Belly Fat and Stress Best Kept Secrets

Have you ever tried to lose that stubborn belly fat? I’m sure you have. We all have at one time or another. Some try to work out, run 5 miles every day, or go through crash diet after crash diet only to realize that the jiggling belly fat is still there. Many people give up on their gym memberships or diets all together and try to comfort themselves with even more food.

Why bother making all of these efforts if it’s not working or if the effect is only temporary? Right?

So, if diet and exercise are not enough, what is it that might help us stay fit? Is there a secret that some people know but the majority do not?

As it turns out, recent research studies have revealed that the main reason behind the belly fat is the connection between stress and physical health. There is even a name for this kind of fat around the waist. It is called abdominal obesity, not to be confused with overall obesity. In fact, most people have no idea that there is a difference between overall obesity and abdominal obesity.

Some would argue that there is nothing wrong with having a “cute tummy”. In some cultures it is even a sign of wealth and prosperity. Truth is that not all fat in the body has the same function. The belly fat is the one directly related to stress. It is also the worst type of fat for your health because of the active chemicals released by the belly fat cells. Hence, belly fat has been linked to heart attack, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, insomnia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, some types of cancers and early death. It doesn’t sound like a “cute little tummy” any more, does it?

Once you realize that it is not all about diet and exercise, you can stop blaming yourself for eating that doughnut or skipping the gym (again), and start looking at the source(s) of stress in your daily routine.

If you are over 45 and considered a baby boomer (people born between 1946-1964), you may have a particularly stressful lifestyle taking care of aging parents, children or even grandchildren. You may experience the empty nest syndrome when children are out on their own and the home is so quiet.

There are 78 million baby boomers in the US and half of them are going through menopause, andropause, midlife crisis, career changes or retirement. Also, it would be a safe bet to say that the majority of baby boomers are going through financial tourmoil. Simply put, there is no other generation that has so many sources of stress as a common denominator than the baby boomer generation.

But let’s not forget that baby boomers are also a generation of go-getters and super-achievers. Once a problem is clearly stated the next thing they want to know is “How do we fix this?”

Since no one can prevent life from happening and there will always be stressfull events, this website aims at providing great tips to identify potential sources of stress and help you stay stress free, so that you can enjoy what can be the best years of your life.

Find out what your health risk is by measuring your waistline and taking a free Stress Level Test online.

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Author's bio: Dr. Nelly Stoyanova is a physician, medical researcher and health behavior expert. She studies the effects of stress on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep. Her website: Belly Fat, Stress and Baby Boomers (http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com) evaluates sources of stress for people over 50 and provides great tips to balance your day-to-day stress and stay healthy. Turn your life around and benefit from her expertise. For individual guidance sessions or to schedule a public speaking event use the Contact page or email at drnstoyanova@gmail.com

Acknowledgement: The picture "Tree, Sunrise, Northumberland" by Ian Britton is courtesy of FreeFoto.com

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