Belly fat is something I’ve found clients struggled with at early ages like 24-25 and the older population who are in peri-menopause. Around 15% of the population have a disease causing them to have fat belly. My take on this is that most are suffering from poor gut health. There are so many reasons why the gut can be unhealthy, mainly due to lack of gut diversity which comes from our lifestyle.

If you don’t have a good sleep routine, if you eat processed foods, if you don’t manage your stress, if you drink alcohol, or you keep a full schedule filled with lot’s of to-do’s that don’t include taking care of you, then you are building “belly fat”

This kind of belly fat doesn’t go away in spin classes and by drinking a green juice. In fact, that can contribute to your belly fat.

Here’s what I recommend you do.

• Meditate -find time in your morning and sometime in your evening to sit in stillness. Try headspace. It’s a user friendly app that will give you all you need to get started. Or try Insight Timer –I love their timer feature.

• Eat right -you are what you eat. You eat fat you get fat. You eat foods filled with hormones, you will have an imbalance in your hormones building cortisol, in turn creating a lining of fat on your waistline. Try this Flat Belly Blueberry Smoothie.

• Move your body -Your body is not meant to sit for hours. It is designed to move. You have to get up every hour and move for at least 5 minutes. Stand more than you sit. And get your cardio in. My mom is a great example of this. She has a trainer she’s worked with for 10 years twice weekly, and she has belly fat. She does her pilates and yoga class frequently, however she never did cardio. And when she got on the treadmill she was surprised to see how little it took for her heart rate to rise. That is an example of the need for cardio. Cardio releases endorphins, levels dopamine in turn helps your stress levels and gets rid of belly fat.

• DO NOT! Drink bubbly waters in replacement to water. And that includes seltzer and of course any soda, yes diet too.

• Sleep –you need sleep. eat and move right during the day and your mind will be at ease at night.

Fennel Seeds have some potent studies behind its effect on our bodies. Fennel seeds relax the muscles in your intestines helping relieve the swelling, bloated like feeling. If you have been struggling with bloat, IBS, indigestion, water retention, likely fennel seeds can help. Add it to your smoothies, your soups or your sauces for a light, sweet, anise-like taste, very similar to licorice.

Flat Belly Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cacao nibs
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup oat milk
• a few ice cubes
• a little water
• dash of cayenne (depends on how spicy you like it. Good as an appetite suppressant)

Instructions

1-Add all ingredients to a blender

2-Blend for a minute or until it's smooth.

*Drink or store in the fridge for up to 3-days.