Add More Soluble Fiber To Your Diet
Soluble fiber may help reduce belly fat since it increases satiety and prevents overeating.
Research also suggests that soluble fiber can reduce the number of calories your body stores from your meals.
Researchers in this study found that participants reduced belly fat gain by 3.7 percent, for every 10-gram increase in consumption of soluble fiber, over a period of five years.
Remember to eat high-fiber foods in every meal. Flaxseeds, legumes, avocados, and Brussels sprouts are excellent sources of soluble fiber.
Strength Training For A Strong Body
Besides helping with fat loss, strength training does more. It helps with bone health, improved metabolism, and reduces risk factors for chronic conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, strength training workouts can be done at least twice per week, focusing on the major muscle groups .
Muscle groups to focus on:
- Chest, back and lower back muscles
- Arm and shoulder muscles
- Ab muscles
- Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
With this type of workout, you can use your own body weight, free weights, and weight machines.
You can do a 15-minute total-body workout with a combination of pushups, pull-ups, planks, knee plank, squat jumps, lunges, Russian twist, crunches, burpees, mountain climber, hips flexor. All of these exercises work your entire midsection.
They help to burn and get rid of abdominal fat.
You can also lift weights like barbells, dumbbells or use a medicine ball and a kettlebell.
With the weight machines, where you can do leg presses, chest presses, seated leg extension.
Exercises that include barbells for example:
- Barbell back squats
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Seated Spinal Twist/ball Twist
This yoga pose helps strengthen the muscles of your lower back and also works to stretch them out while getting deep into the core.
To do yoga seated spinal twist sit tall on the yoga mat with legs extended in front of you, toes pointing towards the ceiling . Exhale as you bring your left leg over your right knee into a lunge position.
Make sure that both knees are bent at 90 degrees or more for yoga ball stretch, and that your right ankle is resting on top of your left knee. Keep the left foot flexed and reach arms up towards the ceiling .
Now lean your torso over to the right as far as you can go and hold a yoga pose for 15-20 seconds. Make sure to keep breathing throughout the yoga ball pose! Repeat yoga seated spinal twist yoga 2-3 times with each leg!
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What Causes Stress Belly
Excess fat around the midsection can be attributed to a variety of factors. Genetics, aging, and eating habits can all play a part, but this fat can often be attributed to a cortisol imbalance.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps control blood sugar and metabolism. Further, it helps us get motivated and focused. Cortisol is usually elevated in the morning, when many of us need to perform at our best. In addition, exercise and periods of acute stress also help release cortisol and regulate energy.
Perhaps more notably, cortisol is also part of our bodys fight or flight response. The sympathetic nervous system activates in times of crisis, with the adrenal cortex then releasing cortisol. The body also gets a surge of glucose, which is meant to give our muscles an immediate supply of energy. At this point, insulin is also released to prevent the surge of glucose from being stored as fat.
In an ideal world, our stressors would be short-lived and our hormones would soon balance out. But in reality, many of our stressors stay persistent, leaving cortisol levels consistently high and stress belly fat in its wake.
How To Reduce Cortisol And Belly Fat Storage
There are some natural ways you can help you body reduce the amount of cortisol it pumps out and to start shedding belly fat.
1. Lifestyle Modification
Cut back on the number of calories you eat and ramp up how many calories you burn.That will force you body to dip into your fat stores for fuel, shrinking them.
2. Follow a Healthy Diet Plan
A diet low in simple carbohydrates and rich in protein and fiber is ideal for burning up excess calories. This diet should also contain healthy fats in the form of Omega 3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats.
3. Work Out
Do some form of exercise 30 to 40 minutes a day.
4. Use High-Intensity Interval Training Workouts
The basic principle of HIIT is to train in alternating intervals of high and low exercise intensities.
As an example, after warming up you could do an all-out sprint for 20 to 30 seconds and then walk or jog for the next 90 odd seconds. Repeat this cycle 6 to 8 times.
HIIT causes an oxygen deficit resulting in a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption that keeps gobbling up calories as fuel for as long as 48 hours after the workout is over.
HIIT is known to target specifically belly fat as it causes certain unique metabolic changes in the body such as increased insulin sensitivity.
Increased insulin sensitivity causes the body to take up blood glucose faster and more efficiently thereby initiating the hormone sensitive lipase which breaks down bodily fat stores.
5. Reduce Stress
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Work On A Regular Exercise And Sleep Routine
It’s not all about dietary choices. As expected, working out is a major factor in losing belly fat. But just doing ab exercises is not the only way to target belly fat. Like eating, keeping exercise consistent is best, so find your niche in the fitness world, even if you’re not doing the exact same routine every time but do it every day. “A mix of cardiovascular and strength training is critical to include as part of your repertoire both for the benefits of physical activity, but also to help regulate your ability to fall and stay asleep,” says London.
