Mind Over Belly Fat
With as many articles and press releases that pass across my screen, a story has only a few seconds or phrases to grab my attention. When it does, I usually find it’s some valuable insight that resonates with my own well-being, telling me to pay attention. “There’s something here that will help you.”
Oddly enough, I might have passed by an article on the same topic last week, last month or last year, but it’s only on this day that my body/mind intelligence perks up and says, “Read this,” so I do. Timing appears to be a key component.
This happened to me last week with yet another belly fat article. We all know that belly fat is a dangerous health condition, elevating your risk of cardiovascular death to three times higher than normal. I’ve read countless articles, anecdotes and statistics on the the correlation between belly fat and heart disease, yet I still carry that extra mid-section spare tire.
I scanned through Dr. Mer cola’s lengthy article, “Confirmed: Belly Fat is Far More Dangerous than Having a Total BMI in the Obese Range.” Perhaps it was the word “Dangerous” in the title that drew me in that day, thinking of my loved ones. Towards the end of the article, the information focused on sugar consumption and these words jumped from the screen to my attention:
“I firmly believe that understanding how fructose influences your fat metabolism by activating your ‘fat switch’ is key for achieving optimal weight and health…How is [your] ‘fat-storage program’ activated? In short: fructose consumption…consumption of fructose appears to have an overriding impact on whether or not your body will hold on to and keep adding to its fat stores or not — despite your best efforts at eating well and exercising.”
Ding ding ding! Sugar provides absolutely no nutritional value for our bodies, robbing it of health instead. Cut out the sugar because it’s bad for you AND it will reduce belly fat. Common sense. But how to avoid sugar….
I’ve found that just saying “no” to sweets and sugar drinks is not easy, but not impossible either, particularly in this Halloween week — candy is everywhere! But if I take it as a moment-to-moment choice, I can say “no,” then say it again 10 minutes later, and one hour later and the next day, too. If it’s a choice I make in each moment, I can do it when I put my mind to it. Loved ones, dangerous belly fat, no-nutrition sugar, health eroder, a sleeker figure. Plenty of reasons to pick from and stay inspired. No healing tool is more powerful than the mind.
I love the simplicity in focusing on eliminating just one thing; I still get to enjoy all the other foods I love, making it easier to put sugar to bed for good. Who needs it?! I’m looking forward to seeing all the results!
Carol Bedrosian is the publisher of Spirit of Change, New England’s largest holistic magazine. Read more Editor’s Posts and Musings columns.
