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Eat a Diet High In Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, also known as MUFAs. Scientific research has shown that this type of dietary fat causes the body to burn fat stores, especially belly fat. Research published in the March 2007 edition of Diabetes Care, compared belly fat loss in two groups of insulin resistant obese patients. One group was given a diet that was high in monounsaturated fats (approximately 25 percent of their calories came from monounsaturated fats) while the other group was given a low carbohydrate diet. Participants who ate a diet high in monounsaturated fats lost a substantial amount belly fat whereas the participants who ate a low carb diet did not. Foods high in monounsaturated fats include olives, olive oil, avocados, walnuts, pecans, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and any other type of nut or seed. Don't forget that you can buy nut oils and turn them into delicious home-made salad dressings. You can also use nut butters (or simply blend whole nuts in the blender) to make delicious sauces for stir-fried vegetables and meats.
Remove Stress From Your Life
Stress increases cortisol levels in the body and this has a very negative effect on the body. One of the most noticeable signs of stress-induced cortisol is weight gain in the belly. In fact, many women can look back on when they started to notice weight gain in their belly and pinpoint a specific stressful event in their life that triggered the accumulation of belly fat. In general, men seem to be able to shrug off stress more easily than woman, especially when it comes to personal issues. Women, on the other hand, are more apt to hold grudges and let stressful interactions drag out. However, just being aware of this as a potential issue and setting a goal to not do can be very helpful. You may want to self-evaluate your friendships and the relationships you have with family and co-workers. You may be able to "make up" with some people and reduce your stress. You may also find it helpful to spend less time (or even no time) with people who stress you out. You may want to have a frank conversation with your family members and let them know how important to your health it is to remove stress. This type of honesty can often help break down barriers to healing broken relationships causing stress.
Learn How To Relax
Many woman are so busy taking care of everyone else, they neglect to put aside time just for themselves to unwind and de-stress. However, it is important that you do so for everyone concerned. You will also see your belly fat begin to shrink if you engage in relaxing activities on a regular basis. Try out different things and see what works best for you personally. Here are some suggestions to get you started: meditation, yoga, weekly professional massages, soaking in the tub with aromatherapy and candles, listening to relaxing music with your eyes shut, growing your own vegetables and herbs, planting and tending to a beautiful flower garden, playing a musical instrument or learning how to do so, taking long walks on the beach, sipping your favorite herbal tea while doing crossword puzzles by the fire, and spending quality time with your cat or dog.
Switch To Green Tea
Green tea is very high in catechins, a group of antioxidants that are known to be one of the best belly fat busters. Remember though, green tea does contain caffeine, so if you drink coffee, you will want to substitute green tea for coffee so you don't overdose on the caffeine that cause other negative health issues. If you find the taste of green tea too bitter, as many woman do, try adding some milk to your tea. The milk cuts the bitter taste. This will also increase your calcium levels which can also help you lose belly fat since calcium deficiency contributes to belly fat increases.
Get a Bare Minimum Of 1000 Milligrams Of Calcium a Day
As mentioned under the green tea section, calcium deficiencies can cause belly fat to grow. Therefore, you need to make sure you are getting at least the recommended daily dosage of calcium for women which is 1000 milligrams a day. However, keep in mind that as women grow older, they do not absorb calcium as well as when they were younger. Therefore you may want to get more than a 1000 milligrams of calcium a day. Also, keep in mind that calcium supplements and multi-vitamins containing calcium are a poor substitute for obtaining calcium from your food. The calcium in supplements is not absorbed well by the body. It is better to eat foods exceptionally high in calcium. These include all the dairy foods like yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, and milk of course. However, you may not be aware but there is also large quantities of calcium in dark green vegetables like kale, spinach, beet greens, dandelion greens, arugula, brocoli, collards, and mustard greens. Don't overcook your greens or you will lose some of their nutrients.
Eat Foods High In Soluble Fiber
Some of the best sources of soluble fiber include beans, lentils, chic peas, cucumbers, celery, blueberries, blackberries, brocoli, and green leafy vegetables. There are two easy ways to incorporate more beans into your diet. First, add beans of any variety to your salads. This can be easily done at home by simply opening a can of beans and washing them before you add them to your salad. Second, bean soups and lentil soups of any kind are delicious. You do not need to add meat. Simple simmer some beans as your base. Then add spices like curry, black pepper, turmeric, and chili powder. Then add onions and/garlic and healthy vegetables like carrots, celery, kale, green onion, cilantro, parsley, and dill.
If you make the lifestyle changes needed to learn how to lose belly fat fast for women, you should also notice many other amazing health benefits. Good luck and get healthy!
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