Healthy Diet Base Better choice for better life!
You’ve been eating balanced meals and working out. But still, your belly rolls won’t go away. What could you be doing wrong? In today’s post, we are listing down hidden reasons for that belly fat:
1. You’re Magnesium-Deficient
Magnesium deficiency is linked to the accumulation of belly fat. It can also cause weight gain! Magnesium supports more than 300 body processes. These processes include keeping the heart rhythm, regulating blood sugar level and insulin level in the body. If you’re not consuming enough of this mineral, you will gain weight and you will feel bloated. Research shows that magnesium deficiency could also lead to an irregular menstrual cycle.
If you think you’ve been doing everything to keep the stomach flat and failing miserably at it, boost your consumption of magnesium-rich foods. Green leafy veggies, nuts and legumes are packed with this mineral. You may also take supplements.
2. You Drink Sodas
Sodas, fizzy drinks, flavored water, energy drinks, sports drinks, all these beverages contain empty calories and preservatives. Unwanted calories coupled with preservatives lead to weight gain, sugar crashes, and belly fat.
A study published on the Obesity journal found that diet sodas are linked to increased waist size, total body fat percentage, and BMI. It’s also linked to cancer and obesity! Artificial sweeteners trigger the influx of energy, interfering with the hunger signals of the stomach. This leads to sugar cravings. It also causes the brain to “make up” for the lack of calories in diet soda by eating sugar-laden foods. So if you can, avoid all flavored and fizzy drinks at all cost and stick to plain water.
3. Ineffective Workout
Although cardio workout will help you lose weight, eventually it won’t be as effective. That’s because the body will start adjusting to your workout. In the end, you won’t lose as much weight as you used to from cardio alone.
To tone the belly, you have to engage the abdominal muscles. You can do that through weight training. Lifting weights burn off more calories. It also builds more muscles. Even better, it tones the underlying muscles while thinning out that unsightly roll of fat around the midsection! The result? A trim and toned waistline!
4. A High Sodium Diet
When it comes to the battle of the bulges, salt is the enemy. It retains excess water, making you bloated and puffy. Unfortunately, 90% of the population consume excess sodium every day. Excess sodium doesn’t just cause bloating, belly fat and weight gain. It can also lead to kidney disease.
You don’t just get sodium from table salt either. Processed foods contain hidden sodium too. For example canned meats, catsup, deli meats, cottage cheese and salad dressings are teeming with sodium.
5. Sleep Deprivation
Don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. If you’re sleep-deprived, you’re more likely to gain more weight over time. A study by New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center found that women who slept an average of 4 hours each night will consume an extra 300 calories a day. Why? Because sleep deprivation triggers the release of ghrelin. That’s why you’re more likely to nosh on fatty food when you slept late the night before. Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. Too much of it will cause you to binge on fatty foods.