NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2008
Start Saying Goodbye To Belly Fat
It's Unsightly, Unhealthy And Hard To Lose, But Prevention Magazine Editor Shares Secrets And Recipes For Shedding It
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The Flat Belly Diet
A recent survey found that many Americans feel that their problem area is their stomach, but now there's good news. Chris Wragge talks to Liz Vaccariello of Prevention Magazine "The Flat Belly Diet."
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In a recent survey, two-thirds of respondents said it's their stomach, and the jiggly belly fat that builds up as the years go by.
It's unattractive, potentially dangerous, and stubbornly tough to get rid of.
But the editors of Prevention magazine say they've found the science that can help end the scourge of belly fat.
The answers are in their new book, "The Flat Belly Diet" (to read an excerpt, click here.
On The Early Show's Saturday Edition, Prevention Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello discussed how belly fat harms your health, and how to lose those pounds around your middle.
BELLY FAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY SPECIFIC TYPE OF FAT. WHAT CAUSES "BELLY FAT"?
There are two types of belly fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous is the fat you see, the "inch you can pinch." And some subcutaneous fat is necessary (it keeps you warm in winter). Visceral fat is more hidden. It is dangerous, and difficult to lose. It's caused by a lot of things, including cortisol, a hormone produced when we're under stress. You can cut calories and exercise religiously, and still have visceral belly fat, and lots of it.
SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF YOUR READERS SAID THEIR BELLIES ARE THEIR LEAST FAVORITE BODY PART. BUT "BELLY FAT" IS MORE THAN UNSIGHTLY, IT CAN BE DANGEROUS. WHY?
Too much of both fats are dangerous. Too much subcutaneous fat is a visible sign of being overweight, or even obese, which we know creates a risk for many diseases. But visceral fat can be deadly. Because it is so close to your heart and your liver, it can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
BUT YOU SAY THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET RID OF IT, STARTING WITH A DIET HIGH IN "MUFAS." WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THIS WORKS?
"MUFAs" are monounsaturated fats. They live in oils, such as olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, and dark chocolate. We began to realize the benefits of "MUFAS" in 2007, when Spanish researchers published a study in the journal "Diabetes Care" that showed that eating a diet rich in MUFAs can help prevent weight gain in your belly. Researchers looked at three types of diets, one high in saturated fat, another high in carbs, and a third rich in "MUFAS," on patients with "abdominal fat distribution," or belly fat. Only the MUFA diet reduced the accumulation of belly fat, and, more specifically, visceral belly fat. And that prompted us to come up with this plan.
WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON RIGHT UPON US, YOU'VE BROUGHT SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW WE CAN USE "MUFAS," ALONG WITH SOME TIPS. YOU SAY, EAT FOUR 400-CALORIE MEALS PER DAY.
Yes. As we approach the holidays, you know we all start to say, there's no point in starting a diet now, with all the parties and dinners. But you can incorporate MUFAS into every meal, and I've brought along some examples of great recipes. You begin with "sassy water," containing ginger, cucumber, lemon and mint; it's much tastier than plain water. Then, for starters, delicious pumpkin bisque. Next, we have roasted potatoes with blue cheese and walnut butter. You don't have to give up the potatoes, but you add MUFAS to the dish with walnut butter. And then, dessert: chocolate drizzled popcorn with cashews. As long as you use dark chocolate, and add the cashews, you've got two MUFAS.
And you don't have to stay away from the Thanksgiving leftovers; try a Turkey and Avocado Cobb Salad. You should remember, never go more than four hours without eating. And, you can find ways of incorporating MUFAS into your meals.
You don't only have to eat MUFAS. For the holidays, you can add them to stuffing, cranberry sauce, all kinds of things.
Fighting Belly Fat:
BUT YOU ALSO SAY BELLY FAT IS ABOUT MORE THAN EATING, IT'S ABOUT STRESS,
AND YOU NEED TO CONTROL THAT.
Yes. When you're under stress, you produce a hormone called "cortisol," which turns into belly fat. Learning to control the stress in your life with take you a long way toward losing your belly fat.
AND YOU SAY, IT HELPS TO BUILD A SUPPORT GROUP AROUND YOU?
Seventy percent of people who've lost weight and kept it off say they have a strong social support group. So, get your friends to join you, or find an online support group.
FINALLY, YOU SAY FIND A WAY TO BEAT YOUR EMOTIONAL EATING.
If you're an emotional eater, you go straight for the sweets, or anything bad. Sometimes, it helps to keep a food diary, but don't only record what you've eaten, and how much. Record your feelings so you can identify why you eat what you do, and that will help break unhealthy habits.
FOR RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.
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"Eat four 400 calorie meals per day "
If you eat 1600 calories a day it doesn''t matter too much if they are all in one sitting or spread across the day. Calories are calories. With 1600 most people will indeed lose weight.
The next question is what are you going to eat to maintain a 1,500 calorie diet. Now that is the truly interesting question!
We would all be better off if you dieted on arsenic.
[Posted by helloall34 at 08:48 PM : Nov 01, 2008]
you may lose weight ... but the question is what weight have you lost ... fat or muscle?
it''s best to spread the intake throughout the day ... with each meal being a balanced intake of protein, carb and fat.
for many it''s going to be about the maintenance of blood sugar to maximize the utilization of ingested calories, and to minimize the conversion to fat. spreading the meals out and balancing the mix at each meal helps to regulate the blood sugar thoughout the day.
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Does this mean all of those dark chocolate peanut M&Ms I eat are good for me and I can lose my fat belly? ;-)
Posted by snarkysnark at 10:05 PM : Nov 02, 2008
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you''ll be p00ping like a well oiled machine
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by tejasdemo
November 3, 2008 6:51 PM PST
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See all 12 CommentsWe would all be better off if you dieted on arsenic.
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Posted by redhouse93 at 02:06 PM : Nov 03, 2008
Lol. Dont worry, she''s workin on it right now I''m sure. How''s it workin for you ? Keep downin those advils.