A doctor has revealed five tips that can help you banish stubborn belly fat.
Embarking on a weight-loss plan is not always easy. You can have the discipline and willpower but the results are just not coming, Dr Eric Berg explained.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “[You] never really see any results because you’re missing the technique, you’re missing the strategy. “[But] if you have the right way of doing something, you don’t have to put so much effort into it.”
Fortunately, the doctor outlined the “fastest way” to lose belly fat which can be achieved with five simple steps.
1. Keto diet
Dr Berg recommended adopting the popular keto diet, which is a low-carb, high-fat regimen linked to weight loss and other health benefits.
However, instead of going high-fat, the doctor recommended focusing on protein.
He said: “The keto diet you want to do is a moderate amount of protein, but the key is the quality of proteins. We want to make sure that you also do electrolytes, B vitamins and don’t forget sea salt.”
2. Avoid seed oils
While you’re likely to increase the amount of fats you consume on ketogenic regimen, Dr Berg warned that there are some fats you should avoid.
He explained that the rise in omega-6 fatty acids, found in the likes of corn oil, soy oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil correspond with the increase in obesity.
“It’s hidden in your dressing that you use in your salad. You’re going to get it in fast food restaurants. In fact, you’re probably going to get it with any restaurant that you go to,” Dr Berg said.
He explained that consuming these oils will produce more weight gain than sugar. Therefore, he recommended avoiding these “highly inflammatory oils” if you want to lose weight.
3. Eat one large salad daily
Packed with potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamin C and phytonutrients, salad should be part of your daily menu when trying to target belly fat, according to Dr Berg.
What’s more, if you manage to get a salad that’s grown on a living soil, you’re going to get a “really good” probiotic, which can help fortify your gut. Plus, the fibre in the salad can actually feed your gut microbiome, according to the medical expert.
Dr Berg said: “One huge benefit of consuming salads is to help your microbiome as far as the diversity and the quantity of microbes in your gut which directly help you lose weight.”
4. Produce deep ketosis
To get into this state, ketogenic diet won’t work on its own. You also need to do intermittent fasting, the doctor explained. While there are many different approaches to this popular diet, Dr Berg recommended eating one meal a day.
“This will give you 23 hours of fasting so not only is this going to be very powerful in causing your body to run on fat all day long, but you’ll have so many other benefits – cognitive improvements, mood changes, reduction of inflammation,” he said.
5. Exercise
The last part of the puzzle is unsurprisingly exercise. Dr Berg advised opting for a combination of walking and high-intensity interval training.
Walking will not only help with weight loss, but it can also reduce stress and improve your sleep. The doctor explained that not sleeping enough is a “big barrier” to losing weight.
However, high-intensity exercise is also important as the intensity is what activates certain hormones that are related to fat burning. You should aim for exercises that use as many muscles as possible.
The doctor said: “The more intense, the better. Of course, work up to it and make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”
Dr Berg shared that all these things combined together “are going to get you to your goal extremely fast”.
