Are there really certain foods that help you blast belly fat? Recent research tells us that there are.
There’s really two sides to the issue of belly fat – some foods serve to promote belly fat gain, while others actually help to promote belly fat loss. So the secret to losing belly fat as a response to the right diet gets down to understanding the biology of why we gain belly fat in the first place.
Common sense would seem to dictate that the best way to lose belly fat would be to just eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid fattening fried foods, stop eating sugary, fat loaded deserts, and oh yeah, exercise.
There is a basic biological problem however and it’s related to both our primal past and the sad state of our current food supply.
Our body is predisposed to be very efficient as a fat storage engine. In ancient times food was often available only sporadically. To survive, our bodies evolved to be efficient at storing extra calories in the omentum in the form of fat. Then when no food was available, the food supply tucked away in the omentum could be called upon in times of scarcity, and all was well.
Fortunately, finding food today is not a problem. What is a problem is that our grocery shelves are lined with many foods that have had their nutrition removed only to be replaced with sugar, or fat, or artificial sweeteners. Its also loaded with soybean oil in one form or another. We can debate the health risk of consuming unfermented soy products, but one fact remains —
Soybeans are a goitrogen, and one of the things research has shown is that goitrogens can suppress the thyroid which could lead to weight gain. Vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are also goitrogens, but cooking these vegetables eliminates the problem – so just don’t eat these raw to avoid the effect. Unfortunately for soybean eaters, cooking has no effect on the goitrogen problem of soybeans.
To lose belly fat, avoid foods that are high in calories and the wrong kind of fat. Trans-fats and too many long chain saturated fats are bad – while medium chain saturated fats like coconut oil are better. Cook with extra virgin coconut oil in moderation since it takes heat without becoming a health risk (no cancer causing free radicals) – use olive oil at room temperature since high heat can make it unhealthy (releases cancer causing free radicals).
A final note about soy products – it’s often been said that if something is said long enough, and loud enough, it eventually becomes accepted as fact. Unfortunately the soy industry has done a tremendous job of convincing the majority of America that soy is good for you. With the exception of organic fermented products like miso, tempeh, and natto, soy is not a healthy food. You need to know that soy products in the US are BIG BUSINESS. Monsanto produces the genetically modified soybean seeds that can survive being sprayed by RoundUp, a very powerful herbicide made by Monsanto as well. Hardly a coincidence.
Sadly – most of us are oblivious, but If you really want to understand what’s going on with soy, I suggest you read The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food by Doctor Kaayla T. Daniel. I was able to borrow a copy from our library. It’s also available at Amazon. It makes a fascinating read – as a result I try to eat as little soy as humanly possible. It’s not easy, since as reported elsewhere, the number of products that contain GMO soy is truly staggering. Its actually replaced vegetable oil in most products – like high fructose corn syrup and sugar beets replacing sugar cane, soybean oil has become the go to oil for food manufacturers due to its relatively low cost.
The Role of Leptin – If you’ve watched Dr. Oz, you may have heard of leptin. Leptin is a hormone that helps to regulate your appetite and metabolism. Leptin resistance is the inability of the body to properly respond to leptin levels. This condition can result in more fat being stored in the body. According to Doctor Leo Galland, MD, the key to addressing leptin resistance is to reduce inflammation in the body. Some foods actually help to reduce inflammation (much of which exits at the cellular level and is not visible).
Dr Galland’s book The Fat Resistance Diet lists several foods that he calls Super Foods that help to control inflammation and thereby allow leptin to regain control. A sampling of these foods include blueberry juice, cherry juice, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, fruit like grapefruit, apples, blueberries, some fish and most vegetables. Avoid soy and soy products as much as possible. For a complete discussion of this important topic, you can read his book. If your town has a decent library, you may be able to borrow a copy. In any case, reducing the body’s inflammation is a cornerstone of good health. It may in fact be one of the underlying causes of much disease.
Another product running rampant on your grocer’s shelves is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Many health advocates are urging that we avoid it. Doctor Oz believes it’s one of the causes of the obesity problem in the US. HFCS is many times sweeter than sugar, much cheaper than cane sugar, so it helps to keep food costs down – unfortunately it’s not sugar and many researchers believe that the body really doesn’t know how to deal with it. As a result, it’s not processed by the body the way real sugar is and it winds up adding to your belly fat. If belly fat is an issue for you, it seems prudent to avoid this as much as possible too. Of course, like soybean oil, you will be amazed at how many products contain it. Start reading food labels and educate yourself about what’s really in the food you eat.
A word about fruit. Eat fruit in moderation – although it can contain many healthy antioxidants, it also contains fructose and simple sugars. If you eat too much fruit, those calories can lead to a belly fat increase. By eating foods that are high in nutrition and low in calories, you will naturally feel full if leptin resistance has been addressed, your belly fat will naturally be reduced. Eat eggs in moderation (if you have cholesterol issues, try eating just the whites), a good quality whey protein, and lean cuts of meat, fish and chicken that have been raised responsibly can also help you to control belly fat. Watch your carbohydrate intake and remember, portion control is key.
Chew your food slowly to help digest it and give your body time to let you know you have eaten enough and the belly fat will naturally be reduced. Moderate exercise including weight bearing exercise, fresh water, good sleep (7 to 9 hours), and a stress reduction program also help.
Remember that the food you eat effects you just as a medicine can. We all need to be advocates for our own health. Read labels, become informed, and question most of what the mass media in this county tells you about the foods you should be eating (and the drugs you should be taking). Powerful vested interests are paying for most of this – the revenue mass media derives from food and drug commercials controls most of what really should be called propaganda that is being disseminated. It’s naive to believe otherwise.
Need Help with Belly Fat Loss – This Free Trial Offer Can Help
