Foods That Cause Belly Fat

Belly fat is not only unattractive and dangerous; it’s notoriously difficult to get rid of.  Part of that is because in some cases, fat isn’t just fat.  Belly fat produces enzymes that inhibit insulin resistance, causing you to react badly to any carbs you eat.  And the fat on the surface isn’t even the worst part; the really dangerous belly fat is way deep inside your abdominal cavity, which can’t be addressed by doing crunches or eating more salad.  Even people with a healthy weight may have dangerous internal—or, visceral–body fat.

It is extremely important to discover what is causing your belly fat.  In some cases, it might not even be fat. It might be a blocked colon, gas and bloating, false fat that come from dehydration, or the pooch that comes from a bad posture.

If it does turn out that your problem is simply that you eat too much and exercise too little, you can do something about that.  What you eat is as important as how much you eat.  The following foods cause belly fat, so if you are trying to get rid of belly fat, they should be avoided.

Soft drinks.  They are nothing but sugar and caffeine.  There is no benefit to your body, no nutrition.  They can only hurt you.  Instead drink water.  Soft drinks are most often drunk for convenience’s sake; if you’re in a rush, that’s what the machine or the gas station or the drive-through offers.  But more and more of these convenience locations are now offering bottled water—and, if you order water instead of a soft drink at a restaurant, it’s free!

Alcohol.  Again, a special occasion every now and then is one thing, but regular alcoholic drinks contain empty calories, meaning they carry no nutrition, and those calories go right to your belly.  That’s why they call it a beer belly.  Instead, drink water.  It might not be as much fun, but you’ll thank yourself for your discipline when you don’t die of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.

Processed foods.  This includes lunch meats, and white breads and pastas.  There’s nothing in there but sodium and carbs, both of which store as belly fat and contribute to water retention.  This is also true of many boxed or canned foods, which are highly processed and contain significant amounts of preservatives.  Those are not elements that digest well in your body.

Refined sugar.  This means anything you can buy at a convenience store.  If you buy canned fruit, it should be in water or juice, not in heavy syrup.  Try to buy natural sugars, such as fruits and fruit juice, to sweeten things.  Or try to just wean yourself from your craving for sugar; it’s a never-ending cycle—the more you eat, the more you crave, because carbs create a drop in blood sugar that makes you want sugar again.  Fortunately, the cycle works the other way, too.  The less sugar you eat, the less you want.  The less often you eat it, the less satisfying it is when you finally have some, and you wonder what you ever saw in it.

Belly fat might be more than just a matter of the wrong foods, but what we put into our bodies matters.  It can make the difference between illness and health.

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