Truths You Should Know About A Pot Belly
When I take a quick look around me, I notice that so many people are already developing pot bellies, at a young age. Both men and women. Most of them are not even 30 yet. That’s different from the many older people I know that have pot bellies. I think my belly is still very much acceptable, but if I am not careful it could move from a plate belly to a pot belly in no time. A lot of people are very ignorant about this matter. So I did some research to help us find the causes and solutions. This article is majorly abut the cause and a few solutions: Please note that pot belly and beer belly mean the same thing and could be used interchangeably. Read and learn.
The Truth About Beer and Your Belly
What really causes that potbelly, and how can you get rid of it?
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Have years of too many beers morphed your six-pack abs into a keg? If you have a “pot belly,” you are not alone. It seems beer drinkers across the globe have a tendency to grow bellies, especially as they get older, and especially if they are men.
But is it really beer that causes a “beer belly”? Not all beer drinkers have them — some teetotalers sport large ones. So what really causes men, and some women, to develop the infamous paunch?
What Causes a Pot Belly?
It’s not necessarily beer but too many calories that can turn your trim waistline into a belly that protrudes over your pants. Any kind of calories — whether from alcohol, sugary beverages, or oversized portions of food — can increase belly fat. However, alcohol does seem to have a particular association with fat in the midsection.
“In general, alcohol intake is associated with bigger waists, because when you drink alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat,” says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrine expert and obesity researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Beer also gets the blame because alcohol calories are so easy to overdo. A typical beer has 150 calories – and if you down several in one sitting, you can end up with serious calorie overload.
And don’t forget calories from the foods you wash down with those beers. Alcohol can increase your appetite. Further, when you’re drinking beer at a bar or party, the food on hand is often fattening fare like pizza, wings, and other fried foods.
image
You really don't have to wait for it to get to this level
Why Does Fat Accumulate in the Belly?
When you take in more calories than you burn, the excess calories are stored as fat. Where your body stores that fat is determined in part by your age, sex, and hormones.
Boys and girls start out with similar fat storage patterns, but puberty changes that. Women have more subcutaneous fat (the kind under the skin) than men, so those extra fat calories tend to be deposited in their arms, thighs, and buttocks, as well as their bellies. Because men have less subcutaneous fat, they store more in their bellies. Beer bellies tend to be more prominent in older people because as you get older, your calorie needs go down, you often become less active, and gaining weight gets easier.
As hormone levels decline in men and women as they age, they’re more likely to store fat around the middle. Menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy tend to have less of a shift toward more belly fat than those who do not.
Studies suggest that smokers may also deposit more fat in their bellies, Jensen says.
What’s Wrong With a Pot Belly?
Belly fat in the midsection does more than reduce your chances of winning the swimsuit competition. It’s linked to a variety of health problems, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Carrying extra pounds in your thighs or hips is less risky than carrying them in the abdominal region. Further, subcutaneous fat that you can grab around your waist and on your thighs, hips, and buttocks is not as dangerous as the visceral fat that’s found deep within the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs.
Visceral fat within the abdominal wall is frequently measured by waist circumference.
“When waist circumference exceeds 35 inches for women and 40 for men, it is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and overall mortality,” Jensen says. He cautions that these numbers are simply guidelines, and recommends keeping your waist size below these numbers.’
Losing Your Belly
There is no magical way to tackle belly fat other than the tried-and-true method of cutting calories and getting more physical activity. Mono-unsaturated fats and so-called “belly fat” diets won’t trim your belly faster than any healthy, low-calorie diet, Jensen says.
Because of the link between alcohol calories and belly fat, drinking less alcohol is a good place to start. Avoid binge drinking, which puts you at risk for liver damage and other serious health problems. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting alcohol to one serving per day for women and two for men.
Beer lovers should opt for light beers with 100 calorie or less, and limit the number they drink per day. Another option is to drink alcohol only on weekends, and to alternate alcoholic drinks with low-calorie, non-alcohol beverages.
