How to make your stomach flat? 5 main rules

Dear reader, we present to you our beauty columnist Inessa Tsarkova.

Inessa is an active nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist, naturopath and aromatherapist, health coach, integrative medicine doctor with a holistic approach. And now he will share with us his knowledge in the field of both physical and mental health, nutrition and much more. In today’s article, we will discuss a topic that worries many people: the issue of a beautiful belly.

Dear readers, if you are interested in this article, it means you do not like your belly. Or maybe the entire figure. One day, when you look in the mirror, you may think that your belly is too protruding, doughy or swollen. And unattractive folds or cottony “orange peel” bumps appeared on it. Maybe it increased in size or, on the contrary, became wrinkled, flabby and ugly? Do you know that beauty standards are a very fluid issue? In addition, the fashion of the shape of the abdomen is constantly changing.

Inessa Tsarkova

For example, in ancient Greece, the standard of female beauty was the goddess Aphrodite, who was always depicted with feminine curvaceous figures and a rounded abdomen. In the Middle Ages (until the 18th century) the navel was a symbol of prosperity and wealth for both men and women. The ideal of female beauty of those times was extremely plump women with bulging bellies, wide waists and folds of fat all over the body. Modern doctors will immediately diagnose them with “obesity” of severity II or even III. Such “beauties” were sung by poets and depicted on the canvases of famous artists (for example, in the paintings of the famous Flemish artist Rubens). But in the mid-19th century, corsets and wasp waists came into fashion. Later, the standard of female beauty became the “Gibson Girl”, an American illustrator who worked at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. She was slim and tall, and her figure resembled an hourglass shape: a narrow waist, wide breasts and wide hips. In the middle of the last century, the “90-60-90” shape continued to be seen as the ideal figure. For example, the famous actress of that time, Marilyn Monroe, had such parameters and a seductive, round, convex tummy.

In the late 20th century, fashion changed again, and a thin girl with a belly and narrow hips began to be seen as an attractive female figure, and was subsequently transformed into a standard sports figure.

In those years, girls began to strive for a flat stomach, and the highest percentage of people with eating disorders and strict control of calories consumed was recorded.

It’s time for body positivity these days and round bellies are back in style.

Nowadays, fashion has become more “faithful” and everyone is free to choose their own belly shape. But still, excessive accumulation of fatty tissue, cellulite and edema, and even obesity are not welcomed by most people today, because today humanity is increasingly carried away by the trend towards a healthier lifestyle, slimness, activity and care for one’s body. and health.

So, friends, arm yourself with a measuring tape and run to measure your waist and abdominal volume. These are excellent parameters for monitoring health status and preventing serious diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease, stroke and heart attack.

What waist size will show us relative safety in terms of our health and at the same time be optimal for an attractive appearance, a cheerful and active life?

For women – no more than 80 cm, and for men the waist should not exceed 94 cm. If the waist circumference in women is more than 88 cm, and in men – more than 102, this is a reliable sign of carbohydrate deficiency. metabolism, high risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and even some types of cancer.

To understand whether the amount of fat tissue in the body is really excessive, it would be useful to conduct a body composition bioimpedance study, in which the weight of muscle tissue, internal organs, body water and fat cells can be determined separately. The norm of adipose tissue will depend on height, gender and age, but still it should not exceed 28% before the age of 30 in women, 23% in men and 33% and 28% respectively after the age of 50.

What are the dangers of excess fat accumulation and an overly large belly?

The fact is that its amount is also evidenced by the amount of unremoved waste and toxins (since the body “hides” them there), the stagnation of our natural sewage system – lymph – and the numerous spasms in the body that do this. . However, muscles in spasm (as well as the bone structures they move) compress not only the lymphatics but also the blood vessels, making it difficult for the cells to feed and produce energy.

Additionally, excess volume of the body, and especially the abdominal area, is often associated with chronic systemic inflammation and edema in body tissues. This means inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, liver cells and even the walls of blood vessels, which is why atherosclerosis develops.

