Ways to Flatten Your Tummy Forget crunches! There are other ways to trim that midsection

Some good advice from the Trinidad News:

Habits That Will Shrink Your Middle
Calm down. Too much stress can contribute to a potbelly. Stress increases levels of cortisol, a hormone that seems to direct fat to our middle, says Jacob Seidell, PhD, of the National Institute of Public Health in Bilthoven, Netherlands. To keep levels low, try this 5- to 10-minute stress reducer: Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Next, take several slow, deep breaths to help clear your mind. Continue breathing deeply and repeat the word "one" to yourself as you exhale. (If you get distracted, just bring your focus back to the word "one.") Practice this for 5 to 10 minutes once or twice a day.
Skip the alcohol. That glass of wine with dinner may be part of the reason your jeans are too tight. Alcohol also tends to raise cortisol levels, sending fat to your belly, Dr. Seidell says.

Ladies: Get the Flat Sexy Stomach You've Always Wanted

This powerful information comes from The Truth About Six Pack Abs:

Let me guess...

You've already tried every "miracle diet" that's come along and nothing has worked to help you shed that excess tummy fat, right?

You've probably also done all of the hundreds of crunches, situps, leg lifts, and other useless abs exercises, and that stomach of yours doesn't seem any flatter, does it?

You might also think that anything labeled at the grocery store as "low fat", "sugar free", "low-carb", or "whole grain" are good for you, right? Think again! You've been deceived by the clever marketing of huge multi-million dollar food corporations...

FACT - Did you know that most foods labeled as "sugar free" or "low-carb" actually contain artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and other additives that create a hormonal mess inside your body, actually stimulating your body to STORE more belly fat and stimulate cravings! And foods labeled "whole grain" only have to contain a small fraction of whole grains where the majority can still be refined starches and sugars that spike your blood sugar faster than a sugar-laden soda!

To Get Rid of Belly Fat, You Need to Burn It Off and Feed Your Muscle!

Looking for the truth about what it REALLY takes to get rid of belly fat? You've got to learn to "burn the fat and feed the muscle." But don't take our word for it, check out what fitness expert Tom Venuto has to say:

"There are thousands of diet programs and dozens of people claiming to be experts. However, very few of these so-called 'Fat loss experts' practice what they preach or have the credentials and track record to back up their claims. "You're about to discover what might be the most powerful fat loss system ever developed. It's the same system fitness models and bodybuilders use to reach single digit body fat levels and achieve rock-hard muscle definition that makes them look like walking anatomy charts.
My name is Tom Venuto and over the past 14 years, through a long and painstaking process of trial, error and experimentation, I've developed a sure-fire, 100% guaranteed system for losing belly fat based on the little-known nutrition secrets of competitive natural bodybuilders and fitness models.
If you would like to learn how to lose body fat permanently... even in your mushiest spots... without drugs, without supplements and without screwing up your metabolism, then this will be the most important report you will ever read. I guarantee it and I've got the results to prove it!"

For more free information about Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" click here.

Scary Study Says Fat Belly Raises Risk for Dementia

Wow! And you thought your beer belly was just a problem with the ladies! Turns out that a big gut in your 40's can increase your risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's disease later on, according to a scary new study done by the Permanente Division of Research. As if there weren't already enough health reasons out there to make you get rid of that spare tire, now you have to worry about losing your mind in old age as well. Heard enough yet? Here's more from CNN:

It's not just about your weight. While previous research has found evidence that obesity in middle age raises the chances of developing dementia later, the new work found a separate risk from storing a lot of fat in the abdomen. Even people who weren't overweight were susceptible.
That abdominal fat, sometimes described as making people apple-shaped rather than pear-shaped, has already been linked to higher risk of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
"Now we can add dementia to that," said study author Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.
She and others report the findings in Wednesday's online issue of the journal Neurology.
The study involved 6,583 men and women who were ages 40 to 45 when they had checkups between 1964 and 1973. As part of the exam, their belly size was measured by using a caliper to find the distance between their backs and the surface of their upper abdomens. For the study, a distance of about 10 inches or more was considered high. The researchers checked medical records to see who had developed Alzheimer's or another form of dementia by an average of 36 years later. At that point the participants were ages 73 to 87. There were 1,049 cases.

Belly Fat Basics: The Momentum of Omentum, Dr. Oz on Oprah

Never heard of the omentum organ? You know that belly fat you're trying to get rid of, that's its "professional" name: the omentum. Hate to admit it, but I learned that from Dr. Oz while watching the Oprah show a while back. So, you say, what's the big deal if it's got a fancy name? Well, it makes a difference in how IMPORTANT it is for you to get rid of that spare tire you're carrying around.
According to Dr. Oz, a healthy, normal omentum looks "lacy, like stockings . . . transparent and thin." Not much to it when you look a the picture (the old, skinny Oprah is holding it), but when it gets bigger it not only looks nasty (the one Dr. Oz is holding is "only" from someone who was 30 to 40 lbs overweight. Imagine what yours looks like?) but the fat stored in it can create an inflammatory process that irritates your arteries and puts you at risk for blocked arteries!

How Does Dr. Oz Recommend You Lose Belly Fat?

Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen studied people who lost weight and kept it off. They noticed that dieters who cut 400 calories a day ended up yo-yo dieting and regaining weight. Fasting shuts down your metabolism, Dr. Oz says, so when you bow to temptation and devour a candy bar, most of the calories are quickly deposited as fat.

Cutting 100 calories a day—the equivalent of a Granny Smith apple—is a dieting strategy that most people can sustain for a lifetime, he says.

So, to recap: flat stomach good, beer belly bad.

Best Reviews of Fat Loss 4 Idiots (aka The Idiot Proof Diet)

We have so many reviews of the Idiot Proof Diet from people all over the world, it's hard to select a few as our favorites, but we'll try. Below are snippets from just a few. (If you'd like to read any of the full reviews, just click here.)

From Rebecca L.:

This diet has worked like no other I have ever tried. I am getting all of the nutrients I need, I have plenty of energy, I'm hardly ever really hungry, and I'm still losing weight just by eating the foods from the diet plan! I eat 4-5 times a day following the menu that was generated specifically for me, I just chose the foods that I like to eat and already have in my home and the rest is history.

From another dieter:

Following this diet for the last two months I have lost fifty pounds, have gotten rid of my blood pressure meds at my doctors orders,and have increased the amount of weight I can lift. I feel great all day, every day with energy to spare and still sleep like a baby at night.something I have not done for years.

Dale the Diabetic Said:

I am an insulin dependent diabetic. Insulin helps keep weight on, so I had that against me. Then of course I'm to busy to eat and would literally eat my first meal at dinner. The Idiot Proof Diet was simple, there it was in black and white what I could eat and I could eat as much as I wanted of it (*not every item, but most). I lost 11 lbs in the first 9 days. I knew if I could eat whatever I wanted on the "days off portion" I would gain some of them back! BUT I DID NOT. To date I have lost 47 lbs.

Nadine in Southern California wrote:

I started a one month ago and I went from 235 (no lie) to 212 and I am so excited. I can not believe how easy it is and I recommend it to all my friends. Especially friends that are not having any luck with there current diet. I know when I see my mother & sister next time they are going to really hop on this diet. You get plenty to eat, drink and walking is the key. I don't skip meals anymore, I eat more now than I ever did.

This one's from Nancy W:

Since the birth of my son I had a problem with edema, or swelling in the legs. The Idiot Proof Diet has eliminated the swelling in my legs. It has eliminated the acne on my face. It has given me more energy than I can burn during the day, and my days generally run 18 hours or more!

Get more details on the Idiot Proof Diet here.

Is Your Belly Fat the Result of a Food Allergy?

Yesterday we talked about the basic principals involved in losing your belly fat: that you can't expect to keep doing the same things you've always done (both eating and not exercising) and expect to have a flatter stomach. If that concept is still foreign to you, please scroll down and read that post.

Another thing that people don't often consider is that some of their paunch (likely not all) could be due to a food allergy. In my case, I look fatter after I have eaten anything with wheat in. I also belch like a drunken sailor. But mostly, I look and feel bloated. My spouse discovered she had a gluten allergy (the basic ingredient in wheat-based products) and stopped eating things with wheat in them . . . and there are A LOT! Like high fructose corn syrup, gluten is in a lot of stuff other than bread and cookies. You have to pay attention to labels to make sure they're not sneaking it in on you!

The result, however, could be quite pleasant, if you're like me. Although technically I haven't lost any weight, a gluten-free diet makes me feel less bloated and I look thinner as a result. How many people have a gluten allergy in the United States? Hard to say, but if you think you might have even a mild allergy to wheat (In addition to the bloat and belching I also had to clear my throat frequently) why not give it a try. Plan a few "wheat free days" and see how you feel. In most cities it's much easier now to find gluten free products and most are quite good.

Tomorrow: what's up with all this water?