Studies have revealed that “visceral fat” can damage vital human organs and narrow blood vessels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, and more.
But there are simple steps that you can adopt in your daily lifestyle to reduce fat and get rid of it in a healthy way, and they are as follows:
Weight loss
The easiest way to reduce visceral fat is to lose weight. “Weight loss alone can effectively reduce visceral fat,” says Cleveland Clinic Bariatrician Scott Butch. “By losing 10% of your body weight, you might lose up to 30 % belly fat.
regular exercise
Experts say that diet alone is not enough to reduce belly fat, adding regular exercise is crucial.
According to a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients, moderate exercise reduces visceral fat even if you don’t lose weight.
Avoid sugar
Visceral fat in the abdomen feeds on sugar, which makes fat cells form faster.
The Cleveland Clinic says a diet full of soda not only increases calorie intake, but also affects how belly fat grows.
So reduce the amount of sugar in your diet — including sugary drinks and juices, refined grains, baked goods and processed foods — and your waistline is likely to do the same.
Get enough sleep
Researchers at Wake Forest University found that people who slept five hours or less each night had 2.5 times more belly fat than people who got enough sleep.
Experts say lack of sleep alters production of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that regulate appetite, and this can increase feelings of hunger. Not getting enough sleep can also increase production of cortisol, the stress hormone that tells the body to keep fat around the belly.
Experts recommend sleeping seven to nine hours a night.
Stay away from tension and stress
Stress can lead to eating foods rich in fat and sugar, and this combination is a shortcut to gaining belly fat, according to a study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Chronic stress also causes the brain to pump out cortisol, which helps keep belly fat in place.
Therefore, it is advised to avoid stress through exercise and relaxation.
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