Delicious Foods That Flatten the Belly

Summer is the time of year when both men and women show a little extra skin. It is nice to stay cool during the hot and humid weather months by wearing a little less.

However, if you have extra weight around your midriff, wearing less can make you feel self-conscious.

Fortunately there is a way of obtaining a flatter belly without going on a crash diet and enduring food cravings. All you have to do is include certain delicious foods in your diet.

The secret to getting a flat belly is to eat a diet of nutritious unprocessed foods that includes plenty of (MUFAs) or monounsaturated fatty acids. MUFAs are healthy fats that come from plants.

Research shows that monounsaturated fatty acids are good for heart health and may protect the body against various serious diseases and conditions. They also have the extra added benefit of targeting belly fat.

If you want to get rid of excess belly fat then it is a good idea to include at least one MUFA rich food with every meal you eat.

Get Frying

Different types of vegetable oil are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These include flax seed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, walnut oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil. Pesto sauce is also rich in MUFAs because it contains both olive oil and pine nuts.

Simply use any of these oils to stir fry lean protein and fresh vegetables, or include them in a salad dressing.

Vegetables

Healthy amounts of fiber and nutrients can be attained by eating a variety of vegetables, which help to clean out the colon and flatten the stomach. Avocados are one of the best vegetables for a flat stomach.

Other vegetables rich in fiber include tomatoes and artichokes.

Berries

Tart cherries are an excellent snack for flattening the stomach. Berries and grapes are as well. This is due to crucial ingredients which these dark fruits contain, known as anthocyanins.

In addition to being rich in skin and heart healthy antioxidants, anthocyanins are also useful in burning abdominal fat, according to University of Michigan researcher Mitch Seymour, Ph.D. Their high fiber content further adds to their usefulness.

Dairy

According to the Parenting website, dairy foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese are useful in flattening the stomach. They all contain whey, a protein that supports lean body mass.

Probiotics, found naturally in yogurt, add “good bacteria” to intestinal flora, which aids in digestion and reduces bloating.

Whole Grains

According to Andrew Weil, M.D., of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, choosing whole grains is a great way to reduce belly fat as they work by reducing inflammation in the body and while helping to stabilize blood sugar.

Packed full of fiber, whole grains contain magnesium and chromium. The combination of these two nutrients is believed to combat cortisol, a naturally forming chemical that is known to cause weight gain around the middle of the body.

Whole grain breads and cereals, barley and quinoa are great choices.

Green Tea

Green tea is a great beverage choice for getting a flat stomach. Compounds found naturally in green tea, known as catechins, increase the release of fat from cells in the abdomen, according to the Parenting website.

In addition, green tea speeds up the burning of fat by the liver after meals, while also boosting expended energy.

Very Good Green Tea From Japan