I just can't get rid of this muffin top!! Isn't it frustrating? You try and try to lose weight but this one area is so stubborn! As if that wasn't bad enough, then they came out with skinny jeans! So why do we gain weight in that area and how can we lose it? While fat comes off in layers, there are things you can do to assist in losing the "fluffiness" of this area.
To understand what we need to change, we have to know what's causing it.
Allow me to explain.
Have you ever sprained your ankle? I did once.
While I won't go into details I'll give you a brief summary: cave cricket, me 4 months pregnant with poor balance, and an extreme fear of bugs.
My ankle was so swollen! I was really lucky it wasn't broken.
What does this have to do with our tummy weight? Everything! Our bodies swell when something is wrong.
It's a form of built in protection our we have.
The same thing happens with our digestion.
When we fill our bodies with things that are hard to digest, we have swelling (a.
k.
a.
muffin tops)! he good news is you can reduce it fairly quickly! By removing (and adding) some things to your diet, you will look and feel better.
Here are 4 basic things I watch for: 1.
Gluten- Many people don't realize they have trouble digesting gluten until they cut it out.
This can be confusing because we are often told that wheat bread is good for us.
In reality, bread today isn't made like it was 50 years ago.
Much of the grain is genetically modified (a process that changes the basic dna structure of the plant) and is sprayed with chemicals to improve shelf life of the bread.
Bread should actually have to be refrigerated.
If it isn't breaking down on the shelf, it isn't breaking down in you! When you eat your typical bread it spikes your blood sugar and your body works hard to break it down.
2.
Corn- If you look at any packaged foods, you will likely find some kind of corn.
Most corn is also genetically modified.
Even if that weren't the case, corn is not the easiest to digest.
I haven't completely cut corn from my diet, but it's not something I have often.
3.
Dairy- This surprises a lot of people.
Casein, a protein in dairy, is hard for many to digest.
That's not the only problem.
Cows today are fed a diet of hormones and antibiotics.
The hormones help them produce more milk and the antibiotics are to prevent disease (especially since most of them live in close, unsanitary conditions).
Guess where that ends up? In your dairy.
The antiobiotics strip all the good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract.
This causes a lot of problems that all start with inflammation in your digestive tract.
If you can't completely give up dairy, there are a few alternatives.
Almond and coconut milk are great alternatives.
At the very least, purchase organic dairy.
This will insure you receive dairy from a cow that has not been treated with antibiotics and hormones.
4.
Probiotics- This is actually something you need to put back IN your diet! This helps the good bacteria replenish and helps you break down food easier.
These are just a few of the things you can do daily to shrink your muffin top.
If it seems too overwhelming to change all at once, pick one a week to tackle.
You will be amazed at the difference you can make in a fairly short amount of time!