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When you're trying to lose stomach fat you need to focus on eating high quality whole foods that are low in simple carbohydrates and that can boost your metabolism. There are a few foods that are known to actually help you lose overall body fat, and you should try to eat as many of these foods as possible, but outside of that you'll need to be careful about your calorie intake as well. Even though some of these foods can help you burn belly fat, to really lose a lot of stomach fat you'll need to reduce your weight and be conscientious about the amount of calories you're consuming.
Food #1 - Walnuts
Walnuts are one of the best foods for losing belly fat. They are rich in monounsaturated fats which are excellent for weight loss, and they offer a wide range of health benefits which can help to stave off diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Walnuts are not as high in calories as you might think, and even if you eat larger quantities of them, you are not as likely to gain weight because they are very filling and can help you reduce unhealthy snacking. Walnuts also help you maintain a regular sleep schedule because they contain natural melatonin, and as we've discussed in the past on this blog, maintaining a regular sleep schedule can go a long way in helping you maintain a healthy weight by helping reduce your appetite and more.
Food #2 - Tart Cherries
A few studies have linked the consumption of tart cherries with a lower amount of body fat. A diet rich in tart cherries may reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a chronic illness that is associated with weight gain, inflammation and a host of other problems. Metabolic syndrome is actually a group of symptoms that include high blood pressure, a high fasting blood sugar, low amounts of HDL, and obesity around the midsection. A study in mice found that mice with symptoms of metabolic syndrome had lower inflammation markers when they were fed tart cherry powder compared to the mice that weren't fed the powder, and they also had a body fat reduction around their midsection and a lower overall body fat percentage. Anecdotal evidence in humans has suggested the same.
Food #3 - Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt and other types of low fat yogurt are definitely one of the best foods for stomach fat loss because of their high protein content and the low carbohydrate content. As long as you don't add any ingredients that can cause weight gain to your Greek yogurt, it can definitely be one of the healthier foods that you can eat. You have to be careful to limit your consumption of fruit and other sugars if you are trying to lose weight, so don't add a lot of high sugar fruit to your yogurt, but berries, apricots, and peaches and many other fruits are an excellent choice to add into your yogurt for a bit of extra energy, and it works perfectly as a post workout food.
Food #4 - Fish
Fish of almost every type is a great choice as a weight loss food for several reasons. As mentioned above, metabolic syndrome is associated with weight gain and midsection fat. Consuming fish can help to reduce the inflammation symptom of metabolic syndrome, as the omega-3 fatty acids in fish have been shown to help significantly with all types of inflammatory problems. Almost every type of fish is a good option for weight loss because they all contain high quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, but fatty fish have higher quantities of course. You have to be careful to avoid any fish with higher quantities of mercury, but there are several options that can work including sardines, mackerel, salmon and more.
Food #5 - Whey protein
Whey protein works in several different recipes and it's an excellent way to get more protein in your diet without adding a lot of extra carbs. You should be extremely careful to avoid any whey protein brand that adds sweeteners or other ingredients that can lead to weight gain. Stick to organic whey protein that is sweetened with stevia or unsweetened, and add your own natural sweetener, ideally stevia which won't add any calories, or fruit. Whey protein goes great with smoothies of course but it can also be used in several different weight loss recipes as a protein supplement like almond butter pancakes, homemade protein bars and more.
Food #6 - Chicken breast
Chicken breast is a versatile and low fat source of protein just like a high quality organic whey protein supplement, and it can definitely help you burn stomach fat just by increasing your regular protein intake. By eating protein more often you can control your appetite and reduce the frequency that you snack, and it can also ensure that you are getting enough protein in your diet for workout recovery and muscle growth if you happen to be a frequent exerciser. Even if you don't exercise often it's a good idea to increase your protein intake to reduce your cravings and help you stay healthy, and it can go a long way in helping reduce your stomach fat.
Food #7 - Green Tea or Coffee
Although neither of the above are foods exactly, drinking both or just one can significantly help with reducing your body fat, assuming that you don't add anything to them that can make them less healthy like sugar. Both green tea and coffee have caffeine which is a known appetite suppressant, but green tea in particular also has other compounds called catechins which are an antioxidant that can further assist with weight loss by improving your metabolism and they even have side benefits like lowering your risk of certain cancers. Both coffee and green tea are great for weight loss, but if you have to choose between the two, green tea has many more health benefits and has lower side effects like anxiety or heart palpitations, which is particularly important for those who are sensitive to caffeine. Keep in mind that green tea does contain some caffeine however.