Want to know how to lose belly fat fast? Well you can't. But there are ways to torch fat, shed the dreaded visceral fat and maybe even reveal your abs. During lockdown it's a problem a lot of us are facing although you could do worse than starting your week days with Joe Wicks PE lesson. Yes we know it's meant to be for kids but it's by no means child's play.It's a very intense tabata HIIT workout, when you get down to it. And wearing a frog costume can really make you sweat.

Contrary to what a lot of websites will tell you, directly targeting 'belly fat' is largely impossible outside of surgical procedures. It's more of a matter of knowing how to lose weight in general some of which will be around your belly. It can also be useful to work on your abdominal muscles, so that when the fat is finally gone, your stomach will be properly flat, not fat. Although there's no magic bullet to slay belly fat, there are ways to burn visceral fat or belly fat that are tried, trusted and true.

And, as you have probably guessed, we have a list of them. So if you want to burn belly fat and get fit, this is our 'six-pack' of tips, cheats, technologies and strategies. Oh and if you want to round it up to a lucky 7 tips, try this one blindingly obvious way to avoid lockdown weight gain.

Important note here, everyone: Belly fat these days is often referred to as visceral fat because that sounds scarier. If you really need to shed visceral fat because it's endangering your life, that is an area where you should probably be seeking medical advice, if that is at all possible. But while this guide is more about slimming down a bit, or avoiding ballooning during lockdown, belly fat loss also has an element of visceral fat loss.

Our lose belly fat tips aren't necessarily quick, and this is not about telling you how to get six pack abs although we have plenty of guides to that, too. No, this is just a 'six pack' do you see what we did, there? of tips to getting a healthier life and feeling comfortable with the girth of your mid-riff. We're not looking to fat shame anyone here or totally bro out, we're just offering advice.

We've got some great tips, a few cheeky shortcuts and key strategies to lose belly fat quickly, healthily and sustainably. As we just said, there are no quick fixes here; we want you to develop habits that ensure you'll stay trim for good.Weve also got the lowdown on the best exercises to lose belly fat, and all the gear youll need to get started although, of course, the most important 'gear' is the bit between your ears.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for slim-down success: the best way to lose belly fat is the way that works around your lifestyle. If you follow an unsustainable plan, you won't last: it's as simple as that. In this article we lay out six principles that are applicable to everyone, whether you're a total beginner starting your weight-loss journey or a seasoned pro who fell off the wagon over Christmas.

These guiding lights will keep you on the straight and narrow, whether you've got time to hit the gym every day or a shift worker looking to manage your schedule. Dont try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day. And, despite the name of this feature, don't fixate on 'belly fat'. It's important to reduce visceral fat, which does tend to lurk around the belly area, but that is best achieved by trying to slim down and tune up overall.

Here are six strategies to help you start losing weight.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The short answer to the question of how to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. In the fitness world, this is known as achieving a "calorie deficit".

If this sounds like a waking nightmare, there's a trick to it: what you need to do is ensure youre eating the correct kind of food to make sure you feel full and sated, even when consuming fewer calories than you're burning off. Certain foods are "empty calories" while others release energy slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.

But before that, you'll need to find a good way to track your calories burned and calories taken in. The free MyFitnessPal app is one of the best ways to record your calorie intake, but to track your calories burned, you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker. If you already own a smartwatch, most will offer calorie tracking as standard, but for those yet to make the plunge, the Fitbit Versa Lite is the best activity tracker you can buy right now. Check out the deal below.

