"Losing Belly Fat and Weight Improves Your Sleep"

Lose Belly Fat and Improve  Your Sleep. Do you have trouble sleeping? If you’re carrying extra pounds, especially around your belly, losing weight and some of that muffin top may help you get better sleep. So say researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who presented their findings at their recent annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

The Hopkins researchers recruited 77 overweight volunteers with either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Many reported sleep problems such as sleep apnoea, daytime fatigue, insomnia, and restless or interrupted sleep. 

Half of the volunteers went on a weight-loss diet with supervised exercise training. The other half did just the diet. 

After six months, participants in both groups had lost an average of 15 pounds and reduced their belly fat by 15%. 

Sleep quality improved in both groups. A reduction in belly fat was the best predictor of improved sleep.

The results of this trial are in line with other studies exploring how weight affects sleep and sleep affects weight.

Linking weight loss, belly fat, and sleep

Excess weight and body fat increase the likelihood of developing obstructive sleep apnoea. This condition occurs when the airway becomes blocked, either completely or partially, during sleep. 

These temporary blockages causes frequent awakenings which, in turn, increase the risk for conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.

“So one possibility with the results of this study is that weight loss reduced sleep apnoea and improved sleep quality,” says sleep expert Dr. Lawrence Epstein, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

Weight loss also improves blood sugar control which, in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes, could reduce restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorders, two sleep disorders that people with diabetes are prone to having.

Exercise has also been shown to improve sleep quality. For example, Oregon State University researchers found that people who exercised at least 150 minutes (2:5 hours) a week slept better and felt more alert during the day than those who didn’t exercise much. 

(Don’t exercise right before bedtime, however. That can make it difficult to fall asleep.)

Why reducing belly fat might be a key to improved sleep remains a mystery. 

We do know that fat deposited around the abdomen, called visceral fat, is associated with heart disease, diabetes, dementia, breast and colon cancers, and other chronic health conditions. 

Losing belly fat, then, seems like a logical way to improve not only sleep but also overall health. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.

“Where you lose weight is partly determined by genetics,” says Dr. I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an expert on physical activity’s role in promoting health and preventing chronic disease. 

“Generally, if you lose weight, some of this will occur in belly fat. You just can’t predict how much.”

Improving sleep

Despite what thousands of websites want you to believe, there are no exercises or potions that “melt away” belly fat. 

Instead, the solution is old-fashioned exercise and a healthy diet.

If you are serious about losing weight and sleeping better, aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (like swimming or brisk walking) each week. 

You don’t have to do five 30-minute workouts. More but shorter exercise sessions, such as three 10-minute brisk walks instead of one 30-minute walk, will have the same impact, says Dr. Lee.

Exercise alone generally doesn’t lead to substantial weight loss. That requires cutting back on daily calories.

The lasting effects of combining exercise and weight loss will go far beyond improving your sleep and well into a healthy future.

(Article courtesy of Harvard Medical School- www.health.harvard.edu)

"How To Lose Belly Fat Quickly With These Tips"

How To Lose Belly Fat Tips

There must be thousands who would love to rid themselves of love handles. And just as many who crave lean and well toned arms. And what about those who show a bit heavy around the thighs?

There’s hardly anyone who wouldn’t like to change some part of their body. Even someone fit as a super-model still has a spot or two where they want to improve.

What everyone needs is to know just how to burn fat, and burn it quickly, and do it in a way that’s healthy.

Fat burning is in no way easy, particularly if you aren’t armed with the knowledge of the science involved. You lose fat whenever you burn it and turn it into energy, which takes it out of your body. If you can’t burn it, you can’t lose it. 

But if you know how to burn it, then losing that fat is not so much of a problem. Then to keep it off, you need to adopt some better eating habits and a little more physical activities.

You can learn how to lose belly fat quickly with these tips:

Aim At Increasing Your Heart Rate 

When you increase the heart rate you practically double the oxygen intake. This higher level of oxygen assists in burning fat and turning it into energy. Cardiovascular exercises are great for this. Things like swimming, running, cycling, or even brisk walking will raise the heart rate and get that oxygen coming in. It also raises the metabolism rate for calorie burning so they won’t get absorbed into your body.

Eat More Meals, But Smaller Portions

Instead of pigging out three times every day, eat five or six smaller meals throughout your day. The way this helps is that it trains your body to eat smaller portions at one sitting.

This in turn kicks up your metabolism which will enable your body to burn fat much quicker. You won’t be as hungry and tired all the time.

