As younger adults we forget that we had hormones helping us to stay lean, have increased muscle, and more energy.  As time passes and we age, our hormones slow down.  Things like stress and lack of sleep also take a toll  on our body fat and our weight.  These hormones allowed us to become lazy and not learn proper nutrition because “we didn’t have to.”  In later years this starts to show up on our bodies.  Soon, we have fat in places we never had it before.  We gain weight in a progressive manner, even though we are eating the way we always have.   This fitness tip is a HUGE culprit in weight gain.  It also gives us those unsightly love handles, beer belly and “muffin top.”

     The secret to combating belly fat ……. PROTEIN!!!   90% of the men and women that come to me complaining about their “buldging bellies,” have a very low intake of protein!  Eating protein lowers your blood sugar and helps your body to metabolise sugars in the blood stream.  If these sugars are left to float around they have a tendency to store in the midsection.  Take a look around, diabetics all have one thing in common, they store weight in their stomach.

Fitness Tips For Losing Belly Fat

• Have 7-25 grams of protein at each meal
• Avoid eating carbs without protein.  The protein will balance out the sugars / carbs and prevent belly fat from forming.
• How much protein should you eat???   The old trick is to take your weight and divide it by 2.  If you weigh 140lbs, you should be eating around 70 grams per day.
• Don’t forget the Weight Training.  Weight lifting has the ability to level out blood sugar.  The extra sugars and carbohydrates floating around in your blood get sucked up into the muscle for fuel.
• Don’t Snack Late At Night - eating at night lowers your HGH (human growth hormone).  This is the “youth homrone” that is responsible for rebuilding muscle and giving you a youthful look.

You can exercise all you want and diet till  you are blue in the face but you need to balance your meals with protein or you could be a thin person with a big belly.  If you hate eating meat then try adding in greek yougart, protein shakes, and protein bars to keep your belly fat under control.  Share this fit tip with you friends and family so they can benefit from this information as well!  :)

Adria

Salads are a staple in my diet and always have been.  However I can never balance how much I eat with how much I buy.  Sadly, on many occasions, I over buy and a bag tends to go bad.  The shelf life of pre-cut and rinsed lettuce isn’t as long as I would like.  However, there now is a solution to keep your lettuce fresh and LIVE  until you get around to eating it.

The brand “Tanimura & Antle” has released a “Living Lettuce.”  The head of lettuce comes completely in tacked, roots and all!  You cut the lettuce as you use it and it stays alive in your fridge.  The shelf life of this product is unbelievable!  The living lettuce will last 3-4 times longer then bagged lettuce.  It’s also packed full of vitamins and minerals due to the fact that it hasn’t been separated from it’s growing process.  As with most vegetables the minute you pick them, they begin to die and degrade.  They lose their vitamins and minerals with each passing day.  Consuming lettuce or any vegetable directly from a live source is the best way to ensure that your body receives the majority of it’s natural benefits.  

Pick this up at your nearest “Sprouts,” or health food store.  You won’t be sorry and you WILL taste the difference!  Right now the only type I’ve found is butter lettuce, however they have a whole section of “live” foods on the market.  The price of “Living Lettuce,” is about the same as a bag of pre cut lettuce ( 4 dollars).  However I have been fortunate enough to find it on sale for $1.99.   Use this fitness tip to stay healthy and spend money on foods that give you maximum amount of nutrients for your money!

Adria