangerous and has been linked to some pretty nasty health problems.
Some of the culprits are fairly obvious, especially when eating a lot of processed foods and not doing much exercise. However, there can be some surprising reasons behind belly fat and these can come into play even if we think we’re living a healthy lifestyle. Here are some of the factors that can make us more likely to store fat in our abdominal areas.
#1: Eating Too Much Sugar & Trans Fat
When we eat a diet that contains a lot of processed sugar, we’ll probably be struggling to shift belly fat. According to studies, there is a definite link between the two. This can be largely to do with the fructose content in processed sugars. Eating too much sugar and carbs will increase blood sugar levels which can lead to fat storage.
Trans fats are another big no-no if we want to avoid belly fat. These are pretty much the worst type of fat we can consume as they promote inflammation and according to studies on animals, they also encourage more fat to be stored on and around our abdomens.
Trans fats are another big no-no if we want to avoid belly fat. These are pretty much the worst type of fat we can consume as they promote inflammation and according to studies on animals, they also encourage more fat to be stored on and around our abdomens.
#2: Alcohol Intake
We've all heard of beer bellies and this is something that can affect women too. Depending on how much we drink, it can sometimes be the culprit behind stubborn belly fat. Some studies have shown that alcohol can make it harder to burn fat and makes it more likely that the extra calories it brings to the party are stored on and around the abdomen.
#3: A Low Protein Diet
If we want to stay trim, it’s really important to get enough protein in our diets. Protein helps us to feel more satiated and can mean that we consume less calories. Low protein diets are also more likely to result in belly fat, according to studies. People who eat a moderate amount of protein and lower carb intake tend to have very little in the way of belly fat.
#4: Not Eating Enough Fiber
If we don't eat enough fiber, we can be more likely to store belly fat. Observational studies show that getting plenty of soluble fiber reduces the chances of this. In one particular study that involved over 1,100 men and women, every extra 10g of soluble fiber led to a 32% decrease in how much belly fat was stored. This has a lot to do with the fact that low fiber increases appetite and belly fat.
#5: Being Scared Of Eating Fat
Fat has had a bad reputation and this can put people off eating it. While it’s true that we don’t need a lot of the unhealthier fats, good fats can help us to lose weight and keep belly fat to a minimum.
Monounsaturated fats are one of the good fats and are important for satiety. They help us to feel fuller for longer so we’re less likely to make unhealthy food choices that increase our potential for storing belly fat.
Monounsaturated fats are one of the good fats and are important for satiety. They help us to feel fuller for longer so we’re less likely to make unhealthy food choices that increase our potential for storing belly fat.
#6: Imbalance of Bacteria In Our Guts
According to research, an imbalance of gut bacteria can have an effect on our weight and how much fat we store on our abdomens. When people are overweight, they’re more likely to have a type of bacteria that can mean that more calories are absorbed from their food.
#7: Stress
If we're under a lot of stress, it could be one of the reasons why we’re storing belly fat. The stress hormone cortisol can lead to weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. Rather than storing fat all around our bodies, cortisol often encourages extra calories to be stored as abdominal fat.
#8: Not Sleeping Well
If we're spending a lot of time tossing and turning in the average night, there’s a much higher chance that we’ll store belly fat. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain in general and according to some studies, it also predisposes us to abdominal weight gain in particular.
A large scale study of more than 68,000 women found that those who were sleeping less than 5 hours per night gained lot more weight compared to those who slept 7 hours or more.
A large scale study of more than 68,000 women found that those who were sleeping less than 5 hours per night gained lot more weight compared to those who slept 7 hours or more.
#9: Not Getting Enough Magnesium
Getting adequate magnesium in our diets can lower our blood sugar and insulin levels. That’s not too surprising when we consider that this mighty mineral is involved in over 300 chemical reactions in our bodies! Some of these reactions have an effect on our bodies' abilities to burn fat so it can have an indirect impact on our weight as well.
#10: Our Exercise Is Not Intense Enough
Not all exercise is equal when it comes to busting belly fat and keeping it off, especially if our workouts aren’t intense enough. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a good option but anything that involves reasonably intense exercise several times per week should help.
Conclusion
All in all, we can eat right and exercise, but there are still tons of factors that can contribute to building and storing fat around our bellies. If we want to avoid this, most importantly to optimize our health as previously mentioned on the blog, keep in mind this list of tips and see if any of them might align in your lifestyle.
Simple Wins:
"Unbelievable! Effective, common sense Simple Swapping plan."
-Simple Swaps Member Cindy
"Unbelievable! Effective, common sense Simple Swapping plan."
-Simple Swaps Member Cindy
Still Want More Information?
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