Oh, and staying hydrated is crucial, as well

Fitbit Versa 2 | was 199.99 | now 184 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa 2 is getting regular price cuts in 2020 and is currently 22 off at Amazon and various other fine online retailers. The Versa 2 features advanced cardio tracking as well as the usual steps and sleep stuff, and has Alexa built in. It's also unusually stylish for a Fitbit.View Deal

Fitbit Versa Lite | was 149.99 | now 114 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa Lite is the best affordable fitness tracker or smartwatch you can buy.It tracks deep and light sleep, steps, distance and calories, but that is barely scraping the surface of its capabilities. Via Fitbit's excellently presented app and sprawling ecosystem, you can use it as the basis of a complete fitness and diet programme. You can also enter your meals to log calories consumed, so you can have all your dietary data in one place.View Deal

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S'Well Marble Drinking Water Bottle | now 25.00 at John LewisIn this case beauty is more than skin deep. This bottle is vacuum sealed, which means it should be able to keep liquids warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Its stainless steel, has a capacity of 500ml and requires handwashing, and its definitely one for one-upping your co-workers boring flasks and supermarket specials.View Deal

Wild West Original Jerky, 12 x 35g bags | now 18.00 on AmazonLooking for a calorie-dense but highly nutritional snack? Swap your bag of crisps or chocolate bar for jerky or biltong, a cured meat snack high in protein. This Wild West Original comes in handy 35g bags, to keep yourself fuller for longer. It's packed full of protein to help build muscle after a workout (13.2g per pack, to be precise), and is even gluten free too.View Deal

Intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. It involves significantly cutting calories or abstaining from food altogether for a portion of the day or week, and then cramming all your calories into a much shorter time window.

The best-known intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally would (although hopefully a bit healthier) for five days a week, then scoff no more than 600 calories two days a week.There are also variants of this diet where you consume almost no calories, two days per week. This is much more doable than it sounds, so long as you are in good general health, but it's not exactly fun.

However, for trainees who are serious but not that serious, there's the 16:8 diet. With this diet you have only 8 hours a day to fit all your meals in, but can only drink water (and maybe some black coffee, if you're feeling naughty) within a 16 hour fasting period outside of those 8 hours. Most choose to eat from 10am to 6pm, but as long as you stay within an eight hour window, you can start and finish at any time of the day. This isHugh Jackman's strategy, so if you have ever wanted to be in Wolverine shape

Why try fasting, though? Well, during the fasting period the body will run out of sugar to run on, and so will start eating up the bodys fat stores. The big negative is the adjustment period: if you're used to a big breakfast or an early dinner, a 16-hour fast feels tough at first, especially if you're exercising. You're going to get seriously cranky.

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Weight training is a great way to tip your muscle-fat ratio the right way

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dead set on having chips? An air fryer can deliver a lot of the delicious taste with less of the not-quite-so-delicious oil

(Image credit: Future)

If you eat fried food all the time, switching to an air fryer will definitely cause you to lose weight unless buying one causes you to start eating loads of chocolate because you've reduced your fat intake. No, it doesn't taste as delicious as proper fried food of course not but it turns out meals with a good fried/roasted taste, but with up to 80% lower fat content.

If you don't eat fried food all the time but like to treat yourself now and then, switching to an air fryer could still help with you to lose weight. Even with a solid balanced diet and a good workout ethic, there will come a time when your willpower will falter and you'll want to fall back on your old favourites, like fried chicken, fish, chips and all the other foods you love normally dripping with grease. If you schedule in cheat days and do this in a controlled way, it's good to know you're cooking these foods in a way that still helps you hit your goals.

Enter the air fryer. The best air fryers are revolutionary pieces of kit that use hot air combined with a teaspoon of oil (as opposed to the gallons of oil found in the deep-fat variety) to cook your crispy favourites. If kitchen space and budget is no object, you can cook a whole chicken in the Philips Airfryer XXL, but if you're after something a little more economical, Ninjas AF100UK Air Fryer is lightweight, compact and versatile, perfect for portion control. It also seems to usually be sold out all the time at present, so perhaps everyone has already taken our advice, here.

This is just one way to have your (fried) cake and eat it too. Swapping high-calorie pints of ice cream to the low-calorie versions like Halo Top or Oppo, or switching out cholesterol-laden butter for a healthier olive spread, are other easy ways you can make relatively simple lifestyle choices and still keep weight off.

