A common complaint I encounter in the office is the expanding waist line. Most patients come in with this complaint. It is especially common in men, but occurs pretty frequently in women.  I can usually drill down the reason for the potbelly or expanding waist line after a short conversation.

Dirty fuels are the true reason for this issue, but the most frequently cited foods that cause this problem include: beer, soda, sugar (desserts), ice cream, and bread.   Quite simply,  dirty fuel causes fat absorption leading to an expanding waist line.   Examples of dirty fuel include: processed food, oils, dairy,  eggs, and meat.

However, just as dirty fuels cause expanding waist lines, clean fuels cause  smaller waist lines.  Indeed, bean consumption is highly associated with smaller waist lines throughout the  world.    There is no identifiable reason for this; however, it does occur.  One can imagine that these foods somehow enhance genetic expression of genes that govern or regulate fat metabolism.  So essentially, clean fuel and beans, in particular, are foods that burn fat and slim the waist line.   Beans are filling, remarkably low calorie, and are full of fiber.

Unfortunately, beans are also associated with  increased gas.  They are an example of a clean fuel that you must eat in small amounts and increase gradually over time.  The gas can be an issue.  I recommend lentils, hummus, refried beans, or very small amounts of beans until you become accustomed to them.  You can also choose to take Beano with them, but you need to take four tabs to get good benefit (my experience).  On the other hand, bean consumption essentially promotes growth of your good intestinal bacteria thereby improving your general health.  The more gas you have, the more benefit you achieve.    If you eat them long enough, then the gas will abate, but it may take awhile-at least 1-2 years.

So the next time you hear about a beer belly, consider trying to achieve a BEAN BELLY.