When it comes to belly fat, it’s easy to brush off the need to address it as something that will go away on its own. But ignoring your excess body weight around your midsection won’t make the problem go away; in fact, recent studies have shown that carrying too much fat around your midsection can be a cause for concern health-wise. So learning about how belly fat works, why you can’t ignore it, and ways to reduce or prevent it is critical if you value your well-being and overall health. In this blog post, we’ll cover all of these topics so that you become informed on what steps you can take to help lower—and even avoid—accumulating unwanted belly fat!
Belly Fat – the toughest portion of your body to get rid of?
Let’s talk about the following:
- Fat is an organ.
- What could be the reason you have excess belly fat?
- Take steps to reduce belly fat and get rid of it.
Belly fat is the kind of fat that builds up in the lower part of your stomach, even inside your stomach around your organs.
When it comes to having a healthy body and mind, excessive belly fat may indicate that you have inflammation. From inadequate sleep or hormonal imbalances to poor nutrition and even stress management issues, there could be an array of potential causes behind it.
Fat – An Inflammatory Organ
A lot of people, mostly women, say, “Oh, I’m very healthy, but I have this belly fat!” Having too much of this “layer of insulation,” as we like to call it, is not always good for us, especially if you have it intra-abdominal.
Fat is more than just a pesky love handle. Not only can it suppress appetite with its own built-in hormone, leptin, but surprisingly enough, it also causes inflammation throughout the body—all thanks to several inflammatory markers secreted into your bloodstream! Insulin resistance may be another side effect of fat’s far-reaching effects.
Another hormone that fat produces is called adiponectin, which, along with leptin, has an indirect correlation with managing your weight and also inflammation in your body. When adiponectin goes down, leptin goes up, and vice versa. It’s good to have higher adiponectin than leptin because adiponectin protects you from insulin resistance and prevents repositioning fat.
Thyroid imbalances sometimes can also cause belly fat deposition.
Fat Depositioning
Fat deposition is further facilitated by cortisol, insulin, and estrogen.
Does that mean that these hormones are bad?
No, they’re not bad. They’re good, and we need them, but they have to be balanced properly.
When you have belly fat, it is usually because your body is under some kind of stress. Stress happens because of increased cortisol due to physical stress, chemical stress, or emotional stress.
With belly fat being linked to serious health concerns such as heart attacks and strokes, it’s important to be aware not just of the reasons why you could have excess amounts, but also of what can potentially happen if left unchecked.
Know Your Fat Composition
It’s important to know your fat composition.
You can have a DEXA (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan or you can do an in-body analysis, as these tests will tell us about your percentage of body fat.
For women, the ideal is about 19%–20% of body fat. For men, it should be lower than that because their hormone, testosterone, helps reduce body fat.
What are the steps that you can take to reduce belly fat?
Stress management
Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, meditation, and mindfulness can all help bring your mind and body into balance. Deep breathing exercises also play an important role in improving overall wellbeing. When we include a small amount of daily dedicated practice, our lives can benefit significantly. The rewards are truly worth the effort.
Sleep
This is another important factor in reducing belly fat. Always aim to achieve 6–8 hours of deep, high-quality sleep. You can monitor and manage your sleep through devices like the Oura Ring, which can tell you how good your sleep is and how ready your body is.
Nutrition
Eating a balanced meal and finding out what foods are causing inflammation in you (a food sensitivity test).
Hormone Level Analysis
Your hormones can tell a lot about your overall health and wellbeing. Taking the time to get them analyzed will provide you with valuable insights that could help lead you toward better balance; think of it as an incredible opportunity for self-improvement. Get tested today, so you know exactly what’s going on inside: cortisol levels, estrogen levels, insulin levels, testosterone levels, and even LH, FSH, & thyroid panel readings.
Exercise and Movement
Needless to say, these are very important. I’m not saying you have to run a marathon or go to the gym and become a bodybuilder. But doing at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise is really helpful to reduce that stubborn belly fat.
Supplementation
Take some supplements to improve your nutritional status. They could be Omega 3, Curcumin, Ashwagandha, and Ginseng, to name a few. This helps with your stress management.
Work with the pros
It’s important to have a balanced, holistic approach to your health and well-being. To make sure all aspects of that are in alignment, having a functional medicine practitioner on board can be immensely helpful. Or if you prefer the familiar environment of your doctor’s office, they may also offer those services.
Belly fat is tough to get rid of because it’s essential for human survival. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of belly fat you have. By better understanding how fat deposition works and what causes excess belly fat, you can make changes to your lifestyle that will help you achieve a healthier body weight. If you’re not sure where to start or need some help getting motivated, schedule a discovery call with us today. We’ll be happy to chat with you about your goals and give you some tips on how to get started reducing belly fat.
Is that stubborn belly fat ruining your confidence and peace of mind? If so, let’s chat! I am available to discuss your situation in a free discovery call. During this call, we can discuss your symptoms in more detail and come up with a plan tailored specifically for you. Book yours today and join me on the journey toward transformation.
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DISCLAIMER: The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional