How To Obtain The Perfect Figure
Showing posts with label Flat belly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flat belly. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
8 Summer Foods that Flatten Your Belly
Want to look better in your bathing suit? Eat more fat. Strange as it may sound, studies show that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), a type of plant-based fat, fight heart disease and help you lose weight from your most troublesome spot--your belly.
The following summertime favorites contain fat-burning MUFAs:
Smoothies
Why they're a flat belly food: Smoothies are not only packed with antioxidants but can also be rich in MUFAs. Adding a nut butter and flaxseed oil to fruit and yogurt boosts your intake of healthy fats while imparting a rich, nutty flavor. Enjoy a slimming sip as a snack or on-the-go breakfast.
Guacamole
Why it's a flat belly food: Don't be shy when this popular dip appears at your next pool party. With nearly 10 g of MUFAs per half an avocado, you'll fill up without feeling bloated. Avocados also contain more beta-sitosterol, a fat that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food, than any other fruit. So enjoy a quarter-cup serving guilt free.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Why's it's a flat belly food: Pesto, a rich green sauce made of garlic, basil, nuts, oil, and cheese, is delicious and a natural waist whittler. Nuts and oils are rich sources of MUFAs, so this savory side dish is a healthy way to get a pasta fix, especially when it's made with whole wheat pasta and tons of veggies. Steer clear of pasta salad made with creamy, white sauces. These typically contain mayonnaise, which packs in 90 calories and 10 g of fat per serving!
Wraps
Why they're a flat belly food: Load these low-carb options with plenty of fresh veggies and a tablespoon of either olive tapenade or pesto and you've got yourself a superslimming lunch. A light coating of these zesty sauces is all you need for maximum flavor, which makes it easy to boost your intake of MUFAs without adding loads of calories.
Almonds
Why they're a flat belly food: A 2003 study found that dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds a day lost more weight and had smaller waists than dieters who ate similarly but swapped almonds for complex carbohydrates. Packed with MUFAs, almonds can be added to cereal, sprinkled on salads, or grabbed by the handful (just one!) as a belly-shrinking snack.
Dark Chocolate
Why it's a flat belly food: Don't eat the entire bar; add just ¼ cup of dark chocolate to fresh fruit to quiet a sugar craving without wrecking your waistline. Choose dark over milk chocolate for the heart-healthy, belly-slimming benefits. A 2008 study from the University of Copenhagen found that participants who nibbled dark chocolate before a meal ate 15% fewer calories than participants who had milk chocolate.
Veggie Pizza
Why it's a flat belly food: Turn this splurge into a skinny slice by loading up the veggies and slimming down the dough. Take a thin whole wheat crust; pile on low-cal peppers, onions, and mushrooms; and top with some belly-slimming, MUFA-rich pesto or olive oil. You've just made a better-than-delivery dinner.
Fresh Seafood
Why it's a flat belly food: Most seafood is low in calories, packed with protein, and filled with good-for-you ingredients like heart-healthy omega-3s and immunity-boosting selenium. But you can make them work for your waistline too. Simply coat salmon, tuna, or shrimp with MUFA-rich olive oil, pesto, or nuts and toss on the grill for a flat belly meal in minutes.
Written by Mara Betsch, Prevention
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/8-summer-foods-flatten-belly-161000798.html
Friday, 31 May 2013
21 Flat Belly Tips
Has a little extra padding around your midsection gotten you down? We understand. When you’re as busy as we are, it gets easier and easier to reach for processed or fast foods, and to drive past the gym while shuttling the kids to soccer practice. Believe it or not, maintaining a slim physique may be easier than you think. By following some simple tips, anyone can earn a flat belly without a whole lot of extra effort. Read on for 21 tips that will help you get the flat belly that you wish you had.
21 Flat Belly Tips:
1. Eat Clean-No number of crunches will eliminate belly fat if you’re not eating a nutritious diet. Aim for clean foods that are free of unhealthy additives and extra calories. Skinny Ms. offers a ton of simple, yet clean recipes to help you out.
