If you have a beer belly or big waistline, beware! Your belly fat can kill you. This is the fat that occupies the abdominal cavity, wrapping around the liver, spleen, kidney, stomach and heart. Unlike the fat underneath the skin, you cannot grasp it in your hand.

This type of fat is called visceral fat. It is toxic fat because each fat cell can increase in size and produce chemicals that cause damages to the body. One of the dangerous chemicals is cytokines. It is a group of proteins that are released into the tissues or blood stream and causes inflammation. During inflammation, free radicals are produced that cause damages to other parts of the body.

This continuous low-grade inflammation by the presence of visceral fat can lead to an increase in the risk of high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and accelerated aging. You need visceral fat to cushion the organs, but many people have too much of it.

For men, if your waistline is more than 40 in or 91 cm and for women, 35 in and 88 cm, you are above the normal range. You need to do something to bring it down.

In order to reduce your belly fat, it is as simple as cutting further fat input with healthy, low calorie diet and burning off the excess fat with exercise. However, it is easier said than done.

If you focus on how dangerous your belly fat is, it will give you some motivation to really work on it. Here are seven ways to help you reduce your belly fats:

1. Exercise

Doing spot exercise such as sit-ups will not help. You need cardio and weight training to burn off the excess fats. If you have been sedentary, then start by brisk walking 30 minutes daily. You can pump it up with a more rigorous workout to increase the cardio plus incorporating weight training.

2. Fruits and vegetables

Eat at least seven portions fruits and vegetables. Have a wide variety and different color groups. You can juice them, eat them in salads, soups and as snacks.

3. Fiber

Target to increase your fiber intake to 25-30 gram per day. Eat whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, beans, and lentils. They are high in fiber, minerals, vitamins and low in calories.

4. Skip saturated fat

Saturated fat from animal meat is the main contribution to belly fats. Cut fatty meats, bacon, sausages, cheese and full-fat dairy products.

5. Alcohol

Alcohols may not have fat, but they do have calories. Excess calories from alcohol are converted and stored as fat.

6. Whole foods and smaller plate

Eliminate processed foods in your diet. They are low in nutrients and high in sugar, salt, and fat. Use a smaller plate at each meal so that you can reduce the overall quantity. Follow the guideline of My Plate in terms of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables for each meal.

7. Omega-3

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is important in our diet. It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that is essential for a healthy heart and blood vessels.

If you are able to lose 10 lb of your body, you can reduce 2 inches of waistline. So, don’t wait any longer. Start working on getting your waistline down before it kills you!

If you need more help to work on getting your waistline down, contact me, and I can help you. You can also check out my program.

_{This post was first published on www.lookgoodfeelgreatalways.com and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Images: www.wikimedia.com}

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