Many individuals seek to discover what oils they can consume to cut belly fat such as safflower oil but now a new U.S.-Canadian study suggests that canola and high-oleic oils can lower abdominal fat.

This new research was presented by American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in New Orleans which studied 121 Canadian and American adults at risk for metabolic syndrome. There were five risk factors characterized by increased belly fat which included, low “good” cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, stroke, above average blood sugar, triglycerides and blood pressure that increase the risk of heart disease. The participants in this study were all given weight maintenance including a heart-healthy diet with a daily smoothie containing one of five oils. This procedure was used for the remainder of the four oils as well.

The results revealed that those who consumed high-oleic or canola oils every day for 4 weeks reduced their stomach fat by 1.6 percent. I believe the key to this study was the healthy diet and the monounsaturated fat in the oils that really reduced the abdominal fat. If daily exercise was included in the study then the results would most likely be more significant. Corn/safflower, flax/safflower, and high-oleic canola oil blends enriched with omega-3 DHA had no effect on abdominal fat however.

There are many questions and concerns as to what specific mechanisms in monounsaturated fats or MUFAs that is responsible for belly fat loss. “It is evident that further studies are needed to determine the mechanisms that account for belly fat loss on a high-MUFA diet,” notes Kris-Etherton. The most important factors to losing weight and staying healthy are living a healthy lifestyle. This includes daily physical activity, a healthy low-calorie diet and spiritual healing such as meditation. Exercise is the best stress reliever in my opinion and it has so many other special benefits. If you like to cook then use olive oil instead of vegetable oil which is less healthy. You should always make realistic goals and not get discouraged if you don’t see instant results. Permanent weight loss and good health takes time but the benefits are worth it.  “The Canola Oil Multicentre Intervention Trial (COMIT) indicates that simple dietary changes, such as using a high-MUFA vegetable oil, may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and therefore, heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes.” Start taking positive steps toward your health today to live a happier and longer lifestyle.



Source: http://www.canolainfo.org/news/media.php?detail=672

Losing belly fat naturally is something that everyone desires but just don’t know how to because of all the hype and influential infomercials that promise you instant results. Although stomach fat is the most difficult body fat to lose, it is not impossible to lose it permanently and get six pack abs. The great news is that you don’t have to starve yourself, take countless supplements, and undergo dangerous surgery or do millions of sit-ups. Here are some natural but surefire ways to lose that belly fat once and for all.

Weight Training

Weight lifting will help boost fat loss, build muscle and prevent muscle loss. Performing resistance training exercises that focus on large muscle groups will burn the most calories.

Eat More Calories

Not eating enough calories will slow down your body’s metabolism and you will retain more fat than if you were to eat the right amount of calories. Eating too few calories will also cause you to lose muscle, not fat, for energy, making you skinny and fat. Always remember that calories are energy and not eating enough will reduce your energy stores, which means having a hard time getting through the day or getting a good workout in.

Do Cardio and Stop Doing Crunches

Performing 15 to 45 minutes of physical activity or intense cardio workouts three times a week will help you decrease overall body fat and burn more calories. Doing tons of crunches or other types of ab exercises will build abdominal muscles, but it won’t help burn belly fat. Sadly, you can’t reduce the amount of fat in one particular area of your body. You have to lose fat overall through you whole body to reduce your waistline through cardio.

Eat Healthy

Working out hard will strengthen your abs, but if you don’t eat right, you will always have a layer of belly fat on top of those muscles. Eliminate processed foods from your diet plan and start eating whole foods such as protein, veggies, fruits, healthy fats and carbs. Make sure you eat breakfast each morning and eat small meals every three hours to keep your metabolism going. It’s helpful to eat carbs right after your workouts and drink two cups of water with every meal.

Eat More Protein

Your body burns off more energy processing proteins than it does processing carbs or fat. If you wish to burn fat you must take in protein. You should always get your protein from a quality source such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cottage cheese and whey protein; not a burger from McDonalds or a sausage pizza from Pizza Hut.

