Sunday, February 26, 2012

Eliminate Belly Fat - 5 Things You Must Know!

Anyone who has experienced weight gain around their stomach has probably wanted to know how to eliminate belly fat. Belly fat or visceral fat is a condition that affects a large number of people. It can show up at any time in life. Many middle aged people can experience this due to the slowing down of their metabolism but it can also show up in young children and young adults. It is mainly caused by overeating and/or a sedentary lifestyle. It is fat deposits that build up around internal organs of the stomach (dangerous) area as opposed to fat build up under the skin or around muscle tissue.
Is visceral fat affecting you? If you are a female and have a waist size of 35 inches or larger or you are a male with a waist size of 40 inches or larger, you may be experiencing visceral fat buildup around your waist. The following items discussing belly fat should be understood and used as a guideline to getting on the right track to health. Use this information as a tool to evaluate and improve your physical fitness.

Item number 1.
Abdominal fat has long been associated with higher risks of heart disease. It has also been linked to hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Intra-abdominal fat (visceral fat) has a strong link to cardiovascular disease. This information is not mentioned to scare you but to inform you of the potential dangers of abdominal fat.

Item number 2.
Crunches or sit-ups do very little to help reduce the fat round the waist. When performing exercises that concentrate on a specific muscle group (abdominal muscles as an example), this muscle group will strengthen but the fat around this area will not likely be affected or will be affected very little.

Item number 3.
Aerobic exercise is a major key  to eliminating belly fat. Aerobic exercise is the type of exercise which increases the oxygen consumption in the body. By doing this, the oxygen in the blood is increased, the heart muscle is strengthened and enlarged and the muscles used for respiration are strengthened. Along with this, the body's muscles use excess fat during exercise.

Item number 4.
One must always consider a healthy diet as a main ingredient to maintaining a slim waistline. What is a healthy diet? Stay away from saturated fats (fats in solid form) and trans-fatty acids. Reduce your intake of salts and sugars. Try to utilize nuts, grains, seeds, beans, fruits and vegetables in as many meals as you can.

Item number 5.
Eat 4 to 5 small meals throughout the day rather than 3 large meals. Your body will metabolize the foods much easier with smaller meals and you won't be tempted to overeat because you won't be as hungry. Make sure your last meal of the day is completed 3 hours before bed time. This gives the body enough time to metabolize the food and reduces the amount of food in your stomach when it is time to sleep.
I hope these items helped you gain an understanding of belly fat and how to eliminate it. I wish you the best in all your endeavors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2598928

Monday, February 6, 2012

How to Remove Tummy Fat Fast

In this fast moving world one has got lots of automated machines to do the daily household works. This reduces our physical movement and our rate of metabolism. Due to this nowadays there are many people complaining about the problem of obesity and are prone to heart disease. The excess amount of fat that are not burnt by the physical process of our body gets stored in the adipose tissue as a thick layer underneath it. The excess amount of fat mainly deposits in the belly region and it goes on accumulating. A fat stomach is unhealthy and everyone who doesn't care about the body mass index is at the risk of facing serious health problems. Experts' views suggest that abdominal fat (belly fat) can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol.
Some tips to reduce belly fat
People ask how to reduce belly fats and one of the effective processes for this is the use of abdominal workouts to reduce the fat deposit in the belly region. One should follow healthy diet which contains less fatty foods and have optimum amount of calories required by our body. The diet should be designed in such a way that one should intake a good quantity of wholesome food that energizes your body and increases the rate of metabolism. Following a proper exercise routine helps one to prevent the deposition of excess fat around the abdomen. The best program to reduce belly fat is to combine a schedule that has a good and healthy diet and good exercise routines that includes aerobics exercires. People are not advised to take any pills for the weight loss as pills can be dangerous as it causes side effects to your body.
Here there are some practical tips to reduce the belly fat:
1. Resistance training
It has been proven scientifically that resistance training can help you to reduce the fat levels. It is based on the simple fact that the more amounts of calories are burnt by muscles for their development. The more you increase the rate of metabolism, the more you burn the calories and more leaner you become. The increased rate of metabolism helps one to burn the accumulated excess fat in our body and help us in attaining a better physique.
2. Cardio training
This type of training activities stress upon simple practices like walking every day, whether you choose to do it in tread mill or by walking around your locality. It may sound simple but it is one of the best exercises to reduce fat. Try to walk at least 30 minutes a day preferably in morning. During weekends involve yourselves in some sports activity to keep you fresh and healthy and also to lose the excess belly fat.
The above mentioned routines for reducing belly fat are very easy to follow and the change in the physique is a slow and gradual process. More of physical movement can be achieved sometimes if we shed our convenience of machines and do the work in the hard physical way. Device a healthy exercise routine to keep yourself fit. Any physical exercises that pump up your veins and lots of sweat secreted by your body are good for health and it helps in reducing the belly fat.
Don't lose your muscle mass/ water weight while losing belly fat. How to avoid the mistake which most people are not even aware of?
Healthy and permanent way to lose belly fat <- Click here to read my most popular and most informative article which discusses one of the most popular myth which 90% of the people are not even aware of. Don't do the same mistake which is done by everyone else.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2437689

