Follow these 6 golden rules to reduce belly fat

Belly fat is not just an ordinary layer of flab but something that surrounds your vital organs like heart, lungs, liver and which could trigger a host of diseases from diabetes, cardiac issues to breast cancer. Even people who have a normal weight and not considered obese, could bear the brunt of a big belly and suffer several health issues.

While one may feel it is inevitable to accumulate fat around waist as one grows old, taking it lightly could lead to disastrous consequences. Modifying your diet and adding more fibre and protein to it, reducing consumption of alcohol, shunning sugar, addressing your stress and increasing your physical activities are some of the lifestyle changes you could adopt for reducing belly fat, says Dietitian Garima Goyal.

High-fibre diet

Eat pulses, salads, fruits and vegetables to increase the intake of soluble fibre. Fibre makes the food convert to a viscous gel by absorbing water that delays the emptying of food from stomach and helps us feel fuller for longer. We tend to eat less on consuming a high fibre diet. Also, it decreases the amount of calories absorbed from food.

Avoid trans fats

The FDA has instructed the producers to ban the use of trans fat in their products. The packaged and processed foods are loaded with trans-fat. Read the food labels carefully, these health dangers are mentioned as ‘partially hydrogenated fats. It increases the abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and risk of heart diseases

Reduce alcohol intake

Excessive alcohol intake is known to increase the waist circumference. If you want to reduce your waistline, check your alcohol intake and if possible, abstain from it.

Eat more protein

Moderately growing the protein consumption is a powerful and sensible weight reduction strategy. Having protein can help increase satiety and increase body’s metabolic rate. It also promotes building up of greater muscle mass while decreasing the fats mass. Prefer lean meat and eggs, fish and legumes.

Address your stress

Stress triggers the production of cortisol in our body which is also known as the stress hormone. This hormone will increase the urge for food and promotes fat deposition. Minimise stress by doing activities you like and try to incorporate yoga and meditation in your routine.

Shun the sugar

Sugar has been related to weight problems since time immemorial. Sugar is essentially composed of glucose and fructose; this fructose has been known to cause many illnesses. Type 2 diabetes and fatty liver ailment also are the consequences.