4 ways to tighten your belly-without exercising

They say that 80 per cent of your impact to reduce your overall body fat has to do with dieting and your lifestyle and the 20 per cent involves activity and exercise. We have heard about how abs are made in the kitchen; however, they are also made in other ways, as well.

Here are 4 ways to tighten your belly-without exercising.

1. Get more sleep

It’s not just the amount of time you spend sleeping that keeps you lean, it’s also the quality! Fat cells in your body produce a hormone called leptin-a hormone that controls hunger and feelings of satiety. This hormone is only produced during certain stages of sleep and if you skimp on those stages because you’re not resting enough, and you’ll disturb your hormonal levels, confusing your body and its signals. Consequently, you will end up storing calories rather than burning them. So invest in a new mattress or get some new blinds and dream away!

2. Eliminate all refined sugars from your diet. Yep, even grains.

Yes. You read correctly.

Sugar causes fat storage due to excess glucose being flooded into your system. Anytime you have filled your body with more calories or energy than it actually needs, your liver’s sugar storage capacity is exceeded. When the liver is maximally full, the excess sugar is converted by the liver into fat and returned to the bloodstream, where is taken throughout your body and stored as fat. And then there is the issue with excess insulin which screams at your fat cells to stay where they are! Lovely, right?

Don’t get me wrong-I love carbs! Carbs are my friends. However, if you have some serious poundage to lose around your waistline, to the point that your doctor is concerned, you might want to at least reduce your sugar intake.

This includes all forms of sugar:

• cakes
• pies
• fruits
• honey
• alcohol
• agave
• brown rice
• whole wheat bread
• whatever can be converted into a sugar later

You all know how we like to hit on the whole “gluten bloating” topic quite frequently. Well, it is for a reason-gluten actually makes you bloat-if you are sensitive to it. In order to achieve a flatter tummy, you will obviosuly need to stay away from things that cause you to bloat the most.

3. Improve your posture.

If only we knew how we looked! Most people do not pay attention to their body mechanics which leads to poor posture, making your stomach buldge out sometimes. See below:

Poor posture can:

• make you appear bigger
• make you look heavier
• cause joint stress
• cause your stomach to jut out
• cause misalignment

Improve your posture by going to a chiropractor and getting an alignment done. He or she will offer some pretty good tips as to how to keep your body in check.

Remember-when you slump over, you will have a belly (usually). You can also improve your posture by stretching daily to release tight or tense muscles. Also, being aware of how you carry yourself or sit is a big bonus to improving your overall posture!

4. Don’t forget to snack.

Simple snack ideas are:

• veggies
• hummus & veggies
• nuts
• cheese
• boiled chicken pieces
• hard boiled eggs
• biltong
• deli roll ups (meat and cheese)
• yogurt
• tofu
• protein shake
• roti

DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. 
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 694 6047
The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)