Monday, January 16, 2012

Lose Beer Belly Fat Fast - Healthy Weight Loss Tips

Beer Belly Fat Has Nowhere To Hide
Get rid or lose beer belly fat or the beer gut, as nothing can hide it, not even "cleverly cut" outfits. You can camouflage a bad haircut with a wig. You can hide your terrible eyesight behind contact lenses. You can cover a bald head with a toupee. But beer belly fat? It's out there for all the world to see!

How to Eliminate Stubborn Beer Belly Fat Fast
First off, change your drinking habits. Besides, in a social setting you are apt to enjoy the company of your friends even more when you drink in moderation.
Drinking in moderation is defined by the US Dept. of Health to mean no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. One drink is either a bottle of beer (12 oz.), one glass of wine (5 oz.) or one shot of liquor (1.5oz).
The next step is no big secret: Eat foods with less fat and calories, and reduce the portions.
Increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables (preferably green) and raw nuts. Since nutrients are partly embedded under the skin in most fruits, eat them with the skin whenever possible.
When having meat, make it unprocessed meat and remove the fat. Focus on consuming lean protein which is commonly defined as meat with no more than 55 calories and 2-3 grams of fat per serving.
Lastly, and not surprisingly, you must perform the correct exercises to further accelerate abdominal fat loss.
Performing crunches and using abs machines have been found to be utterly useless in losing stomach fat. These only work the abdominal muscles, but do absolutely nothing to burn stubborn abdominal fat!

Why Must You Lose the Beer Belly Fat Fast Now?
According to a study by Dr. Xiang Gao of the Harvard School of Public Health, "central obesity" (aka beer belly fat) is associated with a 60% higher risk of having Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). This is a sleep disorder where an individual feels discomfort in the legs, and the only way to relieve the discomfort is to move the legs frequently.
And then there's the back pain problem. Due to the excess weight in the stomach area, the body is now being pushed forward causing chronic lower back pain.

Want to Know More?
Are you going to continue to carry that unhealthy beer belly fat around, or do you want to be healthy and attractive now?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2315165