Don’t forget to have a healthy meal before or with your drinks to help you resist the temptation of high-calorie bar food.
Can Exercise Eliminate Your Beer Belly?
Doing sit-ups, crunches, or other abdominal exercises will strengthen your core muscles and help you hold in your belly fat, but won’t eliminate it. The only way to lose belly fat (or any kind of fat) is to lose weight.
Aerobic exercises like running, swimming, cycling, and tennis are some of the best to help reduce body fat. But “any kind of exercise will help you keep the weight off more effectively than diet alone,” Jensen says.
The good news is that when you start losing weight, you tend to lose it in the midsection first. “Visceral fat is more metabolically active and can be broken down quicker than other fat,” Jensen says, “so it is usually the first to go, especially when you have a lot to lose.”
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.
Culled from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-beer-and-your-belly10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly - Health - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / 10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly (782 Views)
Why Do Most Nigerian Men Develop A Pot Belly Stomach So Early? / 4 Sure Fire Ways To Get Rid Of Mouth Odour / How To Treat And Cure A Scorpion Sting- 5 Natural Home Remedies You Must Know!! (1) (2) (3) (4)
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10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly by WellNewMe: 3:09pm On Nov 02, 2015
There was once a time in Nigeria where having a pot belly was once seen as a sign of prosperity, or least a sign that you were living a good life. However, it is now becoming an beauty issue for people, as the trend in urban centres show that the pot belly is no longer in.
Even more importantly is that having a pot belly can be dangerous for your health too. The visceral fat or the fat around your abdomen can lead to diabetes, heart diseases, stroke as well as dementia.
There a number of ways you can get rid of that pot belly, with controlling your food portions and exercising being the most recommended method. However choosing the right foods to complement your efforts is really essential. The right foods can help detox your liver and boost your metabolism so that your body can target belly fat. But before you hit the gym and run off to the supermarket, here are some really effective remedies you can try at home to lose belly fat.
1. Lemon Water
Lemon water helps to detoxify your liver and increases the production of enzymes by the liver which metabolize and burn fat. A simple glass of room temperature water with the juice from a lemon squeezed into it is all you need. For the best effect, do this in the morning, just after you get up and 30 minutes before you have a meal.
2. Fish Oils
Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (icosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and linolenic acid) which help in breaking down fat while reducing fat storage around your waistline. You can purchase fish oil capsules at any reliable pharmacy or online.
3. Ginger Tea
It is well known that ginger is a natural digestive aid but it is also a thermogenic agent. Thermogenic agents increase body temperature thus helping burn fat more effectively. A pot belly may be due to one of the various reasons like overeating, lack of exercise or stress. Ginger can aids in solving each of these issues. Ginger also suppresses the production of cortisol, which is a steroid hormone essential for energy regulation and mobilization. Rather eating raw ginger, it is now possible to have it as a tea. Two cups of ginger tea every day should be effective in helping get rid of that belly fat.
4. Garlic
Garlic is good for your cardiovascular system as it reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as blood levels of triglycerides apart from increasing good cholesterol. Garlic is also very useful when it comes to fighting fat in our bodies as garlic suppresses the process of making fat. For best effects, eat like 3 cloves of garlic a day or you could simply go with the tablets if that is not your thing.
5. Lean Meat
Protein makes your body burn fat when you eat it, more especially animal proteins. Thus, lean meats (meat with little or no fat) are the best calorie burning food. When you eat lean meat, you burn about 30 percent of the calories it contains within it just by digesting the food. It’s wise to include some protein in each of your meal. This can be lean chicken, beef, or pork, especially in dinner so that you burn most of the consumed calories through digestion at a time when your body’s metabolism is slower. Just don’t fry your lean meat as you would defeat the purpose.
6. Green Tea
Research shows that having 4 cups of green tea daily helped people lose more than three kilograms within a period of eight weeks. Green tea contains chemicals which have natural antioxidant with many therapeutic applications. They also help in boosting your metabolism.