Self-Motivation

Developing a clear-cut plan and tracking your weight loss progress is about the best way to stay motivated. I understand it can be difficult when you don’t see drastic results right away but success doesn’t happen overnight. You must stay dedicated and work hard each day to achieve great results. You can start off by jogging or walking with a partner and making small changes to your diet. Make sure you track your body measurements and check the scales to see if your plan is effective. Since boxing is my favorite sport and provides me with a great workout I get the best of both worlds. Find a cardio activity you love to do and have fun while doing it to stay motivated. It may take some time to get the results you desire but the outcome will be permanent if you continue to work at it and stay committed. Start today on your belly fat loss efforts and gain the six pack abs you always dreamed of!




Source: http://blogs.phillymag.com/bewellphilly/2012/11/09/gimmicks-10-steps-losing-belly-fat-good/

Belly fat is the most difficult fat to get rid of and causes serious health issues but researchers discovered a new injection that may help humans reduce stomach fat.

We are all aware that obesity is a growing issue in the United States and many individuals are searching endlessly for quick solutions to lose weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030. The bad part about this is that most people carry the fat in their abdomen area which studies have shown to be the most dangerous. Many Americans think they can do sit ups or crunches to lose stomach fat but you will only harden the muscles under the fat. You must do cardiovascular exercises such as running or jogging to lose weight all over then do ab workouts.

Researchers at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center are finding out that injecting a small capsule of heat generating cells in the bellies of mice helped them turn their white or bad fat, which stores fat in the body, into brown fat. Brown fat is good because it speeds up the metabolism, which led the mice to eventually lose about 20% of belly fat after 80 days of treatment. Ouliana Ziouzenkova with Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, says “We call it thermagenic fat”.

The mice did gain some weight back overtime but it wasn’t dramatic. Researchers also found that the vaccine caused a decrease in visceral fat, the fat around the organs, which was very important.

If the injections are created for humans, it will not be used as a weight loss device just yet. Instead it will be used for individuals that are not capable of exercising, for instance, elderly people or individuals who are handicapped. However, for the ones who are not physically impaired, diet and exercise is the only way to lose weight and reduce belly fat successfully. You can’t just exercise one day then stop all of a sudden. You have to stayed dedicated and work at it until it becomes a routine. If it’s hard to stay motivated you can find a partner to work out with you and join you in your diet plans and workouts. You can start small by making small changes to you calorie intake and walking if you don't have much energy or time to join a gym. Start your healthy habits today and become a healthier person for the future.

Belly Fat may be more dangerous than you can imagine, even if you are a person with normal weight. People who have a normal weight but have excess belly fat face a higher risk at dying from heart disease than people who are obese, a study from the Mayo Clinic reveals.

The study analyzed that individuals who had a normal body-mass index but also had central obesity (a high waist-to-hip ratio) had the greatest cardiovascular death risk from all causes. Throughout all the years of research and studies I have encountered, I would have never thought that a person of normal weight with belly fat would be at a higher risk of death than an obese person.

"We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with a normal weight," says senior author Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "This group has the highest death rate, even higher than those who are considered obese based on body mass index. From a public health perspective, this is a significant finding."

I always thought that the skinny or normal weight guys with the beer bellies were okay since they didn’t have fat all over but this current research has definitely changed my perspective. According to Lopez-Jimenez, central obesity increases insulin resistance and people tend to have less fat in areas where fat may be protective, such as the legs and hips. Individuals that have central obesity also tend to have much less muscle mass.

Lopez noted that some of the risk is tempered or lessened by fat distribution for obese people. People who are obese usually have fat in those places where it may be protected, and they seem to have more muscle mass, he says.

The study contained more than 12,000 people 18 and older from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a representative sample of the U.S. population. The survey recorded body measurements such as height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference, as well as socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and physiological and laboratory measurements. Baseline data were matched to the National Death Index to assess deaths at follow-up.

People with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were excluded by researchers to make sure their results reflected body type. Adjustments for age, sex, race, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and baseline body mass index were analyzed as well.

The results concluded that the risk of cardiovascular death was about three times higher, and the risk of death from all causes was two times higher, in the individuals of normal weight with central obesity, compared with those with a normal body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio.

The only way to reduce the risk for normal weight people is to lose weight and build muscle mass, says Lopez-Jimenez, so that the weight is redistributed. Exercise and a healthy diet is the proper way to treat this problem because you lose weight and build muscle mass at the same time.

