7 Habits That Help Get Rid Of Belly Fat

When it comes to losing weight and getting in shape, it often seems like the most difficult area to tone up is the stomach. You can do as many crunches as you want, but unfortunately, that’s not enough to lose that excess weight. Getting rid of belly fat requires some work, but luckily, with some healthy changes, you can shrink your waistline.

Belly fat, more scientifically known as “visceral fat,” is stored around important organs, which makes it a dangerous type of fat to have. This type of fat can increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

In a quest for health, no one wants to be at risk for these issues, so its important to implement healthy habits that can help decrease belly fat and improve your health overall. If you’re looking to get a little healthier and leaner, try adopting these seven habits that help get rid of belly fat.

1. Taking A Walk

Walking is a great form of exercise, and it can also help specifically target belly fat. Research shows that even just two and a half hours of brisk walking each week can reduce belly fat, as this type of movement burns visceral fat first.

2. Enjoying A Morning Grapefruit

Adding just a half a grapefruit in the morning can help reduce your belly fat. Studies from the journal Metabolism found that people who ate grapefruit each morning shrunk their waistline up to an inch, in addition to lowering their cholesterol, blood pressure, and losing weight.

3. Snacking On Nuts

It might sound counterintuitive to chow down on something that seems high in fat, but polyunsaturated fats, which are found in nuts, actually help reduce your body’s storage of fat and improve insulin metabolism. Studies have shown that nuts such as almonds and walnuts are key to reducing visceral fat.

4. Drinking Green Tea

Green tea contains catechins, antioxidants that increase the amount of energy your body uses, making it easier to burn fat. A study from the Journal of Nutrition found that participants who combined four to five cups of green tea with their daily workout lost more weight than participants who worked out but didn’t drink the tea.

5. Doing Yoga

Yoga is more than just a relaxing form of exercising; it can also burn belly fat. Studies show that regular yoga practice can help you lose weight, including total body fat percentage, waist circumference, and visceral fat area.

6. Eating Whole Grains

Time to ditch those refined carbs. A study from Tufts University found that people who ate whole grains such as oats, quinoa, and brown rice had 10 percent less belly fat than people who ate the same amount of servings of refined carbohydrates like white rice, white pasta, and white bread.

7. Getting Adequate Sleep

Diet and exercise is important, but so is getting proper shut eye. A study from Wake Forest University found that people who got less than five hours of sleep per night gained more abdominal fat over a five-year period than people who averaged over six hours a night. Sleep deprivation raises your body’s level of cortisol, which increases fat storage.