To start let's touch on what hormones drive belly fat. Insulin and cortisol play a large role with cortisol being more impactful for females. Most times people with belly fat are more stress sensitive than those with less belly fat.

On another note....while calories do matter hormones most likely matter more! If you feel like you are doing everything right and you still struggle with belly fat, the primary thing that must be addressed is.......wait for it.......stress management! I know so simple right? but so many people neglect this simple thing. Honestly though this has a huge effect on belly fat so try not to point the finger at calories, carbs, not enough exercise, etc. Now of course this may not apply if you haven't been exercising, haven't been watching your eating habits, etc. That's not who I'm referencing here.

Going back to hormones...estrogen and progesterone block the bad influences of insulin and cortisol on belly fat and this is usually the reason females tend to have less belly fat than males. In females that do have a higher amount of belly fat it is normally caused by lower than normal estrogen and progesterone levels. But.....the most common reasons for this are stress and menopause. Both of these cause a hormonal imbalance of lower estrogen, higher testosterone, and higher cortisol and insulin.

Strategies for belly fat reduction:

1) Relax and decrease stress hormones, especially cortisol.

• Make sleep a priority (not 5 hrs either...more like 7+). So many people do not make this a priority and then wonder why they aren't getting results but will point the finger at so many other things. If you want info on how important sleep is check out my previous blog on sleep.
• Get a massage
• Take relaxing baths
• Take naps
• Have more sex

Make your body more insulin sensitive by carbohydrate cycling (see my videos on youtube for more info on that) or doing an insulin reset diet for 2 weeks (no carbohydrates)

 Take adaptogens. Adaptogens are herbs that make your body adapt to stress.

• Ashwaganda: Medical studies have shown that ashwagandha improves cortisol levels, improves insulin sensitivity and naturally balances hormones. (Read Dr. Axe's writeup here for more info http://draxe.com/ashwagandha-proven-to-heal-thyroid-and-adrenals/) Recommended doasge is 500mg 1-2x daily
• Rhodiola: It has been proven to have four major health benefits including burning belly fat, increased energy, lowering cortisol, fighting depression and improving brain function. The recommended supplemental dose of rhodiola rosea extract with rosavin is around 250-500mg 2x daily taken 15 minutes before meals.
• Holy basil: also called tulsi, holy basil is known in India as the “elixir of anti-aging.” Studies suggest that holy basil benefits include helping you fight fatigue and stress; boost your immune system; and regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and hormone levels.

4) Supplements

• Take great multivitamin with a good dose of B vitamins (especially B6), chromium, zinc and magnesium. This will help with insulin issues and replaces minerals that stress depletes. Or you can buy these things individually. The mercola multivitamin brand we just started carrying is a great one to take for this. We are going to start suggesting this over some of the innate response stuff because of the higher quantities of vitamins and minerals it contains.
• Green Coffee Bean Extract: 1000mg daily. This is an insulin sensitizing supplement as well
• Curcumin: 1000 to 4000mg dailyt. This helps the main metabolic glands react better to stress. It also blocks enzymes linked to fat storage.

Do some direct ab work (if your bodyfat is low enough). Theres tons of arguments on spot training and the truth of the matter is it will work BUT will only be effective if your bodyfat is low enough for you to start showing abs, etc. An estimate is about 20% or lower for females and 14% or lower for males typically. These aren't exact numbers but estimates.

Hope that helps! If you have any questions about losing bodyfat or weight feel free to email me at cattaneo.ray@gmail.com. Additionally, we are now doing online personal training so if you are self motivated and are looking for someone to write you a plan specifically designed for getting you in shape and transforming your body along with holding you accountable the whole time, contact me at cattaneo.ray@gmail.com for a free consultation and blueprint! Until next time!

Ray Cattaneo

Owner-NASM,CPT,CES CFL1

Infinity Personal Training