Eat More Fibre

Fruits and veggies are out natural suppliers of fibre. They help to promote your overall health and to get rid of the unwanted fat in your system.

They assist in ridding the body of toxins that block the process of fat burning.

Build Up Your Muscle Mass

You can easily build up your muscle mass with weight training and resistance training. More muscle mass will assist in burning more fat.

Muscles burn fat and when toned, give you that appearance of being fit. You’ll gain a healthier and leaner look.

"How To Lose Belly Fat"

Article courtesy of   www.fatburningfurnacereviews.com

"Foods Not To Eat When Trying To Lose Belly Fat"

Foods you must STOP EATING... RIGHT NOW when trying to Lose Belly Fat are…

• You need to stop drinking regular & diet sodas. 
• Quick fact: If you replaced a 20oz bottle of soda with water every day… You would easily lose up to 35 pounds in one year so don't get addicted to soda!
• Drink more water, Drink more sugar-free vegetable juices (like V8), and drink more Green Tea  and…
• Cut down on or try to stop drinking alcohol. 
• Quick fact: Alcohol is basically the refined juice of natural foods which makes it a drink of pure concentrated sugar that will make you gain fat easily and…
• AVOID the grocery store snack aisle - Stop eating potato crisps, popcorn, cookies, candy, ice cream, cakes, etc. The ingredients in these foods make you want to eat more and the companies who make these snack foods know you'll stay addicted to them (even after you gained lots of weight eating their snacks) but…
• The companies don't care if you gain weight because of their snack products as long as they make their money from YOU and if you're addicted to snacks.
• You need to make a strong effort to cut down on your salt & sugar intake because too much salt & sugar causes you to gain water weight making you look fatter than you already are and…
• Avoid processed foods as much as possible because the processing of these foods removes all the stuff that helps you lose weight and replaces it with stuff like sugar, corn syrup and hydrogenated oils to make you fatter so…
• Read food labels and avoid anything that has sugar as it's main source of carbs or has corn syrup & hydrogenated oils as ingredients and…

• Don't be fooled by the term "Multigrain" since it's just a fancy word for processed carbs and choose "Whole Grain" products only and…

Here's a bigger list of "Foods NOT to Eat" when trying to lose weight…

1.     Fried foods

2.     Fast Foods

3.     Table sugar

4.     Plain Jam

5.     Salted or Smoked nuts

6.     Chocolate Fudge

7.     Candy

8.     Toffee

9.     Gums

10. Mint Sweets

11. Liquorice

12. Sweet Pickles

13. Puddings

14. Corn syrup

15. Cake

16. Breads & Pastas made with white flour

17. Soda pop, such as Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, etc.

18. All baked goods made with white flour

19. Canned fruits with added sugar

20. Alcohol can slow your metabolism down by 73%

21. Potato chips

22. Buttered or Flavoured Popcorn

23. Cookies

24. Ice cream

25. Cakes

26. Pies

27. All deserts (even the Sahara)

28. Did I mention Desserts?

29. Artificial sweeteners like NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet N Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin, Splenda, Sunett & Sweet One

30. Most bottled green teas have more ingredients in it to help you gain weight than the actual green tea itself to help you lose weight.

Remember - In order for you to lose belly fat… you need to stick to these rules.

"How To Lose Belly Fat Tips"

"Top 5 Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat"

Who doesn't want flat abs?
Who doesn't want to lose Belly Fat? 

People desperate to lose weight will willingly starve themselves, take expensive supplements or do the latest fad diet that promises to give them that flawless figure in 30 days. 

Thankfully, belly fat is metabolically active and easier to lose. However, if proper nutrition is not observed and the resort is made to low calorie diets, weight loss may not happen within the desired time frame. 

Hunger and calorie deprivation will eventually kick in and dieters confronted with that favourite food they have been avoiding will have the tendency to binge at the first opportunity. The likelihood of gaining more weight than they originally lost is not far-fetched.

According to Christine Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University, eating a calorie-controlled diet and 60 minutes of daily moderate exercise activity will result to weight loss and can even help with the desired weight maintenance. 

In fact, according to Professor Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic, intense aerobic exercise will result to being leaner around the abdomen.

It is important to remember that keeping the body's metabolism up and running so that the body continuously burns calories prevents it from going into the fat-storing mode that causes unnecessary weight gain.

Why exercise is necessary

Most people involved in weight loss believe that it's all about the calories. If you burn calories more than you take in, you lose weight. 

