Do you store fat around your stomach? This is visceral fat and can be very dangerous. If you want to lose it, a healthy diet is extremely important. But what foods are best to fight belly fat?
Just to be clear: no food is going to make you lose weight. It’s a contradictory statement: food provides energy, it doesn’t take away energy (as in the case of fat loss). But that being said, there are foods that are nourishing, will stimulate satiety without providing an abundance of calories. This isn’t a definitive list, but these are some of our favourite foods to incorporate into a fat loss diet.
Avocados
Avocados are every health junkie’s favourite food for good reason! They are nutrient powerhouses that help you to feel fuller for longer. A study found that they’re also effective belly fat-fighters. The study compared visceral belly fat of two groups: a group who ate an avocado a day or those who didn’t. Despite both groups consuming the same total calories, the group who ate avocados lost more belly fat.
Eggs
If anyone tells you eggs are bad because they raise your cholesterol, run in the opposite direction. How many more pieces of research need to be published until we agree that dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol! Eggs are nutrient powerhouses, and they’re only 60 calories each, providing fat and protein, the perfect combination for satiety. That’s why this expert claimed that eggs are the “absolute best breakfast to flatten your stomach and burn belly fat”!
Zucchini
Here’s a pro tip for you, that may change your life: grate an entire zucchini into your oats before cooking. Your meal will bulk up to double the size, but you’ll only get an extra 21 calories. It will take you longer to eat, provide some extra nutrients and you’ll feel more satisfied, without significantly altering the caloric density of the meal.
Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon have been shown in research to accelerate belly fat loss by way of decreasing circulating levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with fat storage in the abdomen. Also, the fat and protein combination in fish boosts satiety, as shown in a study published in the Nutrition Journal.
Coffee
There’s a reason why caffeine is the most common ingredient in fat burners and pre-workouts. Caffeine, found in coffee, helps you burn fat by increasing the rate of thermogenesis and fat oxidation. This means that you burn more calories at rest. It also boosts exercise performance, so if you’re not really feeling your 6am workout, chug some coffee and get at it.
So if you hate your belly fat, change your diet and change your body!
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