I recently ran across some notes I took on caffeine at a seminar and thought I’d share with you this abbreviated description of how caffeine consumption leads to an increase of belly fat. I’m omitting a lot of technical speak, so for the professionals, this explanation may be a bit simplistic.
A 15 oz cup of coffee spikes your adrenaline level by 200%. Adrenaline is what enables the body to go into overdrive. An example is the mother who suddenly has the strength to lift the front of a car when her child is underneath. It’s also what gives someone instant “courage” to fight when confronted by an attacker.
It’s the “adrenaline rush,” which is technically a mechanism in your body called “fight or flight.”
This fight or flight mechanism is activated by caffeine. When you drink a large cup of coffee, your adrenaline levels skyrocket. Adrenaline pumps out stress hormones, among them one called cortisol. Cortisol, according to lots of research, leads to deposits of excess fat in the abdomen when there’s too much of it circulating in the body, because there’s more receptors there than in other areas of the body.
As you can imagine, keeping cortisol levels high all day with the consumption of caffeinated drinks puts your body into a constant state of fight or flight, and keeps cortisol levels higher than normal.
Aside from belly fat, we also know that caffeine is associated with symptoms youmight not have associated with your coffee or soda, such as anxiety, nervousness, mood swings, depression, panic attacks, energy swings, poor concentration, ulcers, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, headaches, candida, PMS, difficulty falling or staying asleep. More can be found in the book Caffeine Blues by Stephen Cherniske.
Beyond Just Belly Fat
If the only unwanted side effect of drinking caffeinated drinks was an increase of cortisol that led to belly fat, then maybe you could live with that. However, there’s more to the story. According to Dr. Perricone, author of multiple bestselling books on aging, cortisol also accelerates aging. He says, “It is not surprising that we in the anti-aging field call cortisol ‘the death hormone’ because it is truly associated with old age and disease.”
Ouch. This cup of coffee is starting to take on a bad aftertaste.
You see, it’s not just the cosmetic appearance of belly fat that’s the problem. The belly fat itself has been linked to some serious diseases including:
*heart disease
*gall bladder disease
*certain cancers
*osteoarthritis
*diabetes
*asthma
So, What Can You Do To Reduce That Fat Belly?
You need to reduce your cortisol levels. How?
Avoid:
*Foods you have allergies to;
*Foods that impact your blood sugar, such as fruit juices, breads, pastas and desserts.
*Foods containing Caffeine and other stimulants – such as coffee, tea, soft drinks or chocolate. As your caffeine intake goes up, so does your cortisol.
Increase:
*Vitamin C intake to 1-2000 mgs a day – this vitamin has been shown to reduce cortisol levels. (Don’t drink orange or other juices to increase your vitamin C as they are high glycemic foods.)
*Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Take Cod Liver Oil (1 Tablespoon Daily) to combat insulin resistance and reduce cortisol levels. The omega 3′s in Cod Liver Oil will help your cells absorb insulin and other nutrient your body needs.
*Exercise – which will help to use the glucose in your bloodstream and lower your blood sugar.
*Sleep – When your body doesn’t get adequate sleep, it depends on cortisol to provide the energy it needs. Remember, we’re trying to reduce cortisol, so getting enough rest will help your body to get along without the additional cortisol.
Implement these recommendations and watch your belly fat start to melt and your health improve.
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