Food for Flat Abs!

Eating the right kind of foods every day can be easy if you know the right combinations. Certain foods seem to pack pounds on the midsection. A person who eats almost 400 fewer daily calories but chooses the least nutritious foods has double the risk of abdominal obesity than those who eat more but made better choices. Also had a dramatically higher risk of such serious health issues as type 2 diabetes and heart attacks, says Barbara Millen, DPH, the study’s director of nutritional research. You don’t have to “diet”: Just use these strategies in your life and watch your abs get flatter.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables. Especially orange ones. Women trimmed their waists by replacing refined grains like white bread and simple or added sugar with carbs from fruits and vegetables, according to the latest review from Copenhagen University Hospital.

Besides packing in the fiber, which keeps you feeling full longer, researchers suspect it’s the rich antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, that ward off fat. Carrots, cantaloupe, squash, and peaches are great sources of beta-carotene, while oranges, berries, and kiwi provide a good dose of C. To keep calories down, pick veggies, like bell peppers, before fruits, and choose fruits over juice.

2. Get more selenium. This cancer-fighting mineral is also linked to lower rates of abdominal obesity, according to a survey of more than 8,000 Americans. People with low blood levels of selenium and other antioxidants had bigger waistlines than those with higher levels.

Selenium is found in many foods, but it can be hard to know if you’re getting the recommended 55 mcg a day because amounts vary based on the soil in which the food is grown. To meet your requirements, try a supplement or eat a varied diet. Also, opt for foods grown in different areas: such as grains from the Midwest, Vermont cheeses, and nuts from California.

3. Add some protein. Eating more protein keeps you full and boosts energy, leading to overall weight loss. But studies show that eating high amounts of protein may stress the kidneys as they work to eliminate the excess, which can also cause calcium loss. Aim to get 25% of your calories from protein (if you eat 2,000 calories daily, that’s 500 from protein). Just make lean choices such as low-fat yogurt, fat-free milk, fish, and poultry. Nuts are another great source but can be high in calories: Have just five 1-ounce servings a week (an ounce is about 24 almonds, 18 cashews, or 35 peanuts).

4. Drink a glass of wine. Don’t start drinking wine just to fight abdominal fat, but if you enjoy a glass with dinner, it’s a great benefit. Some studies even suggest that light to moderate drinking protects against female midsection weight gain. Based on a review of the National Center for Health Statistics data, one 4-ounce glass of red or white wine some days a week seems to be best.

More, however, is not better. That extra glass of wine – or even just one cocktail – adds inches, found the Copenhagen study, while other research implicates beer in the proverbial “beer belly.”

5. Eat the right fats. Research from Spain shows it’s easier to stay slim eating monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil) and omega-3s (found mostly in fish but also in flaxseed and walnut oils and tofu), while omega-6 fats (prevalent in cereals, corn oil, baked goods, and eggs) caused abdominal fat to pile on.

Fats that should be eliminated completely: trans fats, which have no nutritional value and are mostly found in calorie-dense baked goods and chips. In a Wake Forest University study, monkeys eating a typical American diet for 6 years gained the human equivalent of 10 pounds more when the fat they ate was all trans fat, compared with those eating monounsaturated fat. Worse, “30% more fat was added in the abdominal region, and they had early signs of diabetes,” says researcher Kylie Kavanagh, DVM.

Pick the healthy choices at the store and always read the label of ingredients at the back. The next article will be on some of the best superfoods to buy to expand your grocery list.

Resources for articles:

https://www.seleneriverpress.com/, https://www.standardprocess.com/Blog, http://www.restorationhealth.net, https://www.merrittwellness.com/, https://www.michaelgaeta.com/blog-1/, http://thincs.org/index.htm, https://www.ewg.org/, http://danettemay.com/category/nutrition/, https://www.healthiguide.com/,   http://www.biopharmasci.com/, http://ifnh.org/articles/, https://wholisticmatters.com/, https://info.bioticsresearch.com/