6 Important Ways to Shrink Your Belly Fat

Belly fat seems to be a problematic concern for many. We swear that just one more crunch will get us the toned and taught midsections we want. However, it truly takes more than that, as belly fat is downright stubborn. In Forbes Magazine, Jennifer Cohen provides a variety of ways to burn up cortisol, which is the hormone in the body that is responsible for depleting lean muscle and holding onto fat in the abdominal region. Here are six things to consider. 1. Getting enough sleep Getting enough sleep normalizes cortisol levels. It's also important in order to optimize your circadian clock, which can be impactful on your metabolism and weight. 2. Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet What you eat is extremely important when it comes to getting rid of belly fat. In fact, nearly 80 percent of your ability to do so is determined by what you ingest. 3. Making healthy lifestyle choices The other 20 percent is related to exercise, along with choosing healthy lifestyle habits like reducing your stress levels. Tips to reduce sugar intake: 

• Limit your fructose to less than 25 grams per day.
• Limit or eliminate all processed foods.
• Eliminate all gluten.
• Increase your amount of fresh veggies and fruits.
• Avoid artificial sweeteners.
• Eat at least one-third of your food uncooked.

Be mindful of these foods when it comes to exceeding your fructose intake:

• Yogurt
• Condiments, sauces and salad dressings
• Diet foods and snacks
• High-fructose fruits: apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, persimmon, and mango
• Dried fruits: raisins, figs, apricots
• Enhanced waters (like VitaminWater)

  4. Incorporating healthful fats into your diet Increase your intake of healthy saturated fats and animal-based omega-3s. Check out this 7 Day Clean Eating Guide to help you make beneficial food and lifestyle choices. 5. Doing short bursts of exercise (high-intensity interval training) Once you have your diet in check, you can really begin to see the results from incorporating the right types of exercises. HIIT workouts are becoming increasingly popular, as studies continues to find that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between allows the body to burn more fat than simply exercising continuously for an entire session. 6. Exercises that Target Your Abs It's important to note that ab workouts won't work specifically to shrink your belly fat, but after incorporating the above steps, they will certainly work to tone your midsection up. Building your ab muscles is important for a variety of reasons. Strengthening your core works to hold your gut in, which in turn will stabilize your spine, vertebrae and discs — important factors in reducing back pain and making it easier to lift heavy items, as well as have the mobility of twisting and turning that you do in your everyday life. What do you think of these tips? Source: Eat Local Grown