Many individuals know their body mass index these days; it’s also vital for them to know that a normal BMI doesn’t mean their risk for heart disease is low, concludes Dr. Lopez-Jimenez. Where the fat is distributed on their body is important, and it can be determined easily by getting a waist-to-hip measurement, even if their body weight is within normal limits, says Lopez-Jimenez. To be on the safe side you should always engage in a proper diet and exercise for at least thirty minutes a day. This will limit all health risks, improve your physique and make you feel great about yourself.


Sources: Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., cardiologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, and professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 27, 2012, presentation, European Society of Cardiology Congress, Munich, Germany. Health

There is no doubt that weight training will help you build muscle and improve your weight loss efforts but a new study shows that it may prevent type 2 diabetes as well. According to the Harvard School of Public Health and University of South Denmark researchers, men who weight train on a regular basis, for instance, 30 minutes a day for one week, could cut their risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 34%. Strength training, eating healthy and aerobic exercise combined have always been the key to effective weight loss and reduced health risks such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health concern and it is steadily on the rise. Approximately 346 million people across the world are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and diabetes-related deaths are subjected to double between 2005 and 2030, according to the World Health Organization. Over 80% of these diabetes-related deaths occur in low and middle income countries. This means the poor individuals are the ones that suffer the most from type 2 diabetes and the people earning an average living.

Researchers studied 32,002 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study observed from 1990 to 2008. Questionnaires were filled out every two years on how much time the men spent each week on aerobic exercise and weight training. The researchers adjusted for other physical activities such as alcohol and coffee intake, television viewing, smoking, ethnicity, family history of diabetes, and other dietary factors. There were 2,278 new cases of diabetes between the men followed.

The results showed that even the modest amount of weight training can help reduce type 2 diabetes risk. The researchers categorized the men according to how much weight training they performed each week-between 1 and 59 minutes, between 60 and 149 minutes, and at least 150 minutes. They found that the training reduced their type 2 diabetes risk by 12 percent, 25%, and 34%, respectively, compared to no weight training at all. Aerobic exercise is associated with great benefits also, the researchers discovered-it cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 7 percent, 38%, and 54%, respectively, for the three categories mentioned above.

When weight training and aerobic exercise were combined it produced the greatest benefits researchers say. Men who performed more than 2.5 hours of aerobics as well as at least 2.5 hours of weight training per week had a 59 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

With all the popular weight training and aerobic exercise programs such as P90X and the Insanity Workout, people around the world have the chance to stay healthy and improve their physique right in their household. Low and middle income individuals don’t have to spend tons of money for gym memberships or waste their money on ineffective weight loss schemes anymore. Individuals who are at risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes now have hope with a discovery that has never been found before. Weight training is suitable for all ages so even the elderly can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes as well. People around the world can now lose weight and reduce their chances of type 2 diabetes by weight training and performing aerobic exercise 2.5 hours per week.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine and Medical Xpress

The new weight loss pill Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), made by Arena Pharmaceutical’s company has been recently approved by the FDA. This is the first drug for long-term weight loss that has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 13 years. Belviq works by activating the serotonin 2C receptor in the brain which could help you eat less by feeling full longer after small meals. When used with a combination of a balanced diet and exercise, this prescription helps individuals lose about 5% or more of their beginning weight.

According to Janet Woodcock, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, “Obesity threatens the overall well-being of patients and is a major public health concern. The approval of this drug, used responsibly in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle, provides a treatment option for Americans who are obese” or overweight patients who have one other weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

Adults who contain a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher (overweight) are approved for this drug which should be available in the first quarter of 2013. This is also for adults who are obese with a BMI of 30 or higher.

Approximately 36 percent of adults in America are obese, which is roughly 30 more pounds over a healthy weight. Those extra pounds increase the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, stroke, many other types of cancer, sleep apnea and other debilitating and chronic diseases. There are about 42 percent of adults who are projected to be obese by the year 2030 if something isn’t done to stop the trend.

