Beginner's Fitness Programs

We all know that vegetables and fruits are good for our bodies. They have great amounts of vitamins and antioxidants. They are low in calories and a good source of fibers. Still, many people are not eating enough vegetables and fruits. So here is another incentive to eat them: They assist in losing belly fat!

According to a study done at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, with every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, you lose 4% of belly fat (visceral fat) over 5 years, even without any workout. If you do work out, you may lose 7% of the fat in the same period. You may think that it is not enough, but even a 4% reduction of visceral fat will significantly affect your overall health.

Ten grams of soluble fiber is two small apples, one cup of green peas, or a half-cup of pinto beans. You can get soluble fiber from oatmeal and other grains, too. If you really cannot eat that much vegetables or fruits, you can take a fiber supplement, although it will be more expensive and not quite as tasty.

You also want to avoid soft drinks since they are loaded with sugar – which is especially bad since this sugar is usually fructose. Fructose is known to increase the risk of diabetes. According to a study conducted at the University of Bristol in the UK, it stimulates fat cells and this makes the body less insulin-sensitive. Fructose not only gives the fat cells extra energy to store, but actively stimulates the process. In short, you get fatter faster!

Drinking diet soft drinks does not help either. One study done at the University of Texas Health Science Center found a correlation between the amount of diet soft drinks consumed and increase of the waistline. They found that over 10 years, regular diet soft-drinkers increased their waistlines 500% more than non-drinkers! Another study at the University of Texas done on mice indicates the cause. In this study, they gave aspartame, a popular sugar substitute, to mice and found that glucose levels are much higher in these mice. So drinking diet soft drink makes you both fat and un-healthy.

Note that, although fructose is the main sugar in fruit, the concentration is much lower than that in soft drinks, and eating fruit won’t give you the same bad effects. In fact, a Taft University study says that 100% fruit juice won’t cause insulin resistance.

I recommend drinking tea and coffee (without sugar). But if you like a sweet drink, try 100% fruit juice. Adding sparkling water to it will make a very refreshing drink.

Sources:
Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study. Obesity, 2011
Fructose sugar makes maturing human fat cells fatter, less insulin-sensitive: The Endocrine Society 2010, June.
Waistlines in people, glucose levels in mice hint at sweeteners’ effects: Related studies point to the illusion of the artificial: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio 2011, June.
Sugary Drinks, Not Fruit Juice, May Be Linked To Insulin Resistance: Tufts University, Health Sciences 2007, September

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