There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weights, otherwise known as resistance training.Although cardio burns a lot of calories while you do it, weight training builds muscle which burns more than fat as you go about your day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn even when not working out.

Resistance training may seem scary if you're doing it for the first time, especially in the gym when the area's dominated by serious lifters, but you dont have to start adding big plates to the bar right now. There's plenty of ways to get started at home with smaller weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and even medicine balls.

Were not going to list every single lifting exercise, so why not pick the body part you want to start toning up and check out some of our muscle-building how-tos. One you've done that, grab one of the best dumbbell sets on the market. They're not just for arms: you can use a dumbbell to work your core, shoulders, and even your legs with combination movements. The only issue you will find right now is that most of them are sold out, but this store still has home gym equipment for online delivery.

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All of this aside, dont neglect cardio, as regular cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina.

Electric Muscle Stimulation can help your muscles recover faster

(Image credit: PowerDot)

It may seem gimmicky when you unwrap your new six-pack vibrating belt, complete with a picture of Ronaldo on the box, but don't roll your eyes just yet. While you can't just sit there eating crisps and expect to get ripped, Electric Muscle Stimulators can help as part of a controlled dietary and exercise plan.

EMS can cause the muscles to contract, essentially tensing and untensing rapidly. During downtime post-workout, you can continue to encourage muscle growth with EMS, while the right bit of kit can also encourage faster recovery, allowing you to get back in the gym all the quicker. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, EMS stimulates the muscle in the same way as a massage, prepping it for the next go-round.

It's not a bona fide shortcut to a six-pack, but it can speed up the muscle-building process with regular use.

(Image credit: Sixpad)

Our top choice is always SIXPAD as used by Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who takes great pride in his body. Perhaps a little too much pride, the unkind or jealous might say. Amazon also sells all manner of abs belts by brands we have never heard of, for about 20. Needless to say we dont recommend these.

PowerDot 2.0 - Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator | now 185 at AmazonAlternatively, the PowerDot 2.0 is a smartphone-controlled muscle stimulating monster.This neat muscle stimulator works from your phone, allowing you to control intensity, stimulation and goal. Reduce your recovery time and increase muscular performance, as the PowerDot working to support your gym schedule. This model has two stimulators, but you can scale up to four for 325View Deal

Planks are a tough abs workout and a great end-of-workout finisher

(Image credit: Taco Fleur from Pixabay)

As well doing both muscle-building and cardio exercises, if you want to lose belly fat its also important to switch up the pace of your workout.

Every time you workout, you should exercise using both steady state (working hard but not at max capacity, such as during brisk jog) and high intensity (going flat out, like sprinting) to torch your abdominal fat.

Steady state or aerobic exercises include cycling, running or uphill hiking.Its a crucial part of losing belly fat because it burns through your fat stores. However, it also uses your sugar stores for energy first, so you need to do steady-state for long enough to use up all that sugar before it eats into your fat reserves.

High intensity workouts use mainly sugar for fuel, so they don't hit the fat right away, but it does help in building muscle, which will help you torch fat even on days you're not exercising. Explosive weight lifting, sprinting and HIIT-friendly exercises like mountain climbers are all great high-intensity exercises.

A good fitness tracker will help you to gauge the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. For overall fitness trackers, check out the Fitbit Versa Lite above, but for a dedicated running watch, you can't beat the Garmin Forerunner 645, the best on the market right now.