Friday, January 6, 2012

Obesity - Natural Remedies

Obesity or Weight Gain is a leading health problem in the world and it is associated with many serious diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, fatty liver syndrome, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and many other metabolic disorders. Obesity leads to increased body mass index (BMI), which increases the risk of several cancers like breast, renal, gallbladder, leukemia and prostate cancer. Weight loss can delay or prevent some of these diseases.
The main cause of Obesity is due to consumption of too much of fat enriched foods and not having enough physical activity to burn off the excess calories consumed. Mental and Emotional Imbalance such as stress and anxiety, also sometimes leads to obesity. Hormonal imbalances, hypothyroidism and even some medicines like birth control pills or anti-depressants causes weight gain. By correcting these imbalances, by lifestyle changes like increasing physical activity and decreasing calorie intake we can prevent obesity. The most commonly used methods for weight loss includes surgeries (Bariatric surgery, liposuction or modern endoscopy) or the use of drugs (orlistat, sibutramine and Xenical), these methods reduce appetite and inhibit fat absorption. However, all of these treatments have serious side-effects like increased blood pressure, headache, constipation, insomnia and psychological problems. These results lead to the research on natural weight management ingredients, some of the well-studied natural agents are as follows
Ginseng: It is used in the preparation of teas, and the root is used in capsules and powders. Ginsenosides are active compounds that are found in saponins, in the roots of the plant. Saponins from this plant inhibit pancreatic lipase activity, inhibit the increase of plasma triacylglycerol, increases insulin secretion. It lowers sugar levels, decreases fasting blood glucose and HbA1c, improves glucose clearance and reduces body weight.
Hoodia: products are sold in various forms like capsules, tea, protein shakes, syrups and diet fruit bars. Steroid glycosides (H.g.-12 and H.g.-20) reduce food intake and body weight. H.g.-12 increases cholecystokinin release from the intestine, through the activation of TAS2R7 and TAS2R14 receptor in the and there by inhibiting the food intake.
Coltsfoot: Flower buds of Coltsfoot have suppressive activity on DGAT1, a key enzyme in triglyceride synthesis, a proposed drug target for treating type II diabetes and obesity.
European ash: European ash seed extract helps in weight reduction by reducing fasting blood glucose levels and plasma insulin levels. Demonstrate the anti-obesity effects by controlling glucose and insulin levels. It also protects against obesity linked fatty liver syndrome.
Elderberries: Elderberry juice enriched with flower extract is commonly recommended for weight reduction. The body weight, blood pressure, the quality of life had considerably improved. The efficiency and acceptability of the Elderberry treatment is very good.
Green Tea: The Polyphenols present in Green tea extract decrease lipid levels in the blood and increases lipid homeostasis by effecting fatty acid synthase expression. It decreases insulin, serum TG, leptin and cholesterol levels.
Gymnema: The leaf extract, mainly contains a peptide called 'Gurmarin', which has the ability to inhibit the sweet taste sensation. Gymnema extracts reduces sugar levels by mechanisms like decreasing absorption of glucose in the small intestine, by enhancing glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glucogen synthesis and stimulation of insulin production from islets of Langerhans. It also helps in significant decrease of fat digestibility. It can be used to treat obesity and to reduce cholesterol levels.
Fenugreek: The ratio of fat reported energy intake to total energy expenditure is lowered fenugreek seed extract. It decreases insulin and glucose ratio. The repeated intake of a fenugreek seed extract reduces dietary fat consumption.
Bitter orange: Bitter orange extract has p-synephrine which is commonly used in weight management and weight loss. It lowers the blood glucose levels and increases the level of glutathione (GSH). Bitter orange sometimes increases blood pressure, heart rate or causes abnormal heart beat.
Garlic: It decreases body weight and reduces blood triglyceride and glucose levels. It helps in the management of obesity and associated metabolic syndromes via suppression of lipid levels. It reduces lipid accumulation in fatty livers by suppression of enzymes expression, which is involved in lipid metabolism.
Garcinia cambogia: Garcinia extract reduces the body weight gain, visceral fat buildup, blood and hepatic lipid levels, and plasma insulin and leptin levels. It can inhibit the high fat diet stimulated changes in the expression pattern of epididymal adipose tissue genes. It has positive effect high fat diet induced obesity.
White Bean: White bean extract is a starch blocker, it inhibits the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugar and helps in preventing the weight gain.
These natural supplements were found to be effective in the weight management. They control weight gain by lowering blood sugar levels, Low-density lipoproteins, total cholesterol, serum leptin, triglycerides levels and by increasing high-density lipoprotein levels and excretion of urinary fat metabolites. The natural products are effective, less expensive and safe for weight reduction. By using Natural products you are not exposed to the adverse side effects of weight loss pills and better than crash dieting, which is harmful to your body. How ever the scientific evidences are still incomplete for most of the plant products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6878082

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How Does Someone End Up Obese? Top 10 Causes

