This is the everything-you-need-to-know-to-be-as-healthy-as-possible newsletter, brought to you by Kristy Russ, pharmacist and health consultant. I have over 20 years experience in helping people improve their health.

I help people get healthy, and more importantly, stay that way so they're not miserable and just slowly dying for the last 20 years of their lives, which IS the "norm" today.

For even more information go to www.antioxidants-make-you-healthy.com


Hi,

What an absolutely fabulous 2 weeks I had on vacation! We went camping, which is a favorite holiday for my family. We enjoy the quality time we get to spend together while everyone is unplugged- we even enjoy board games,despite what the Dragon's Den cast thinks about them ;-) I was also able to spend some time visiting with my cousin (whom I don't see nearly enough of). There was plenty of sun and hot weather (yes, there's me talking about the weather again...), lots of boating, tubing, wakeboarding, and most importantly- relaxing!

Today's article deals with the complaint I probably hear the most...

The Top 7 Reasons Your Belly Fat Won't Budge

Here are some of the main reasons why:

7) You eat too many carbs

Even the so-called "healthy" carbs, like whole grains, brown rice and potatoes spike your glucose. That spike casues a huge insulin release. Insulin tells your body to store fat. 'Nuff said. (I've written about this MANY times before- check back issues if you're confused).

6) You’re Eating Inflammatory Foods

This is kind of a sub-group of the last point really. Belly fat is linked to inflammation, and the more processed foods you eat, which are also highly inflammatory, the harder it may be for you to shed the excess pounds. Certain foods are decidedly pro-inflammatory (sugar, alcohol, trans fats and most processed foods). Others, like most fruits and vegetables, good fats and proteins are anti- inflammatory.

5) You're exercising wrong

Stop that long, slow cardio! An hour on the treadmill is NOT going to do anything for that muffin top. Calories burned are irrelevant- it's the metabolic changes you're looking for.

Intense exercise for 20-30 minutes is what you want. No pacing yourself- go as hard as you can go). And strength training- you need to build up muscles, which ramps up your metabolism.

4) You're being exposed to obesogens

Obesogens are environmental chemicals that impact the function of your body’s hormones, triggering weight gain and likely also chronic diseases. Obesogens impact body weight and body fat through numerous mechanisms, including:

• Affecting the number of fat cells or the size of fat cells
• Altering hormones that affect appetite, satiety, food preferences and energy metabolism
• Epigenetic changes to DNA, which impact when and how genes are expressed without actually altering your genetic code; epigenetic changes are often passed on to future generations

Sadly, obesogens are virtually everywhere, including in your food and food packaging, water, home and personal care products. So go organic as much as possible, don't buy food in plastic and choose personal products that don't have parabens or formaldehyde-containing chemicals.

3) You’re Stressed Out

When you’re stressed, your body is flooded with the stress hormone cortisol, which can actually promote storage of fat in your belly. Meanwhile, stress may trigger cravings for junk food while also altering your insulin response — a triple whammy for belly fat. The Chicago Dietetic Association makes a good explanation:

” … chronically high levels of stress can alter the main fuel your body uses, turning it into more of a sugar burner than a fat burner. It can also stimulate the growth of visceral or belly fat, and increase the breakdown of muscle tissue.

… High cortisol levels suppress the release of serotonin and melatonin, causing cravings for junk food and insomnia respectively. Increased cortisol levels also stimulate extended periods of the insulin response. During those periods of time fat-burn is inhibited, and is instead being created. This is when stubborn belly fat is formed.”

2) You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces excess cortisol. Studies show that cutting your sleep short, even by a mere 80 minutes one night, can make you eat nearly 550 calories more than you ordinarily would the next day - not good. Your body does all of it's repair and restoration while you're sleeping. If you're not getting enough, your body isn't working at peak efficiency.

1) Your Age

If you’re in your early or mid-20s, your age probably has nothing to do with your belly fat. But if you’re older than this, it probably does. Your body’s natural production of hormones begins to steadily decline. By your late 20's, you probably find you “can’t eat the way you used to,” and losing weight becomes much harder. As your hormone levels continue to decline, all of the following occurs:

Your metabolism slows down You pack on adipose tissue (FAT) Your organs shrivel Your aerobic activity decreases Your muscles shrink

Hormones are tricky things, they all affect each other, so when one goes down, it affects another, which affects another, and so on... That's why middle age, when the sex hormones start naturally declining, is the time when health issues start appearing, because they're important for general well-being.

So how do you increase your body’s hormone production naturally? There are a few tricks for doing so, like high-intensity exercise, fasting and sleep. (Yes, there's those standard health tips yet again...)

I deal a LOT with hormone balancing in my coaching practice, which is why I became certified in bioidentical hormone replacement, because it just creates such a powerful change. If you feel this is what's holding you back from feeling your best, I encourage you to click here to book a complimentary consultation to discover some strategies to help you finally feel great again.

Another Grateful Customer...

Ed, senior citizen, AB

Because Laughter Really IS Good Medicine...