There were three randomized, placebo-controlled tests that contained approximately 8,000 overweight and obese patients, with and without type-2 diabetes, treated for 52 to 104 weeks. These trials were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Belviq. The results show that individuals who took Belviq for at least 12 months had an average weight loss of 3% to 3.7%.

It will be mandatory for the drug’s manufacturer to conduct 6 post-marketing studies, including a long-term cardiovascular outcomes trial to assess the effect of Belviq one the risk for major adverse cardiac events such as stroke and heart attack. The heart function valve of about 8,000 patients was assessed by echocardiography in the Belviq development program.

The FDA says that individuals with congestive heart failure should be cautious when using this medication because it has not been studied in patients with serious valvular heart disease. The Belviq weight loss pill may cause disturbances in memory or attention. The FDA also says that Lorcaserin should not be used during pregnancy.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, there “was no statistically significant difference between lorcaserin and placebo-treated patients.

In 1997, the weight loss drugs fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were taken from the market after evidence discovered that they caused heart valve damage. The effect is assumed to be related to activation of the serotonin 2B receptor on heart disease. When used at the approved dose of 10 milligrams twice per day, Belviq does not appear to activate the serotonin 2B receptor. 

The Belviq weight loss pill has an approved label that recommends patients to discontinue use if they fail to lose 5% of their body weight after 3 months because these patients are unlikely to achieve much weight loss with continued use, says the FDA.

The most common side effects of Belviq in non-diabetic patients include dizziness, headache, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, and constipation, and in diabetic patients are low blood sugar, back pain, fatigue, cough and headache.

Belviq is manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH of Zofingen, Switzerland and distributed by Eisai Inc. of Woodcliff Lake, N.J.

lose belly fat

Source: FDA and USA Today News

We all are aware that belly fat is related to serious health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. But a new study has demonstrated that belly fat can be helpful in repairing tissue and improving your immune system.

There is a fatty membrane, known as the omentum that lingers from the stomach, which is located in all animals and was recently perceived to be useless in humans. This membrane aligns the organs located in the abdomen and plays the role as storage for fat. I understand that belly fat may seem unnecessary for most of us because of the harmful effects and unattractiveness but there is a reason why the belly fat is there after all.

This study that revealed the benefits of belly fat was headed by Makio Iwashima, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. The omentum cells of mice were studied by researchers to see if the cells had any effects on the response of the immune system. I speculate that the omentum cells of mice and humans are similar so that’s why the mice were used in this particular study.

Researchers were looking to determine if the omentum cells had any effect on the T-lymphocyte cells. T-cells are a very vital part of the immune system response, which usually play as the first defense to harmful bacteria. When T-cells discover bacteria or an infection, the cells will multiply to fight off the foreign body to protect your immune system. When the omentum cells where paired up with active and producing T-cells, the T-lymphocyte cells died rather than multiply. Unfortunately the omentum cells had no effect on T-cells that were inactive.

According to researchers, omentum cells are utilized to regulate the body’s response to harmful bacteria and contribute to suppressing the immune system response. Possibly, in the future, omentum cells may be an asset to develop new drugs that would suppress the immune system but with lesser side effects than the immune-suppressing drugs that are currently available.  

The other intriguing aspect of belly fat was its important role in repairing damaged tissue. Researchers found mesenchymal stem cells, which are used by the body to regenerate damaged tissue. The stem cells will journey to the area of the injury to repair damaged tissue which is essential to wound healing.

Rather than being a problem, belly fat could be very useful to human survival. It has been discovered by researchers to repair damaged tissue, help regulate the immune system and heal wounds which are amazing. In the coming years, belly fat may be a selection for new medical treatments for auto-immune diseases and organ transplants. With that being said, it is still important to eat healthy and exercise on a daily basis. Even if it’s a quick walk through the park it’s better than doing nothing at all and a great start. Remember to consult with your physician before you make any major diet or exercise changes to make sure it is healthy for you.

Source: Medical Daily

Many Americans desire to lose weight quick for special reasons such as a wedding, a vacation at the beach or just to improve their physical appearance. This means searching for the quickest method to lose belly fat or slim down with a supplement or magic pill that will do the job. The truth is there is no such thing as instant weight loss and you have to work at it daily for permanent results with proper diet and exercise. The difficult part is getting started but once you make weight loss a daily routine it will become second nature to you.

