So what can we do to reduce the fat around our belly, no matter the type? Dr. Charlie Seltzer, a physician who is board certified in obesity medicine, says it is quite simple. "To lose belly fat — or fat anywhere, for that matter — you need to eat fewer calories than you burn," Dr. Seltzer says. "It is really that simple. You cannot 'spot reduce.' Where the fat comes off first is largely based on your genes."
Lie on your back with your head and shoulders lifted off the floor and your hands behind your head if you need some support for your neck. With both legs extended and toes pointed lift your right leg off the floor so that it is perpendicular with your upper body (keep your lifted leg as straight as you can) and raise your left leg just a few inches off the ground.
These are just three of the reasons people tend to suffer weight gain and health crises when they're under pressure. In fact, it was shortly after the death of my father that my mom, a former nurse in Korea, suffered a dramatic increase in her diabetes symptoms—a health emergency that sent me in search of traditional Eastern remedies. What I learned in my research, and collected in my new book, The 7-Day Flat Belly Tea Cleanse, in which test panelists lost up to 10 pounds in just one week, was that different teas help our bodies manage stress in different ways—and that can make all the difference in our weight and our health.
The stress hormone cortisol can really screw with your belly. The problem with cortisol is two-fold: First, the chemical makeup of cortisol causes the body to store visceral fat. Visceral fat is stored between your main organs and in the midsection and is the most dangerous type of fat. Experts state that visceral fat increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
