Welcome to today’s video, the top 13 foods that cause visceral fat accumulation. Today, we’re going to talk about the dangers of visceral fat, and the worst foods that cause it to accumulate in your abdominal area. Did you know that excess belly fat is not only ugly but can cause serious problems for your health?
Body fat — many of us would love to have less of it. But did you know that all fat is NOT created equal? There are several types of fat in our body, but today we’ll focus on subcutaneous and visceral.
Subcutaneous fat is the jiggly, stubborn fat just under our skin that can protect us against certain diseases, while visceral fat is found in the abdominal area surrounding your vital organs.
Why is visceral fat an issue?
Simply put — visceral fat is bad news when it comes to your health.
This fat type is also known as “active fat.”
Why?
Unlike subcutaneous fat, which simply waits to be burned for energy, you can think of the visceral fat as a very active factory that produces hormones we’d be better off without.
It’s been linked to a variety of health issues, like increased insulin resistance and blood pressure, as well as more severe complications — heart diseases, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and different forms of cancer and type 2 diabetes[1].
In this video, we’ll explore 13 foods that lead to visceral fat buildup so you can avoid them, and we’ll offer a healthier alternative for each.
Make sure you watch this video until the end — some of these are totally unexpected!
13. White bread
Despite the wide range of healthier options, many of us still can’t say no to white bread.
Study [2] has determined the connection between bread consumption and carrying around the extra belly fat.
The researchers also found that cutting down on white bread and introducing the staples of the Mediterranean diet, like olive oil, legumes, plenty of veggies, and fish into one’s diet leads to weight drop and belly fat amount.
You can’t imagine starting your day without hot toast?
The good news is that you don’t have to!
Swap the white bread for its gluten-free counterpart if you can!
You just made the first big step to getting rid of that nasty belly fat.
12. Diet soda
Have you been dieting hard while chugging down large quantities of the zero-calorie drinks of your choice?
Many people think that they’re doing their body good by ditching the sugar-laden drinks…
But it turns out that diet soda may be one of the culprits for that stubborn belly pouch.
How does this work?
After all, there’s no sugar and almost no calories in it.
A study[3] has shown that the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks lead to broader waist and abdominal fat.
On top of that, diet beverages are linked to high blood sugar and metabolic syndrome.
If you find going cold turkey on your favorite zero-sugar soft drink challenging, try cutting down on it gradually.
You could start replacing one can of diet soda a day with seltzer if you miss the carbonation.
Also, you can squeeze a bit of lime in it if it’s the flavor that you want.
Your belly will thank you for it!
11. Fruit juice
Fruits are good for us, so why not sip on a glass of nice, chilled OJ or apple juice?
Unlike whole fruits, which are packed with fiber that binds to fruit sugar — known as fructose — prolonging the time needed for the body to digest it, fruit juice will immediately shoot up your blood sugar.
Hate to break it to you, but fruit juice without fibers is just sugar and calories.
Not only that.
Multiple research has shown that fructose[4], which the juice is high in, is associated with increased visceral body fat.
In other words, fructose is making us fat.
If you’re looking for a substitute for your glass of juice, give seltzer a try.
You may infuse it with fruits you like if you’re craving that fruity flavor.
Quality fruit or green tea, which you can turn into homemade iced tea, are also viable options, as well as coconut water.
10. Rib-eye steak
While fatty cuts of meat have their place in diet (just look at the keto movement), you’d be better off replacing your rib-eye for a different cut of meat.
Why exactly?
Well, rib-eye has a high-fat content, especially when it comes to saturated fats.
Consuming fatty red meats in a daily quantity of 5 ounces [5] is linked to central obesity — which is just another expression for your belly fat.
If you can’t bid your steak farewell, simply replace the rib-eye with one of the leaner cuts, like sirloin tip side steak, the eye of round, or top sirloin.
9. Chocolate
Milk, dark, or white — chocolate is one of the most popular foods on the planet.
But you don’t want to indulge in it too often if you want to lower your visceral fat.
The good news?
You get to keep the dark chocolate, which is loaded with health benefits.
It’s the milk chocolate you want to eat less of.
You see, milk chocolate is packed with sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories.
On top of that, it often comes packaged in easy-to-grab chocolate bars that are super easy to munch on when out and about.
As you might suspect, higher chocolate intake has been linked to weight gain by research.[6]
If chocolate is something you can’t live without, simply eat the dark variety [7]– it contains less sugar, has many minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc, and is packed with flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants linked to many health benefits.
8. Canned soups
Let’s admit it, we’ve all fixed ourselves a bowl of cream of mushroom or tomato soup straight out of the can more than once.
Canned soups are delicious, convenient, comforting and cheap — so why should we let them go?
Many people don’t know this, but they are packed with saturated fats and sodium.
Sodium is known for causing excess bloating, including big belly, but also makes the food taste good, boosts our appetite [8] and makes it difficult to tell when we are full.
