“It’s simple. If it jiggles, it’s fat” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
This should dissuade you from mulling over what exactly fat is. It is what you see on your belly. Most people have some belly fat, but excess belly fat is extremely unhealthy. It could indicate a grave underlying problem like cancer, heart disease or type 2 diabetes, so wake up and face the music! Read on to learn about nine amazing and effective home remedies for belly fat!
Causes
Belly fat, or visceral fat as doctors call it, refers to fat around the organs in your abdomen. Common causes of belly fat include eating too much junk food, leading a sedentary lifestyle, consuming more calories than you can burn, eating too much right before going to bed, excessive consumption of carbohydrates, alcohol, genetics, and low-protein diets.
It’s very hard to lose flab from the belly region. A lot of us have tried by reducing our food intake, but that is a really terrible idea. Home remedies are the only healthy way to lose belly fat.
Signs and Symptoms or “Why isn’t it going away?”
You’ll be surprised to find out that there truly are some incredible causes of belly fat! Being on a low-fat diet is one of them! It turns out that to lose fat, you need to eat fat. But not any fat, of course – to be more precise, MUFA is what you need.
Monounsaturated fatty acids are satiating, so they help you eat less poor-quality food. A study performed by dieticians at the Yale Prevention Research Center showed that the majority of women who had gone on a MUFA diet had lost a substantial part of their belly fat as opposed to those that hadn’t.
What are some good foods to eat? Almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts are a great source of MUFA. So are olive oil and avocado. You can eat any of these with every meal and instead of a sugary or salty snack.
People with depressive symptoms are often more prone to “growing” belly fat, according to a recent medical study. What is the connection? Depression results in a general indifference to what one is consuming. When you are depressed, you opt for the easiest way out – microwave food, fast food, junk food.
Depression is also associated with reduced physical activity.
Treatments
1. Honey
Honey is one of the best natural foods in the world that you can consume if you want to lose belly fat. It is not only delicious, but extremely beneficial. The ethereal oils and alcohol in honey help reduce belly fat.
How? Honey makes you sated, yet doesn’t have all the calories sugar and bread do. It also kills bad bacteria and treats inflammations. Eat raw organic honey for the best results.
Required Ingredients:
Three teaspoons of honey
Two cups of water
Process:
- Mix the honey in the water and drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Organic raw honey should be consumed each and every day. It would be best to replace sugary cereal with honey for breakfast if that’s what you have been eating.
- Do this daily for a few months. Supplemented by some of our other home remedies, you’ll start losing fat in no time.
- Do not eat until after at least two hours.
Notes: Do not consume sugar and honey if you are diabetic.
2. Ginger – An Amazing Natural Fat Burner
Ginger has too many advantages for the health and body to count, including the fact that it is highly effective against belly fat.
Required Ingredients:
One ginger root
Some pomegranate juice
Process:
- Blend the ingredients to make juice and drink 2-3 times a day for best results.
- You can also add a tablespoon of dried fenugreek seeds to the mix. If you do this, drink this mixture once a day in the morning – it is a great way to detoxify the body and burn belly fat.
3. Zesty Fruit with Vitamin C
Credit: noshtopia.com
Fruits with high vitamin C content like lemons, kiwi, oranges and papaya have shown benefits to people struggling with excess weight. Insufficient levels of vitamin C in the body have long been associated with obesity, but the cause and effect relationship is not known.
Foods high in vitamin C have been known to make one feel full and consequently eat less.
Doctors recommend a daily vitamin C dosage of around 40,000 mg, divided into eight doses.
Required Ingredients:
Three lemons
Three oranges
One papaya
One kiwi
One mango
Process:
- Mix the fruit in a blender (if it is too thick, add water) and consume at least once a day
4. Prune Juice Does Wonders for The Metabolism
Credit: newhealthadvisor.com
Prune juice does wonders for weight loss by speeding up the metabolism because it contains a lot of fiber and sorbitol.
Required Ingredients:
200 ml of prune juice
Process:
- 200 milliliters of prune juice are about one glass.
- Drink one glass in the morning on an empty stomach or eat a few prunes if you don’t feel like making juice. You should begin feeling its effects within a few weeks.
Note: Do not drink more juice or more often than instructed because it will cause diarrhea.
Prune juice is also very beneficial for the reproductive organs and against constipation.
5. Warm Salty Water – It Doesn’t Get Easier to Fight Belly Fat
Why does salt water work? It neutralizes the lactic acid produced when the bacteria in your mouth break down the sugary, fatty and starchy foods you consume. Needless to say, you should use salt water even if you do not have belly fat. Many people do it to stay in shape.
Required Ingredients:
A cup of warm water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Process:
- Dissolve the salt in the water and take a sip.
- Swish it around your mouth for about a minute, then swallow.
- Keep doing this until the glass is empty. You can do this as many times a day as necessary.
