Proven Ways to Remove Visceral Fat, Say Experts
"Visceral fat is the most dangerous kind of fat," says best-selling health expert David Zinczenko, who has written about the scourge extensively in books like Zero Sugar Diet and the Eat This, Not That! Series. "Because it's ensconced inside your belly. I've called it a 'parasite' living inside you for good reason: it wraps around your organs, which can activate your fat cells and also cause inflammation. This impact can seriously increase your chances of any number of diseases, from diabetes to heart problems." Not to mention, it can make your gut stick out, in an unsightly manner. So, how to remove your visceral fat? Read on for 6 go-to tips proven to work—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.
1. You've Got to Distress
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"In a British study published in the journal Obesity, in 2017, researchers took a lock of hair from 2,527 men and women age 54 and older and found that people who had higher levels of cortisol present in their hair tended to have larger waist circumference measurements, were heavier, and had a higher body mass index (BMI). Ultimately, they found that chronic stress is associated with higher levels of obesity and that the stress hormone cortisol plays an important role in metabolism and determining where fat is stored," says Zinczenko. "Meanwhile, another study, published in 2016 in the journal Scientific Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, made an equally stunning case for a straight-line connection between your metabolism and your body's stress response."
"Chronic stress can lead to dietary over-consumption, increased visceral adiposity, and weight gain," the researchers, from the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, write in the report. "Cortisol directly affects fat storage and weight gain in stressed individuals," write researchers from the University of New Mexico. "And not only that, they write, but heightened cortisol directly impacts your visceral fat—to you and me, that's your belly fat," says Zinczenko.
2. Try Some HIIT
"You've probably heard of the term 'high-intensity interval training' (HIIT) before," says Zinczenko. "At its most basic, it means doing short bursts of really intense exercise—like throwing ropes at the gym, doing all-out sprints (on foot or on a bike), performing Burpees or mountain climbers, trying the Versa Climber at your gym, or anything else that is really, really hard, you can only perform for a relatively short amount of time—and then resting for a brief period of time (like, say, five or ten seconds) and then going at it again." "This places a high metabolic demand on the body, burns lots of calories in a short amount of time, produces a high post-workout calorie burn, and helps to improve one's fitness level," explains Kathleen Trotter, personal trainer and author of Finding Your Fit. "Plus, intervals are a fantastic workout regardless of your fitness level; you adapt the interval intensity to fit your current capacity."
3. Don't Skip the Egg Yolks
"Although it's true that egg whites are low in calories, fat free, and contain most of the protein found in an egg, eating the entire egg is beneficial to your metabolism," says Zinczenko. "The yolk contains fat-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids and—most significantly— the B-vitamin choline, a powerful compound that attacks the gene mechanism that triggers your body to store fat around your liver. Choline deficiency is linked directly to the genes that cause visceral fat accumulation, particularly in the liver. Yet according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, only a small percentage of all Americans eat daily diets that meet the U.S. Institute of Medicine's Adequate Intake of 425 mg for women and 550 mg for men."
4. Enjoy These Visceral Fat-Blasting Foods
"A recent study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years," says Zinczenko. Vinegar has benefits, too. "Great on salad — and now shown to 'switch on' genes that release proteins which break down fat. In a study of 175 overweight Japanese men and women, researchers found that participants who drank 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily for 12 weeks significantly lowered their body weight, BMI, visceral fat and waist circumference." Also: "Slightly green bananas are rich in something called resistant starch. This type of starch not only boosts satiety, but also–as the name implies– resists digestion. The result: the body has to work harder to digest the food, which promotes fat oxidation and reduces abdominal fat."
5. Keep Cool
"Heat up your fuel-burning by keeping things cool at home. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals that exposure to temperatures between 60 and 61 degrees over a 10-day period saw significant increases in healthy brown adipose tissue, the kind that can increase metabolism and burn dangerous visceral fat," says Zinczenko.
6. Get Your Sleep. Lack of it Increases Your Fat
Researchers published the findings of a five-year study of the sleep cycles of 13,742 participants in the journal Obesity, which found that there is a direct correlation between sleep duration and waist circumference (and body mass). Compared to participants who reported sleeping 7-9 hours a night, the researchers concluded, short sleepers [or those who log less than six hours of sleep per night] were more likely to be obese and have abdominal obesity." Go get that rest, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
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