Keys To Losing Belly Fat

Having a substantial amount of belly fat is a harbinger of cardiovascular disease, including risk of stroke and dementia.

Here are some of the most effective ways of improving metabolic health to reduce belly fat at any age :

1. Eat slowly.

Testing with continuous glucose monitors shows that eating the same meal at the same time on different days will cause less of a spike in blood sugar while eating slowly vs. eating quickly.

Effective ways to promote slow eating are to mindfully chew all foods until liquid and to practice gratitude for each mouthful of food.

2. Eat foods in the following order:

A) Non-starchy, fibrous vegetables first, foods like typical salad vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

B) Foods that are primarily rich in protein (fish, beef, chicken, etc.) and/or healthy fats (eggs, avocados, etc.).

C) Foods that are rich in starch (rice, potatoes, etc.) and natural sugars (fruit, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets).

By occupying our stomach and the first third of our small intestine with fiber, protein, and fat-rich foods first, we create a matrix of material that soaks up sugar and slows the pace at which it enters our bloodstream.

3. Do daily strength work.

Exercise that stimulates our largest muscle groups before having a substantial meal is always helpful in keeping our blood sugar within a healthy range, as our largest muscles act as reservoirs that soak up excess sugar from our bloodstream.

Ideally, you want to do strength work before eating any substantial meal. This can mean a full workout or even a set or two of body weight squats or pushups.

4. Go for a walk after meals.

Doing so creates natural demand within our skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle fibers to use up glucose.

5. Prioritize getting restful sleep.

Getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep for every 24 hour period is essential to supporting optimal endocrine system health, and is therefore critical to avoiding metabolic disease.

6. Practice gratitude.

Specifically, when we regularly give thanks for our body and its abilities, we stay acutely aware of how important each of our daily choices are. Living with gratitude naturally aligns with choosing healthy foods, not overeating, and being active, all habits that create a reflexive loop that keeps us metabolically healthy.