Tummy Fat! It seems that it's the first thing we see when we look in the mirror. Tummy fat causes that bad feeling when you're trying to buckle that belt or zip up those Levis. It's why many feel subconscious in bathing suits or just don't wear them at all during the summer. Tummy fat seems to be a reminder or indicator of middle age because as the years go by it seems to increase and becomes harder and harder to get rid of, regardless of what fad diet we try (again!) or how much we exercise.

So, how can Tummy Fat be a good thing? Here's how...

For many people, especially middle aged people, tummy fat can be a very important indicator. It may indicate that you are, or are becoming, Insulin Resistant. You may see this being called Metabolic Syndrome, or a component of Metabolic Syndrome. This is a big thing and many people are not even aware of what Insulin Resistance is.

When you eat carbohydrates, they are converted into glucose (blood sugar) that enters the blood stream waiting to be used as energy by muscle cells. When glucose is entering the blood stream, your body produces insulin which is the hormone responsible for getting the blood sugar out of the blood and into the cells in the body that will use it. In an ideal world, there is perfect balance here...slow rises in glucose levels, just the right amount of insulin needed to get the glucose out of the bloodstream and relatively steady glucose levels.

But our diets today can be devastating to this natural system. We eat very energy-dense (with no fiber and nearly nutritionally useless!) foods that cause huge, fast rises in blood glucose. The body responds and produces huge amounts of insulin to get the glucose out of the blood and into cells where it's needed. This results in very low blood sugar, causing cravings, hunger, tiredness and other bad effects. Then, more sugar-based foods are eaten and this terrible yo-yo cycle starts over again.

Because of these high sugar, high insulin cycles over a length of time, real problems can start when your cells begin to resist your own insulin (Insulin Resistance). Now you have higher levels of blood sugar. The body then produces more insulin to try to overcome this. Now you have high levels of blood sugar and insulin in your bloodstream. This is thought to cause the body to go into fat storage mode...and hear comes weight gain and obesity. Your body will rarely be burning fat in your daily activities. If this happens, you can exercise as usual, and although it is still great for you, you'll still have excess fat, especially tummy and lower body fat and may have other cardiovascular problems starting to occur, like high blood pressure, high triglycerides and cholesterol.

So, if you have most of the symptoms below, you may be Insulin Resistant, or getting there:

Dieting and exercise work, but only a little bit and is short term. Waistline and Tummy Fat are still there Excess fat around the waistline, Tummy Fat, and fat around the legs and buttocks High blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar levels or high cholesterol Very tired during the day, especially in the afternoon following lunch Lack of concentration or mental fatigue during the day

Now, back to the main point:

If you learn that your weight gain and tummy fat is caused by Insulin Resistance and then learn how to fix this problem (yes, it can be fixed!), then tummy fat was a good thing for you! It can be the big wake-up call!

Why? Because Insulin Resistance can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In fact, Insulin Resistance is viewed as a precursor to diabetes. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people with this problem but they don't even know anything about Insulin Resistance or that you can really fix it in a lot of cases. So, your tummy fat could be that indicator that may save your life.

Now, if you are serious about making changes to your health and well-being, here are some tips to get you going:

If you think you are Insulin Resistant, see a doctor to try to confirm this. He'll do some blood work and look for high fasting blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and other indicators. Make the decision that you are now going to attack this problem. Go into learning mode. You must make an effort to learn about proper nutrition and eating habits. No "fad" diets, no low carb, no extreme this or that, no high protein...just learn how to eat well balanced meals focusing on fresh vegetables and fruits especially. More learning! Become an expert on what Glycemic Index means and what Glycemic Load means. If you learn to make meals and snacks using Glycemic concepts, there's a good chance you'll crush your Insulin Resistance problem and put your body into Fat Burning Mode. You'll be amazed how the fat just melts away. This starts happening only days after you start eating right. Once you're in Fat Burning Mode the weight keeps dropping, the blood sugar levels go down, the blood pressure drops...and so on. All great news! Exercise! Just like before. But, if you are in Fat Burning Mode, the results are so much better...you'll see! And again...learn...learn...learn! Keep learning how the foods you eat affect blood sugar and insulin and then how those two things affect your health, specifically your cardiovascular health.

It's not hard to change your eating habits and put your body into Fat Burning Mode. It's not some big sacrifice where you don't enjoy eating any more. You just have to know how to do this right.