Foods That Help Reduce Visceral Fat
Key points:
Visceral fat vs. subcutaneous fat.
Why visceral fat is easier to lose.
The best foods for metabolizing fat.
If you have a rounded belly underneath a layer of external fat, the rounding may be a mix of visceral fat and internal inflammation. Body fat falls into 2 primary categories, subcutaneous and visceral (aka. active fat). Understanding the difference between the two is essential for reducing your risk of cardiometabolic health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Counting calories isn’t enough to metabolize visceral fat, so you must know what foods to add to your meal plans.
Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat
Subcutaneous fat resides directly under the skin, found primarily on your hips, thighs, butt, and lower belly. It’s the fat you can see and touch. When you gain weight, your body produces new subcutaneous fat cells. When you lose weight, these fat cells shrink, but they don’t dissolve.
Visceral fat is the deep abdominal fat you can’t see or touch. It wraps around your organs, restricts essential bodily functions, and increases cardiometabolic health conditions. When you lose fat cells in your abdominal cavity, they’re absorbed by your liver.
What Does Metabolically Active Mean?
The primary differentiator of visceral fat vs. subcutaneous fat, is that deeper fat has cortisol receptors. It responds to physical and emotional stress, contributing to decreased insulin resistance and increased internal inflammation. It also crowds your organs, which keep them performing at their optimal level. These factors raise your risk for a range of chronic health conditions.
Is Visceral Fat Harder to Lose Than Subcutaneous Fat?
It’s a common misconception that visceral fat is more difficult to lose. If you know how to target it, and you’re consistent, it’s faster and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat. This deep fat contains fewer fat-burning beta receptors and more alpha fat-inhibiting receptors. This means caloric reduction isn’t enough. Adding foods to your diet that boost metabolism is essential. Being metabolically active and close to the liver, active fat is metabolized into fatty acids.
What Causes Visceral Fat?
Genetics and physical activity play a role in managing all fat, but the top cause of visceral fat is poor nutrition. This includes diets high in calories, sugar, refined carbohydrates, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol.
Will Losing Visceral Fat Help Me Lose Subcutaneous Fat?
Yes. Building a balanced diet around the nutrient-dense foods below helps you reduce fat from head to toe.
Foods That Reduce Active Fat
Now that we’ve explored visceral fat vs. subcutaneous fat, let’s dive into how to leverage nutrition to optimize your health. Foods that reduce all fat are generally high in fiber, lean protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants. High fiber foods keep you fuller longer, while managing insulin levels. All foods below promote fat metabolism and contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Aim to consume any combination of these foods daily, ideally one or more with each snack and meal.
Avocados
Barley
Beans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Fermented Foods
Flax Seeds
Leafy Greens
Lentils
Oats
Pistachios
Raspberries
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Unsweetened coffee
Unsweetened green tea
Unsweetened Greek yogurt
Walnuts
Here’s what to cook with these foods!
I make combining the foods above easy, along with other nutrient dense foods, in my dietitian-approved Soulful Summer cookbook. Created with summer in mind, you can mix the 20+ science-backed recipes in year-round. The flavor-packed salads, sides, entrees, and desserts are easy to make and created especially for women over the age of 40, specifically foods we know and love in black culture.
Reach Out for Tailored Nutritional Support
In addition to my cookbook, I provide individualized nutritional counseling. Together, we will determine the ideal nutritional balance for you in your current season of life.