1. Caffeine (for most people - read why)
There is a strong connection between type 2 diabetes and belly fat. Research has shown that caffeine consumption decreases insulin sensitivity by about 15%, and negatively impacts the metabolism sugars among people with diabetes.
Caffeine is also closely linked to increased cortisol levels (our stress hormone), which, when chronically elevated, can lead to belly fat. If you're a regular coffee drinker, consider cutting it out of your diet.
BOTTOM LINE: Decreased insulin sensitivity and increased cortisol levels put your body on the fast track for gaining belly fat, which is why so many people notice a drop in inches throughout their belly area after they cut out caffeine.
To avoid splintering caffeine withdrawal headaches, step down with green tea - matcha tea, in particular. Green tea contains nutrient-rich polyphenols, but with much, much less caffeine. This is my favorite (and easy) traditional green tea or a special matcha green tea I love.
Note: Green tea contains a nutrient called L-theanine, which makes you feel calm, but alert. It's highest in matcha, but also present in traditional green tea. A good matcha will always cost more and is always powdery green.
2. Refined Carbohydrates
When blood sugar levels begin to rise, insulin gets called to action to bring those levels back down to normal again. When insulin goes into overdrive, the way it does when we eat foods that translate to sugar, fat gets stored through the belly area.
Not all carbohydrates are bad! You can still include a lot of healthy carbohydrates in your diet without the unhealthy kickback your body experiences with refined carbs. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are examples of healthier carbohydrates.
Back to these low-fat, refined carbs. They' really don't do your body any favors, so try to avoid them most of the time.
EXAMPLES OF REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
pretzels and chips
most store-bought bread, bagels, wraps, buns, and tortillas
pasta and pizza dough
waffles, muffins, and pastries
store-bought baked desserts
3. Alcohol
Alcohol hits the pause button on fat metabolism. Our bodies have to break down alcohol before it can break anything else down. This means anything you eat sits in your gut until your body breaks down and gets rid of the alcohol in every glass of wine, beer or cocktail you drink.
Let's say you go to dinner and drink two beers and a big slice of cheese pizza. The two beers you drink are going to take priority in terms of metabolism before the slice of pizza. If you're drinking and eating late at night, your metabolism has already slowed down a little bit for the night - which is something that naturally happens with our bodies later in the evening.
Now let's say that the two beers you drank were a total of 350 calories, and the pizza was 400 calories. Both are reasonable estimates. If you're eating later at night, it's highly unlikely that your body will burn through 750 calories before bedtime. Those extra calories are likely to get stored as fat.
Now let's say you're drinking a couple of margaritas or a sugar cocktail. The alcohol alone will not necessarily trigger fat storage, but the additional sugar (plus anything else you're eating) will certainly pack on the pounds if alcohol consumption is a regular thing.
To be clear, I'm not promoting alcohol consumption and I'm not saying an occasional drink is a bad thing. What I am saying is that heavier alcohol consumption paired with lots of food is a fast trip to belly fat storage.
4. Anything containing non-nutritive sweeteners
There is a profound correlation between artificial sweeteners, like those in diet sodas, and weight gain. Research has shown that non-nutritive sweeteners, like aspartame, block a really important enzyme that boosts insulin sensitivity. Remember what I mentioned above? Decreased insulin sensitivity almost always leads to fat storage through the belly area.
The ingredients you're looking for in a label are aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose.
Stevia is a natural no-calorie sweetener and doesn't have the same side effects of artificial sweeteners.
In fact, research has even shown that children who consume artificial sweeteners have a greater body mass index (BMI) than children who don't.
Foods that frequently contain artificial sweeteners include:
Sugar-free yogurt
Candy
Energy/protein bars
Diet sodas and juices
Pudding
Canned fruits
If you have some sort of sugar addiction, it could be very difficult to cut out these foods. Aim for low-glycemic fruits (berries, green apples, etc)., sparkling water, or dark chocolate to take the edge off.
5. Corn, Canola, and Soybean Oils:
When we consume too much-processed vegetable oil, we increase the amount of omega-6 fatty acids as well. Overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids promotes inflammation in the body.
If you have inflammation, it is difficult, often impossible, to lose weight.
Processed vegetable oils are cheap. And because the United States has no shortage of the crops needed to produce these oils, they're everywhere. Not just chips and cookies, but bread, protein bars, and hummus, too. It's important to read labels to see what's in the food you're eating. Again, the big offenders are corn, canola and soybean oil.
Healthier alternative oils and fats include:
olive oil
coconut oil
avocado and avocado oil
eggs
nuts & seeds
grass-fed butter
some nut butter (read labels and many contain other unhealthy ingredients)