Making small changes is the key to getting started successfully and this could include little things such as eating less of unhealthy foods and walking with a friend for at least half an hour throughout the week. I don’t believe in spending tons of money on a gym membership so I use my exercise bar at home for my strength training and go jogging at the local track for my cardio activity. On my exercise bar I can do the most effective exercises such as pull ups, dips and pushups which help me out a lot.

I use to eat a lot of red meat like hamburgers and steak before my diet changes but now I only eat white meats such as fish, chicken and turkey. Fish contains a good source of protein and it’s one of my favorites. If you don’t like fish you can take a fish oil supplement instead which include many benefits such as arthritis relief, heart health and other joint pain relief. I have completely stopped frying foods and opted in for baking everything instead. Baking is much healthier because it eliminates the fat and grease that comes from frying and it’s also delicious. Eating at fast foods restaurants is a not an option as I cook at home to save money and stick to low calorie diets.

You won’t be able to lose belly fat or lose weight effectively with just eating right or physical activity alone. You must combine both diet and exercise for permanent results and faster progress. If you have body fat and you only exercise, you will only strengthen the muscles under the fat. You have to perform cardiovascular activities such as walking or jogging plus eat healthy to lose weight effectively. I am a fan of whole grains such as rice, wheat and oats because they boost your metabolism and are good for your heart. Since I love oatmeal I eat it for breakfast with an egg and wheat bread after my workout. I feel fuller longer after eating a healthy meal for breakfast and I have more energy throughout the day. Never skip breakfast, it’s the most important meal of the day! You need breakfast to get your brain going and your beautiful day started successfully.

I found out that you burn more calories by eating more small meals per day instead of eating large meals. Eating small meals keeps your metabolism going so you burn more calories instead of eating large meals which take longer to digest. Small meals can be simple as a salad with a glass of water or tuna fish sandwich with wheat bread.

If you start these small changes to your diet and exercise routine today you will find it fun and will lose weight on a regular basis and stay fit year round. You won’t have to rush or search for a quick weight loss scheme to lose fat for that wedding or the beach. Start today and it make it your daily plan to diet and exercise the natural way.

lose belly fat

Lose stomach fat or reduce belly fat faster by jogging instead of weight lifting researchers say. Apparently, aerobic exercise is better than resistance training according to a recent study. An eight month study compared the effectiveness of aerobic exercise (jogging), resistance training (weight lifting) and a combination of both in 196 overweight, sedentary adults from ages 18-70.

The individuals in the aerobic group did the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging per week at an 80 percent heart rate, while the resistance group did three sets of eight to 12 repetitions three times a week.

The Duke University Medical Center researchers examined how these types of exercises reduced the fat that’s deep within the abdomen and fills the spaces between internal organs. This type of fat, called visceral and liver fat, is associated with increased risk of disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers.



Aerobic exercises greatly reduced stomach fat (visceral fat) and improved risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as insulin resistance, liver enzymes and triglyceride levels. However, resistance training didn’t influence these benefits. Aerobic exercises combined with resistance training achieved results similar to aerobic exercise alone, the investigators discovered.

According to lead author and exercise physiologist Chris Slentz who spoke in a Duke news release, “resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass.” “But if you are overweight, which 2/3 of the population is, and you want to lose belly fat or stomach fat, aerobic exercise is the better alternative because it burns more calories.” You will lose even more calories if you maintain a healthy diet and keep your metabolism going with foods such as whole grains and fish that boost your metabolism. If you are new to weight loss and want to lose stomach fat you can start of by walking then advance to jogging when you get the energy. My favorite cardio exercises are running and boxing since they seem to burn the most calories and boxing is my favorite sport. Boxing builds endurance, speed, agility and stamina which make it one of the best sports for cardio.

This study was published in the August 25 issue of the American Journal of Physiology.

Make it your next to goal to start your aerobic exercise routine today to lose stomach fat and improve your health today. Don’t forget to consult with your doctor before beginning any weight loss plan to make sure it is safe plus get more tips on how to lose stomach fat.

lose stomach fat