4 Things Every Woman Should Avoid to Control Belly Fat

Here are four factors that contribute to belly fat and what you need to know about each one.

1. Stress

It's a fact that stress is not good for our body systems but many ladies do not know that it can fatten their bellies.  Stress produces excess cortisol that stores fat in the belly and the best control of this anomaly is by relaxing and catching fun.

2. Hormones

When our hormones (most especially oestrogen in women) are out of order, it degenerates into a lot of imbalances – one of which is abdominal fat.  To control this; take more fibre and indoles such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower which will add fatty acids to your diet and regulate your belly fat.

3. Diet

Every woman is advised to stay away from sugar or sweetened drinks, eating protein with every meal, and reducing the refined carbohydrates in her diet. She should also take cognisance of the macronutrients in her meal to contain

Carbohydrates – 25%,

Proteins – 40%, and

Fats – 35% as it will help burn the maximum amount of fat in the belly.

4. Insulin Resistance

Dr. Barry Sears, a leader in the field of anti-inflammatory nutrition and author of the Zone Diet book, says that excess belly fat is partially genetic but primarily driven by increased insulin resistance.

"Increased insulin resistance is a consequence of inflammation that disrupts the signalling between the insulin receptor and the interior of the cells," says Dr. Sears. "This results in visceral (belly fat) that is stored in all the wrong places and causes significant inflammation. Visceral fat accumulates with decreasing oestrogen levels. As oestrogen levels decrease, insulin levels increase and drives dietary fat into storage in the fat cells and prevent its release for energy production."

By reducing insulin resistance, stored fat will be burned as fuel for energy. In order to use stored fat for energy, you have to reduce your calorie intake to reduce diet-induced inflammation.