Everybody wants a flat stomach, but you do not need to starve yourself to lose belly fat. Learn what to eat to lose belly fat, incorporate these eight common foods into your diet and watch your belly fat disappear!
For some, August is a time to celebrate and enjoy a peaceful, kid-free house. Others, like my friend Victoria who is a mother of two, devote themselves to making yet another series of resolutions and goals to achieve during the school year. “I cannot lose weight! No matter how hard I try, I will always have a belly pooch” Victoria said as we talked about tips for creating back to school routines. Similar to her mother, she has struggled with losing weight for over 10 years, which has made her believe that she is simply destined to be overweight.
However, struggling with belly fat is not some type of genetic destiny. You can add a variety of foods into your daily diet to help reduce belly fat naturally. As the saying goes, “what you eat in private, you wear in public.” You are what you eat and almost everyone knows this. But shockingly, most people actually don’t have a clue what they are really eating. People think they’re eating “high protein,” or “low-carb” diets, but they often tend to drastically overestimate or misjudge the labels. By learning what to eat to lose belly fat, you can avoid mistakes on your journey.
We met with Nava’s nutritionist expert April to learn how to reduce belly fat naturally and get a definitive answer on what one generally should or should not eat. “Inflammation in the human body tricks the brain to hold on to weight through inducing insulin resistance,” said April, “that is why I always advise clients to explore the option of food sensitivity testing; by doing so, we can ensure you are not sabotaging yourself with any offending foods.” That being said, you do not need to wait until your lab work to make a change in your diet and start burning fat in the belly area. There are slimming super foods that you can rely on to satisfy your cravings and still lose belly fat fast! The following belly fat burning foods are some of April’s favorites:
Foods to Help Reduce Belly Fat
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Avocado
Avocados are one of the best foods to help lose belly fat. This fiber-rich food contains oleic acid, which helps eliminate or curve our appetite. Avocados are also loaded with Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, magnesium and are cholesterol and sodium free! Side note: be mindful of the serving size. Most people can eat an avocado whole without even realizing it, which might lead to bloating.
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Apples
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” With potassium and lots of fiber, apples will make you feel full, which can help avoid overeating, this can help with losing belly fat fast. They also contain polyphenols, which boosts metabolism.
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Eggs
This protein-rich food is low in calories and fat, and a rich source of proteins, nutrients and anti-oxidants. Eggs also contain leucine, an amino acid that can boost your metabolic rate and act as a catalyst in burning extra fats.
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Cherries
Tart cherries are a great summer snack, abundant in antioxidants known as anthocyanins. They also help reduce inflammation and lipids in the blood.
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Pineapple
Pineapple is a nutrient-rich fruit containing vitamin C, manganese, thiamine, copper, fiber and vitamin B-6 which banishes bloat by keeping your digestive tract running smoothly and also helping fill you up.
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Cucumber
They are refreshing, high in water content, fiber and low in calories. Fiber rich foods like cucumbers fire up metabolism, prevent constipation and melt unwanted belly fat away!
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Celery
Known as the negative calorie food, celery is high in vitamin C, calcium and is commonly eaten raw. Do not abandon your fresh celery when trying to lose weight as it is one of the best foods for burning belly fat.
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Banana
Bananas are rich in potassium and multivitamins, which boosts the metabolic rate and thus melt belly fat.
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Greens
These include romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, etc. They help clean the gut and promote bowel movement.
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Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
This refreshing detoxifier and hydrator also helps in weight loss plateau.
Learn more about what to eat to lose belly fat and weight loss