2. Watch Portion Sizes- In today’s day and age, it seems like everything is “Supersized”. Go old-school by eating just the amount of food you need to keep your body going. Check out our tips for understanding portion sizes here.
3. Just Say, “NO,” to Soda- Sodas, even diet ones, are horrible for your waistline. Battling soda addiction? Take our No Soda Challenge.
4. Rev up Your Cardio-Regular cardiovascular exercise not only helps the body to burn calories and fat, but it helps prevent a number of diseases, like heart disease and certain cancers. Try these at-home workouts.
5. Snack Regularly-Snacking regularly provides the body with the fuel it needs to continue burning calories all day long. Plus, those who skip snacks between meals are for more likely to overeat at mealtime. Try one of these tasty snacks for fewer than 75 calories each.
6. Keep a Food Journal- Journaling your daily food intake will help you stay on track and will keep you aware of hidden calories. Read more about the benefits of keeping a food journal here.
7. Keep Stress Low- Studies show that stress has quite a negative impact on our bodies. Plus, when we’re stressed, we tend to eat more or choose unhealthy foods. Learn more about how stress can make you fat here.
8. Work Every Angle- Total body workouts help to keep all muscles active so that they can continue to burn calories, even when they’re at rest. Mix your workouts up to keep every muscle group engaged. Try this Total Body Workout.
9. Fill Up on Fiber- Avoid bloating by keeping everything flowing smoothly with a diet filled with fiber. Check out these reasons why you need more fiber in your diet.
10. Get Your Zzzz’s- Studies show that sleep is important to maintaining adequate body function, as it gives the body time to repair the damage done during the day. Learn more about sleep and its connection to weight loss here.
11. Drink Green Tea- The combination of catechins and antioxidants found in green tea helps the body to burn calories and fight fat. Plus, green tea is a superfood! Try our Green Tea Mango Smoothie.
12. Do Plenty of Planks- Plank exercises are great for the midsection because they work the entire core, are easy to modify, and can be done without any equipment right in your living room. Learn how to do a proper plank here.
13. Watch Your Sugar Intake- Refined sugars feed your body a ton of calories and have no nutritional value, and the problem is that they’re hidden in many of the foods you eat. Here are some of the “other” names for sugar to look out for. Be sure to take our No Sugar Challenge.
14. Walk More- Walking just doesn’t get enough credit. It’s so easy to do and is one of the greatest ways to burn fat. Take our 7-Day Fat Blaster Walking Challenge.
15. Watch Your Carbs- Carbohydrates are important to your body, but not all carbs are created equal. Try to avoid simple carbs, like white breads, because they offer a lot of calories and almost no nutritional value. Learn more about the difference between simple vs. complex carbs here.
16. Keep Sodium in Check- Excess salt in your diet can make you retain water and get bloated. Check out these tips for cutting back on salt.
17. Get Into Interval Training- Interval training, like this Tabata workout, gets the body working hard so that it can blast fat away. Learn more about interval training here.
18. Ditch the Diet Foods- Diet foods might sound healthy, but they are often loaded with unwanted ingredients that reduce the body’s ability to function as it was intended. Instead, get on a healthy eating plan, like this Clean Eating Plan for the Family.
19. Eat Slowly- The body can take up to 20-30 minutes to digest the foods we eat. This means, if we’re not careful, we can end up eating food after we’re full. Eating slowly also prevents us from swallowing extra air that will bloat the belly.
20. Become a Probiotic Pro- Probiotics, like yogurt and kefir, use healthy bacteria to fight back against unhealthy ones. This keeps the belly free from infection and prevents bloating.Have you tried our Skinny Strawberry Yogurt?
21. Laugh More- Studies show that people who laugh regularly are often thinner than those who don’t. Not only does laughter engage the stomach muscles and burn calories, but happy people are less likely to reach for unhealthy food choices when they’re feeling down.
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