7. Hot Peppers
Hot peppers contain capsaicin which boosts your body’s heat production and thus uses more energy or calorie. Studies have shown that when peppers are consumed daily, it reduces abdominal fat and improves fat oxidation. So spice up your foods with hot peppers to lose belly fat. For the brave, you can have peppers raw, cooked, dried, or in powdered form. Otherwise simply have it as freshly made pepper soup. The good thing about peppers is that you can add it to practically anything you eat such as soups, eggs, sauces, stew and meats.
8. Coconut Oil
The oil extracted from coconut has a unique combination of fatty acids which a positive effect on your metabolism. Coconut oil is high on medium chain triglycerides which are metabolized differently from long chain fatty acids. These fatty acids directly go to the liver from your digestive tract, where they are used in one of the two ways- either as energy or are converted into ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are used by cells in the body for energy production instead of glucose. This makes coconut oil an ideal replacement when going on a low carb diet.
Coconut oil is also a thermogenic and burns fat. Many studies have shown that medium chain fatty acids when compared to the similar amount of calories from other fats, can improve feeling of fullness. Thus you automatically reduce calorie intake.
But bear in mind, that coconut oil show be used in moderation, as excess use can actually make you put on weight. No more than 2 tablespoon a day has been shown to be most effective.
9. Sleep
It is important to get adequate sleep as a lack of sleep is one of the prominent causes for belly fat accumulation. When you don’t sleep, you crave for sugar and fatty foods. It also increases your cortisol hormone which makes you insensitive to insulin. As a result, you lose your body’s bio-rhythm and pile on the weight. It is recommended that you get about 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
10. Reduce or stop alcohol consumption
Alcohol is full of calories but when you consume alcohol you don’t feel full. Saving all your drinking for the weekend (binge drinking) in particular deposits fat around your waistline. It’s better not to have alcohol but if you can’t do that at least avoid binge drinking and also reduce the quantity and frequency of alcohol intake.
WellNewMe.com
Truths You Should Know About A Pot Belly
When I take a quick look around me, I notice that so many people are already developing pot bellies, at a young age. Both men and women. Most of them are not even 30 yet. That’s different from the many older people I know that have pot bellies. I think my belly is still very much acceptable, but if I am not careful it could move from a plate belly to a pot belly in no time. A lot of people are very ignorant about this matter. So I did some research to help us find the causes and solutions. This article is majorly abut the cause and a few solutions: Please note that pot belly and beer belly mean the same thing and could be used interchangeably. Read and learn.
The Truth About Beer and Your Belly
What really causes that potbelly, and how can you get rid of it?
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Have years of too many beers morphed your six-pack abs into a keg? If you have a “pot belly,” you are not alone. It seems beer drinkers across the globe have a tendency to grow bellies, especially as they get older, and especially if they are men.
But is it really beer that causes a “beer belly”? Not all beer drinkers have them — some teetotalers sport large ones. So what really causes men, and some women, to develop the infamous paunch?
What Causes a Pot Belly?
It’s not necessarily beer but too many calories that can turn your trim waistline into a belly that protrudes over your pants. Any kind of calories — whether from alcohol, sugary beverages, or oversized portions of food — can increase belly fat. However, alcohol does seem to have a particular association with fat in the midsection.
“In general, alcohol intake is associated with bigger waists, because when you drink alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat,” says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrine expert and obesity researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Beer also gets the blame because alcohol calories are so easy to overdo. A typical beer has 150 calories – and if you down several in one sitting, you can end up with serious calorie overload.
And don’t forget calories from the foods you wash down with those beers. Alcohol can increase your appetite. Further, when you’re drinking beer at a bar or party, the food on hand is often fattening fare like pizza, wings, and other fried foods.
image
You really don't have to wait for it to get to this level
Why Does Fat Accumulate in the Belly?
When you take in more calories than you burn, the excess calories are stored as fat. Where your body stores that fat is determined in part by your age, sex, and hormones.