A better alternative is a good old home-made soup. Veggie, chicken-noodle or a bean one — it’s easier to make then you might think and it practically cooks itself.
7. Potato chips
Who doesn’t love, if only secretly, indulge in a fistful or two of delicious, salty, and crunchy potato chips?
Salt &vinegar, barbecue or sour cream & cheddar — it seems that the food businesses come up with one addictive flavor each week!
But as a health-conscious individual looking to minimize their visceral fat, you’d be wise to lay off those Lays.
While you’ve probably never mistaken potato chips for healthy food, it truly is one of the worst foods out there.
An extensive study [9] on 120,000 males and females of healthy weight has shown that chips are the leading weight gain causing food.
They’re packed with sodium, saturated fats, and calories and contain zero nutrients.
The worst part? Once you open a bag, you can’t stop yourself from finishing it!
If you find it hard to kick your snacking habit, replace the chips with air-popped popcorn and go light on the salt.
6. Sugar-laden coffee drinks
You know what we’re talking about. Lattes, coffee milkshakes, caramel drizzled macchiatos…
Syrups, sweeteners, toppings, half-and-half, whipped and heavy cream — even the entire scoops of ice cream have been added by the coffee shops across the States, pushing these dairy and calorie-laden drinks that bear only a slight resemblance to the black coffee.
Keep in mind, coffee on its own has next to zero calories.
That fancy coffee drink you can’t imagine kicking your day off without?
Well, the fancier it gets, the more calories it has.
These drinks start at around 200 calories per 16 oz and can reach well over 1300 calories.
These calories add up quickly, so it’s suggested you acquire the taste for a regular, black cup of java or green tea.
5. Pizza
Pizza is another one of those foods that are hard to resist.
But, the one you order from a pizza place is most likely pure junk food — greasy, high in saturated fat, and made with processed, refined flour, stripped down from fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Study [10] has proven that refined grain intake correlates with higher amounts of visceral fat, while whole grains don’t have the same effect.
If you insist on your pizza night every so often, prepare it yourself. Make your crust using whole-grain, unprocessed flour, add lean protein and plenty of veggies as toppings, and go light on the cheese.
4. Alcohol
You’ve heard about beer belly, but it’s alcohol in general that wreaks havoc on your waistline.
How this works is through inflammation and irritation alcohol beverages cause in the stomach, giving your midsection an undesirable, bloated appearance.
Another reason to cut down on alcohol is that it’s high in calories — you know how those drinks add up quickly!
Many people don’t know this, but the body metabolizes alcohol differently than other foods and drinks. Because alcohol is recognized by the body as a toxin, the normal digestive process is skipped and 80% of it goes from small intestine straight to our bloodstream.
Want to flatten your belly, but still have fun? Swap your favorite cocktail for a hard seltzer. Just make sure you choose one that contains natural fruit flavors and purified water, with no added sugar.
3. Cereal
Sugary and colorful cereals that most of us had as kids are more of a dessert in a bowl than a nutritious meal.
While they taste great, they’re low on protein and fiber, so you’ll get that insulin spike fast, followed by hunger pangs soon after eating.
A much better option that will keep you full longer is a bowl of oatmeal, topped with some berries for extra flavor.
2. French fries
Much like potato chips, french fries are bad news when it comes to belly fat.
The same study followed those 12 000 individuals and announced potato chips as the main culprit for abdominal fat positioned french fries as the runner-up.
There is something about large quantities of fat meeting simple carbohydrates that makes our fat-storage system want to save those calories in the form of visceral fat.
Luckily, food hackers came up with tasty veggie alternatives to traditional deep-fried French fries.
Try making your zucchini, parsnip, beet, carrot, or even pumpkin fries in the oven and save yourself hundreds of calories.
1. Ice cream
This one is just a sad fact of life, but the truth is, if you want to lose that belly pouch, ice cream is not your friend.
How does this work?
As you know, sugar and fats are what make ice cream taste amazing.
For those of us who can polish off a whole pint in one sitting easily, this means upward of 1000 calories for one meal.
If you don’t plan to use all those carbs and energy immediately after eating, it’s better not to start eating the ice cream in the first place.
And if you thought those low-calories options are better…
Some ice cream brands have replaced some sugar with sugar alcohols, containing 1.5-3 calories per gram, versus regular sugar, which is four calories per gram.
Though lower in calories, these sugar alcohols can only be partially digested.
What that means is that bloating and gassiness may occur, making your belly expand and giving you that pregnant look we all want to avoid.
So, what’s a healthy, stomach-shredding ice cream alternative?
Again, homemade options win every time.
All you need is a blender, some coconut milk, and fruit you like, and you can whip up a tasty sorbet or homemade ice cream in no time.
Banana avocado, matcha — options are limited, and each one is way better than the store-bought stuff.
And now, over to you:
Which of these 13 foods for that cause visceral fat buildup do you struggle to do most?
Leave your comment below.
And be sure to check out our other videos!