The belly is a part of the body where fat is readily stored: there is subcutaneous fat just below the skin and visceral fat that is found deep under the muscles and around the intestine. Although both are not attractive, visceral fat is also very harmful to health.
In addition to promoting the development of type II diabetes, this type of fat also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. If you have visceral fat, a weight loss diet should be implemented.
But where does visceral fat come from? What are the causes and consequences? What can we do to get rid of it?
Visceral fat, also known as belly fat, is a fat found deep in the organs located in the abdomen. This fat cannot be compressed.
Namely: some thin people may have visceral fat. If you have too many, your belly will come out significantly.
As indicated at the beginning, visceral fat is the cause of some diseases: type II diabetes, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure… .. But this fat also has the following negative effects:
Obstruction of certain organs, such as heart, stomach ... This can cause damage and deformation of these organs.
Appearance of all types of diseases related to digestion, joints, breathing ...
This fat is therefore dangerous for health, even if it is present in small amounts.
Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant and adopt a healthy lifestyle to eliminate it.
Subcutaneous fat is unpleasant, but harmless. It is located just below the skin and represents what you can pinch and touch.
These two types of fat (subcutaneous and visceral) are due to a bad lifestyle. Most of the time, it is the fact that you eat foods high in calories and high in sugar that promote the appearance of visceral fat.
To find out if you are within the standard, just measure your waist circumference (in cm) and consult the following results:
Men:
<79: low weight
Between 79 and 94: normal
Between 94 and 102: alarm
> 102: high risk (obesity situation)
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Gives:
<68: low weight
Between 68 and 80: normal
Between 80 and 88: alarm
> 88: high risk (obesity situation).
Depending on your gender and waist size, you can see what situation you are in. If you are "careful" or "at high risk", you will need to develop good habits to lose your visceral fat.
To get rid of bad abdominal fat, it is important to implement a correct lifestyle and eating habits. To guide you, we have provided below our tips for reducing your visceral fat level.
If you eat poorly and in large quantities, the volume of abdominal fat increases automatically. In fact, when you overeat and eat badly, your body will be disturbed and the production of visceral fat will be stimulated.
A bad diet is rich in processed foods and contains a lot of sugar and fat. To eliminate visceral fat, it is advisable to follow a balanced diet that consists of "real foods". It is also important to consume good fats, slow sugars and fiber. Saturated fats (cured meats, sweets, ready meals, etc.) and added sugars should be left out.
Namely: added sugars do not contain minerals or vitamins. Eating large amounts is also synonymous with weight gain.
Also consider the consumption of proteins (meat, eggs, fish, dairy ...). The latter limit the feeling of hunger and reduce insulin spikes (insulin is considered the fat storage hormone (the higher the insulin level, the more visceral fat will be stored by the body)). Protein is therefore the essential nutrient for fat loss!
In summary, you should eat nutrient-rich foods and avoid processed foods.
If you thought banning fat from your diet was the key to losing weight, think again! In fact, eating good fats contributes to weight loss.
On the other hand, trans fats must be banned! Trans fats are man-made and industrially produced fats. To lose visceral fat, trans fats must therefore be eliminated from your diet. To do this, ban processed and fried foods.
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If protein is able to limit the development of visceral fat, so is fiber consumption. And the more you eat, the healthier you will be! The health benefits of fiber are:
They lead to a lasting feeling of satiety.
They decrease the absorption of sugars
They stimulate intestinal transit
The different effects of fiber lead to less food intake, resulting in weight loss.
According to a study of 1100 people, high fiber consumption contributes to the reduction of visceral fat (an increase of 10 grams in daily fiber intake reduces the increase in visceral fat by 3.7% (over a period of 5 years ).
Fiber is found in vegetables and legumes.
Tips on how to make the most of fiber effects:
Gradually add fiber to your diet: if you're consuming 10 grams of fiber, don't go for 35 grams at once. Slowly increase your intake so that the digestive system can adapt to this change.
Do not peel vegetables and fruits, as it is in the skin that the fibers are most present.
Drinking alcohol in large quantities speeds up the production of visceral fat and bad fat. In addition, heavy alcohol consumption causes stomach pain, which does not facilitate digestion and increases fat storage.
Limit your intake to one drink a day.
Stress is not good for your health. In fact, an increase in cortisol (stress hormone) has harmful effects on sleep, appetite, well-being and body fat levels. In visceral fat, stress also has a negative effect: by promoting appetite, visceral fat accumulates automatically and your life suffers.
Therefore, it is important to relax. To do this, play sports, practice yoga, meditation or any other activity synonymous with serenity for you.
Lack of sleep is another source of visceral fat accumulation in the body. The reasons? Imbalanced sleep leads to a state of stress, which in turn leads to the formation of fat. Therefore, it is essential to sleep well (7-8 hours is a good average). In addition, sleep prevents the cortisol level from rising!
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To help you sleep better, think about this:
Use relaxing essential oils before bed
Avoid caffeine
relaxing
Take a hot shower
Sleep in a dark, cool room.
Lack of regular exercise can also lead to increased visceral fat. So remember to move (ride a bike, ride somewhere ...) and put your body into action!
And if you don't know which sport to practice, here are 10 to strengthen your stomach.
If possible, alternate intense sports sessions and short exercise sessions, followed by a rest phase to increase endurance and promote muscle development.
Intermittent fasting is a fasting practice for a shorter or longer period. By adopting this method, you consume fewer calories and therefore lose weight.
This type of diet is effective in losing visceral fat. Thus, a low-carb or ketogenic diet reduces carbohydrate intake and depends on the consumption of good fats. With this weight loss program, the body enters a state of ketosis, a period during which the body finds its energy in fat. Result: you burn fat.
Drinking water regularly throughout the day helps the body to eliminate waste and toxins. In addition, drinking water contributes to good health. To stay well hydrated during the day, think:
Bring a bottle of water with you, if you go out.
Drink just over two liters a day
I prefer bottled water to tap water
If you suffer from visceral fat, you now have all the keys to getting rid of it. Elimination requires specific efforts, but by putting them into practice, you may lose that abdominal fat, which is harmful to your figure and your health. And if you want to lose stomach weight, here are our flat stomach herbal tea recipes.
For more weight loss tips, click here