Are you carrying extra weight around your middle?
You know, the “beer belly,” “spare tire,” or dreaded “apple shape?”
I want you to know… those extra pounds are not your fault.
Mainstream media says that dropping weight is just a matter of “eating less and moving more”... but anyone with extra belly fat knows that is NOT the whole story.
In fact, all those crunches and sad salad lunches might be making it even harder for you to lose your belly fat.
Yep, you heard me right! And I can explain it all...
There are TWO main types of fat: subcutaneous & visceral.
Subcutaneous is the squishy, soft fat that sits right under your skin. (Think of the fat you can pinch on the underside of your arms.)
Visceral fat is the “sneaky” fat - it’s hidden away deep under your skin, surrounding your organs.
And it’s visceral fat that builds up around your midsection.
Not only does it look bad, but visceral fat is VERY dangerous. It’s the type of fat linked to conditions like cancer, stroke, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and more.
What makes it so dangerous (and hard to lose) is that visceral fat is controlled by the hormone cortisol.
Cortisol - AKA the “stress hormone” - is one of the most essential hormones we create. When you face a stressor, your body churns out cortisol to help you get into your “fight or flight” response.
Back in the day, this worked great when people had to chase down bison or fight off a neighboring clan.
But these days, people are ALWAYS stressed. Deadlines, bills due, kids, traffic… we live in a state of constant stress.
Constant stress = constant cortisol, and over time that has some nasty side effects…
It increases your appetite for fattening foods like donuts, cookies, and other refined carbs.
It interferes with sleep, which has a domino effect in fat gain (throws hunger hormones out of whack, interferes with proper metabolism, and lowers energy and motivation to stay active).
It spikes insulin levels, which shuts down your ability to burn fat.
It starts gluconeogenesis - when the body breaks down protein reserves into glucose for fuel or storage (this process literally takes fat from other places and dumps it in the abdomen).
It also lowers bone density, increases depression, and decreases muscle mass.
And anything that increases stress will only make all of this WORSE, which is why ultra-restrictive diets and punishing workout routines often backfire when it comes to belly fat. The obvious solution is finding a way to lower cortisol. So now, the good news… There’s a natural, safe way to STOP cortisol production …vitamin C!
Studies show that vitamin C essentially “inhibits the secretion of cortisol.” In one rat study at the University of Alabama, just 200mg of vitamin C per day stopped cortisol levels from going up… Even under extreme stress! Animals that didn’t get vitamin C had 3 TIMES the cortisol levels. The inverse is also true - even slight vitamin C deficiencies increase cortisol secretion under stress. Listen, we can’t control stress...but supplementing with vitamin C is easy! The 200mg of vitamin C shown effective in that study translates to about 1000mg in humans. The best way to get your vitamins and nutrients is from food, but to get 1000mg you’d need to eat TWENTY oranges per day! (Not gonna happen.)
Paleovalley Essential C Complex! It’s a powerful blend of three ultra-rich, whole FOOD sources of vitamin C, and 2 servings per day gets you to 1,000mg. It’s time to stop beating yourself up about your weight and start working WITH your body to get the healthiest and happiest you’ve ever been. >>> Discover ALL the health benefits of whole-food Essential C HERE!
