The #1 Oatmeal Habit If You Don't Want Visceral Fat, Says Dietitian
With a brand new year beginning, many people are focusing on shedding pounds or adding healthier habits to their daily routines. And if you're someone who is trying to lose weight this year, it's important to know that not all body fat is created equal.
That's because visceral fat, which sits around the abdominal organs, can lead to dangerous health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and even Alzheimer's disease.
If you're looking to lose weight and shrink visceral fat, eating healthy foods for breakfast can help. According to Courtney D'Angelo, MS, RD, author at Go Wellness, the best oatmeal habit to have if you want to maintain a healthy diet in order to lose visceral fat is adding milk and protein powder to your morning creation.
It's important to note that there isn't one "miracle" food that can shrink visceral fat. In fact, Johns Hopkins Medicine states that diet alone is not enough to reduce visceral fat, and that combining healthy eating with exercise is crucial for the process. With that being said, adopting healthy eating habits, especially for breakfast, can help you maintain a healthy amount of visceral fat.
"Eating foods that are high in whole grains are an excellent way to get rid of, and prevent visceral fat," says D'Angelo. "While oatmeal is a great source of whole grains, it's unfortunately not enough to just eat oatmeal by itself."
D'Angelo also notes that people often unintentionally add ingredients to their oatmeal that may "encourage belly fat" such as toppings with too much added sugar. But adding ingredients such as protein powder and milk can help with your weight loss goals.
"Studies suggest that consuming a healthy amount of calcium and vitamin D, which you can get from milk, may be linked to less visceral fat, and protein has numerous benefits including helping you stay full longer (curbing hunger), building lean muscle, reducing muscle loss, and helping to maintain a healthy weight," says D'Angelo.
If you're curious about using protein powder in your next bowl of oatmeal, you can choose one of these 10 Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss.
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