Concerned about your growing waistline? So as the clock ticks especially for women approaching middle age and beyond, fat tends to accumulate in all the wrong places. Interestingly, most adults will have concerns about their mid areas at some point of their lives.

According to Dr Oz, “The number one reason it’s so hard to lose belly fat: hormones. With menopause comes a drop in estrogen; this decrease alters where the body stores fat, making women more prone to gaining visceral belly fat…” Note that visceral fat also known as abdominal fat is found deeper inside the body and provides cushioning around vital organs like the abdomen (for the digestive tract), chest and pelvis.”

Tummy fat doesn’t only look unattractive, but is also linked to certain health issues. According to Harvard Health Publication, “Abdominal, or visceral, fat is of particular concern because it’s a key player in a variety of health problems — much more so than subcutaneous fat, the kind you can grasp with your hand. Visceral fat, on the other hand, lies out of reach, deep within the abdominal cavity, where it pads the spaces between our abdominal organs. Visceral fat has been linked to metabolic disturbances and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In women, it is also associated with breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery…”

There is hope and practical ways to fight off belly fat. Here are a few things you can do:

Get active. Increasing movement and staying active helps your body expend energy by burning up fat, which just might be from your middle area.

Exercise. Vigorous cardiovascular activity at least 4 days a week for about 30 minutes will help burn visceral belly fat. According to Cris Slentz, PhD, “vigorous means jogging for physically fit people and walking briskly at an incline for obese people who may risk injury by jogging. Workouts of the same intensity on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective.”

Avoid stress.  When faced with a threat of danger or under any kind of duress, the body’s natural alarm system automatically goes off as it tries to protect itself against an “attack”. This triggers the release of cortisol, the body’s #1 stress hormone, which helps the body confront difficult situations. Normally, the body’s relaxation response kicks in as soon as the danger is over. However, in today’s stressful society and all the challenges of daily life like work, paying bills, keeping up with the children, etc, the body tends to be often in “stress mode”. This leads to prolonged exposure to cortisol, also responsible for increased abdominal fat. It is thus important to learn how to manage stress and helping your body return to it’s relaxed mode. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing are quick and effective; also consider listening to music, a stroll for fresh air during your lunch break, fun conversations with friends, a long bath — anything to make you relax, which is different for different people.

Eat MORE foods rich in proteins – because they are harder to digest than other food groups (carbohydrates and fats), the body burns up more calories during digestion. Switch to whole grain foods like couscous, millet, rice (brown, basmatic), wheat – these are more natural and generally low in fat. Incorporate more fiber in meals e.g. apples, cherries, oats, vegetables. Also increase levels of mono-unsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, soybeans, these prevent the accumulation of fats in the body including the abdominal area. It is believed that spicy foods like peppers also help food breakdown quicker.

Cut back on refined sugars, these are rich in calories, but low on nutrients and found in sugary beverages, doughnuts, ice-cream, cookies, spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, cereals, canned fruits and vegetables and other processed foods. Refined grains like white rice, some breads, cream of wheat – should be avoided, these are very starchy and low on nutrients.

Avoid alcoholic drinks like beer rich in calories and carbohydrates; wines especially sweet wines – contain a lot of sugar; if you must, clear gins and vodka are thought to be lower in carbs and calories. Switch out caffeinated and sugary beverages for green tea, apple cider vinegar which contain metabolism boasting antioxidants and of course water.

Remember not to starve yourself, be sure to consume enough calories and focus on a balanced diet and get some exercise.

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