A few more days to go and we as busy women will start caring about that Santa Belly that we acquired on Christmas Day. We tell ourselves, “Just one more week until New Year’s Day; then I’ll start doing what it takes to reduce my tummy fat.” Ladies, that sounds reeeeallll good; but do we really start on January 1st to do better, or is that always a “tomorrow”? Well, let’s make our “tomorrow” our “today”. Why put off ‘til tomorrow what we can do today? Reality is that our tummy is hanging over our pants today and will be tomorrow. The only way that will change is if we start TODAY. Trust me on this, ladies, it’s workable…even with the New Years meal on the radar.
Belly fat can make that nice Christmas outfit that you got from your sweetheart feel extra snug, but on a more serious note, when white adipose tissue (fat) expands in your abdomen working its way amongst your organs, it sets you up for some serious health problems. The type of fat that rests in your mid section can also stir up hormones that can affect the body’s production of insulin, thus, increasing your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. NO THANKS TO THESE? Then check out these tips to rid your body of excess “santa tummy”:
-Keep That Movement: The great thing about the type of fat that lies in the tummy area is that it dissolves fairly easily with aerobic exercise, running, riding your bike, or swimming…basically anything that gets the heart pumping faster…will have a great effect on that tummy fat over resistance training. There are studies that show that jogging a total of about 12 miles a week is enough to melt that Santa tummy.
-Overload the Protein in Your Diet: Protein is essential for a slimmer you. Do you know why protein really needs to be a major player on your plate? Ladies, as we age, our bodies start to produce more insulin. Insulin promotes fat storage, and for some reason, the tummy likes to be the primary storage facility. A diet high in protein may help protect you against insulin resistance. Try decorating your food plate with 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat and watch that Santa tummy start to disappear.
-Add Vinegar and Polyunsaturated Fat: Add these two ingredients to your daily eating routine. Instead of having cake, beef, and pork, try nuts, seeds, and fish. These are high in polyunsaturated fats, as opposed to the latter, which carries a lot of saturated fat which feeds visceral fat…type of fat that makes us appear to have a Santa tummy. There are studies that indicate that obese ladies who consumed a tablespoon or two of vinegar daily for eight weeks show a significant decrease in body fat, particular in the tummy area (you men folk can benefit from this too)
-Eat More Fiber: It’s been proven that women who increased their soluble fiber intake by 10 grams a day (about 2 small apples, one cup of green peas, and a half-cup of pinto beans) reduce visceral fat by between 3 and 4 percent in five years…yes, good looks take time.
So, ladies, yes, the Santa tummy may have won the little Christmas battle but we, busy ladies, will win the 2017 tummy fat war. Let’s start today and apply these 4 points into your New Year’s weekend celebration. Don’t put a good thing off. It’s never a “good time” to start any good task. A friend once told me, “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it”…CARRY ON and have a great New Year’s day.