I’ll start by saying that, contrary to popular belief, a certain amount of fat on our belly is NOT your enemy… in fact, a layer of fat on the belly is ideal because it keeps your digestive system warm and properly functioning!

Now let’s get into it… Fat should be equally distributed around your body. When fat is dispersed across the arms, back, breasts, stomach, butt & thighs, it's healthier than disproportionate weight or fat. When one of your body parts gains more weight than another, it could mean that your circulation is stagnant there.

CAUSES OF STOMACH FAT

😐 The belly is 4x more likely to store fat from rich, EARTH-aggravating foods (think wheat, sweets, red meat and dairy). Fat from excessively rich foods congests the lymphatic system and gets stored in the stomach, instead of going into the blood.

😐 Stress may also cause excess stomach fat. Stress shuts down circulation to your gut which prevents the body from burning fat! Under periods of high stress, your lymphatic system absorbs even more of the fats from food, causing you to gain more weight in the belly (e.g. apple-shaped fat)

REMEDIES FOR METABOLIZING STOMACH FAT

♥️ Eat short & medium-chain fatty acids such as ghee and coconut oil because they are absorbed by blood vessels and then distributed evenly in the body and they don't congest the lymph of the gut. Avoid long-chain fatty acids like canola, grape seed oils etc. because they are absorbed directly from the intestine into the lymphatic tissue of the gut causing congestion and stomach fat.

♥️ Eat bitter foods likes grapefruit, arugula, kale and dandelion along with tart vegetables like rhubarb. Adding fiber can also help move fat out of the body. Experiment with blood thinning herbs like turmeric and tarragon which reinvigorate circulation and gently decongest the blood of excess fats.

♥️ Move to help break-up excess abdominal fat. Twisting yoga poses, deep belly breathing, and gentle self-massage of the abdominal area gets blood flowing and helps shed an unhealthy tummy.

♥️ Dry brush daily to stimulate lymphatic drainage, especially in the belly area.