If you take in more calories than you can burn, the body gains fat. 

While this piece of logic may make sense, it is only partly true. What burns calories non-stop is actually the lean muscle mass underneath body fat that allows more intake of calories without weight gain.

The body actually adapts to the changes it undergoes. Losing weight without exercising increases the risk of losing lean body mass, slowing the metabolism and putting the body into fat-storing mode. 

People who have lost body fat and muscle mass may notice that they don't have the muscle mass they once had. Worse yet, once they overeat even a little bit, they start filling up on body fat once again.

Building up muscle mass

An important thing to remember when undergoing a weight loss program is to understand what needs to be done. Realistic and achievable goals can help in building the confidence needed to make the necessary leap for the achievement of a desired weight.

Researchers at the Bio-mechanics Lab at San Diego State University took a look at some popular abdominal exercises and ranked them. 

Results of the study revealed that exercises that require constant abdominal stabilisation and body rotation resulted in the most muscle activity in the abdomen.




Below are the top five belly exercises as ranked by the study:

1. The Bicycle Exercise - best for targeting the six pack muscles and the obliques. To do this exercise, get into a supine position with hands at the back of your head. Bring knees to the chest while lifting shoulders off the floor. Slowly bring your right elbow towards your left knee as you straighten your right leg. Switch sides and continue in a pedalling motion. 

(Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions)

2. The Captain's Chair Leg Raise - This exercise requires a captain's chair, a rack with padded arms allowing for the legs to hang free that is commonly found in gyms or health clubs. To do this exercise, stand on the chair and grip hand holds. Press back against the pad then raise knees to the chest to contract the abs then lower them back down. 

(Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions)


3. Exercise Ball Crunch - For this exercise, an exercise ball is necessary. In this routine, the abdomen does more exerting but will still need the entire body to stabilise it throughout the routine. 

To do this exercise, lie on the ball with your lower back fully supported. Place hands behind the head. To lift the torso off the ball, contract the abs to pull the bottom of the rib cage towards the hips. 

Keep ball stable as you curl up, then lower back down to stretch the abs. 

(Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions)


4. Vertical Leg Crunch - Performing this exercise is similar to doing a leg crunch except that the legs are straight up, forcing the abs to work and adding intensity to the routine. To do this, lie on the floor with the legs straight up, knees crossed, and place the hands beneath the head for support. Contract abs lifting the shoulders off the floor and keep legs in a fixed position to crunch. 

"Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions)




5. Long Arm Crunch - This is a variant of the traditional floor crunch where the arms are held straight behind you, adding a lever to the move and making for a challenging exercise. To do this, lie on the floor or a mat then extend arms straight behind, keeping them clasped and next to the ears. Slowly contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor carefully to keep the arms straight. 

(Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions)

Best Strategy to Weight and Lose Belly Fat

The best strategy to weight loss is to observe a healthy diet coupled with exercise of at least an hour a day. 

Although there is no sure fire way to deal with belly fat, there are a number of activities from which to choose and enjoy. As long as you're having fun, you can lose weight without realising it. 

It is important to look for an exercise you enjoy. 

If the suggested exercises above do not suit your taste, taking a hike, swimming or biking are just as effective in burning fat and toning muscles.



Courtesy of: www.naturalnews.com/035071_belly_fat_exercises_fitness.

"How To Lose Belly Fat"

"6 Happiest Ways to Beat Belly Fat"

Blast belly fat and whittle your middle while still living the good life.

Have a Glass of Wine with Dinner

Tossing back a little booze doesn’t doom you to a beer belly, says Harvard School of Public Health researchers. 

In fact, you might experience the opposite. Although wine, beer, and cocktails have long been synonymous with “empty calories,” a recent study found that women who drank one to two servings of alcohol a day, regardless of type, gained less weight and were less likely to become overweight compared to their tea-totaling counterparts.

You’re not going to lose weight drinking, but this attenuating effect may be explained by a combination of factors. Women tend to cut back on other parts of their diet when they drink, and there’s evidence that their bodies break down alcohol inefficiently, which can burn a few more calories, says Lu Wang, MD, PhD, lead researcher and instructor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

This isn’t a green light for adopting liquid diet, however. Moderation is key, and the weight loss effects of light drinking probably don’t extend to men, as guys usually eat just as much, if not more, when they drink.

Skip Sit Ups

Science confirms what you've long suspected: Those hundreds of sit-ups before bed are not getting you any closer to a toned stomach. Not only do crunches put your lower back at risk for injury, but they work only a tiny portion of your core. 

