A fat belly causes a number of health problems in addition to adding a blemish to your profile. There are two kinds of fat that get stored in the body. One of them is the fat that is present around different organs and is called visceral fat, whereas the other type of fat is the one that makes your belly bulge outwards, which is called subcutaneous fat. Here is a list that provides you with a number of foods that help to get rid of belly fat. You should include them in your diet to make sure that your belly fat is under control.
Foods That Help to Get Rid of Belly Fat
1. Green Tea
Green tea contains a group of compounds called catechins. These compounds increase the quantity of fat burnt by liver, cause fat cells to release fats, and last but not the least, increase the consumption of energy by the body.
What to eat:
Any quantity of green tea consumed in a day will reduce your waistline. If the caffeine present in green tea is a concern for you, then you can opt for decaf green tea, which contains less amount of catechin, but has enough to have an impact.
2. Dairy
Dairy products all make you feel full and help reduce the urge to eat more. Dairy products also contain a protein called whey, which is responsible for the formation of lean muscles. This is the reason why the calories you intake while eating dairy products would never increase your belly fat.
What to eat:
When you are trying to include dairy in your daily diet, you should choose low-fat or nonfat dairy. Yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, and string cheese are ideal dairy products to help reduce belly fat. Make sure to get three servings of these products in your diet.
3. Whole Grains
The nutrients in whole grains that help reduce belly fat are magnesium and chromium. These substances reduce stress hormone cortisol and insulin production, which can cause fat to be stored around the abdomen.
What to eat:
If you want to include whole grains in your diet, the recommended quantity is about three servings in a day. The best way to include whole grains in your diet is to eat brown or wild rice, oats, and quinoa.
4. Foods with Vitamin C
Foods rich in vitamin C make us reduce the production of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands when the body feels stressed. Cortisol is responsible for the storage of fat around our midsection, and thus its balance stops us from getting fat.
What to eat:
The best way to get your vitamin C is by eating foods like strawberries, parsley, red cabbage, red peppers, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. However, if you want to get your vitamin C from supplements, you should not take a tablet that has more than 500 mg of the vitamin, because our body can only digest 500 mg of vitamin C at a time.
5. Foods with Potassium
A major portion of the belly bulge is contributed by water weight. A main reason for gaining water weight is the intake of sodium salt, which causes water to be outside the cells. Potassium, on the other hand, keeps water inside the cells, thus reducing water weight in the belly.
What to eat:
Foods rich in potassium are bananas, orange juice, avocados, spinach, baked potatoes, and sweet potatoes. In addition, potassium is also richly present in beans, salmon, apricot, and yogurt, all of which can help to counter the water weight.
6. Foods with Anthocyanin
Anthocyanin is the substance present in most berries that gives each berry its beautiful and lively color. Research has shown that anthocyanin can help in reducing fat, especially the visible fats that are present around the midsection. In addition to fat burning capability, berries are also rich in anti-oxidants and fiber, both of which are beneficial to the body.
What to eat:
Berries are the biggest source of anthocyanin in addition to grapes and cherries. The berries that contain a lot of anthocyanin are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bilberries, cranberries, elderberries, and blackberries. To reduce belly fat, all you need to do is to include two cups of these berries in your diet.
7. Unsaturated-Fat Foods
Saturated fats contain LDL cholesterol and are not good for health, whereas unsaturated fats lower the level of LDL and make weight-regulating hormones maintain their balance. Unsaturated fats in the form of Omega-3 fatty acids maintain stable levels of blood sugar, which is responsible for the belly bulge.
What to eat:
Unsaturated fats are found aplenty in nuts, avocados, dark chocolate, flaxseed oil, and olives. Wild salmon, walnuts, and cod are rich in blood-sugar maintaining omega-3 fatty acids. Make sure to include suitable portions of all these foods in your diet to maintain your figure.
8. Foods with Lean Protein
Lean proteins are also a great food source to reduce the size of your belly and make you look smart. This is because these proteins take more time to digest than other substances like carbohydrates, and therefore you would not feel the urge to eat something for a greater amount of time. Moreover, these proteins are responsible for muscle building and do not contribute to increasing belly fat.
What to eat:
The greatest sources of lean proteins include chicken breasts, egg whites, fish, and turkey cutlets. You must make sure that you take in an average of six ounces of lean protein for a diet of 2000 calories.
9. Foods with Resistant Starch
Beans contain resistant starch, which unlike other carbohydrates does not convert into sugar. The resistant starch present in beans fights abdominal fat and passes through the body without getting digested.
What to eat:
Resistant starch is present in corns, potatoes, and bananas in addition to beans. An inclusion of half cup of beans in your diet will help a lot in reducing your waistline. Low-sodium canned beans are better to eat than other versions of canned beans.
10. Foods with Fiber
Fiber has been found to reduce the build-up of visceral fat in the body. Just like resistant starch, fiber will not be digested as it passes through the body.
What to eat:
Beans, legumes, fruits, whole grains, oats and vegetables contain a lot of soluble fiber. If you are including fiber in your diet for the first time, you should start with small quantities of fiber and then add more. Moreover, while eating fiber, you should make sure to drink six to eight glasses of water in a day.
To learn more about foods that help to get rid of belly fat, watch the video below:
