PopSugar

Don't Fear the MUFA

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:00:06 -0700

After years of being treated with disdain, dietary fat has slowly been making its way off the nutritional black list. Now that omega-3 fatty acid is almost a household word, it is time to embrace the MUFAs - monounsaturated fatty acids. A diet rich in this type of fat has been found to reduce abdominal fat better than a diet high in carbs - even without exercise. In fact, this is the cornerstone of Prevention's Flat Belly Diet.

If you're dieting, don't fear the MUFAs; while they might not be the magic bullet for belly fat (even if you incorporate them into your diet, you still need to keep a watch on your caloric intake and exercise), they do make dieting easier. Full of fat-soluble vitamins, MUFAs are satisfying to eat and help you feel full and satiated, nipping in the bud two common complaints of dieters: boredom and hunger.

To learn where you can find the almost-mythic fatty acid, keep on reading.

What You Should Know About Belly Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

A spare tire around your belly doesn't make you feel very attractive in your bikini, but more importantly, belly fat is the most unhealthy type of fat you can have. To see why and learn how to diminish yours, take this little quiz.

Source

Take the quiz

Blueberries Battle Belly Fat

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Long considered a super food, another benefit of blueberries was discovered in a University of Michigan lab. New research found a diet rich in blueberries may help diminish belly fat. Abdominal fat has been linked with both heart disease and diabetes, even in folks with a normal BMI. Although the study was performed on rats, the beneficial decrease of belly fat occurred with both of high- and low-fat diets. More research is needed on humans, but these findings back up data from earlier studies on the benefits of blueberries on male populations at risk for heart disease.

For additional good news on the blueberry front, just read more.

Even after they are frozen, blueberries maintain most of their nutritional benefits. The antioxidants found in the berries, which create their rich hue as well, are not affected by freezing. Frozen blueberries will lose a bit, less than 20 percent, of their vitamin E content as well as a bit of beta carotene. This means you can add blueberries to your diet all year, be they fresh or frozen. Remember though, the darker the berry the more antioxidants it will provide.

Source

Belly Fat Is Bad News For Lungs

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Some of us carry a spare tire around our waists. Turns out it's the worst place to carry weight since diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease are linked to it. It can even lead to early death. Now there's more reason to battle the bulge - new research shows that a jiggle around your middle is also associated with impaired lung function. This type of harmful "abdominal obesity" is defined as a waist that's greater than 35 inches for women and 40 for men. Poor lung function is linked to higher rates of hospitalization and deaths from heart disease because researchers say that belly fat can get in the way of the normal functioning of your diaphragm and chest. Fat tissue also increases inflammation in the body, which can also cause health problems.

Even though your waist size may not be over 35 inches, it's a good idea to minimize your belly fat for your health's sake. For tips on how read more.

Try interval training.
Drink miso soup.
Load up on whole grains.
Get enough sleep each night.
Ditch trans fat from your diet.
Manage stress. It causes our bodies to release cortisol, and high levels been associated with increased appetite and fat production. The fat has been shown to typically deposit itself in the belly area.

Source

Spare Tire Could Be Fatal, Even With a Healthy BMI

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

In the battle of the bulge, belly fat is often a focus because of its relationship with heart disease. Just when I thought the subject of spare tires had been prodded in every way possible, new research has come out that could force more people to take their midsection more seriously. It says that even if your BMI describes your weight as normal, having a spare tire could make you twice as likely to die during a 10-year period compared to those without belly fat.

Researchers at the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition composed one of the largest long-term studies in the world to get their results - 359,387 people ages 25 to 70 from nine European countries were involved. The research indicates that overall weight isn't the only indicator in measuring mortality; waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio have a big impact on mortality risk, too.

With heart disease in mind, women should aim to keep their waist circumference below 35 inches and men shouldn't push 40 inches. Wondering if you are an apple or a pear? Check out our Waist-to-Hip calculator to determine your body type and levels of risk.

Source

Fat Update: Eat Fat to Feel Full

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Fat has a bad reputation. While some of this rep is deserved, let us not forget that not all fats are bad. In fact, unsaturated fat offers some surprisingly healthy benefits, especially for dieters.

New research from UC Irvine indicates that monounsaturated fatty acids, affectionately known as MUFAs, can actually help you feel full. When they reach your small intestine, these fats ignite the production of a compound that tells the brain to stop eating since you're full. MUFAs help stop the hunger signal so you don't overeat.