Swiss Ball Roll Out

For a smarter, more effective abs routine, try the Swiss-ball roll out and the Swiss-ball pike.


A new Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy study compared ten different abs exercises and found that your core works harder performing these two moves than any other. Still, abs-centric workouts only get you so far. They primarily strengthen and tone your muscles, not decrease your waist size, so before you can reveal your six-pack, you’ll have to remove the layer of fat jiggling on your stomach. 

While it’s tempting to just amp up your cardio and watch your number of calories burned climb, take the time to hit up the weight room, too. After all, research suggests that resistance training may be more effective at torching fat than aerobic exercise. Melt your gut with our belly-busting routines for men and women.

Shorten Your Cardio Workout

"Cardio Workout"

The tortoise got it all wrong—slow and steady doesn’t always win the race. 

A 2009 study found that people who did 30 minutes of intense cardio, five days a week, lost more visceral fat than those who exercised for 50 minutes a session at a moderate pace, even though they burned the same number of total calories at the gym. 

“It’s kind of like, if you get in an automobile, and you drive faster, you burn more fuel in a shorter period of time,” explains lead researcher Robert H. Coker, PhD, associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 

Your body may burn more energy after an intense workout, since stressed muscles need more fuel to repair and replenish.

You don’t have to kill yourself on the stationary bike to get the benefits of high-intensity workouts, either. 

The study participants in the high-intensity group were still able to talk and hold brief conversations while exercising.

Get More Sleep

"A Good Nights Sleep"

It’s called beauty sleep for good reason. Canadian researchers looked at the relationship between sleep and weight gain over 6 years and found that people who slept 5 to 6 hours a night gained about 4.5 pounds more than those who rested for 7 to 8 hours. 

Light snoozers were also 27 percent more likely to develop obesity than regular sleepers.

Rest regulates your hunger hormones gherlin and leptin, and lack of shut-eye simultaneously stimulates your appetite while suppressing feelings of satiety. Stop giving sleep the short shrift and try turning off your electronics and turning down your thermostat. 

Optimal temperatures for sleep hover around 60°F to 68°F.

Eat 3 Servings of Dairy Every Day

Dairy occasionally gets a bad rap for being fatty, but eating yogurt, milk, and, yes, even cheese, may help you lose that stubborn spare tyre. 

Yogurt..mmm!

An International Journal of Obesity study found that that people who were on a reduced-calorie diet and ate about 3 cups of yogurt a day for 12 weeks lost more weight than those who cut calories and took calcium pills. 

What’s more, the extra chub was cinched primarily from their stomachs: Yogurt eaters lost about an inch and a half from their waists, while the calcium pill poppers lost less than a quarter of an inch.

“Fat cells make their own cortisol, which begets more belly fat,” explains Michael B. Zemel, professor of nutrition and medicine and director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

“There are components in milk and yogurt, such as calcium, that interrupt that cycle, reducing the drive to store more fat in the belly.” Dairy products are also sources of conjugated linoleic acid, another belly fat-busting compound.

Eat Carbs (But Choose Wisely)

Studies show that you don't have go all-Atkins in order to lose your gut. On the contrary, noshing on the right carbs can actually help you lose weight. 

"Whole Grains"

A 2009 Journal of Nutrition study found that those who stocked up on whole grains (dark bread, brown rice, popcorn, Bulgar wheat, couscous) and cereal fibre tended to have less overall body fat and belly fat than those who ate less of the stuff.

Adding more whole grains to your diet may encourage you to cut back on other foods. 

Whole grains are loaded with fibre, which adds bulk to your meals without adding calories, and are harder to digest. 

Translation: You'll feel fuller, longer eating whole grains instead of the refined kind.

By Emily G. W. Chau 

"How To Lose Belly Fat Tips"

"8 FOODS THAT BURN BELLY FAT"

Belly Fat affects your physical appearance and poses harmful health risks. 

Visceral belly fat, the type that lies deep within your abdominal cavity, increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to “Harvard Women’s Health Watch.” 

Moderate physical activity and a diet low in calories, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates can help combat belly fat. 

Consuming certain foods also can help fight excess abdominal fat.


Whole Grains

Your body digests whole grains slower than refined grains due to the higher amount of fibre contained in whole grains. This helps you feel full longer, eat less and keep your insulin levels low and steady. 

These benefits are believed to shrink belly fat cells, according to CBS News. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and whole wheat bread, should make up at least half of your daily grain intake, according to MayoClinic.com.