Obesity is a complex health problem for which there is not a single cure or a single cause. Obesity is influenced by a number of factors. Here are the top 10 causes.
  1. Lack of energy balance - In most cases, obesity is caused by lack of energy balance. In order to maintain weight, it is important that a person burns the same amount of calorie that he has consumed. However, to be able to lose weight, a person has to burn more calories than he has consumed. It is very important to keep a balance between the amount that has been taken in and the amount that has been taken out. If you have taken in more than you are able to take out, you are at a serious risk of*gaining weight and ending up being obese.
  2. Lethargy - Today, most of the American population lead an active lifestyle. This is another major cause of obesity in USA. These days, instead of walking to the nearby shop, most people take their cars. Instead of using the stairs, they take the elevator. All these things make people's lifestyle inactive which leads to health problems including obesity.
  3. Environmental factors - The environment we live in today does not support healthy living. Some examples include lack of affordable gyms, not having enough area for sidewalks, parks, busy work schedules, oversized food portions, lack of healthy food options, etc.
  4. Family History - Genes play an important role on the weight of a person. As a matter of fact, certain health conditions including obesity tends to run in families. If your family has a history of being overweight, chances are that you may be obese as well.
  5. Health conditions - Hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause obesity.
  6. Medicines - There are certain types of medicines that can cause obesity. These include antidepressants, seizure medicines, etc.
  7. Sleep deprivation - If you are deprived of sleep, there are chances of you becoming overweight. According to studies, it has been found that a person who sleeps less prefers eating unhealthy food or foods which are high in carbohydrates and calories. This can lead to overeating and as a result weight gain.
  8. Stress - Stress causes a number of health problems including being overweight. When people are stressed or angry, they tend to eat more and this can lead to overeating and obesity.
  9. Quit Smoking - When people quit smoking, their metabolic rate decreases. When this happens, their body is unable to burn calories faster and it can lead to gaining more weight.
  10. Pregnancy - Many women gain weight during pregnancy and find it difficult to lose weight after giving birth. This can lead to being overweight, especially if you have given birth few times. 
If you believe in fitness and living in harmony with the nature, then you must know the various Greek yogurt benefits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6905241

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Asking "How Can I Lose Weight" - 3 Easy Steps for Long Term Weight Loss

Are you asking yourself how can I lose weight? If so, you're not alone. Millions of people are asking that same question... the solution may be easier than you think. Although you may find that hard to believe, especially, if you've been trying tirelessly for years... believe me I know the feeling.
I kept yo-yoing until recently when I ran across this information that I'm going to share with you. SO GET EXCITED, because you are in the process to learn the secrets to permanent weight loss. Now while some people would have you to believe that to lose weight is an enormous task, it doesn't 'have to be. And further more, you don't need a complicated diet plan, a personal trainer, or expensive supplements to drop those few extra pounds
Below are the 3 major concerns that will help you change your mantra from "how can I lose weight" to... "I've loss 15-20 pounds."
Read on...
Drink Plenty of Water
Most people overlook the obvious. And water is just that. Water is often overlooked in most nutritional plans.
But this element is crucial for weight loss and allows proper health. Water helps stabilize stored fat and fight-off excess fat and toxins. It also prevent bloating and helps with the elimination process. In addition, it helps curb your appetite. Keeping in mind, the more water ynu drink the less food you eat. Most people actually do under-estimate how much water they really need.
So if you're still asking that proverbial question how can i lose weight, here's another question you should add; 'how much water do i drink a day? Here's how to determine the amount of water that you need to drink based on your weight. Explained is an easy way to calculate, let's say that you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink a minimum of 90 ounces of water daily, that's 1/2 of your body weight.
Nutritious Eating
Eating a healthy diet will keep your system operating properly so you burn fat more adequately.
If your eating plan lacks any of the listed nutrients, then you aren't eating nutritious enough.
- carbohydrates
- protein
- minerals
- vitamins
- and healthy fats
To ensure you get adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, incorporate a variety of healthy, one ingredient foods to your diet like:
- eggs, whole eggs not just egg whites
- raw nuts, mostly any kind, but some are better than others
- vegetables, yes mother was right, eat your veggies
- beans, yes beans are a great source of protein
- lean meats, lean meats makes you slim and lean
- and fruits, remember fruit adds fiber which helps with the removal process.
Make Time To Exercise
When you start to eat healthy, you'll instantly reduce the about of calories you eat and you'll start to lose weight. However, unless you add exercise to the game-plan, your metabolism will eventually slow down and ultimately reduce your ability to burn fat. Regardless to popular belief, there's no way to target specific areas for fat loss.
To burn fat, add thirty to sixty minutes of high intensity cardiovascular activity with a balance healthy diet, and watch as the fat around your belly melt like butter. A few exercises that will help: I.e. zumba, rugby, basketball. If you're out of shape, doing a 30 to 60 minute workout may be too much at first. However, if 30 minutes is too much, start off with what you can do. Then of course, work your way up as you lose weight and gain more energy.
Don't try to change all at once. Start by making small changes. Initially, you can add eating more fruits and veggies, increase your water intake and incorporate a few minutes of exercise 3-4 days a week. Believe me, once you consistently make these adjustments, you won't be asking that forbidden question any longer, that is "how can I lose weight, the answer will be as clear as the numbers on your scale.
Keep in mind, wishing, hoping and praying alone won't help, however, it's easier when you know which foods stored fat and which ones burn fat and how to exercise for only 15 minutes and still burn fat and calories. Go here for your shortcut to quick, easy weight loss. Good Luck!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6911746

Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Risks of Excessive Abdominal Fat

The Truth About Abdominal Fat
Abdominal fat is nothing to mess around with. Studies have proven that men and women with excessive abdominal fat are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer, which will likely lead to an early death. "Beer bellies" and "muffin tops" are just as significant of a risk factor as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or having high cholesterol.
Women typically store fat in their butt and hips, while men tend to store it in their abdominal area, putting men at a greater risk. Specifically, women with waists larger than 35 inches and men with waists 40 inches or more, are about twice as likely to die prematurely of heart disease or cancer.
Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat
Visceral Fat is the fat around your internal organs, while subcutaneous fat is that annoying fat covering up that six pack. While most everyone hates their subcutaneous fat, that is not the kind you need to be most concerned with. The fact is that visceral fat is more closely linked with health problems than obesity in general. Because visceral fat is so much closer to the intestines, it is easily absorbed into the blood stream, which often ends up clogging the coronary arteries. Clogged arteries can lead to hypertension, diabetes, and many other metabolic problems.
How to tell if you have too much belly fat?
People who gain belly fat are at greater risk of serious health problems, even death, than are people who accumulate fat in other areas. Since men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist, they should not take their measurements lightly.
Your waist size alone can give you a good estimate of whether or not you have too much belly fat. All you need is a tape measure. To measure your waist:
1. Place a tape measure around your abdomen just above your hipbone.
2. Pull the tape measure until it fits snuggly around you but is not pushing into your skin.
3. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
4. Do not suck in your belly!
If you are a women and your abdomen measurement is >35 inches, or if you're a man with a measurement >40 inches, you may be at risk of developing the following:
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Stroke
  • Some types of cancer
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Insulin resistance
  • High triglycerides
  • Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Sleep apnea
How to Reduce Belly Fat (Diet and Exercise)
Belly fat can be reduced substantially by eating whole grain products rather than refined, due to the fact that whole grains have more volume and fewer calories that keep you satisfied longer. Studies have shown that whole grains "reduce blood sugar levels after a meal because they take longer to digest." Basically, replacing refined grains with whole grains as part of a balanced diet is not only beneficial to your cardiovascular health, but can help you lose abdominal fat as well.
Another way to reduce belly fat is to train the whole body. Spot reduction does not work, so don't waste your time doing a million sit-ups. Strength training and aerobics improve insulin sensitivity and burn calories, which helps to get rid of fat all over the body, including visceral fat. The really good news is that visceral fat is usually the first to go, however, that also means that subcutaneous fat may hang around a little while longer. But don't think that exercise isn't doing a thing for you if your six pack isn't showing; getting rid of that visceral fat will help improve your overall health and may just save your life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6905555