5 factors that keep you away from a flat stomach and a slim figure

chronic stress (it is he who is responsible for spasms and poor lymph function), which leads to a slowdown in cell metabolism.

Physical inactivity and long periods of static postures (sitting at a table or lying on the couch). They change our posture and also lead to stagnation, which leads to weight gain and metabolic disorders. After all, it is rhythmic and prolonged muscle contractions combined with stretching exercises, for example, during a long walk, that save our body from deformation and a large belly.

eating too much (rare meals in large quantities) and late dinners. It is this eating behavior that contributes to disorders in the functioning of the pancreas and the outflow of bile, leading to the appearance of excess weight and centimeters.

Eating foods containing lectins (the most famous of these being gluten) causes systemic inflammation, first in the intestinal walls, which do not show symptoms for a long time, and then in all other organs and tissues (including vascular walls), leading to varicose veins. and cholesterol plaques. Foods that cause systemic inflammation and are responsible for the buildup of belly fat include bread and other wheat flour products, hidden sugars in sauces and canned foods, and alcohol (especially beer).

Also there psychosomatic causes excessive volume and large belly. This is the unspent life energy that is stored there when a person does not listen to his heart and soul, does not move towards his happiness and does not realize himself in this world. It retreats into its body and hides as if it were in a cocoon, the layers of the protective shell increasing day by day. He escapes responsibility for his happiness, chooses a boring and monotonous existence, and protects himself from life with a crust-like layer of fat. This condition is often associated with a lonely childhood in which the child grows up without the love and attention of his or her parents, with beliefs of his or her inferiority and the need to constantly attract attention (at least in relation to body size) “at any cost.” “earning” love.

5 main life factors to maintain slimness and a flat tummy

We remember and apply. Ultimately, it is our actions and changes in our habitual behavior and mental attitudes that will lead to the desired success.

First you need to learn eliminate negative emotions And reduce stress levels. To do this, it is important to start observing yourself from the outside, from the position of a spectator watching the “play of the players”, and not a participant in events. It is important to understand that in all conflicts people take on one of the roles called the Karpman triangle (or model of interdependent relationships): victim, aggressor or savior. It is important to understand that all these are just mind games and our emotions and mood depend on our choice: to become an unconscious participant in the drama or to raise ourselves above this game of actors with their roles and become a conscious actor. An observer who can choose both the scenario of the play and the roles of the players at his will.

Start daily move right. For starters, go for a walk (preferably longer and more brisk) at least a few times a week. Let these be 15-20 minute walks at first, gradually increasing them to one and a half hours. A good guideline for increasing proper physical activity is the number of steps per day, which should be at least 8-10 thousand. It is also important to regularly do exercises such as stretching and self-massage. It is combined with breathing exercises that will activate the abdominal area, chest muscles, diaphragm, and exercises that will improve posture, especially those that narrow the shoulders and prevent you from keeping your back straight. This exercise should be done every day, preferably twice a day, like brushing your teeth. And also start “small steps” – three or five minutes a day.

Work with eating behavior: Reduce portions, eat not once but two or three times a day. It is also important to drink it in drops, and not in one gulp (it is best to drink clean hot water with therapeutic grade essential oils that activate metabolism and fat burning). This tactic will reduce the volume of the stomach (as well as improve its function, the functioning of the gallbladder and pancreas). It is also important to vary the time of dinner – the last meal should be no later than three hours before bedtime.

For slimness, energy and health to pick up (or at least reduce it to a few times a month as much as possible) foods containing wheat flour, hidden added sugars and alcohol. Replace them with raw vegetables and herbs, legume dishes, raw seed and seaweed dips, and fruits.

Really know and love yourself. To do this, try to ask yourself questions more often every day, “dig” five times deeper. What am I doing? Why? What do I really want? What should I do to experience joy and inspiration? Why do I need this situation? What do I need to understand and how should I change it?

My friends, the shape of your waist and stomach will inspire you to think and change. They will help you to truly appreciate and love yourself, creating a strong inner support and belief in your power, in a loving, abundant and wise Universe, which, of course, is a thousand times smarter than the human brain, because it can do this. create this wonderful life.