Boys and girls start out with similar fat storage patterns, but puberty changes that. Women have more subcutaneous fat (the kind under the skin) than men, so those extra fat calories tend to be deposited in their arms, thighs, and buttocks, as well as their bellies. Because men have less subcutaneous fat, they store more in their bellies. Beer bellies tend to be more prominent in older people because as you get older, your calorie needs go down, you often become less active, and gaining weight gets easier.
As hormone levels decline in men and women as they age, they’re more likely to store fat around the middle. Menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy tend to have less of a shift toward more belly fat than those who do not.
Studies suggest that smokers may also deposit more fat in their bellies, Jensen says.
What’s Wrong With a Pot Belly?
Belly fat in the midsection does more than reduce your chances of winning the swimsuit competition. It’s linked to a variety of health problems, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Carrying extra pounds in your thighs or hips is less risky than carrying them in the abdominal region. Further, subcutaneous fat that you can grab around your waist and on your thighs, hips, and buttocks is not as dangerous as the visceral fat that’s found deep within the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs.
Visceral fat within the abdominal wall is frequently measured by waist circumference.
“When waist circumference exceeds 35 inches for women and 40 for men, it is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and overall mortality,” Jensen says. He cautions that these numbers are simply guidelines, and recommends keeping your waist size below these numbers.’
Losing Your Belly
There is no magical way to tackle belly fat other than the tried-and-true method of cutting calories and getting more physical activity. Mono-unsaturated fats and so-called “belly fat” diets won’t trim your belly faster than any healthy, low-calorie diet, Jensen says.
Because of the link between alcohol calories and belly fat, drinking less alcohol is a good place to start. Avoid binge drinking, which puts you at risk for liver damage and other serious health problems. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting alcohol to one serving per day for women and two for men.
Beer lovers should opt for light beers with 100 calorie or less, and limit the number they drink per day. Another option is to drink alcohol only on weekends, and to alternate alcoholic drinks with low-calorie, non-alcohol beverages.
Don’t forget to have a healthy meal before or with your drinks to help you resist the temptation of high-calorie bar food.
Can Exercise Eliminate Your Beer Belly?
Doing sit-ups, crunches, or other abdominal exercises will strengthen your core muscles and help you hold in your belly fat, but won’t eliminate it. The only way to lose belly fat (or any kind of fat) is to lose weight.
Aerobic exercises like running, swimming, cycling, and tennis are some of the best to help reduce body fat. But “any kind of exercise will help you keep the weight off more effectively than diet alone,” Jensen says.
The good news is that when you start losing weight, you tend to lose it in the midsection first. “Visceral fat is more metabolically active and can be broken down quicker than other fat,” Jensen says, “so it is usually the first to go, especially when you have a lot to lose.”
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of nutrition for WebMD. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.
Culled from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-beer-and-your-belly10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly - Health - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / 10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly (782 Views)
Why Do Most Nigerian Men Develop A Pot Belly Stomach So Early? / 4 Sure Fire Ways To Get Rid Of Mouth Odour / How To Treat And Cure A Scorpion Sting- 5 Natural Home Remedies You Must Know!! (1) (2) (3) (4)
(0) (Reply)
10 Easy Remedies You Can Use To Get Rid Of That Pot Belly by WellNewMe: 3:09pm On Nov 02, 2015
There was once a time in Nigeria where having a pot belly was once seen as a sign of prosperity, or least a sign that you were living a good life. However, it is now becoming an beauty issue for people, as the trend in urban centres show that the pot belly is no longer in.
Even more importantly is that having a pot belly can be dangerous for your health too. The visceral fat or the fat around your abdomen can lead to diabetes, heart diseases, stroke as well as dementia.
There a number of ways you can get rid of that pot belly, with controlling your food portions and exercising being the most recommended method. However choosing the right foods to complement your efforts is really essential. The right foods can help detox your liver and boost your metabolism so that your body can target belly fat. But before you hit the gym and run off to the supermarket, here are some really effective remedies you can try at home to lose belly fat.
