Visceral Fat...AKA...Belly Fat

We have been told to eat a low-fat diet for centuries, however, it turns out the real fat we need to avoid is Visceral Fat and we don’t get visceral fat from fat, but from sugar, processed foods, fast foods, and simple carbs like white flour.

So you may be asking yourself what is visceral fat?

Visceral fat wraps around your abdominal organs deep inside your body. You can’t always feel it or see it and when it comes to visceral fat there’s good and bad news. Good news first, visceral fat is considered easier to shift than other body fat. The bad news is that visceral fat raises your risk for serious medical issues such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

How do you know if you have visceral fat? Here is an easy way to get a rough estimate. Wrap a tape measure around your waist over your belly button (don’t’ suck in your tummy). Women should not measure more than 35 inches and if you are of Asian descent the benchmark for women is 31.5 inches. In men no more than 40 inches and of Asian descent no more than 35.5 inches.

What can I do to reduce my Visceral fat?

Change your diet

It is really easy to gain visceral fat fast from a diet of sugary drinks, alcohol, and high empty calorie intake from processed and fast food. If choosing fruit eat the raw fruit rather than excessive juice intake and make sure you have a balanced diet. Do not rely on quick sugar fixes for energy. Complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality protein will provide you with more energy than a "quick sugar fix" that will just have you coming back for more.

Focus on cardio

When it comes to your stomach aerobic exercise has the biggest effect on both visceral and liver fat. Try and move at least 3 or 4 days a week for 30 to 40 minutes.

Don’t forget to eat fiber

We recommend 20 - 30 g of soluble fiber every day for optimal results. However, research has found that eating 10g of soluble fiber a day can result in a 3.7 percent reduction in visceral fat over five years. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like consistency when it reaches your tummy and, helps keep you full. The best sources for soluble fiber are chia seeds, flax seeds, grains like oats and rye, fruit such as apples, blueberries, and raspberries.

Eat healthy fats

It's well documented that the type of fat you eat is as important as the amount of fat you eat – healthy fats can benefit everything from brain function to waist size. Research has also found that adding healthy fats leads to lower central fat distribution, as well as a decrease in insulin resistance.

Avoid Unhealthy fats or trans-fats or what we like to call the "bad guys" as they have a negative impact on your tummy. Research has found that a diet high in trans-fats doesn’t just contribute to overall belly fat, it also helps to shift fat from other areas to the belly.

We all need to reduce our trans-fat intake by avoiding products that contain partially hydrogenated fat or oil. This includes processed foods such as bread, crackers, and cakes; margarine or vegetable oils that have been heated to very high temperatures for frying.

We need to increase our healthy fats or the "good guys" which can be found in avocados, olive, avocado and sunflower oil, and most nuts.

Get a good night’s sleep Researchers found that participants who averaged fewer than five hours of shut-eye a night gained more abdominal fat over five years than those who averaged six hours or more. The take-home message? Get more sleep.

Reduce Stress

Cortisol, the stress hormone is a great driver for making us hang onto fat around the central area so possibly also our visceral fat. Reduce stress levels by lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and meditation.

Try a Probiotic

Some studies show that certain probiotics can help you lose weight and visceral fat. Besides taking a supplement you can find probiotics in foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut.

Take away message: Visceral fat is incredibly harmful and may increase your risk of chronic diseases. By simply following the strategies above you can help reduce visceral fat, and even though you can’t see it, losing that visceral fat could do wonders for your future health and wellbeing.