Belly fat is some of the most insidious fat in the human body. Along with being unsightly, it indicates that you are at risk for many chronic conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A low-calorie diet and exercise help reduce weight but may not be enough to specifically target belly fat. Making some specific nutrition changes to your diet can help accelerate the loss of midsection fat and increase your health.
Significance
The problem with excess belly fat is that it encases your internal organs and, as reported in a 2003 article in USA Today, scientists surmise it releases inflammatory molecules that cause disease in the body. High cholesterol, poor blood sugar control (a diabetes precursor) and high blood pressure all result form extra abdominal fat. Although the perfect waist size is unknown, it is clear that men with a belt size larger than 40 inches and women over 35 inches are particularly at risk. The good news is that belly fat is particularly responsive to weight loss efforts and may be the first weight to drop off when you begin a diet and exercise program.
Whole Grains
Some foods encourage your body to burn abdominal fat. Replacing whole grains for refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, white pasta and sugary baked goods, discourages your body from storing fat at your belly. A Pennsylvania State University Study published in a 2008 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that replacing refined grains with whole grains in a low-calorie diet led to significant weight loss, much of it in the belly region.
In addition to their belly-flattening properties, whole grains contain fiber, which helps you feel full longer and leads to dieting success. Stick to proper serving sizes of 1/2 cup and go for oatmeal for breakfast, brown rice for lunch and quinoa instead of white rice at dinner.
Mono-unsaturated Fats
Including more mono-unsaturated fats in your diet can also assist with the reduction of belly fat. A Spanish study reported in Diabetes Journal in 2007 found that these fats, which can be found in plant sources such as olives and nuts, help prevent central fat redistribution.
An Australian study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2003, found that substituting olive oil for saturated fat translated into a loss of body weight and belly fat, even when participants changed nothing else in their lifestyles.
Sunflower oil, safflower oil, olive oil and canola oil are naturally occurring oils rich in mono-unsaturated fats. Remember to keep track of your servings of oils and nuts because they are calorically dense--fat calories, even healthy ones, should make up no more than 30 percent of your total daily intake.
Bad Fats
Saturated and trans fats are the biggest offenders when it comes to belly fat. Reduce your intake of red meat, butter and palm oil to avoid saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that saturated fats make up no more than seven percent of your total daily fat calories. Trans fats---found in processed foods and fried fast foods---seem to encourage the body to store fat at the belly.
In the journal Obesity, a 2007 Wake Forest University study showed that monkeys fed trans fat gained significant weight and stored it at their midsection. The monkeys' diet was not calorically excessive, yet they still gained weight and intra-abdominal fat because of the trans fat. Scientists believe trans fats somehow impair insulin levels to encourage this result.
Considerations
Including exercise with good nutrition helps reduce belly fat as well. Go for at least 30 minutes of exercise five times per week and make it of the sweat-inducing, heart-pumping variety.
Try to eat breakfast every day to rev your metabolism first thing in the morning and prevent overeating later in the day. Snack on fruits and vegetables to help satiate you--these low-calorie foods can be eaten in abundance, satisfying your hunger and urge to eat without expanding your waistline.
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