Find out more about heart rate zone training

Garmin Forerunner 645 | now 279.57 at AmazonGarmin dominates the running/fitness watch category so totally, it's almost embarrassing for the competition. The most recent addition to their premium line, the Garmin 645, incorporates GPS and wrist heart-rate tracking, which is good for monitoring your resting and all-day rates. The 645 crunches a lot of data to suggest recovery times, make a decent stab at estimating your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load and lots, lots more.View Deal

FitBit Aria 2 smart bathroom scale | now 111.72 on AmazonThis clever scaletells you your weight, BMI and body fat percentage which is all a lot of people want. It then reports this to your Fitbit account, so you can monitor your weight trends and use it alongside your Fitbit wearable's daily calorie-burn estimates. Add MyFitnessPal or Fitbit's own dietary features and you can then sync your meal-plans, daily calories consumed and weight goals, if you want.View Deal

The most important thing to bear in mind is this: losing weight takes time. You'll have setbacks and slip-ups, but if you stay committed to your goal, you'll be fitter and healthier in 2020, building up great habits for many years ahead.

Need some help to get started? Check out all the latest deals on the kit you'll need to get fit in 2020.To start with, you'll need a killer playlist and a good set of workout headphones to listen to it on:

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See more here:
How to lose belly fat fast: don't get the lockdown weight-gain blues, try this six pack of tips - T3

A couple who binged on takeaways every night and made a daily visit to a sandwich van saw their weight balloon.

However they have lost an impressive eight stone between them after ditching the fast food.

The husband and wife Dawn and Mark Smith have seen dropping the junk food pay dividends after they had tipped the scales at almost 50 stone between them.

Wife Dawn, 29, from Ashby, described herself as once having a 'Winnie the Pooh' belly it was so pig. she said she was always overweight but became tired of looking the way she did as she weighed 20 stone.

The pair decided they had to make serious changes as husband Mark weighed in at almost 30 stone and they went on a diet together.

Dawn, who is mum to Cynthia, and Isabelle, said: "I was always the fat kid at school. I have always been active and on the go but I just ate the wrong foods.

"McDonald's and Chinese food are my favourites and I was always popping into Greggs on the playgroup run."

Dawn said her mum used to poke fun at her 'Winnie the Pooh belly' and she became embarrassed when the woman who runs the 'cob van' knew her order every day.

The mum said: "Shortbread is my real downfall but we would also snack on chocolate and crisps, sitting on the settee binging on them every night.

"We would eat takeaways every night and between Mark and myself could get through at least half a loaf of bread at breakfast - just the two of us.

"It was getting ridiculous.

"In fact, it was so bad that the cob van lady always knew my order.

"I was living in leggings and T-shirts. It was just getting embarrassing.

Mark, 37, weighed in at almost 30 stone, and had diabetes and other health issues.

Said Dawn: "We just sat down and talked about our weight. We needed to be around for our girls."

After being inspired by Dawns mums incredible 10-stone weight loss, the couple joined her at the Woodville Slimming World group in January 2019 and saw results straight away.

Dawn said: "I had tried Slimming World before and it worked but I stopped going and piled the weight back on again.

"I told myself that I will stick this out and I am not going to give in like I normally do.

"Luckily I saw results straight away. In the first week I lost 9lbs and my clothes started feeling looser.

"I felt good and it really spurred me on.

"We used to be so negative and we were our own worst enemies because we had no motivation.

"Now we are so proud of each other."

Since joining the group Dawn, who was a size 26 to 28 and tipped the scales at 20 stone and half a pound, and dropped five dress sizes and weighed around 16 stone 7.5lb.

An incredible transformation in 33 weeks.

Mark was 29 stone 10lbsand wearing XXXXXXL clothes when they joined the group and now weighs 24 Stone 9.5 lbs and is now in XXXL clothing.

The pairs weight loss has shocked lots of people, and many have commented on Dawns new figure.

She said: "My friends and family are all surprised at the difference in me but really proud.

"I cannot believe how much of a reaction I have been getting since losing the weight.

"I have had strangers coming up to me in the street saying 'I have seen you around and I cant believe you have lost so much weight. You look great'.

"I am so proud of Mark, and the girls are always excited to see if we have bought any certificates back.

"It just shows that if I can do it, I believe anyone can.