Note: Warm salt water will also help soothe inflamed tissues by drawing excess fluid out of them, so if you are suffering from heartburn or any other inflammation, it will also help.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar Packs a Mighty Punch
You already know about some of the amazing properties of apple cider vinegar. It is particularly effective because it contains a lot of citric acid, which is very likely to play a role in dissolving belly fat.
Required Ingredients:
Five teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
Some honey
One cup of warm water
Process:
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly and drink the mixture several times a day, especially prior to a meal. I won’t lie to you – it doesn’t taste good even with the honey. Actually, the honey makes it worse. The remedy is effective in weight loss though, particularly loss of belly fat.
Notes: Apple cider vinegar has a very high acidic content. It can erode esophagus tissue if you consume too much of it, so do not use any in dishes and salads when trying this home remedy. Do not try this treatment if you have high blood pressure or diabetes and are taking some medication for them.
7. Lemon is Amazing for Digestion
Did you know that lemon juice is amazing for digestion and works miracles for (actually against) belly fat? Lemon juice contains loads of citric acid, which speeds up your digestive system. It can also help expel toxins and undigested food that may be blocking the digestive tract, which is a common cause of belly fat building up.
Required Ingredients:
The juice of one lemon
One cup of water
Process:
- Mix the lemon juice and the water, which should be at room temperature. Drink in small sips once a day for a week until you can fit into your favorite jeans again.
8. Garlic Gets Rid of Belly Fat
Garlic is helpful in treating all kinds of diseases and infections, and it’s also a great home remedy for belly fat.
Required Ingredients:
Several garlic cloves
One teaspoon of turmeric
Process:
- Crush the fresh garlic cloves or heat them up and mix them with turmeric powder to make a paste.
- Eat a spoonful of this mixture 2 – 3 times a day.
Note: Both turmeric and garlic have the additional benefit of offering a multitude of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
9. Fresh and Cool Peppermint
While peppermint leaves are available throughout the year, they are best when the weather is warm. Peppermint is a perfect herb to add to meals, lending a fresh, zesty taste to salads and drinks, and also a fantastic way to lose belly fat.
For this remedy to work, you need peppermint with greenish-purple leaves. Their taste is closest to a mix between pepper and chlorophyll.
Required Ingredients:
Several crushed mint leaves
1 tablespoon honey
A dash of pepper
Process:
- Boil a cup of water, add all the ingredients to it and stir well.
- Let it steep for 5 minutes, then strain and drink the liquid.
Why does this remedy work? Pepper and honey dissolve the fact, while mint soothes the stomach. You’ll have a flat tummy in no time!
How to Prevent Belly Fat
Exercise
This is the first and most obvious tip I can give you. Exercise not only improves your mood, but also speeds up the release of chemicals in the brain that regulate fat metabolism. That, in turn, will motivate you to get involved in other activities instead of sitting on your couch and feeling down.
Avoid sugar
Easier said than done, of course. I don’t need to tell you how bad added sugar is for you. It contains glucose and fructose, and fructose in high amounts cannot fully be metabolized by the body. Consequently, it is transformed into belly fat. This, in turn, results in insulin resistance and a number of metabolic problems.
If you can’t cut down on the extra sugar and other junk food (simple carbs like chips are also pretty bad), then focus on adding healthy food to your diet. This could include always having some fruit for dessert or an extra serving of vegetables per meal.
Eat more protein
Protein is the most important nutrient when it comes to preventing belly fat. Protein has been proven to reduce cravings, boost metabolism and help people lose weight. Not only that – it will prevent you from gaining weight because you know you aren’t going to stick with that low-carb diet forever. Right?
Evidence suggests that protein is especially effective against belly fat. People who eat more protein have less belly fat and vice versa (click here to learn more).
Many of the studies carried out in this field show protein to be most effective when it accounts for about a third of all of the calories you consume. This is what your target should be.
Some excellent sources of protein include fish, meat, nuts, whole eggs, soy and legumes.
Studies have also shown protein to be linked to a much lower risk of regaining belly fat over a period of 5 years in people who had managed to lose it. This was a longitudinal study, where these people were compared to other people who had not stuck to a high-protein diet and had regained the belly fat that they made so much effort to get rid of.
Refined carbs and oils are also associated with high amounts of belly fat, so you would be wise to cut down on these if you want to prevent it. Eat fruits and vegetables instead.
Conclusion
Did you like our list of home remedies? Belly fat really is far more dangerous than most people think, and feeling embarrassed by it when you are wearing a swimsuit is the least of your problems. It is not life-threatening unless it is a symptom of an underlying condition, so if none of our remedies work, you should see a doctor.
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Dr. Kyra Russel Jr.
A qualified doctor, Dr. Kyra Russel Jr. is someone who wears many hats, working also as a health writer, author, researcher, and media medic. She is a master communicator who is passionate about putting convoluted health information into words that make the information widely accessible. Her primary interests are child and adolescent health, women’s well-being, beauty, and nutrition.
