Top five tips for a flat stomach – fitness classes or the gym might be the way to get abs you can bounce a coin on, but try the following things to get a flatter midriff today:
1. Swap white, processed carbs for granary/wholegrains: avoiding bread, pasta and rice should only be done under professional supervision, after a positive diagnosis for wheat or gluten intolerance, as wholegrains are an important source of vitamins, minerals and fibre, keeping blood sugar stable and beating the bloat. Some people do test negative, but have problems with gluten/wheat – there is a different root cause so consult a functional nutritionist.
2. Live, probiotic yogurt: keep beneficial bacteria populated and working to maximise digestive health. ‘Good’ bacteria also boost immunity throughout the body and produce essential nutrients.
3. Protein: Good quality protein like salmon, chicken and turkey contain very little fat if prepared properly while producing a host of benefits to the body in terms of nutrients.
4. Avocado: though often thought of as fattening (which in excess they are!) avocado contains ‘good’ mono-unsaturated fat which has been proven to prevent belly fat accumulating as well as upping the amount of fat your body burns after eating it. Watch portion sizes – consuming more calories than you expend will always result in weight gain.
5. Fruit smoothies: a homemade smoothie containing a range of fruit will provide lots of soluble fibre to maintain efficient digestion and reduce bloating.
So, a fruit and yogurt smoothie for breakfast, avocado salad for lunch and baked salmon with brown rice and veg should see you well nourished, well fed and svelte-stomached!
#functionalfood #beatthebloat #cleanandlean
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