"I used to have anxiety and panic attacks but now I sit up in the group and I give out advice.

"I won woman of the year 2019 and together we won Slimming World couple of the year for 2019.

"I feel so much better, so much healthier since losing weight."

The couple, who run their own company, MD Smiths LTD (Electrical Contractors), are already making big plans for the future.

Dawn said: "The only time I have gained weight in 33 weeks is when I went on holiday to Greece.

"I am tall so I want to lose another three stone and Mark wants to lose a total of 10 stone this year.

"I am going to be 30 in March and I really want to have a big party and wear a nice dress and impress.

"I want people to say 'oh my god' and be shocked at how I look. I cant wait."

Breakfast: Four rounds of white toast, cup of tea and a packet of biscuits

Lunch: Cob with bacon, sausage and black pudding

Tea: Kebab

Snacks: Crisps and chocolate throughout the day

Breakfast: Branflakes and green tea

Lunch: Homemade quiche and salad

Tea: Fajitas and salad

Snacks: Strawberries

Read the original:
Couple who binged on takeaways every night are unrecognisable now - Derbyshire Live

Dear Readers,

This is a continuation from a question last week from Suzanne of East Gwillimbury. She wanted to know what is understood about treating coronavirus holistically. I directed her to a prior article, in which I explored the various holistic interventions to strengthen the immune system naturally, which can be found here.

To read last weeks answer, in which I share a successful holistic therapy physicians in China and New York have already documented, you can go here. I also shared the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your chance of mortality from COVID-19, according to the data we have to date: reduce your insulin resistance. In addition, I would like to direct readers to a wonderful free resource Dr. Mercola has set up with in depth info on what is understood about the Coronavirus, holistically speaking. Readers can find that here.

This week we will be exploring how to reduce insulin resistance by replacing some key foods and beverages you may be consuming. Doing this and getting a little nutrition education under your belt will help you prevent or reverse type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome - and tighten that belt a couple notches, too! Dont think these small actions cant have a big impact. Many disease states are precipitated by repeated overconsumption of the wrong foods that trigger a cascade of metabolic imbalances in the body. We can change that trajectory by changing the foods we eat. Its really quite amazing and simple! Lets take a closer look.

Initially, in response to that bowl of Sugar Ohs or that Big Sugar Slurp the body secretes insulin to pack away all that sugar for energy later. It first goes into our muscles and liver, but they can only hold a small amount. So the extra gets stored in our fat cells around our middle. Its stored quickly to protect us from sugar in the bloodstream, which is very dangerous over a certain threshold and causes tissue damage. This is the bodys intelligent way of protecting us from sugar damage while not letting any potential energy go to waste.

If the sugar and high glycemic carbs keep coming with regularity or if there is too much at once, the bodys insulin generating capacity kicks it up a notch. It excretes even more insulin to reduce blood sugar levels quickly, which causes blood sugar levels to drop quite low. We now need that stored energy, but unfortunately, we cant access it.

You see, insulin inhibits our bodys ability to access fat stores for energy. This is why people have such a hard time losing weight on a high carb diet. Sure, we can expedite this with exercise, but who feels like exercise when their blood sugar is low?

When blood sugar is low we typically feel it. Suddenly we have become hangry (hungry-angry) and are roaming around snarling at everyone in our way, hunting for a quick pick-me-up. Why doesnt our partner lift a finger to help around the house - are their hands broken? They seem to work for the remote/ cell phone just fine! And would it kill the kids to pick up after themselves for once and use some manners? And who in the world named your mother-in-law God? Does God know Shes been replaced? And why cant Patricia at work mind her own bloody business and stop trying to micromanage yours? And where is that ever-loving receipt for the dry cleaning? Nevermind the diet, we NEED a muffin/ donut/ ice cap/ biggie meal and we NEED IT NOW dammit! Where is the nearest drive through? And. We. Get. In. Our. Vehicles. And. Drive. In. This. State.

