Belly fat is the curse of middle age. . . but its everywhere, no matter what age the wearer is. Where a rather small waist formerly existed above my hips once upon a time, now there is the shape of an adolescent who hasn't yet developed the curvatures and musculature of the sexualized idealistic model body.
Not that I have EVER had the body of a model . . . but you get my drift.
When I look around in observance - I see people who've accepted their bellies as part of the deal, and I enjoy the lighthearted attitude of "living with maturity" that seems to accompany this acceptance. The great thing about getting older is that some of the pressures of looking great have worn off, the edges aren't so sharp any more and neither do they need to be, and realization that there is more to life than constant dieting and exercise, especially when the reward is delayed or even short-lived, can be comforting to anyone who has endured years of struggles in this area.
So, I look at my belly, and although its not life-threateningly big, I realize that its not doing my any favors either. Belly fat is mostly visceral fat storage and can be bad for heart health. Typically, I have high blood pressure (called "essential hypertension" by doctors), and that little inconvenience is about all I can recognize right now. Note: beet juice is great for lowering high blood pressure and I'm making sure I get me some of that.
Avoiding sugar is HUGE in reducing belly fat. Let me say this again. REDUCE the amount of sugars, and HIDDEN sugars, and the belly will get smaller.
I've noticed a reduction in my belly of about 2.5 inches, just since I started this juice diet! My weight is less, but its not as big a factor as the inches, simply because of the belly reduction. Its about swapping carbs, not reducing them in number of calories or nutrient value. In other words, instead of bread, reach for a peach! ;^)
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