There is an epidemic of obesity sweeping the world. In its trail
come some 20 different diseases all related to carrying excess fat,
especially in the abdomen. Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart disease, Cancer
and Depression are just some of the more common diseases that stalk the
obese or overweight person.
Losing fat is a struggle for many
overweight or obese persons. It is not any wonder then that the average
person is quite overwhelmed as to where to start. There are a few things
you must know about how your metabolism works with relation to the
foods you eat, your lifestyle and especially your stress levels.
There
are 2 types of fat stored in the body- white fat which is stored in and
around muscle groups and brown fat - stored predominantly around the
organs of the abdomen and also known as visceral fat). It is this second
type of fat - brown fat, that is difficult to lose.
There are
some key principles to follow in attempting to lose the difficult brown
abdominal fat. Here are the 3 steps that will aid you in your effort.
STEP 1 TO LOSING YOUR ABDOMINAL FAT - EAT CORRECTLY
You
must correct your diet. There is much confusion surrounding what is
right and what is not. The popular media highlights various programs at
different times. Fat free diets, Atkins diet, Cabbage diet, Zone diets,
high protein and low carbohydrate diets - all have had their primacy for
a time. But not one of them is the absolute answer to losing fat.
In
your gene structure, there are a set of genes that get switched on and
off that govern fat storage or fat burning. These are sometimes called
the FAT genes. FAT stands for Famine And Temperature regulation. These
genes get switched on or off depending on how your brain is reading your
internal and external environment.
The human body is designed to
get it its energy mainly from carbohydrates. When a meal is devoid of or
has exceptionally little carbohydrates, the brain thinks this is a
starvation event and first switches to an alternative source of energy -
glycogen, which is stored primarily in the liver and muscles.
It
will use this source in the short term. However if your go onto a no
carbohydrate diet for a period of time, you will lose some weight (and
this may not be fat but muscle) initially, but your body will switch to
fat storage under these circumstances. Your body is doing exactly what
it was designed to do. Missing meals on a regular basis switches on the
fat storage mechanisms in your body.
Eating at regular intervals is therefore a MUST if you want to lose fat.
The
entire fat metabolism mechanism in your body is controlled by a
remarkable hormone found inside your fat cells. This hormone is called
Leptin. It is the leptin level that switches on or off, the FAT genes.
Choosing
the correct foods to eat can assist greatly in burning brown fat. There
are foods that naturally switch you to fat burning. Incorporate these
into you diet and you will see within 14 days, the first signs that your
body is burning fat. Here are 5 foods you can start with to help you on
your way. Lean beef, Eggs, Avocado, Blueberries and Cherries, Walnuts.
STEP 2 TO LOSING YOUR ABDOMINAL FAT - MANAGE YOUR STRESS MORE EFFICIENTLY
Stress,
overeating and sleep deprivation are 3 factors that drop your leptin
levels and cause your body to switch to fat storage. Make sure that you
are getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Many overweight or
obese people have slow wave sleep deprivation. This is a type of sleep
deprivation that occurs when you don't go into a deep enough sleep
during your sleep cycles at night. Day time drowsiness or early morning
fatigue are sure signs of this type of sleep deprivation.
There is
an excellent formula called PRIME 1 that was created out of adaptogenic
herbs by the Russian scientist, Dr Breckman. This well researched
formula can help buffer your body against chronic stress from a rushed
lifestyle or life events. Reducing stress allows the leptin level to
rise and switches the genes to fat burning. This is especially true for
brown fat.
Getting more sleep per night can greatly assist your
body to burn brown fat. Even a short 1 hour nap between 1 to 3pm daily
can help your overcome sleep deprivation and switch you to fat burning
mode.
STEP 3 TO LOSING YOUR ABDOMINAL FAT - DO THE RIGHT TYPE OF EXERCISE
Not
all types of exercise enable you to lose fat. The only type of exercise
that switches your metabolism to fat burning ( a raised metabolic rate)
is multi-planar exercise. In this type of exercise, the body is moved
in all directions - up, down, side to side and forward and backward.
Mike
Geary an expert nutritionist and fitness trainer says: "Focus on the
intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in
order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach
fat.In order to really get lean, the workouts should have a high
intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of
the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the
biceps, triceps, or calves".
Your focus should be on working the
largest groups of muscles in your body (not just your abdominal muscles)
to raise your basal metabolic rate.The key principles of multi-planar
exercise are high intensity, short bursts and frequent repetitions.
Kettle bell weights used in this manner can create rapid fat burning and
redefinition of muscle groups.
Each of the steps described above
is a major pillar in losing abdominal fat. if you leave one or more of
these steps out, your fat loss effort may be blunted and not succeed.
Rajen Cooppan is a physician with a special interest in correcting metabolic disruption in the body.
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