The increasing availability of calorie dense, low fiber, nutrient depleted processed and fast foods combined with the fast-paced sedentary lifestyle of many North Americans makes it impossible to avoid the accumulation of belly fat. This kind of fat is known as visceral fat. Of all the places fat can be stored in the body, belly fat is the most threatening to health. It is much more metabolically active than fat stored on other parts of the body.

The metabolic activity of belly fat leads to inflammatory reactions causing oxidation, which leads to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation causes further damage leading to many serious health conditions which include cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease.

It can be a challenge to get rid of belly fat but with the right combination of diet and exercise you can effectively target stomach fat and end up with a flat stomach. Studies have found that twenties minutes of weight bearing exercise causes the body to switch from glucose burning mode to fat burning mode. This is the perfect time to begin an aerobic workout because the body will immediately begin to burn fat once the exercise has begun.

Exercises do not need to be intense but should require a fair amount of effort. Choose a program that you can stick with and enjoy long term because it is going to take several months to a year to reach your goal.

At least one resistance training exercise should target the abdominal muscles. The most effective exercises are the ball crunch, plank, reverse crunch and long arm crunch. For details on how to perform these exercises and equipment needed click here.

Effective cardiovascular exercises include cycling, stationary bike, stair master and jogging. To effectively burn fat performing any of these exercises, you should be able to carry on a conversation while working out. If you find you don’t have enough breath to talk then you are working out, then you are working out to hard.

Twenty minutes of low impact aerobics in fat burning mode will immediately begin to work on abdominal fat as well as other areas of fat accumulation. Fit individuals will be able to employ high- impact aerobics and remain in fat burning mode, enabling them to burn the maximum amount of calories possible. Whether you are burning fat using low impact or high impact aerobics your belly fat below the skin and muscles will begin to burn away and your muscle mass will begin to increase.

To effectively lose stomach fat, a healthy diet is necessary. Fast foods and processed foods should be avoided because they are low in fiber and high in simple carbohydrates that turn to stored fat within hours after consumption. Animal products such as meat and dairy should be limited.

The typical North American meal consists of a high percentage of meat and dairy and a low percentage of fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, nuts and seeds. Eating the same meal with high percentage of fruit, vegetables and whole grains, nuts and seeds and a low percentage of meat and dairy will increase fiber content, creating a feeling of fullness on less, increase vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content preventing damage from free radicals and lower saturated fat and calorie content leading to loss of belly fat.

With a little patient effort, the combination of resistance training, aerobic exercise and healthy diet will inevitably lead to a firm, flat stomach and a healthier body.