Belly Fat Diet For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

Stress causes your body to release hormones that increase your belly fat. But you can fight back. The next time you’re stressed, you may want to grab an orange. Why? A German study found a direct connection between vitamin C and stress hormones.

This study showed that a diet rich in vitamin C can help reduce stress levels and return blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. So after a stressful situation, stress hormones will circulate in your body for shorter amounts of time, helping to fight against belly fat storage.

Don’t worry if you don’t love oranges. You can choose from plenty of great sources of vitamin C. Some of the best include

  • Bell peppers

  • Broccoli

  • Grapefruit

  • Kale

  • Kiwi

  • Oranges

  • Papaya

  • Strawberries

Although high in vitamin C, fruit juice contains limited amounts of fiber and large amounts of natural sugar, which can increase insulin response and increase belly fat storage. If you do reach for juice, choose only 100 percent fruit juice and limit the amount to 4 ounces per day.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, is a nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert who has contributed to national media outlets such as the CBS Early Show, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Fitness Magazine, and Prevention Magazine, among others.

This article can be found in the category: