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What Foods Make the Stomach Fat?

Performing hundreds of crunches strengthens your abdominal muscles, but will not remove the layer of belly fat on top. Without proper diet and nutrition, belly fat flourishes and hides those abs. Avoiding certain foods will help you fight abdominal fat.

  1. Features

    • Foods that promote belly fat share several features. Usually highly processed, they contain excess sodium, saturated or trans fats and added sugars. Fried foods, refined carbohydrates and processed meats (like hot dogs) are particular offenders.

    Significance

    • High levels of abdominal fat correlate to high cholesterol (particularly high LDL), type 2 diabetes and high insulin levels, hypertension and some forms of cancer. Even seemingly normal weight people can have too much fat accumulated inthe belly. According to the American Heart Association, a waist size over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women needs to be addressed.

    Strategy

    • Fast food and chain restaurants notoriously serve food that contribute to stomach fat. Limit your intake of saturated fat--found in fatty red meat, full fat dairy and palm oils--to no more than 10 percent of your daily calories. Avoid trans fats as well--look for the phrase "partially hydrogenated" on ingredient lists. Eat healthy monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados and nuts instead. Avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice and sugary cereals.

    Other Solutions

    • Cardiovascular exercise can help reduce belly fat. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2005 found that even a modest exercise program (equivalent to walking 12 miles per week) helped to ward off the accumulation of belly fat. The same study noted that high levels of exercise (equivalent to jogging 20 miles per week) reduced visceral abdominal fat.

    Considerations

    • Other factors influence the amount of belly fat you store. Women facing menopause, your genetics and levels of stress can contribute. If these other factors affect you, it is even more important for you to adopt strategies to reduce belly fat such as healthy eating and cardiovascular exercise.

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