Trans Fat, Sleep Deprivation and Belly Fat

By Natalie Vavricka

Surprising Solutions

Of course, there are always extreme cases in which diet and exercise are simply not enough for decreasing dangerous levels of abdominal fat. In these situations, prescription drugs and surgeries such as gastric bypass are options to consider, but only if the benefits outweigh the risks.

If you're simply looking to invest in your future health or coveting your favorite celebrity's midriff, start adding these three belly blaster tips into your normal diet and exercise routine and watch your waistline shrink:

1. Don't Get Trapped by Trans Fats
What you don't eat is just as important to your waistline as what you're eating. A recent study done at Wake Forest University has concluded that trans fat, which has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, may also increase dangerous belly fat.

Trans fat is formed during a hydrogenation process in which vegetable oil is converted into a solid to increase shelf life of a food. As of this year, manufacturers were required to list trans fat on the labels of their products.

2. Get More Z's
Studies have shown that those who get less than four hours of sleep per night are more than 70 percent more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Sleep deprivation lowers leptin, a protein that suppresses appetite and tells the brain when the stomach is full. Not catching enough Z's also inhibits the production of insulin, which regulates blood sugar. So, if you're constantly burning the midnight oil, you're interfering with your body's ability to burn off extra calories.

If you find that you have a hard time falling asleep, try these tips to get some more shut-eye:

Make a List: Do you find yourself staring at the ceiling with your to-do list running over and over again in your head? Try keeping a note pad on your dresser. Writing down the things that you need to get done should give you temporary relief (at least, until the morning).

Sleep and Sex -- Yes Please! Your bed should only be used for two things: sleep and sex. If you constantly find yourself eating, working, paying bills or doing other activities in your bed, your mind will not associate the bedroom with relaxation.

Unhappy Hour: If you're a regular up the local pub for after-work beer specials, you can bet that the quality of your sleep is impacted. Alcohol interferes with your body's sleep rhythms and actually increases the likelihood of snoring. So, try to limit your cocktails to the weekend when you can get some extra shut-eye.

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