Central Adiposity Protruding Mid section
Many of us would have done everything to beat that ugly, protruding midsection. Getting rid of your belly bulge is important for more than just aesthetic reasons.
BMI alone will not predict one’s proneness to chronic diseases. Several aspects of body composition, in particular the amount and distribution of body fat and the amount and composition of lean mass, are the determining factors of one’s proneness to chronic diseases.
A large waist circumference is a predictor of central adiposity or visceral adiposity. And central adiposity leads to lipolysis resulting in metabolic syndrome, increases risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The Waist Circumference cut point for the diagnosis of abdominal obesity is >90cm for Asian Indian men and as opposed to >102cm for European men. The respective cut points are >80 cm for Asian Indian women and 88cm for European women. An increased waistline is associated with a greater accumulation of visceral adipose tissue.
There can be many reasons for Excess visceral adiposity
Disturbed hormonal state: Reproductive hormones like testosterone and oestrogen influences where the fat is being deposited. Testosterone favours accumulation of visceral fat where as oestrogen favours, peripheral deposition of fat. Belly fails stored when the combination of excess calories meets the hormonal influence of cortisol and insulin. When you eat high starchy and sugary food, the insulin comes in to play and when your stressed, your cortisol level go high. Starch and sugar combined with fat may represent the worst combination for fat gain as you get higher calories, more insulin exposure and lose the ability to feel satisfied. Insulin and fat also independently raise various fat storing hormone. Stress coupled with the fat storing hormones further forces excess calories around the belly. The biggest influence over cortisol has to do with stress levels, which is directly related to sleep quantity
Smokers have more abdominal adipose tissue & is characterised by more insulin resistance
Dietary fructose may promote selective deposition of visceral adipose tissue
Another important correlate of individual differences in visceral adiposity is ethnicity: Whites have greater susceptibility to visceral adipose tissue deposition than blacks. Asian population appears to be more prone to visceral adipose tissue deposition at lower BMI values.
Several studies prove that using a combination of physical activity and moderate caloric restriction have reported a preferential mobilisation of visceral beyond what could be predicted from weight loss.
Dietary Alterations: Eating wise plays a major role in reducing the protruding belly
Replace your refined grains with whole grain products. Refined grains & sugars in sweetened drinks and desserts increase inflammation in our bodies thereby leading to belly fat. Compared to refined grains, there is a decreased insulin response to whole grains, making it easier to mobilise fat storage
Replace starchy veggies (Corn, Potato, Beans) with fibre containing food (High fibre veggies, fruits and whole grain products).
Natural foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains are full of antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties and may therefore actually prevent belly fat
Limit fried, processed food.
Diary in moderation: Cheese and yogurt are also high in protein, they can add to the fat and sugar burden, so use dairy foods in small amounts.
Enjoy healthy fats in moderation. Go for polyunsaturated from walnuts, seeds, oily fish and monounsaturated fats from Olive oil & avocado are good sources.
Protein and vegetables add a high-powered hunger-suppressing punch with little insulin production. This means less calories and better hormone balance.
Apple cider vinegar: Few studies show that people consumed 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily for 12 weeks had significantly lower visceral (belly) fat compared to the control group.
Balance Electrolyte; Sodium makes you retain water, puffing up your belly. Limit your sodium intake to less than 2400 mg per day. And restore your sodium-potassium equilibrium by increasing your potassium intake to an optimum 4,700 mg per day. Potassium rich food include beans, dark leafy greens, potatoes, squash, yogurt, fish, avocados, mushrooms, and bananas.
Get enough sleep: Sleep helps to lower cortisol and increases fat burning and muscle building hormone.
Stress Management: Having an efficient stress copying strategy also helps
Sometimes the bloated tummy appears to be contributing to a protruding belly. The following are precautions to reduce stomach bloating
Avoid low-cal sweeteners, found in flavoured waters and low-carb, diabetic, and sugar-free foods.common ones are sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and lactitol. Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them, causing gas and even diarrhoea.
Avoid aerated risk as these gassy drinks fill your bellies with air, causing the stomach to look distended and bloated
Yogurt: Bacteria in yogurt seems to tame tummy bloat by causing an improvement in intestinal mobility, thereby relieving constipation
Spread fresh produce consumption over the day, so at any sitting you're not eating more than one-third of the recommended daily total of 4-5 cups
Air from any source reaches your digestive system, you experience it as gas and a distended belly. Eating or drinking quickly, sipping through a straw, sucking on hard candy, and chewing gum can make you swallow air..
A combination of cardio and strength training works well for the abs.
You need to exercise at full intensity because the end goal is to burn more calories, and high intensity exercise does just that.
Weight training done the right way is better at burning fat, balancing hormones and is great for your heart. Include walking after each work out.
Planks are her favourite functional exercise — they activate not just your core muscles but also your arm, leg and butt muscles.
