Stop doing so many crunches
Most people think that to achieve a flat, toned stomach you need to
do a thousand crunches every morning before work, but that’s just not
true. The surprising secret is that doing lots of ab specific exercises
will only help you tone that area on a short-term basis, if at all.
To get the flat stomach you want, you have to work your entire core,
building up its strength and flexibility. Doing exercises like Pilates
or stability ball work will help you do this. Working your core is the
key to achieving a flat stomach because it works all of the muscles in
your stomach area, such as the rectus abdominis, your internal and
external obliques and your transversus abdominis.
Stock up on whole grains
A study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
discovered a surprising secret for a flatter stomach. The study gave
participants a healthy diet to eat, consisting of fruit, vegetables,
low-fat dairy products, meat and fish. However, they gave one set of
participants wholegrain foods to eat and the other set of participants
refined grain foods.
At the end of the study those participants who had eaten the
wholegrain foods had lost more weight from their stomachs than those who
ate the refined grain foods. The researchers believe that the
participants who ate more whole grains and ate less refined carbs lost
more from their waistlines because this change in diet mobilised
people’s fat stores because of a shift in their glucose and insulin
response. If you want to swap refined grains for whole grains, eat less
yeast-based breads, pasta and cakes or cookies and eat more foods such
as oats (which contains as many antioxidants as broccoli and spinach),
brown rice and wheat berries.
Yogurt is magic for the tum. Nutritionist Rania Batayneh recommends yogurt, “The probiotic bacteria in most yogurts help keep your digestive system healthy, which translates into a lower incidence of gas, bloating, and constipation, which can keep your tummy looking flat." Ideally go for the plain-flavoured yogurts, that don’t contain added sugars.
Red bell peppers: "This beautifully colored vegetable is bursting with antioxidants (especially vitamin C and beta-carotene) to help your body fight off infections," says Margaux J. Rathbun, a certified nutritional therapy practitioner and creator of nutrition website Authentic Self Wellness. "They are also stimulating for the digestive system and have been shown to be metabolism-boosters, helping you to lose unwanted pounds. They are perfect for dieters when eaten raw or prepared in a juice concoction."
Peppermint: "Peppermint works to reduce bloating and indigestion and soothe the GI tract all around," says Rachel Berman, registered dietitian and Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com. Try mixing up some iced peppermint tea or add a few mint leaves to your water.
Leafy greens: "Not only are leafy greens a great way to add volume to your meals without the calories, but they are chock full of nutrients (vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber) and easy to incorporate into your day," says Mary Dinehart-Perry, a registered dietitian and clinical trials director for Zone Labs, Inc. She recommends swapping out iceberg for spinach in your salads, adding mustard greens or collards to your soups, or dishing up a side of sautéed kale to fill up, fight disease, and look fab in your bikini.
Switch to whole grain. The body shows a decreased insulin response to whole grain as compared to refined carbohydrate like rice and white bread. So replace those meals of white rice and milk bread with whole grains like lentils, brown rice, and whole wheat bread for a trimmer waistline.
Stock up on cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans. They contain folate, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, and fiber, and are rich in vitamins A, C, and K.
Olive Oil: Mono-unsaturated fats like those found in olive oil, work to reduce belly fat and don’t increase calorie intake.
Apple cider vinegar: New research indicates that 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ideally mixed with a glass of water), consumed daily over a period of 12 weeks, works to lower body weight and reduce belly fat. This is attributed to vinegar's acetic acid, which is believed to pump out proteins that break down fat.
Green tea contains certain chemicals called polyphenols and catechins that boost metabolism and help burn fat. Including 2-3 cups of green tea in your diet will help reduce that waistline, as well as provide a host of other health benefits.
Apples are one of the most popular negative calorie foods. This means that an apple burns more calories that it adds to the body, while being digested, making for a great, tasty snack that does nothing to add to body fat.
Eggs are a great source of protein and contain essential amino acids that the body needs to build everything from muscle fibres to brain chemicals. It is the perfect breakfast food, and ensures you feel less hungry during the day and reduces that urge to snack.
Almonds provide the body with minerals like magnesium, and regulate blood sugar levels. A stable blood sugar level is key to prevent cravings that can lead to overeating.
Salmon, tuna and mackerel, in addition to being a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, also improve metabolism and help burn fat faster by improving the body’s glucose-insulin response.
Get some sleep
It may seem as though sleep has nothing to do with your dream of
having a flat stomach, but it does. If you don’t get enough sleep then
your hormone levels change, which can make you feel hungry and can also
make you feel less satisfied once you have eaten. This can lead to
overeating. Plus those late nights watching TV or going out with friends
gives you more time to snack and reach for unhealthy foods.
So, how much sleep should you be getting? The Mayo Clinic advises
adults that they should sleep for no less than seven hours a night. If
you struggle to get this much sleep make sure you are exercising
regularly, that you don’t nap during the day and that you eat foods
that contain tryptophan (an amino acid that helps you sleep), such as
chicken, milk and yoghurt.
Time your meals
If you eat food quickly then you might find that you are eating more
than you actually need to. Slowing down the pace you eat meals at will
help you to achieve a flatter stomach because you will eat smaller
portions. Also a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
found that eating quickly did not allow the hormone that makes you feel
full to kick in. Therefore when eating quickly you are far more likely
to eat more than is necessary.
To stop eating so quickly you should make sure you eat at your dining
table and do not eat in front of the TV. Concentrating and savouring
what you are tucking into will help slow down the rate you eat at. You
could also set a timer and try to consciously slow down so that you eat
the last bites of your food when the timer goes off. Also, a study found
that soft lighting and gentle music helped participants eat less
quickly so you could always dim the lights and put on some Enya too.
Tuck into some enzymes
An enzyme that will help you achieve a flatter stomach is called
bromelain and it can be found in pineapples. The bromelain enzyme
digests protein and is called a proteolytic enzyme. It is useful for
those who want a flatter stomach because it aids the digestion of foods
that are high in fibre, such as beans or vegetables. By aiding the
digestion of these foods this enzyme eases bloating, which is a major
obstacle that stands between many people and their flat stomachs.
If you want to get a flat stomach and think the bromelain enzyme
might help you to achieve this then you should eat some fresh pineapple
before a meal to aid your digestion. The enzyme can also be taken as a
supplement.
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