Our clients often complain that all their excess weight is around their middle. They can have skinny arms and legs, but the weight just seems to settle around the middle, especially as we get older.

Why do we carry extra weight around the belly?

For women in particular, the middle-aged spread can be a part of growing older. There is a natural thickening around the mid-section as we go into and come out of menopause.

However, many of us do carry an excess of weight around the middle and wonder why. The main cause is an excessive intake of carbohydrates/sugar and increased production of cortisol.

What is happening in our bodies?

We have identified that an excessive intake of carbohydrates / sugar, results in increased weight around the belly region. We are now looking into what is happening in your body when you consume carbohydrates.

1. Carbohydrates convert to sugar in the body and cause a spike of blood sugar.
2. At the top of this spike, insulin is produced.
3. The higher the spike (the higher the carbohydrate/sugar content), the lower the subsequent crash.
4. At the bottom of the crash, you are likely to feel tired, irritable, shaky and the body goes into stress mode and produces a stress hormone called cortisol.

Insulin and cortisol are weight gaining hormones, and especially lead to weight gain around the middle.

Central fat also increases your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, and produces inflammatory compounds that increase your risk of a whole range of degenerative diseases.

How to lose your belly fat?

To lose your belly fat, it is important to cut down on sugar and carbohydrate foods.

Foods to particularly avoid are foods such as wheat/gluten and dairy (which can also cause a lot of bloating), cereals, potatoes, white rice, white pasta, biscuits, cakes, chocolate and alcohol.

Whenever you do eat carbs, you must accompany them with protein and healthy fats. Protein and fat will help slow down the release of sugar into the blood stream and prevent these spikes and crashes.

This combination of protein, fat and a small amount of complex carbohydrate will also satisfy you and help you feel fuller for longer.

The combination of sugar and poor-quality fat that you would find in biscuits, milk chocolate, pizza, processed foods, etc., is particularly unhelpful.  Instead fill up on lean protein, healthy fats and lots of colourful, low carb veggies.

If you are struggling with your belly fat and would like help and support to a healthier you, visit us for a weekend or more on one of our detox packages.