AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON STOMACH FAT

Fat should be equally distributed around your body. When fat is dispersed across the arms, back, breasts, stomach, buttocks, and thighs, it is 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. Excess weight concentrated in the stomach may imply congestion of the lymphatic system in the gut and poor fat digestion. This condition occurs when stress or other factors cause vasoconstriction of blood vessels in the area, which stop the body from burning fats and stores them instead.

The belly is 4x more likely to store fat from rich, Kapha-aggravating foods. The reason is because fat from excessively rich foods congests the lymphatic system in this area. Then, the fat gets stored in the stomach, instead of going into the blood. Short-chain fatty acids such as ghee and medium-chain fatty acids such as coconut oil are absorbed by blood vessels and then distributed evenly by the blood. These do not congest the gut-associated lymphatic tissue of the gut (GALT). Long-chain fatty acids such as canola and other vegetable oils are absorbed directly from the intestine into the GALT, causing congestion and stomach fat.

Stress may also cause excess stomach fat. Stress shuts down circulation to your gut. 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. Again, this was probably adaptive for early humans; storing fat in this area was a mechanism of self-preservation in uncertain times. This kind of apple-shaped fat concentrated at the mid and upper-sections of the body is generally Vata-Kapha in nature.

If your digestion is slow, your belly may appear large and bloated, and your belly button stretched. You might be tempted to think you've gained weight but really you are stuffed with food or gas. Wheat and rich dairy products like cheese are common culprits of slow digestion. A mild laxative like triphala can help your belly deflate to a normal size.

Bitter taste is a good remedy for metabolizing excess abdominal fat. Grapefruit, greens like arugula, kale, and dandelion along with tart vegetables like rhubarb are all good ways to start incorporating more bitter taste into your diet. 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. Movement and mild exercise can also 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.

Disclaimer: Conditions such as 'Stomach fat' that cause tissue changes could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.

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COMPUTE MY DIET FOR STOMACH FAT
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Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Stomach fat'. Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution. Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine. Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.

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DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics (gunas). Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'Stomach fat', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics. Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.

Digestion:

Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

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Digestive

DIGESTIVE

Herbs that encourage healthy digestion.

SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Bowel Health:

General Laxative

GENERAL-LAXATIVE

Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives.

SEE ALL 'GENERAL-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

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High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr

SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

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Stimulant Laxative

STIMULANT-LAXATIVE

Stimulant laxatives induce bowel movements by stimulating peristaltic movement (the contraction of smooth muscle in the intestines). They are effective when used on a short-term basis. On a long-term basis, they can create dependency. Aka irritant laxativ

SEE ALL 'STIMULANT-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Cleanse & Detox:

Burns Toxins

BURNS-TOXINS

An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them.

SEE ALL 'BURNS-TOXINS' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:

Blood Thinner

BLOOD-THINNER

Herbs that thin the blood. Helpful for people with heart disease or clogged circulation.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-THINNER' FOODS / HERBS

Liver & Gallbladder:

Cholagogue

CHOLAGOGUE

Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.

SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

Weight Loss:

Hypolipidemic

HYPOLIPIDEMIC

Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.

SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

HOW TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE #3

STOMACH FAT IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #3 - ATTACKING TISSUE

If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are becoming stronger and weakening your body's resistance. Most people have a weakness in one or more organs. These areas of weakness are the 'weak link in the chain.' They are first to succumb when an imbalance reaches a tipping point. Repairing imbalances in this category often represent your last opportunity to prevent disease. At any moment, these imbalances could overwhelm weakened tissue and develop into a disease. You may feel pain or discomfort in the weakened area. At this stage you will need to support the weakened tissue with specialized foods and herbs for the weakened tissue. (See all disease stages on JB)

GET MY FREE AYURVEDA BODY MAP According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following doshas and biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Stomach fat'. If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them. Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and lifestyle habits should be reduced.

Are you prone to a problem with 'Stomach fat'? Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Weight by taking the free weight loss quiz:

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The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Stomach fat'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them. On average the biocharacteristics of people reporting Stomach fat were less aggravated than 90% of other symptoms. From the 26,036 people who reported Stomach fat average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:

Risk Factors of Stomach fat

Complications of Those Reporting Stomach fat

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