1. Lemon Water
Lemon water helps to detoxify your liver and increases the production of enzymes by the liver which metabolize and burn fat. A simple glass of room temperature water with the juice from a lemon squeezed into it is all you need. For the best effect, do this in the morning, just after you get up and 30 minutes before you have a meal.
2. Fish Oils
Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (icosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and linolenic acid) which help in breaking down fat while reducing fat storage around your waistline. You can purchase fish oil capsules at any reliable pharmacy or online.
3. Ginger Tea
It is well known that ginger is a natural digestive aid but it is also a thermogenic agent. Thermogenic agents increase body temperature thus helping burn fat more effectively. A pot belly may be due to one of the various reasons like overeating, lack of exercise or stress. Ginger can aids in solving each of these issues. Ginger also suppresses the production of cortisol, which is a steroid hormone essential for energy regulation and mobilization. Rather eating raw ginger, it is now possible to have it as a tea. Two cups of ginger tea every day should be effective in helping get rid of that belly fat.
4. Garlic
Garlic is good for your cardiovascular system as it reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as blood levels of triglycerides apart from increasing good cholesterol. Garlic is also very useful when it comes to fighting fat in our bodies as garlic suppresses the process of making fat. For best effects, eat like 3 cloves of garlic a day or you could simply go with the tablets if that is not your thing.
5. Lean Meat
Protein makes your body burn fat when you eat it, more especially animal proteins. Thus, lean meats (meat with little or no fat) are the best calorie burning food. When you eat lean meat, you burn about 30 percent of the calories it contains within it just by digesting the food. It’s wise to include some protein in each of your meal. This can be lean chicken, beef, or pork, especially in dinner so that you burn most of the consumed calories through digestion at a time when your body’s metabolism is slower. Just don’t fry your lean meat as you would defeat the purpose.
6. Green Tea
Research shows that having 4 cups of green tea daily helped people lose more than three kilograms within a period of eight weeks. Green tea contains chemicals which have natural antioxidant with many therapeutic applications. They also help in boosting your metabolism.
7. Hot Peppers
Hot peppers contain capsaicin which boosts your body’s heat production and thus uses more energy or calorie. Studies have shown that when peppers are consumed daily, it reduces abdominal fat and improves fat oxidation. So spice up your foods with hot peppers to lose belly fat. For the brave, you can have peppers raw, cooked, dried, or in powdered form. Otherwise simply have it as freshly made pepper soup. The good thing about peppers is that you can add it to practically anything you eat such as soups, eggs, sauces, stew and meats.
8. Coconut Oil
The oil extracted from coconut has a unique combination of fatty acids which a positive effect on your metabolism. Coconut oil is high on medium chain triglycerides which are metabolized differently from long chain fatty acids. These fatty acids directly go to the liver from your digestive tract, where they are used in one of the two ways- either as energy or are converted into ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are used by cells in the body for energy production instead of glucose. This makes coconut oil an ideal replacement when going on a low carb diet.
Coconut oil is also a thermogenic and burns fat. Many studies have shown that medium chain fatty acids when compared to the similar amount of calories from other fats, can improve feeling of fullness. Thus you automatically reduce calorie intake.
But bear in mind, that coconut oil show be used in moderation, as excess use can actually make you put on weight. No more than 2 tablespoon a day has been shown to be most effective.
9. Sleep
It is important to get adequate sleep as a lack of sleep is one of the prominent causes for belly fat accumulation. When you don’t sleep, you crave for sugar and fatty foods. It also increases your cortisol hormone which makes you insensitive to insulin. As a result, you lose your body’s bio-rhythm and pile on the weight. It is recommended that you get about 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
10. Reduce or stop alcohol consumption
Alcohol is full of calories but when you consume alcohol you don’t feel full. Saving all your drinking for the weekend (binge drinking) in particular deposits fat around your waistline. It’s better not to have alcohol but if you can’t do that at least avoid binge drinking and also reduce the quantity and frequency of alcohol intake.
WellNewMe.com
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