Visceral fat isn’t visible to the naked eye, but if you’re on the podgy side, chances are that you have too much of the stuff. Which fat-banishing diet can help you to lose the harmful belly fat?
Dr Michael Russo pointed out that diets high in protein, and low in carbs, are effective at reducing visceral fat levels.
He added: “Diet is about 80 percent of the equation.”
An example of a high-protein, low-carb diet is the Atkins diet.
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Developed by cardiologist Robert Atkins, it restricts the consumption of carbohydrates.
In particular, the focus is on minimising sugar, white flour and refined carbs.
What are refined carbohydrates?
All sugars and starches, except those that come from natural sources – such as fruit – are refined carbohydrates.
Thus, refined carbohydrates aren’t naturally formed, and include white bread, white pasta, white rice and pastries.
Usually lacking in essential nutrients, refined carbs can be described as “empty calories”.
The main purpose of carbohydrates is to provide energy to the body.
Most carbohydrates get broken down into glucose (sugar) to be used as energy.
Excess carbohydrates are stored as fat to be used at a later date (if, at all).
The Atkins diet uses a system called net carbs, which works as follows;
Taking the total carbohydrate content of an item then minus its fibre content.
For instance, a half-cup of raw broccoli has 2.3 grams of total carbs and 1.3 grams of fibre.
Consuming half a cup of broccoli results in a carb net of one gram.
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This approach to limiting carbs is believed to help burn off the body’s fat stores.
At the same time, a person following the Atkins diet will eat more protein than carbs.
Protein includes chicken, seafood, eggs and low-fat milk and yoghurt.
Other protein-rich ingredients include beans, almonds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts.
Protein is found in every cell of the body, hence why it’s so important to consume.
It plays a role in transporting molecules around the body, repairing cells and protecting the body from viruses.
It has also been shown to have a positive impact on resting metabolism, thereby aiding weight loss.
Before following any type of diet, do speak with your medical practitioner to make sure it’s safe for you to follow.
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