Health Diet - Controlling Belly Fat With Whole Grains

We all dream of a super flat stomach and hanker after the perfect 'six pack', but tend to overindulge with the good things in life. Rich food and beer are most notorious in adding on to the spare tire we carry around our waist. We also tend to have to much belly fat due to being middle aged and having had children.

Sadly there is no easy way to lose this excess fat, no wonder diet, no specific food and no specialized exercise. Using all three of the aforementioned exercises and foods can and will help you lose that extra tire, because belly fat is one of the easiest fats to lose. Quote - ["Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it," explains Penn State researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD].

What? That can't be true, I have tried and tried to lose the extra weight around my waist but to no avail - you say. The reason this fat is easier to lose is because it is visceral fat and not subcutaneous fat.

Visceral fat

This is more metabolically active [found in the peritoneal cavity which we know as the waistline] and when a person goes onto the right diet and exercise plan the waist is the first area to start showing the signs of weight loss, this is especially the case if you have a lot of fat in the area.

Subcutaneous fat

This type fat is just under our skin [and not as metabolically active as the visceral layer] and forms a layer of insulation to slow heat loss from the body thus aiding in the process of homeostasis.

As I have already noted, there are no miracle foods to make your waistline slim down but there are a few that will assist you in your endeavor to lose that spare tire.

Whole grain foods

By eating whole grain and minimizing refined carbs you can assist your body to make changes to your glucose and insulin response [helps the body more efficiently use blood glucose and lower blood glucose levels] which in turn then makes it easier for your body to utilize your fat stores and reduces fat deposition.

In a study case it was found that the participants that ate only whole grains in their calorie controlled balanced diet [five servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry daily] lost more weight around the abdomen than people who ate the same diet but with refined grains instead of whole grains.

Trying to eat whole grain foods exclusively can be very difficult in these modern times, try working towards consuming more whole grains, they are higher in fibre and help lessen hunger pangs, this in the long run will assist in lessening the inclination to eat.

Refined Foods

We all love our fresh white bread, but by eating this refined grain [or any other refined grain] a series of events start happening in your body. Firstly your blood sugar gets elevated, this triggers a increased insulin response, this in turn causes fat to be stored/deposited more readily. The more refined foods do not control your hunger pangs, therefore you will end up being hungry before your next meal and be inclined to snack.

In dietary guides it is recommended - even when not on diet - that your daily grain intake be half whole and half refined.