And that is my explanation for current divorce rates, ADD, the terrible teens, and road rage: its actually double-double-super-sized-caffeinated-bevy-and-carby-zero-nutrient-processed-junk-food-syndrome. Say that five times fast!

And changing our diets is therefore social justice work, people! It would do much to restore a happy home life, harmony on the roads, and savings in police and court budgets, all while reducing mortality from many diseases, giving us healthier bodies with greater energy, and helping us get many years of getting even with the kids when they have their own children! Its genius! Genius (holding my organic-celery-wielding-fist high for emphasis in a silent salute)! But I digress.

This state of hangry is perplexing because were eating more than we ever have before. In fact, portion sizes have about doubled since the 1950s. And yet were hungry! When it hits, we have often just eaten a meal (or a candy bar or a bag of woo hoos or drank a super-sized hip-whip-whatsit) an hour or two ago and gotten high off the sugar no less, but now we feel like we need a nap or are starving out of our minds! This is because the energy weve stored cant be released when insulin is present. And insulin is always around in the presence of excess sugar and carbs.

This is why we are so tired and wired. And this is why I firmly assert that obesity is actually a starvation state. Were eating and eating but not getting any energy from the food!

To make matters worse, when we get a blood test in this state we can be diagnosed as hypoglycemic (having low blood sugar), for which the mainstream medical prescription is to eat something sugary or carby to get our blood sugar back up. Do you see where this is headed? The prescription only signals more insulin to be released, which, in turn shuttles all that sugar to your waistline and keeps you hangry and initiates the cycle all over again!

Human beings have never in our history had such access to so many super tasty, high glycemic, processed, carb and sugar-laden foods. And our lifestyles have never been so sedentary. Our food supply has changed more in the past 70 years than in our entire evolutionary history.

Our bodies havent adapted. So when this excessive insulin is produced repeatedly and everything we eat goes to our waistline and our bodies cant use the fat theyve stored, we have to have a shut down mode. Our bodies signal the cells to stop accepting the insulin. When that happens and sugar continues to circulate in the bloodstream for too long, it inevitably damages the tissues, causing slow degradation that we dont always notice until we lose function.

And this is what we call insulin resistance or type II diabetes. It comes with a whole host of downstream health problems.

By this point our metabolic system is seriously tired and over-reactive. In addition we have often become depleted in several key nutrients that help regulate that system and were hooked on that sweet stuff that gives us a temporary lift. Our muscles are weak from the lack of nutrients and lack of exercise due to chronic low energy. And our blood sugar is all over the place.

The holistic solution is different than the medical model. Rather than trying force more sugar into the cells we focus on restricting carbohydrates of all kinds and fasting to reduce insulin and liberate the stored fat from the cells for energy. Once the body starts to burn fat for energy, it remembers how to do that and energy levels balance out, appetite drops, and the incessant cravings stop. Its truly miraculous to experience.

We just have to know what to eat and what to avoid. So lets tackle some of the biggest offenders and what you can replace them with to reduce blood sugar naturally!

Sugar - all kinds, even maple syrup, agave, and honey! Replace with monkfruit, stevia, xylitol, or erythritol for occasional sweets. I teach people how to replace sugars with healthier ones in my stop the sugar and healthy treats classes.

Artificial sweeteners - all of these can spike insulin just like sugar does, which is why so many people struggle with weight loss when frequently consuming them. Replace with the sweeteners above.

Soda - even those with artificial sweeteners. The one made with stevia is far better, or you can switch to homemade kombucha, which is an effervescent, fermented drink that helps put healthy bacteria in your gut for better digestion. I teach people how to make it in my kombucha and fun with fermenting classes.

Vegetable oils - canola, soy, margarine, crisco, sunflower, safflower, hydrogenated and trans fats. Replace these with organic coconut, olive, avocado, and macadamia nut oils or organic butter or ghee. Or use lard, tallow, goose grease, or other animal fat. These will help improve the lining of every cell in your body.

