Getting in shape and cutting down on belly fat is a huge health goal for many, but it can be pretty tough to trim down excess weight around your waistline.
However, maintaining a healthy weight or losing fat to reach a healthy weight is crucial when it comes overall health with excess fat linked to a number of serious health conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
Many of us have given a fad diet or two a go or taken to crash diets in a bid to slim down, but there is a healthier and most sustainable way to cut down on belly fat, according to some medical experts.
A study published by the Bulletin of the National Research Centre detailed research around ways to cut belly fats including the impact of drinking plenty of water, regular exercise and eating 'thermogenic foods'.
Thermogenic food can help boost your metabolism and in turn burn more calories as well as helping to reduce cravings to make it easier to cut back on snacking, the Mirror reports.
Incorporating these foods in your diet as well as regular physical activity can help slim your waistline without the need to endure unhealthy, restrictive diets.
What foods are thermogenic?
These foods promote a process called thermogenesis where the body burn calories in order to utilise the food consumer, converting the calories eaten to heat.
A number of common foods are considered thermogenic, including the following five:
- Capsaicin in chili peppers
- Certain spices such as black pepper
- Ginger
- Coconut oil
- Protein
Upping your intake of these foods and food groups can help burn fat and even reduce cravings in some cases.
How do thermogenic foods reduce cravings?
Protein can help you to feel fuller for longer which in turn can help you lose weight by preventing snacking and stopping cravings.
According to the health provider Bupa, “protein can be a helpful way to lose weight because it makes you feel fuller than carbs and fat".
It added: “If you include a lean source of protein in your meals you may find that you’re not as hungry, and so eat less.”
What are the risks of belly fat?
Excess belly fat can be dangerous to your health as it surrounds internal organs, putting you at greater risk of developing an array of health problems including heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.
Excess belly fat is linked to higher risk of early death regardless of total body fat, according to the British Medical Journal.
Medical professionals refer to visceral fat when talking about the dangers of belly fat, opposed to subcutaneous fat. This fat stored deeper inside your body, close to your organs and is generally considered more dangerous than subcutaneous fat.
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