Top 5 Reasons Why Your Belly Fat Increases

Most of us dream to have a flat belly or ‘six-pack abs’; but sadly the reality is different, as prominent Indian population has a bulging belly. The biggest reason behind is the sedentary lifestyle which we live owing to numerous demands that surround us, like the 9 hour jobs involving sitting continously at one place, etc. and these end up causing numerous diseases, conditions and also resulting into a bloated belly. Your arms, legs may be in the right shape but, a bloated belly not only damage your personality but also, severely affects your health. Despite of all the consequences it may lead, we still, manage to ignore it until some health problem arise. Moreover, even the fat around our waist is more dangerous than, being overweight. This is mainly because fat which accumulates around your belly can even increase your risk to heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer too. Hence, reducing your waistline is the first step towards experiencing healthy living and opting for periodical complete health checkup is the second for early detection of health problems due to bulging belly.  

All of us have belly fat, yes you read it correct. Even the ones with abs have belly fat but, below the permissible limits. Protruding of tummy is commonly found in middle age individuals, especially women who have been pregnant or men with a habit of heavy intake of alcohol. But, beyond understanding the age group with high risk of developing a round middle, it is also important to understand the reasons behind it and what you can do to avoid it! The secret behind reducing excess of belly fat lies out of reach, beneath our abdominal wall, and are known as visceral fats. Surprisingly, it comprises only 10% of total body fat and the rest 90% is subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat covers vital organs like liver, pancreas and intestine in order to act as a cushion for these organs. 

So, now the biggest question in front of you must be exactly what causes this visceral fat to increase beyond the permissible limits. Here are top 5 reasons your belly fat increases: 

1. Diet: 
What you eat, will definitely affect your heartbeat. Strange but very true that, diet alone plays 80% role in maintaining of everyday health. So, eating junk food, foods which are comprised of high fat and sugar is the biggest reason behind your extra belly fat. Hence, high sugar containing foods such as cakes, candies, muffins and flavoured beverages such as soft drinks, sweet tea and artificially sweetener & preservative added juices are a big NO to prevent bloated belly. Also, incorporating lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet becomes essential. 

2. Alcohol & Beer belly: 
You must have observed those who consume alcohol frequently tend to have bloated belly. This is because alcohol slows downs your metabolic rate leading to burning of lesser calories. And thus, excess calories from alcohol are stored in the form of belly fats called as ‘beer belly’. 

3. Genes:                                        
Your genes can also be responsible for the bulging belly. One of the factors responsible for increasing the paunch is if it is running in your family. According to family tree your body shape tends to become either apple-shaped or pear-shaped. Most of the men tend to have an apple shaped body type which can be inherited from the parents. 

4. Stress: 
Cortisol is a ‘stress hormone’ which is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stressful situations. If it is produced in excess due to recurrent stress, it leads to weight gain in the abdominal region. This is mainly because, cortisol hormones sends chemical messages to the brain to store more calories to fight against stress.  

5. Gut Health:
Any imbalance in gut micro flora hampers gut health and indirectly affects the immune system too. Numerous types of bacteria live in our gut, with some being helpful while others being harmful. Any imbalance in these gut micro flora can lead to abdominal fat deposition. 

Now that you are aware of the reasons for increase in your belly fat, ensure to take extra precautions and start implementing remedies to enjoy healthier, happier and a confident life.   

Creating Awareness about Diabetes Prevention

Who is not aware about this lifestyle inflicted condition? Diabetes mellitus (better known as ‘Diabetes’) has become a common disease of the present generation affecting old and young alike. While we have “Type 1 Diabetes” which is related to less or no production of insulin; there is “Type 2 Diabetes” which is majorly caused due to a resistance developed in the body to utilize insulin for effective management of blood sugar levels. Also, there exists a third type - termed as “Gestational Diabetes”, a condition in pregnant women due to increased levels of blood sugar.

Type 2 Diabetes - A major health concern worldwide

Yes! The rate at which this non-communicable disease is growing, it has become a major health concern around the globe! But how do we cope with it? What is the cause for so many of us to succumb to this ‘sweet-killer’? 
Well, by large, it is our life style to be blamed for! The present generation is more indulgent in fast foods and all that the appears appealing to their ‘taste buds’. This trend has very well contributed in giving rise to obesity which eventually forms a major risk factor towards type 2 Diabetes. 
Again technological advancements aimed at making our lives simple, less labor-intensive and less tedious has got us humans to become completely dependent and less physically active.

How to prevent Diabetes?

More of physical activity
Get into a habit of regular exercise. Physical activity and exercise helps in losing weight and hence lower blood sugar levels. Moreover, regular exercise boosts your immunity which again keeps a tab on your sugar levels.  

