Ugh. Belly Fat. I think every pound I put on in the past 5 years is sitting in my belly. I had 2 severely stressful years and they didn't help.
Here are 5 important ways to resist belly fat as we age.
Drink more water
Eat whole grains
Watch the stress
Vitamins
Sleep
Water:
I have mentioned before that we need to drink plenty of water. I make sure that I drink three to four 16 ounce bottles every day.
A study by the National Institute of Health of
middle-aged and older participants, showed that those who drank 16 ounces of water before each meal lost 44% more weight while on a
low-calorie diet than those on a low-calorie diet alone.
Grains:
Eating whole grains can stabilize blood
sugar levels, stave of hunger pains and lower cholesterol. The more whole grains you can add to your diet, the better. Oats are a good, easy choice. They are not only high in fat-fighting fiber but also a good source of magnesium, chromium and protein.
Stress:
The stress hormone is cortisol. Cortisol is released by our bodies when we're
sick, frightened or even feel a lack of control over events in our
lives.
High cortisol levels have been connected with an impaired immune
system, heart disease, high blood pressure and even memory loss. When we are under stress the body releases more cortisol and we gain weight.
Find something that relaxes you to help lower cortisol levels. Yoga or music will help keep the weight off the belly!
Vitamins:
As we age, it is harder to get all the nutrients it needs from food. It becomes even more important to take supplements. Healthy weight maintenance includes Vitamin D, chromium, magnesium, Vitamin E, Beta-carotine, Vitamin C and many others.
Sleep:
Studies show a connection between weight gain and sleep. Be sure to get a good night's sleep to help resist belly fat. Eight hours is a good night's sleep for many people.
#weightloss, #weightgain, #cortisol,