Losing Abdominal Fat The Natural Way

By: Scott T Smith

To lose abdominal fat, you need to have some basic street
smarts. But where do you get it? It's a jungle out there. It is
our practice to turn to medical professionals every time - the
people who really know. And very often they come up with the
most wonderful remedies. The kinds of remedies passed down
through the generations.

Things our grandmothers shared with our families. And why?
Because they really work! But more than that, now they have been
backed up by science. Laboratory research reveals that
oftentime, there is indeed a scientific basis for folk medicine
remedies.

Here are 5 tactics that will help you now in the war against
your weight.

1. Say ommm

Stress may contribute to abdominal fat, according to several
studies, including a recent one at the University of California,
San Francisco. "When you're stressed, hormones like cortisol
stimulate your appetite, slow your metabolism down and encourage
fat storage inside your abdomen," explains Shawn Talbott, Ph.D.,
director of the Nutrition Clinic at the University of Utah. So
what's a frazzled girl to do? "Find an activity that reduces
stress for you, whether it's listening to soothing music or
taking yoga, and do it daily," advises Talbott.

2. Have a PB & J

Think peanut butter is only for pint-sized palates? Think again.
PB is rich in magnesium, a mineral that motors up your
metabolism by giving your cells energy. Aim for 320 mg a day of
magnesium: Good food sources include a peanut butter sandwich
made with whole-wheat bread (100 mg) or spinach (1/2 cup has 80
mg).

3. Exercise off that PMS

You could lose more weight exercising during the later phase of
your menstrual cycle than at any other time in your cycle,
according to a recent study from the University of Adelaide in
Australia. Hormones estrogen and progesterone fire up your
fat-burning furnace: They promote your body's use of fat as an
energy supply, so more is burned off when you exercise. "Women
burned about 30 percent more fat for the two weeks following
ovulation to about two days before menstruation," explains study
author Leanne Redman.

4. Don't blow off breakfast

Studies show that eating breakfast plays a part in successful
weight loss -- almost 80 percent of people who successfully keep
weight off chow down on this meal, according to a study
published in Obesity Research. "Your metabolism slows as you
sleep, and the process of digesting food revs it up again,"
explains Heller. Aim for a 300- to 400-calorie breakfast, such
as a high-fiber cereal (another metabolism booster) with skim
milk and fruit.

5. Pump up protein

Not in an extreme, Atkins sort of way, but having a little
protein at every meal fires up your metabolism. "Your digestive
system uses more energy to break it down, so you burn more
calories," explains Lisa Dorfman, R.D. However, keep protein
levels to between 20 and 35 percent of your diet; eating too
much of it can cause kidney strain and may cause your body to
store too much fat.

All 5 of these methods have to do with speeding up your
metabolism. it is possible to speed up your metabolism, that
little engine in your body that burns calories. As you age, your
metabolism slows down, chiefly because you lose around a half
pound of muscle each year. "If you don't use the muscle, it
atrophies," explains Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor of medicine
at the University of Maryland and author of Fight Fat After
Forty.

About the author:
::All-Natural Weight Loss Supplements:: Article by Scott T
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