5 Sneaky Devils that Pack on Belly Fat…
Nobody smokes cigarettes because they didn’t get the memo about lung cancer.
And nobody eats junk food because they didn’t get the memo about sugar.
No, we continue to eat foods that pack on the belly fat, because we simply can’t resist them.
And that’s by design.
You see, there are powerful forces — seemingly outside of our control — that conspire to make us fat, sick, tired and even depressed.
These “little demons” wreak havoc on our ability to control cravings, combat urges and avoid temptation. The result is expanded waistlines, failed diets and drained energy.
But by taking a few simple steps you can send these little demons scurrying, take back control of your life and your waistline.
Let me explain.
Little Demon #1: Addictive Food
Big Food has learned how to layer their products with just the right, scientifically determined amounts of salt, fat and sugar to produce “super-palatable” food – or what you and I would simply call “addictive.”
Brain studies have shown these foods are AS addictive as drugs, alcohol and gambling. It’s no accident that “you can’t eat just one.”
For example, your brain remembers the sensation of eating a CinnaBon; next time you smell one, your neurons secrete a brain chemical called dopamine which virtually insures that you won’t stop till you eat one.
So next time you feel yourself being magnetically pulled to eat a particular food, know that there is some mad food scientist smiling somewhere, eager to line his pockets at your expense, so turn the other way and don’t give him the satisfaction!
Little Demon #2: Food Labeling Tricks
Manufacturers have to list first the ingredients used in greatest amounts.
So, when they don’t want you to know the main ingredient is sugar, they deceive you by using a dozen different forms of sugar so they can list each one further down. Sneaky huh?
For example, all of the following are sugar in disguise: agave nectar, barley malt syrup, dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, sucrose, maltodextrin.
But, you can avoid succumbing to food labeling tricks by, well, avoiding foods that have labels in the first place!
Eat fresh, whole, real foods including leafy green vegetables and grass-fed, pasture-raised or organic meats.
Little Demon #3: The Troll in your Brain
The reward pathways in our brains are powerful motivators, and they will trick your mind every single time.
Whenever you hear yourself saying, “Aw, just one won’t kill me”, “I just don’t have time to cook” or “I can start my diet tomorrow”, you can be sure that’s the big fat ugly “troll” in your brain, doing the bidding of your dopamine reward system.
These voices can sabotage your willpower, but there is a way to turn the table: next time you hear this voice, think of it as coming from someone – or something else, like an evil troll.
By externalizing this voice, you’ll realize something “else” is trying to manipulate you and you can train yourself to ignore these voices.
Little Demon #4: Chronic Stress
Chronic stress may begin in your brain—but it ends up packing on fat, especially around your belly.
When you’re stressed, your body responds is by churning out a big dose of cortisol.
Cortisol “instructs” the body to preserve belly fat, stimulates insulin – the primary hormone responsible for storing fat – and it breaks down muscle, slowing your metabolic rate and making fat storage certain.
And cortisol sends a signal to the brain to “refuel” for an emergency, usually with foods highest in fat, salt and sugar.
The result?
You walk around stressed and starving and you’ll eat anything in sight, particularly the stuff that makes you fat and sick.
Because it’s so hard to resist temptation when you are stressed, the #1 way to combat the effects of stress is to take an inventory of your life and to avoid stressful situations as much as possible.
Also consider doing some form of active relaxation, whether meditation, yoga, deep breathing or something similar.
Little Demon #5: Cheap Food Available 24×7
The previous 4 little demons wouldn’t amount to much if the food that makes us fat and sick weren’t available.
But it is. Everywhere. And that’s little demon #5.
Hunting and gathering? Fooey. Just go to the nearest drive through or pick up the phone.
The easiest way to combat this toxic food environment is to remove temptation from your immediate environment so it’s NOT convenient.
Get rid of all the sugary junk food in your house that will tempt you when your defenses are down. If an urge comes, you’ll have created a practical barrier that’s large enough to give you enough time for that urge to pass.
What to Do Next…
These 5 little demons conspire to make us sick and fat – but that does NOT mean we are all doomed.
Simply by reading this article and becoming aware of these little demons that silently influence you to get fat, you’ve taken the first step toward building a mental defense to withstand their assault – and to take back control of your waistline.
==> Here’s the Next Step to Banish Belly Flab for Good…
Yours truly,
Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS aka “the Rogue Nutritionist”™
P.S. If you just try to rely on willpower alone to withstand these little demons, 99% of you will be doomed to fail as it’s simply impossible to withstand their daily assault.
My hope is some of the tips I’ve outlined in this article will help, but for those of you looking for more, here’s a powerful plan that helps you re-wire your brain to get control of your impulses and burn fat.
There are 3 specific steps you need to take as part of this plan and I outline it all here in this nifty little presentation – I am not sure how long this will be available, so please watch it now.