Include fibrous foods in diet
Increase the amount of fibrous foods you consume. Fibrous foods take more amount of time in digestion and hence contribute in lessening the chances of shooting up your blood sugar levels. Also, they keep you full for a longer periods, lessening binge eating habits. Fibrous foods again lower risk of heart diseases and promote weight loss.

Whole grains the best bet!
Have more of whole grains foods in your diet as these aid in reducing risk towards diabetes. Whole grains also help to manage the blood sugar levels; so ensure to look at the label on that bread you buy to check if it made from whole grains.

Lose weight!
Being overweight equally increases your risk towards diabetes. Thus, losing that extra pound will not only decrease your diabetes risk but will also contribute to get you a healthy and fit body!

Make healthier choices
Keeping a check on the carbs and maintain balance of fats, proteins helps efficiently managing your weight and thus decrease diabetes chances. Excluding foods with more unhealthy carbs and white flour and include foods with more of fiber content. Instead of driving, walk that little distance from your home to the supermarket. Lessen intake of fast foods post working hours and go for healthy snacks like boiled sprouts, whole grain biscuits, etc. 

Prevent the ‘sweet-killer’ before it silently creeps into your life. Cause if it does, it will bring many afflictions along...

For more information, visit Thyrocare.com

Want to lose weight? Snack on peanuts.

An hour glass figure for women and muscular fit body for men have become life goals for many these days as just to shed those extra kilos, people go to extremes either by using time saving, fat reduction products on home shopping channels or by strict dieting measures. Well, not everyone has the patience, time or money for these or even for that matter to follow the age-old mantra of regular exercising to reduce weight. 

Today with everything available at your fingertips with a click, its highly unlikely that the general devil-may-care attitude of our Indian populace on weight reduction by exercising daily, will change. Therefore an obese or even slightly overweight person, is generally indifferent to the whole idea of any sort of physical exertion like exercises, yoga or activities like climbing stairs etc. for weight reduction, until a medical condition strikes! An easy way out beating this whole quagmire of lethargy, to even take an initiative to thwart obesity, can be by targeting one’s snacking habit when hunger strikes. Well, eating a food item will reduce weight? Yes, if its peanuts!

What research has to say?

Recent surveys conducted wherein school children under a nutrition intervention that included a snack of peanuts compared to other kids who didn’t receive it, showed a reduced Body Mass Index (BMI-an inexpensive estimate of an individual’s body fat). Peanuts or peanut butter are packed with protein and fiber, thus keeps one satiated for long, aiding in hunger management and curbing unhealthy snacking. Our body spends more energy digesting protein than it does to digest carbs or fats, facilitating an increased ‘metabolic rate’. This accounts for an increased resting energy expenditure by the body, as found in a research study, backing up the weight loss benefits of peanuts. Protein also aids in preventing fluctuations in the blood sugar levels that are responsible for those hunger blows, when the blood sugar levels nosedive. Fiber in the peanuts makes slows down the speed at which the food leaves the stomach by absorbing water and forming a gel-like mass to make you feel full for long. It is also thought to delay the release of the hormone ghrelin, which triggers the feeling of hunger. 

Benefits of peanuts

Peanuts are digested slowly (low-glycaemic index) releasing sugar gradually into the bloodstream, providing long-lasting energy reducing the cravings one experiences. Their property of being a ‘healthy’ snack stems from peanuts being good sources of healthy monounsaturated fats (that lower cholesterol), B vitamins and antioxidants too. Its the ‘high satiety’ value of peanuts that helps you limit your daily portions of food, keeping those ‘extra’ calories in check, thereby helping to reduce weight indirectly. Peanuts have also been implicated to play a role in preventing heart disease, diabetes and many other chronic inflammatory disorders, making them a preferred ‘snack’ handsdown!!

Grabbing a quick burger or coffee to calm those hunger pangs inculcates a habit of skipping or having meals at odd timings due to a feeling of fullness acquired from consumption of sugar and calorie loaded junk foods. Resulting irregular levels of hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin) affect vital body processes of food absorption and assimilation, due to a slow digestion, thus spiking the insulin levels and food cravings. Body’s metabolism gets disrupted eventually, causing excessive fat accumulation, with elevated levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and imbalances in levels of thyroid hormones. 

A regular and timely preventive health checkup can only estimate these levels going haywire well ahead, before obesity fuels any future health conditions like diabetes, etc. Meanwhile, combat obesity or rising weight by munching on the nutrient-dense peanuts, a healthy alternative than a bag of salty chips to keep a growling stomach at bay!