Don’t be deceived by the common misconception that once you’ve reached 40, your belly is supposed to get bigger. The reason why your belly gets bigger has nothing to do with your age, and is mainly caused by what you eat. Just like there are foods that will help you lose belly fat, there are also foods that do the exact opposite. Don’t wait till you’re older before you start cutting down on these foods; the time to start is now, and here are 5 foods that you should start cutting down on, with immediate effect:
1. Refined grain
When it comes to grain, it’s always healthier to choose the unrefined stuff like whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, just to mention a few. White rice, white bread and white pasta are bad for your health in general. Research has shown that people who consume whole grains in addition to a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, etc, lost more weight around the belly region than people who were keeping the same healthy diet but still ate refined grains.
2. Potato products
Inasmuch as potato chips taste so great and crunchy, you need to know that it adds a lot more weight to your body weight than any other food. Studies have shown that potato products are the foods that add weight the most in the body, especially around the belly region.
A particular study conducted for 20 years showed that people who ate potato products gained about 3.35 pounds every four years, which makes it about 17 pounds in 20 years.
3. Red and processed meat
I’m sure this is not the first time that you’ve heard that red and processed meat is bad for your heart’s health. But you probably didn’t know that they are also bad for your weight.
The same 20-year study, quoted above, found that people who often consumed red and processed meat gained about an extra pound every four years.
4. Frosting
This is probably not the first time you’ll be hearing that frosting adds some extra pounds to your weight, and perhaps you still indulge but console yourself with the thought that “It won’t hurt to just have it once a week”. But then, this food is known for making you want to have more, and if you can’t resist, you end up just eating more and more.
Frosting is not just bad for your cardiovascular system, but is also bad for your weight.
It contains a lot of trans fats and these fats are the unhealthy type that particularly causes your belly to grow fat. You can also find trans fat in most baked foods, pizza, etc.
5. Diet soda
Most people get carried away by the zero-calorie labels that they see on soda and so they feel free to take many as they possibly could. But the truth is that diet soda actually does more harm than good to your weight. A lot of research has been done on this issue and the results have been the same. Drinking diet soda constantly can make your body vulnerable to insulin and glucose intolerance, and these are the two main factors known to lead to weight gain.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to fight against belly fat is by choosing what you eat carefully. Exercise will help you lose enough belly fat, but if you don’t carefully select what you eat, exercise wouldn’t have as much effect as it ought.
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