Processed foods. Replace anything that is heavily processed and comes from a factory with whole foods that come from an animal or a plant and are in their natural form!

Baked foods. Replace all but homemade ones. And bake with low carb flours like almond and coconut flour. We tend to think of baked foods as natural but even if they are made with the best whole grains they still often spike blood sugar!

Breads - all but low carb varieties. We tend to think of whole wheat bread as healthy but two pieces of whole wheat bread spike blood sugar more than a tablespoon of white sugar or a snickers bar. And wheat is not an optimal food for many reasons.

High carbohydrate snack foods like chips, sweetened peanut butter, popcorn, candied nuts, corn chips, or others. Sure, nuts with honey on them look natural, but that honey is usually high fructose corn syrup and theyre fried in vegetable oils. For snacks reach for natural or salted nuts and seeds or unsweetened yogurt and a bit of fruit or homemade grain free granola or fresh veggies and dip or snacks with almond and coconut flours. I teach many great ones in my healthy treats class.

Potatoes and starchy tubers. If you are insulin resistant or overweight you want to limit these to a very small amount once in a while, as they are high in carbs that spike insulin.

Processed meats. Use natural meats or canned or smoked seafood instead of hyper processed deli cuts. The exception to this is quality cured or smoked meats. Read a more in depth analysis of this here.

Replacing these foods for the healthier substitutes will go a long way to helping you reduce your blood sugar naturally and prevent or stop the progress of insulin resistance. To learn how to optimize your health and potentially reverse insulin resistance completely, you can contact me to work together one on one. I also offer an email newsletter full of health news if youd like to sign up to receive it, and during COVID-19 I will be offering a variety of reduced-fee cooking and nutrition classes online. All of this can be accessed through my website at hopenotdope.ca.

Thank you again for your query, Suzanne. As always, readers are encouraged to ask their nutrition questions via the email below.

Namaste!

Nonie Nutritionista

Nonie De Long is a registered orthomolecular nutritionist with a clinic in Bradford West Gwillimbury, where she offers holistic, integrative health care for physical and mental health issues. Check out her website here.

Do you have a question about health and wellness? Email nonienutritionista@gmail.com

Information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be misconstrued as medical advice, for which you should see a licensed medical practitioner.

Read the original post:
Ask the Nutritionist: What Do I Eat to Reverse Insulin Resistance? - BradfordToday

Trying to lose weight does not mean that a person has to give up all the snacks.Certain snacks, such as almonds and hummus, can help a person achieve their weight loss goals.Contrary to popular belief, when a person tries to lose weight, they dont have to avoid eating or just eat at mealtime.

Some studies suggest that people are more likely to maintain their weight loss if they have a healthy eating pattern.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), skippingfoods to lose weightgenerally works against you because it causes a person to overeat.

However, when a person satisfies their hunger with healthy snacks, they are much less likely to want to eat unhealthy foods or exceed their calorie limit.

Eating healthy snacks can help a person lose weight.

Some foods are better for weight loss than others.

In general, foods rich in fiber or protein tend to fill more.This means that the person will feel satiated more quickly and will be able to eat less at each snack or meal.

Other considerations are finding foods that are low in calories but high in volume or density.The more space a food occupies in the stomach, the fuller the person can feel.Again, this helps a person eat less with each snack.

People may also want to consider foods that help with metabolism and energy.Greater energy can help a person burn more calories, and better metabolism can help a person process the food they eat more efficiently.

People looking to lose weight should avoid foods that contain large amounts of:

Unprocessed foods are good options because many processed snacks contain high levels of sugar, salt, or both.Eating snacks between meals can help you lose weight.Eating snacks with healthy options can help prevent someone from overeating, as well as provide vitamins, fiber, and protein.

The following are some of the best weight loss snacks.

