Dr Zhaoping Li, Director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles, likened a potbelly to the trunk of a car where you store things. But when the space in your belly becomes too full, it overflows into the pancreas, liver and muscles, resulting in serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.
So, here’s how to avoid a potbelly.
1. You don’t have to drink 5 bottles of beer.
Seriously, it’s not a competition. Beer might interfere with fat burn because your liver will preferentially burn alcohol instead of fat when consumed. Beer bellies can cause type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, erectile, etc. Reducing your intake of alcohol would help in keeping your belly in check.
2. Stop eating too much.
Yes, you. Stop eating too much. Stop looking sideways, we’re talking about you. When you eat too much on a regular basis, your belly will undoubtedly, expand and stick out.
3. Don’t wait until bedtime to eat.
Aha! You must have thought we wouldn’t spot you. Don’t you love to chew and stuff your belly while you recline on the bed, lazily watching Netflix, as you wait for sleep to take you? You are surely inviting indigestion. The quality of the food won’t matter if you continue with the habit; over time, you will end up with a surplus of calories in your belly.
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4. Mind the carbs.
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Eating too many carbs can cause one’s insulin level to rise. Insulin resistance is one of the most significant health issues of the modern era. Their metabolism will slow down, and the excess sugar the body can’t use will be stored as belly fat.
5. Get enough sleep.
Weird, but true. Stress can cause potbelly. Gist Magazine quoted a study by the Psychology Department at Yale University, stating that women (in particular) who had a higher amount of belly fat were more negative, and lived with higher levels of stress. Stress supposedly switches to survival mode by storing more fat in the abdomen region, thereby creating belly fat to avoid starving.
6. Work out.
Don’t sit around watching your belly protrude. Start with some easy exercises to keep you fit. Look up YouTube videos like Pop Sugar Fitness and other Nigerian fitness personnel to help keep you in shape and either avoid or reduce a pot-belly.
Do you have a potbelly already? Fear not, just follow the steps and you’ll be on a healthy path. Leave us a comment.
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