This property of monounsaturated fats might be why the Mediterranean diet is so successful at helping people maintain their weight. Unsaturated fats, both poly and mono, help keep belly fat at bay. And belly fat can increase your risk of heart disease and high blood sugar levels, so you want to work to keep weight off your midsection.

To see what kinds of food will help you feel full, just read more.

I feel lucky because some of the foods high in MUFAs are a few of my favorites.

Avocado
Olive oil
Almonds
Peanuts
Cashews
Canola
Pistachios
Hazelnuts

Even if you are dieting and cutting calories, don't forget to eat some nuts with your meals. All these foods are easy to throw on top of a low-fat salad.

Source

Lose the Belly Fat Without the Crunches

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Worried that your middle is starting to grow? AOL Body has come up with three simple belly-blasting tips, none of which are crunches, that anyone can fit into their normal routine. Here are highlights:

Don't Get Trapped by Trans Fats: To your waistline, what you don't eat is just as important as what you do. A recent study done at Wake Forest University has concluded that trans fat, which has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, may also increase dangerous belly fat.
Get More Zs: Studies have shown that those who get less than four hours of sleep per night are 70 percent more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Sleep deprivation lowers leptin, a protein that suppresses appetite and tells the brain when the stomach is full. Not catching enough Zs also inhibits the production of insulin, which regulates blood sugar. So, if you're constantly burning the midnight oil, you're interfering with your body's ability to burn off extra calories.

There's one more helpful tip so read more.

Managing Stress: The Fight or Flight response has been around for millions of years, but it could also be adding unwanted inches to your waistline. When faced with stress, our bodies release a hormonal cocktail of adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin. Not only have high cortisol levels been associated with increased appetite and fat production, but the fat has been shown to typically deposit itself in the belly area.

Source

Whole Grains Better For a Smaller Belly

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:45:00 -0800

I am a fan of whole grains; they are grains as nature intended full of fiber, bran, and germ. New research indicated that they might help you decrease belly fat. In a study where dieters were divided into two groups - one ate refined grains and the other ate only whole grains - both groups lost an equal amount of weight. However, the whole-grain group lost more belly fat. Not only that, but certain markers for metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, were also lower in the whole-grain group.

Researchers believe the high-fiber content of the whole-grain foods helped keep dieters blood-sugar levels at an even level throughout the day. Plus, whole grains are more nutrient rich and provide healthful antioxidants.

Remember to look for the whole-grain stamp on processed foods, and try whipping up a batch of quinoa for dinner. It is important to keep your waist circumference below 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, to reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, new data shows that strokes are on the rise in women and "spare tires" at the waistline might be to blame. So eat those whole grains!

Source

Make Your Chest Grow with Lipo?

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Sometimes health headlines sound more like science fiction than fact, and this little bit of news definitely fits that categorization.

Scientists have figured out a way to move fat, mined via liposuction from undesirable body locations like the belly, booty or thighs, and transfer the fat where many ladies want more fat - their breasts!!! Harnessing stem cell technology, scientists can now inject a fat and stem cell mixture into breasts where the mixture encourages new breast tissue to grow. Talk about bosom buddies.

Although the procedure only takes about an hour to implement, one must wait about 6 months for the results to appear. More research is needed, but in the early trials of the procedure, called Celution, have been successful. In one study 19 women in Japan, all of whom had had at least partial mastectomies, all responded well to the treatment, with no major side-effects.

Celution could revolutionize cosmetic surgery and "breast enhancements," making silicone breast implants a thing of past - although the two procedures are similarly priced. While I think this procedure can really help women who have had mastectomies and desire breast reconstruction without taking muscle from another part of their bodies, part of me wishes there was no societal pressure to have "bodacious ta-tas." I guess that wish really sounds like science fiction.

I am curious what you all think about this - let me know in the comments section below.

Miso May Burn Belly Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:30:00 -0800

It is National Soup Month, so says my friend YumSugar. So I thought I would tell you about a little research done on miso soup recently.

Japanese researchers found that brown seaweed, used to make miso, "stimulates a protein that causes fat oxidation and conversion of energy to heat." Translated into plain English, it helps burn fat. Belly fat to be even more specific. Well, belly fat of mice to be even more specific.

Now, I need to remind you that the findings are preliminary and no testing has been done on humans. I for one, however, will be using this as an excuse to go out for sushi and order miso soup to kick off the meal.