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Avocados

Avocados contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that has several health benefits. 

Like whole grains, it reduces blood sugar and insulin spikes, which normally trigger your body to store excess abdominal fat.




Low-fat and Non-fat Dairy

Dairy products such as low-fat yogurt and skimmed milk have an optimal combination of carbohydrates and protein that also stabilises insulin levels.

In addition, yogurt has probiotics that keep your digestion system healthy and decrease stomach bloating. 

Nuts

Similar to avocados, nuts contain high amounts of healthy mono- unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats that control blood sugar. 

Certain nuts, such as almonds, contain significant amounts of magnesium, a mineral necessary for maintaining steady blood sugar levels.

Citrus Fruits

The vitamin C in citrus fruits may help you burn up to 30 percent more fat during exercise, according to CBS News.

Soy

Soy beans contain fibre, antioxidants and protein. 

Snacking on soy products keeps you feeling satisfied longer while their nutrients control insulin and blood sugar levels.

Fatty Fish

The idea of consuming fatty fish to fight belly fat may seem counter intuitive. 

However, this type of fish, which includes salmon, tuna, trout and mackerel, contains healthy unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to promote increased metabolism and fat burning.

Green Tea

Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins. 

The University of Maryland Medical Centre notes that these catechins in combination with the caffeine in green tea may stimulate your metabolism and increase fat burning.

Article Courtesy of www.LiveStrong.com 

"How To Lose Belly Fat Tips"

"Eat Your Veggies: Fibre May Prevent Belly Fat, Cut Disease Risk"

Adding fibre to your diet every day may be the key to preventing the growth of the belly fat that has been linked to chronic diseases.

A new study shows that for every 10 grams of soluble fibre a person consumes in his or her daily diet, 3.7 percent  less belly fat was gained over time. Soluble fibre is found in foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables.

The study "reinforces the notion most people have that fibre is a good thing," and shows that fibre has a role in preventing chronic disease, said study researcher Dr. Kristen Hairston, an assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre. "Ten grams above what you're doing separated those who didn't gain as much as others, and may be a guidepost for people."

Hairston said it is still unclear why soluble fibre has this effect in the body, but added that it is an area for future research.

Burning off the belly fat

There is more than one type of body fat. Visceral fat, also known as belly fat, surrounds the internal organs and has been linked to chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Subcutaneous fat, which is fat found just under the skin, is less of a health concern.

Researchers sought to learn why some people develop more visceral fat while others end up with more subcutaneous fat.

The study used data gathered from 1,100 Hispanic and African-American men and women over the course of five years, and measured a variety of dietary factors as well as exercise levels and smoking.

The main finding, Hairston said, was that eating more fibre appeared to lead to a healthier body, even if people ended up weighing the same.

Some other dietary factors seemed to have an effect on where fat accumulated. Eating sweets tended to be linked to lower levels of subcutaneous fat growth, while eating protein seemed to lead to more.

Chronic illness

Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, said the study tackled an area of concern regarding the illnesses people develop as they gain weight with age.– Many of those illnesses, she said, are linked to visceral fat. (Kris-Etherton was not involved with the new study.)

Kris-Etherton's research has found links between increased fibre intake and a reduction in heart disease, and the new study may explain those findings, she said.

"Whole grains and then soluble fibre and physical activity may help decrease the increase in visceral [fat] with age," she said. "It may slow it down, prevent it. People need to eat more soluble fibre, and it'll help their cholesterol and perhaps their waistlines too."

But while the study showed fibre prevented belly fat from increasing, it's unclear if fibre consumption would help reduce fat accumulation.

Kris-Etherton noted that fibre-rich foods tend to help people feel full on fewer calories, but whether a fibre-enhanced diet would actually help people lose visceral fat was a topic for future study.

The study did have some limitations — notably, the accuracy of what people remembered eating.

"When it looked at the dietary assessment, it was using a dietary recall," said Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "It's better to actually record your food as you go versus trying to remember what you've consumed."

However, she said, the study does yield another potential benefit for patients whom she is trying to encourage to eat more fibre.

"A lot of people want to avoid abdominal fat for the vanity of it as well as the health concerns that are associated with belly fat," Crandall said. "I think that it's a great point to reference to the public. It's yet another reason to encourage higher-fibre foods."

The study was published on line on June 16 in the journal Obesity. Courtesy of my healthy news daily.com
"How To Lose Belly Fat"