Categories: Healthy Living

9 Easy Tips to Get Rid of Visceral Fat (Belly Fat)

In case you don’t know, visceral fat is also known as belly fat. This can be found inside the abdominal cavity which can be detrimental to individual health.

Excess belly fat exposes an individual to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, heart diseases, inflammation of hormones etc.

The inflammation of hormones however leads to a blood clot in the arteries which either partially or totally blocks the blood flow.

The clot can also deprive the heart of sufficient supply of oxygen in the coronary artery resulting to heart attack. The visceral fat moreover releases free fatty acids that travel through the body veins to the liver.

This may cause accumulation of fat in the liver which may result to insulin resistance. Despite all the difficulty that visceral fat brings, it is very easy to get rid of. These are some easy and simple tips to get rid of it.

1. Reduce Sugar Intake

Excessive sugar intake is very harmful to the health because of the high calories that result to weight gain.

Several studies show that people who eat more sugar tend to have more visceral fat than those who do not eat sugar at all.

This is owing to the fact sugar is made up of about 50% fructose, a simple sugar that is metabolized by the liver. In large amounts, this sugar can be converted by the liver to fat.

This subsequently leads to increase in visceral fat storage. Excessive sugar intake can simply be avoided by eating more foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meat.

2. Consume More Protein

Protein is an essential nutrient that helps to lose visceral(belly) fat in individual sufferer.

More protein intake help to keep the hunger at bay by increasing and activating the hormonal function of GLP-1,PYY, and cholecystokinin.

Excess protein intake helps to reduce the levels of hunger hormone gland.

The result of a research has shown that people who eat more protein tend to carry less visceral fat because protein helps to boosts metabolism as well as promote weight loss.

Some protein source includes eggs, fish, meat, legumes etc. This protein should be included in the daily diet to have a visceral fat free lifestyle.

3. Consume a Low-Carb Diet

An effective way of reducing belly fat is by embracing low-carb diets. Several studies have shown that low-carb diets are more effective at reducing belly fat than low-fat diets.

The result of the study published in 2013 in obesity reveals that people who followed a low-carb diet lost 10% more visceral fat and 4.4% more total fat than those on a low-fat diet.

So, to maintain a good health condition and avoid a visceral fat, you’re advised to consume more of low-carb diet.

4. Consume More Soluble Fiber

Fibers are divided into two categories. These are soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fiber is our concern here.

The soluble fiber mixes with water to form a viscous gel-like substance which helps to slow down the delivery of digested food from the stomach to the small intestine.

When soluble fiber gets to the colon, it is being fermented by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids. The short-chain fatty acids help to reduce visceral fat by suppressing appetite and increasing the activity of hormones like GLP-1,PYY, and cholecystokinin.

It also reduces the level of hunger hormone gland like the protein intake. And to boost fiber intake, individual should eat more sweet potatoes, legumes, and grains.

5. Less Alcohol Intake

The consumption of a very little quantity of alcohol especially red wine can have some potential health benefits.

Research has shown that excessive alcohol intake may encourage fat to be stored as visceral fat in the abdominal cavity.

It is very advisable to reduce your alcohol intake if you want to avoid belly fat.

6. Regular Aerobic Exercise

Doing regular aerobic exercise is an effective way of shedding belly fat. Aerobic exercise helps to burn a lot of calories.

Dancing is a very good example and it has a good health benefits. Research has shown that aerobic exercise help to lose visceral fat without strict dieting.

But it is more effective if an individual combines aerobic exercise with weight loss diet. To start this exercise, individual can begin with simple ones like jogging, walking, running, and then progress to a more difficult form of exercise.

7. Intermittent Fasting

The most effective way of losing visceral fat is through intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is quite different from dieting.

Intermittent fasting does not restrict eating but it only focuses on when to eat. This therefore encouraged individual to eat fewer meals with fewer calories. Intermittent fasting thus is recommended if you want to lose visceral fat.

8. Avoid a Stressful Lifestyle

Stress and anxiety stimulate the body’s adrenal glands to produce more cortisol which is a stress hormone.

Excess cortisol can increase visceral fat storage. Stress however can cause over-eating, which in turn may worsen the individual’s condition.

Stressful lifestyle can cause an individual to age faster than normal. This causes an imbalance in individual internal body systems.

There are effective ways of reducing stress: these include meditation, yoga, and spending more time with family and friends.

9. Good Quality Sleep

Quality sleep is very good for individual sound health. Studies have shown that lack of sleep may increase the risk of individual visceral fat gain.

On the other hand, having good quality sleep may help reduce the visceral fat.

Research conducted in 2014 shows that about 293 people who had quality sleep of about 6-7 hours per day reduced visceral fat gain by roughly 26%. This shows that sleep is very important in gaining and reducing visceral fat.

Conclusion

In order to avoid visceral fat storage in the liver, eat more vegetables, drink more water and seek ways to add exercise to the daily routines.

Exercise can take place anywhere and at anytime. Individual can do push-ups in the free time at the office. Plank when off the bed and take a jog or even go for a run often increase the chances of getting rid of visceral fat.

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