Crunches, sit ups and other exercises won’t do a thing if you aren’t eating right. No amount of exercise will ever achieve the flatter stomach you want if you fill your body with junk. What goes into your mouth is just as, or even more, important than your training regimen.
When it comes down to getting a toned stomach, it’s not just about an effective weight loss exercise regimen. It also about eating foods that are nutritious, provide lasting energy, and are most importantly, low in calories. This will help reduce and maintain the amount of fat that settles on top of your ab muscles, keeping them from being as visible as possible. Research conducted for the American Diabetes Association has found that fat distributed to your midsection can be prevented by consuming high amounts of monounsaturated fats (MUFA). Monounsaturated fats help raise levels of good cholesterol (High Density Lipoproteins or HDL for short) and lower overall cholesterol and bad cholesterol (also known as Low-Density Lipoproteins or LDL for short).
Here’s a list of 3 foods that will help you in your quest for a flatter stomach. All are bursting with MUFAs and promise to deliver.
1. Go nuts for walnuts.
The serving portion of walnuts is one ounce according to the California Walnut Board. In that handful of walnuts, you get 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, not to mention 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fibre, and a good amount of essential minerals such as copper, magnesium and phosphorus. They make a great snack and provides lasting energy – something that pack of chips won’t do.
Other nuts that are loaded with monounsaturated fats include pine nuts, almonds and macadamias, so if walnuts sound boring to you, mix it up a little.
2. Make your favourite oil safflower (or olive).
Forget about all those other oils on the shelf. Anytime you want to cook, use safflower or olive oil. It also makes a great dip for toast that’s far healthier than butter (which contains loads of bad fat including trans fats) or margarine. Studies have shown that as little as 2 tablespoons a day positively affected cholesterol levels significantly. Both safflower and olive oil also feature a good amount of antioxidants.
Chomping on some green olives is also a great way to get your MUFAs, but watch out for the salt intake!
3. Chocolate. Yes, chocolate.
Surprised? Chocolate is a delicious source of MUFAs, which is present in the form of oleic acid, but only if it’s dark. It’s got to have a minimum of 65% cocoa content.
Don’t go crazy and eat too much since a significant amount of sugar, even in dark, can counteract some of chocolate’s helpful properties.