Hummus is a traditional Mediterranean dish prepared with chickpea puree.Due to its increasing popularity, there are often several flavor options for premade hummus sauces available in stores.People can also make hummus at home.

According to a 2016 study, hummus offers many potential benefits.Hummus provides a good source of protein and fiber, which can help a person feel fuller faster.

When people eat hummus with vegetables, they are getting the benefits of hummus, as well as any other additional nutrients from vegetables.

Celery is a low calorie vegetable.According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), two large stalks of celery count as 1 cup of vegetables out of the 2.5 cups needed per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

Celery is primarily water, which can help a person feel full.Dipping celery in nut butter, such as peanut or almond butter, can also provide the benefits of healthy fats and protein.

Apples and peanut butter are a good diet snack.

People can be creative with their fruit and nut butter combinations if they want.According to the USDA, a medium apple provides 20 percent of a persons dietary fiber, and 1 of the 2 recommended cups of fruit each day.

Dipping a slice of apple in peanut or other nut butter also adds protein and good fat to a persons snack.

Low-fat cheese is a source of protein and calcium.

Low-fat cheese products offer many nutrients and less fat than regular cheese.

Some of the benefits include:

Low-fat cheese also contains fewer calories than whole cheese.

What can be eaten with a low carb diet?Here are some tips for a low carb diet.

Walnuts can be a very healthy and filling snack.

Walnuts provide good protein and fat.However, those looking to limit their salt intake should check the label to make sure there is no added salt.Also, a person should avoid flavored cooked nuts, as flavors often contain sugar or salt.

People should look for raw or dry roasted nuts.Walnuts are relatively high in calories, so a person should only eat a small amount per snack.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein.However, in previous years, many people thought that eggs were unhealthy due to concerns about cholesterol.

However, more recent research suggests that eggs do not raise cholesterol levels and contain many essential nutrients.

Greek yogurt is high in protein and calcium and low in fat and calories.A person can safely add fresh fruit or nuts to Greek yogurt to improve its flavor and add nutritional value.

The best Greek yogurt for weight loss is the simple variety.Greek flavored yogurts often contain extra sugar, which is not good for weight loss.

Edamame is a legume that a person can eat as a snack.Like other legumes, edamame is a source of fiber and protein.

It is also high in potassium, iron, and magnesium.When people eat it between meals, edamame can help a person feel more satisfied while providing some essential nutrients.

Popcorn is a popular snack in the U.S.Often you get a bad reputation because of the extra amount of sugar, fat, or salt that people put on you.

Air-popped popcorn does not contain these additional ingredients. Simple popcorn is a low-calorie whole grain that offers plenty of filling fiber.

A person may find it helpful to prepare healthy snacks beforehand.

The most effective way to add healthy snacks to your diet is to keep a stock of them in an easily accessible location.

For example, a person could prepare a week of snacks at the beginning of the week.Once prepared, the person can divide the sandwich into individual portions.

For example, a person can prepare hummus in a large batch at the beginning of the week by mashing chickpeas with olive oil, tahini, and seasonings in a food processor.

After preparation, they can put the hummus in small containers and accompany each container with a bag of carrot sticks.

Those who dont have time to make their own sandwiches can search for sandwich-sized portions sold at grocery stores.Many products come prepackaged in snack sizes.

People looking for pre-made and proportioned snacks should know that they are often more expensive.They will also have to be on the lookout for added sugars, salt, and fat.

Eating healthy snacks can play an important role in helping a person lose and control their weight.

People should look for snacks that are low in sugar, fat, and salt.They should also look for snacks rich in nutrients like fiber and protein.

Beans, nuts, and raw vegetables and fruits are often good choices that will help a person feel fuller and provide the necessary nutrients.

Nichole Kerr is a reporter for SYP Studios. Sarah has previously worked for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat covering countless stories concerning all things related to tech and science. Nichole studied at Anthem Institute in Las Vegas.

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