One of the best ways to reduce your risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease is to reduce your abdominal fat – or visceral fat. It’s dangerous because it often surrounds vital organs and releases inflammatory molecules into your system on a consistent basis. In fact, the more visceral fat you have, the greater your chances of developing these diseases. So, here are a few ways to banish the beer gut and muffin tops. We got these from Health magazine.
- Eat more eggs, milk and lean meat. Research from Skidmore College in New York found that people who got 40% of their daily calories from protein shed more belly fat than those who got less. In another study, dieters who had 1,200 milligrams of calcium every day burned three times as much belly fat.
- Do faster crunches. Increasing the speed of your crunches activates more muscles in your core than doing them at a leisurely pace. Just make sure your form is good. Start by lying on the ground with your knees bent and your lower back against the floor. Then contract your abdominals, bringing your shoulder blades about one or two inches off the floor, and then lower.
- Get happier. According to the journal Obesity, depression is linked to deep belly fat. So make time to do the things you enjoy, and if you’re feeling really low – talk to your doctor.
- Get off the sofa. A study from Duke University found that people living a couch potato life piled on 11% more belly fat in an eight-month period than their more active peers.
- Yoga can help whittle your middle. According to research from Yale University, people who are the most stressed have the largest waistlines. The likely culprit? Cortisol – a stress hormone. Just an hour of yoga each week can lower your cortisol levels. The more you do, the calmer you’ll feel – and the smaller your belly will be.