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Sleep is also more important than you’d think for weight management and lowering heart disease risk, adds London. “Changes in your sleep patterns can also be related to hormonal shifts, so gradually increasing your activity level through a mix of strength training and cardio can help you both build lean body mass, which will help to burn more energy at rest, and contribute to improving your sleep quality,” she says. That way, you can get your much-needed seven to nine hours a night.
/9what Is Stress Belly
Stress belly is not a medical condition, it is a sign of how stress and stress hormones are affecting your weight and especially belly fat.
The high levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone is associated with abdominal fat. The hormones get produced in the adrenal gland and help in controlling blood sugar level, metabolism and many other important bodily functions. Cortisol is a part of the body’s fight or flight response which occurs when faced with a crisis. When in stress, the cortisol levels rise to give you a surge of energy to help you deal with the stressful event. After the stressful event is addressed, everything returns back to normal.
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Dont Drink Fruit Juice Every Day
While fruit juice contains vitamins and minerals, it has high sugar content. Studies have shown that a high intake of fruit juice can increase the accumulation of belly fat, the same way sweetened beverages do.
Instead of drinking fruit juice, take water or unsweetened green tea. If you find water plain, try these fruit-infused drinks.
Cut Back On Highly Processed Sugary Or Fatty Foods
Stress increases the likelihood of eating high-calorie processed foods. You crave such foods is because they trigger the release of serotonin hormone, which is a pleasure-inducing substance, so you seemingly counter the negative effects of stress
The problem with serotonin is that it lasts for only a short time. You may get a surge in mood but after sometime your blood sugar will drop and you will feel hungry and tired.
When such feelings set in, you may result to eating those foods again and thus create a vicious cycle.
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The Link To Belly Fat And Diabetes
When stress levels remain high for long periods of time, cortisol also stays too high for too long. And thats where the problem starts.
- With all that extra glucose floating around, blood sugar levels slowly creep up
- Our body is producing insulin, but its not working we become insulin-resistant and our cells are starving for sugar even though theres plenty available
- The unused triglycerides go back into storage, but this time they get stored in visceral fat cells, which are located deep within the abdomen
- That extra belly fat we begin to carry makes us more insulin resistant
- The more insulin resistant we become, the more we tend to crave sugar and carbs which drives blood sugar levels up more
- Those extra calories from sugar and carbs are stored as fat. You guessed, it in the abdomen
- And heres the kicker. Visceral fat has more cortisol receptors than fat thats located just under the skin
So as long as theres stress, the cycle continues
How Does The Cortisol Hormone Work
The human brain has the ability to sense if the blood contains just about the right level of cortisol.
If the brain senses that the level of cortisol is low, it increases the amount of the hormone it produces.
The adrenal glands recognize these signs and fine-tune the amount of cortisol hormone it releases into your body.
Most cells in your body contain cortisol receptors. These receptors receive and use the cortisol hormones that are released into your body in different ways.
The basic idea is that your bodys cortisol needs will always be different as the day goes by.
For example, there are days when your body is on a high alert. In days like this, the cortisol can shut down or alter other functions that can get in the way.
Some of these can even include the immune system, growth process, or even the reproductive and digestive system.
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Add Physical Activity To Your Day
Exercise goes hand in hand with nutrition. Daily movement helps make you feel good, clear-minded and help you reach your weight loss goals.
If you are nervous about weight management with a fitness plan, a consult with a personal trainer can help you to identify areas of your body that need help with starting position or correct form, build muscle, increase lean muscle tissue, improve your overall physique.
There really isnt a lower belly fat workout but the following kinds of exercise can help with fat loss are aerobic exercise , strength training, resistance training, HIIT workouts.
How To Reduce Hormonal Belly Fat And Stop Cortisol Weight Gain
Hormones and belly fat go hand in hand. Gone are the days when we thought only the consumption of junks was responsible for belly fat.
New flash!
It is obvious that your bodys hormones, especially the cortisol hormone, also contribute to weight gain. In order to lose belly fat, we must know how to reduce cortisol.
Given the relationship between cortisol and weight gain, its no wonder that various belly fat cortisol supplements have cropped up. Lets take a look at these supplements.
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How Does Cortisol Cause A Stress Belly
- An imbalance of cortisol levels in the body causes excess belly fat because:Cortisol can release fat from storage and send it directly to your belly area.
- Cortisol may also affect appetite and cravings. One study even revealed that there is an association between elevated cortisol levels and high calorie intake in women hence leading to stress belly fat in women.
