Best Foods to Eat for Your Best Abs Ever
Best Foods to Eat for Your Best Abs Ever
2.Red or Purple ProduceNew research in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate a diet rich in red- and purple-hued produce, such as grapes, tomatoes, eggplant, and cabbage, gained less ab fat over three years than people who munched on green, white, yellow, or orange fruits and veggies. Some studies suggest the flavonoids in certain produce may inhibit fat absorption or affect calorie burning.
3.Pomegranate VinegarWhen Korean researchers gave overweight women 30 milliliters (about 1 ounce) of pomegranate vinegar daily for eight weeks, the women's belly fat was reduced by 3.7 percent (the control group didn't shed any ab flab). "All types of vinegar contain acetic acid, which is believed to both interfere with the digestion of starch and stimulate an enzyme that contributes to fat burning," says Carol Johnston, Ph.D., R.D.N., of Arizona State University. Drizzle vinegar over your salad to net its effects.
4.Whole Grains
People who ate three or more servings a day of whole grains had 10 percent less ab fat than those who ate less than a half serving a day, a study at Tufts University found. "The reason could be that whole grains affect appetite-controlling hormones that promote satiety, or that the fiber in the grains stimulates hormones that discourage abdominal fat storage," says lead author Nicola McKeown, Ph.D. But there's a catch: Those who also chowed down on refined grains (you know, the white ones) did not have less belly fat. Swap refined grains for whole ones like brown rice or farro, McKeown suggests.
5.BeansFor every 10 grams of fiber that you consume daily, you slash your rate of gaining belly fat by almost 4 percent, according to a study in the journal Obesity. And the best fiber-packed powerhouses, researchers say, are beans, especially lentils, black beans, and lima beans, which each have seven to eight grams of fiber per half cup. "Also go for navy beans or light red kidney beans, which both contain four to five grams of fiber per cup," suggests lead study author Kristen G. Hairston, M.D.
6.Chia Seeds
Chia seeds not only pack protein and fiber, but "they also contain an essential fatty acid called ALA, which helps move fat away from vital organs that are located in the abdominal area," says Lindsay Brown, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, who has studied chia's stomach-flattening effects. Toss a teaspoon into your smoothie, top your Greek yogurt with them, or create a pudding by placing one tablespoon in a half cup of almond milk (the seeds absorb the liquid and expand) with a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of honey.
7.CinnamonThere's another belly-fat blaster sitting in your spice rack: cinnamon. Japanese scientists put mice on high-fat, high-sugar diets and spiked one group's meals with cinnamaldehyde, the essential oil that gives cinnamon its warm scent and flavor. The mice that were fed the cinnamon component wound up with less abdominal fat after one month, and the experts believe that is because this active ingredient can help burn fatty tissue. "Try sprinkling one teaspoon of cinnamon a day into foods such as oatmeal, ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, and coffee," says nutritionist Keri Gans, R.D.N., the author of The Small Change Diet.
8.TurmericThis exotic orange-yellow spice is best known for giving curry its kick. But start thinking of it as a belt-tightener: It contains a molecule that can help cells pull sugar out of the bloodstream and burn it as energy instead of storing it as fat in the abdomen, according to a study in the journal Food & Function. Nutritionist Brooke Alpert, R.D.N., the founder of B Nutritious, recommends a teaspoon of turmeric a day. "You can add it to soup, Greek yogurt, green smoothies, sautéed vege- tables, or eggs, and even sprinkle a little into your tea," she says. Don't worry, it's not going to give everything an Indian flare. "In small amounts, turmeric has little taste, so you won't notice it, especially if the food you're adding it to has a lot of flavor."
9.Dark ChocolateChocolate contains flavonoids, as well as other fat zappers, which is why Spanish researchers who recently scrutinized the diets of 1,458 teenagers found that those who ate more chocolate had smaller waists. "We didn't look at the type of chocolate, but 70 percent cacao dark chocolate contains a high concentration of catechins, a type of flavonoid that influences insulin sensitivity and the production of cortisol [a stress hormone that can
cause the body to store fat in the abdomen]," says study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Granada School of Medicine in Spain. Try eating a single one-ounce serving of 70 percent cacao a day instead of your usual sweet treat, recommends Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D.N., the founder of F-Factor Nutrition.
5.BeansFor every 10 grams of fiber that you consume daily, you slash your rate of gaining belly fat by almost 4 percent, according to a study in the journal Obesity. And the best fiber-packed powerhouses, researchers say, are beans, especially lentils, black beans, and lima beans, which each have seven to eight grams of fiber per half cup. "Also go for navy beans or light red kidney beans, which both contain four to five grams of fiber per cup," suggests lead study author Kristen G. Hairston, M.D.
6.Chia Seeds
Chia seeds not only pack protein and fiber, but "they also contain an essential fatty acid called ALA, which helps move fat away from vital organs that are located in the abdominal area," says Lindsay Brown, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, who has studied chia's stomach-flattening effects. Toss a teaspoon into your smoothie, top your Greek yogurt with them, or create a pudding by placing one tablespoon in a half cup of almond milk (the seeds absorb the liquid and expand) with a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of honey.
7.CinnamonThere's another belly-fat blaster sitting in your spice rack: cinnamon. Japanese scientists put mice on high-fat, high-sugar diets and spiked one group's meals with cinnamaldehyde, the essential oil that gives cinnamon its warm scent and flavor. The mice that were fed the cinnamon component wound up with less abdominal fat after one month, and the experts believe that is because this active ingredient can help burn fatty tissue. "Try sprinkling one teaspoon of cinnamon a day into foods such as oatmeal, ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, and coffee," says nutritionist Keri Gans, R.D.N., the author of The Small Change Diet.
8.TurmericThis exotic orange-yellow spice is best known for giving curry its kick. But start thinking of it as a belt-tightener: It contains a molecule that can help cells pull sugar out of the bloodstream and burn it as energy instead of storing it as fat in the abdomen, according to a study in the journal Food & Function. Nutritionist Brooke Alpert, R.D.N., the founder of B Nutritious, recommends a teaspoon of turmeric a day. "You can add it to soup, Greek yogurt, green smoothies, sautéed vege- tables, or eggs, and even sprinkle a little into your tea," she says. Don't worry, it's not going to give everything an Indian flare. "In small amounts, turmeric has little taste, so you won't notice it, especially if the food you're adding it to has a lot of flavor."
9.Dark ChocolateChocolate contains flavonoids, as well as other fat zappers, which is why Spanish researchers who recently scrutinized the diets of 1,458 teenagers found that those who ate more chocolate had smaller waists. "We didn't look at the type of chocolate, but 70 percent cacao dark chocolate contains a high concentration of catechins, a type of flavonoid that influences insulin sensitivity and the production of cortisol [a stress hormone that can
cause the body to store fat in the abdomen]," says study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Granada School of Medicine in Spain. Try eating a single one-ounce serving of 70 percent cacao a day instead of your usual sweet treat, recommends Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D.N., the founder of F-Factor Nutrition.
Best Foods to Eat for Your Best Abs Ever
Reviewed by Mukesh Soni
on
07:42:00
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Reviewed by Mukesh Soni
on
07:42:00
Rating:
