Today, most people are facing the issue of belly fat. The main reason is that everyone sits for long hours due to the excess workload and does not have time for simple physical activities. Also, people prefer to eat more processed and junk food because it is just one call away and does not require much effort. But if you are serious about your health and fitness and want to get rid of belly fat, you should read this article to the end.
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Belly fat is not a problem that one should ignore, as it can cause various serious health problems, from diabetes to heart-related problems. So you must take it very seriously and start working right now to get rid of belly fat. In this article, we will tell you five foods to avoid that contribute more to fat accumulation in your body.
First, you should understand how belly fat works before finding out the ways to get rid of belly fat. If you don’t have time to count your calories, stop counting them. Instead, focus on the two most important hormones, Insulin and cortisol, which play a vital role in storing fat around your belly area. So, focusing on your food and how it affects these two hormones would be best.
Insulin regulates blood sugar levels and acts as the de facto fat-storage hormone. When you eat foods that raise your blood sugar level, Insulin is called into action. Fat accumulates around your belly when the body triggers Insulin to help control blood sugar levels in the morning.
Do you know that cortisol is at its highest level in the morning when you wake up, but due to the caffeine, stress, and sleepless nights, cortisol levels can easily thrown off? So when you get too much caffeine, you not only put your body under more stress but also increase the call to action for cortisol, which causes fat accumulation around your belly. So, to get rid of belly fat, you should start working on your eating habits. Now, let’s discuss the five foods to avoid and get rid of belly fat.
Caffeine to get rid of belly fat
Caffeine might not technically be a food, but it is still one of the most consumed stimulants in the world. It also contributes to fat accumulation around your belly, even without adding sugar, cream, or calories. Giving up caffeine might be one of the hardest things for some people, but believe me, give it a chance, and if you don’t experience any results in two weeks, you can start it again.
Do you know that there is a direct link between type 2 diabetes and belly fat? As per a study, consuming caffeine daily can decrease insulin sensitivity by about 15% and negatively impact the metabolism of sugars among people with diabetes. Apart from this, caffeine also directly relates to our cortisol levels, which are our stress hormones. When chronically elevated, these can lead to fat accumulation around our belly. So, if you want to get rid of belly fat but are a regular caffeine consumer, you should strictly cut it from your diet.
To avoid withdrawal headaches, you should switch to green tea—matcha tea, packed with nutrient-rich polyphenols and low in caffeine.
Refined Carbohydrates
Refined Carbohydrates are similar to caffeine drinks as they also decrease insulin sensitivity. However, They also lack various essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins. So, people with belly fat eat these foods regularly, which will lead to the dropping of their blood sugar levels, which are responsible for solid fat around the belly and nutrients.
When blood sugar levels rise, our body calls on Insulin to help restore them to normal. So when we eat foods like refined carbohydrates, which translate to sugar, Insulin starts working on controlling blood sugar levels, and thus, fat starts accumulating around our belly.
However, not all carbohydrates are bad. Some reasonable exceptions for our health are fresh whole fruits, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains. Here is a list of refined carbohydrates you should avoid eating to get rid of belly fat.
- Pretzels and chips
- Pasta and pizza dough
- Store-bought baked desserts
- Most store-bought bread, bagels, wraps, buns, and tortillas
- Waffles, muffins, and pastries
Alcohol
Don’t worry. This is not a warning for the people who only drink on occasion or do not consume more than 1 or 2 drinks in a day for men and more than one drink for a woman because a lot of research has revealed that drinking alcohol in the prescribed amount is good for our health.
But if you drink alcohol regularly, and that too in excessive quantity, then you should know that it hits the pause button on fat metabolism. When we drink, our body immediately starts breaking down alcohol because it is necessary to break down the alcohol before it starts breaking down in our body. So, it processes in our gut to eliminate alcohol consumed from every glass of beer, wine, or cocktail we drink.
Let’s take an example: when you drink two glasses of alcohol and one big pizza at your dinner. Your metabolism process will focus first on the alcohol. Because you drink at night, your metabolism will slow because the natural process slows down in the evening. Let’s take a rough example: two bottles of beer, which you have to drink, contain 350 calories, and pizza contains 400 calories. It will not happen that our body will burn those calories before going to bed, so that’s when the fat starts accumulating in your belly. So, if you want to get rid of belly fat, you should limit your alcohol consumption and only drink on special occasions.
Anything containing non-nutritive sweeteners
When dieting, you may happily consume foods like non-nutritive sweeteners because they do not contain calories or sugar, but do you know this does not work like that? You should stop eating artificial sweeteners to get rid of belly fat. Research shows that non-nutritive sweeteners, like aspartame, break down a much-needed enzyme that boosts insulin sensitivity. So, ultimately, it leads to a decrease in insulin sensitivity, directly correlating with fat accumulation.
The study also shows that children more likely to consume artificial sweeteners have a higher body mass index than children who do not. So, if you want to get rid of belly fat, you should avoid eating the following foods:
- Sugar-free yogurt
- Pudding
- Energy/protein bars
- Canned fruits
- Candy
- Diet sodas and juices
But if you still crave sugar, you can choose low-glycemic fruits like green apples, berries, sparkling water, or dark chocolate.
Corn, Canola, and Soybean Oils
Refined vegetable oils, such as corn, soybean, and canola, are commonly found in processed foods but should be avoided. Don’t be fooled by the name if you want to get rid of belly fat; just because the name includes vegetables does not mean these oils are healthy.
If you regularly consume these vegetable oils, then there is no chance you will get rid of belly fat because this will also increase the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in your body. Excess consumption of omega-6 fatty acids leads to inflammation in the body, and with inflammation in the body, it becomes quite challenging to lose weight. You know, today, vegetable oil is almost in every food item; it is not only in chips and cookies but also in protein bars, bread, and hummus. So read the label first to know what you are eating.
So these are the five foods to avoid to get rid of belly fat. So, if you want to stay fit and healthy, change these foods to include some healthy alternatives because you might not be able to find time for your musical activities, but by changing your eating habits, you can start from somewhere. Remember, physical activity is also essential to maintain your fitness, so try to spare some time from your busy schedule; you can also try to wake up half an hour earlier in the morning and engage in physical exercise. So, if our information has helped you or you want us to cover any other topic, please let us know in the comments section below.
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