[Curiosities] Trying to lose belly fat? Yoghurt, oranges may help

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Losing weight requires effort; and as many will agree, losing belly fat can be a bit more difficult. And a host of reasons are responsible for it. Dt. Shikha Mahajan, holistic nutritionist and founder of Diet Podium identifies them as indigestion, hormonal imbalance and sedentary lifestyle. “Bloating and chronic constipation are caused by indigestion and they can be tackled by including fibre and ginger in your diet. It is also important to drink lots of water,” she said while speaking to indianexpress.com. Another way to help flatten the belly is drinking jeera and ajwain water. “Soak them at night and drink the water the next morning,” she shares.

For those who follow a sedentary lifestyle, it is imperative to keep carbs in check. Mahajan suggests starting the day with good fat like almonds and walnuts. One can also opt for green tea and have half a spoon of ghee before that.

In case of hormonal imbalance, having berries, avocados can be helpful. “Cortisol is a stress hormone that disrupts the normal functions of other hormones. It causes an imbalance in leptin and ghrelin thus causing spikes in hunger, upping your total calories intake. It also causes heart problems and insulin imbalance which makes our body deposit fat in the belly. Foods like berries, avocados, nuts, yogurt, pears and papaya help lower the cortisol levels,” Mahajan maintains.