- Excessive cortisol leads to the release of more insulin, which inhibits the conversion of glucose to fat. This starves the cells of energy, and the body responds to this by sending hunger signals to the brain. This then leads to overeating/binge-eating. Any unused glucose is then stored as fat in the body.
Hormones Can Play A Major Role In Fat Stores
Believe it or not, hormone imbalances can cause weight gain expanding your waistline.
Stubborn belly fat can be affected by medical conditions and lifestyle factors.
Having hormone imbalances can be the result of medical conditions like PCOS, menopause, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, diagnosis of diabetes.
These conditions are a health issue, they throw your body out of whack yet mostly can be treated in different ways as long as the condition is identified and addressed.
Non-medical conditions can be malnutrition, lack of exercise, the stress hormone cortisol reacting to stress, under-eating can also trigger the ghrelin hunger hormones. All things that can also be addressed with healthy habits.
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What Is A Stress Belly
A stress belly is the extra weight that accumulates around the abdominal area due to prolonged or chronic stress.
While belly fat may be caused by many things, including genetics, a stress belly is caused by the actions of a hormone called cortisol, which you will learn about below.
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What Exactly Is A Stress Belly
Basically, stress belly is not a medical diagnosis, its a way of describing how stress and stress hormones can affect your weight, especially your belly. For instance, higher levels of cortisol – the primary stress hormone – have been associated with abdominal obesity. This crucial hormone produced in the adrenal gland also helps with blood sugar control, metabolism and many other functions in the body. Cortisol, along with other hormones like adrenaline, is a part of the bodys fight or flight response that occurs when faced with a crisis. During a stressful event, cortisol levels rise to give you a surge of energy to help you deal with the event. And once the stress is addressed, everything returns to normal.
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Stress Eating: 5 Ways To Beat It According To A Nutritionist
Stress may wreak havoc on your metabolism. Here’s how you can stop stress eating.
I think we can all agree that stress is bad. Excess stress can cause headaches, muscle tension, digestive problems, sleep disturbances, and depression. Research shows it may also wreak havoc on metabolism and cause stress-induced weight gain.
We’ve known for some time that stress is connected to gaining weight, because a high level of the stress hormone cortisol has been shown to increase appetite and lead to stress eating, drive cravings for junk food, and make it easier to accumulate belly fat. And an Ohio State study shows that stress may also result in burning fewer calories.
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In the study, researchers questioned women about stress they had the previous day. The women were then fed a meal containing a very generous 930 calories and 60 grams of fat. After eating, scientists measured their metabolic rates and took blood samples.
In the seven hours after eating the mondo meal, those who had reported being stressed out within the previous 24 hours burned less of the fat they consumed, and they had higher levels of insulin, a hormone that contributes to fat storage. They also burned 104 fewer calories. That may not sound like much, but if you are aiming to lose pounds, it’s enough of a difference to account for a weight gain of almost 11 pounds in one year.
Belly Fat Cortisol Supplements
Bringing your bodys cortisol level back into balance is a huge step in the right direction when it comes to cortisol and weight gain.
There are supplements that can help to accelerate these processes and stop cortisol weight gain.
We take a look at the best supplements on the market that can help in cortisol fat loss
You might not know, but many foods you consume today contain Choline Bitartrate.
Foods such as meat, dairy, eggs, and so on have this supplement in it.
The body is also known to produce a little percentage of this supplement.
However, even though we can find this basic supplement all around us, a large percentage of the population is still deficient in it.
The supplement not only reduces anxiety and cortisol, it also helps to improve your focus and memory.
According to the research , choline may be able to lower immune inflammation and also suppress oxidative stress in asthma patients.
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Lifestyle Changes For Lower Belly Fat Loss
Other very important factors to weight loss, are related to your lifestyle.
A good idea is to start thinking about healthy habits, they are essential to be on a routine that helps your body stay away from temptations.
Therefore, healthy changes to your lifestyle are just as important as eating and moving.
Consider these lifestyle changes:
- Get more hours of sleep, avoid sleep deprivation
- Dont drink so much alcohol
- Acknowledging that cravings, may be actual hunger
- Quitting with smoking
Drinking plenty of water helps your body control that lower belly and keep your body in balance.
Getting enough hours of sleep is also important, a lack of sleep can trigger the stress hormone cortisol, the elevated cortisol levels are known to increase fat cells .
From the topics mentioned above, alcohol consumption can be the most worrying.
These liquid calories can easily contribute to so much belly fat if excess alcohol is consumed. A lot of alcohol has contributed to the typical beer belly .
Cravings can also be important to manage, it adds to a persons sugar addiction. Usually, a person with cravings will want large amounts of sugary food, junk food, and sugary drinks.
