WEB DESK: Belly fat is not a problem for women only, it also haunts the men. It is also known to be the most stern fat of the body.

You can trick your belly fat by changing some of your daily habits. Have a look.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is making you fat. Not only does lighting up not help you stay slim—an all-too-common myth about smoking—but people who smoke have a higher concentration of fat around their midsection. It's time to say sayonara to cigarettes.

Take Fibrous foods

Fibrous foods are as close to a "miracle belly flattening pill" as we have. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, particularly those high in soluble fiber, have been proven to reduce fat around your midsection. In addition, these foods fill you up so you eat less, flattening your stomach over time.

Turn off your gadgets

Your phone, tablet, and television may be affecting your waist size in more ways. Obviously if you're sitting on electronics then you're not moving around and burning calories. But the effects go beyond just energy.

Blue light from electronic screens can disrupt your circadian rhythms; so our addiction to electronics is reducing our sleep as people favor Netflix-bingeing to bed. Both of these effects have been linked to higher levels of belly fat.

Don’t get stressed

Stress skyrockets your levels of cortisol, often called "the belly fat" hormone because it signals to the body to store fat around your waist. Add the daily stressors of living our modern lifestyle and you can see how cortisol can be constantly coursing through your veins.

It's important to take time every day to de-stress. Yoga, meditation, walking, journaling, doing a hands-on hobby, or playing musical instruments are all great time-tested methods.

Stand up straight

Slouching emphasizes belly rolls but straightening your spine elongates your whole body, making you look taller and sleeker.

Use the old modeling trick and arch your back slightly—this will pull your skin tighter across your stomach while moving it farther away from the camera, making it look slightly smaller. Yeah, it's a temporary fix but good posture offers many health benefits beyond looking good.

Add ginger in your food

Fennel, peppermint, and ginger have all been shown in research studies to have calming effects on the belly. They work by enhancing digestive enzymes so your food gets moved through your system faster.

In addition, peppermint reduces cramping and gas, ginger helps with nausea and inflammation, and fennel is a diuretic to help you stop retaining water.

Drink more water

Whereas many beverages can increase your waistline, there is one that is guaranteed to trim your tummy: water.

Plus, drinking water has been proven to reduce cravings for sweets, lower your appetite, and help you feel satiated faster.

Say No to processed food

Processed foods are one of the biggest sources of salt in diets—and the scary part is you probably don't even realize it. The way these addictive foods are formulated, salt is hidden in everything from soups to pasta sauces to even sweet things like boxed cakes.

Swap out processed foods in favor of fresh fare and your tummy will thank you. Not only will you lose the salt-bloat but you'll also lose the extra empty calories and lose weight.

Move up your Sleep

We all are getting less sleep than ever these days and it's taking a toll on our health—most visibly on our waistlines.

According to a study done by the Endocrine Society, losing just 30 minutes of sleep per night can make you gain weight.

Worse, that weight is more likely to go straight to your tummy. Instead, the researchers found, the best sleep cycle is one that follows your natural circadian rhythms, which means sleeping and waking around the same time as the sun.

Check your hormones

Out-of-whack hormones have all kinds of uncomfortable side effects and belly bloat is one of them. You should keep a check over your hormone profile.

In the meantime, eating right and exercising are natural ways to balance your hormones.