3 “Weird” Tricks to Help Shed Belly Fat

We talked in a previous post how too much belly fat increases your risk of heart disease.

By this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that to shed belly fat we need to eat less overall and exercise more. We also have to increase the quality of our diets … so not just reducing calories, but reducing the crap calories in our diets and ramping up the nutrient dense foods.

But there are also some "weird" little tricks—outside of food and exercise – that will help shed body fat over time.

Trick #1: Chew more. With the fast, on the go mentality so many of us have these days, we’re often eating on the go, swallowing our food practically whole. But a study out of Purdue University showed that a subtle difference … chewing almonds 40 vs. 25 vs. 10 times before swallowing, boost fullness.

Of course when you’re more full, you’ll eat less, and this can translate to less belly fat.

Chewing more also released more of the beneficial fats in the almonds. And we know the power of those healthy fats for keeping the heart strong.

(Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009, Volume 89, Pages: 794-800;
“Mastication of almonds: effects of lipid bioaccessibility, appetite, and hormone response)

Trick #2: Eat with your non dominant hand. Sounds SO silly, but go ahead and try.

Pick up your fork with your non dominant hand … I promise you’ll slow down how quickly you eat.

And when you slow down your speed, you eat less. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to send fullness – so when you slow down, you give it that time to recognize you’ve actually taken in some calories and not to go overboard.

Trick #3: Brush your teeth immediately after eating. Not only will others appreciate this, but as you know, food doesn’t taste quite so good with minty breath.

Therefore, the likelihood of turning to dessert when a meal is done or even taking bites of the leftovers while putting them away, is much less. Again, all these calories add up quickly.

There you have it – 3 super simple “weird” little tricks to effortlessly help shed belly fat.

Here are a few more articles on simple ways to lose belly fat for good.

And another on easy foods to improve your heart health