BULGE FREE BELLY

HERE is an article about what foods to EAT and what foods to AVOID if you're looking to target belly fat (or as my father always called it, your "energy reservoir").

FYI: Diet is a HUGE part of fighting fat stored around your waist, but in order to get rid of the bulge for good you need cardio exercise too. If you want a taught mid-section, nothing is better than adding criss-cross sit-ups (where arms are behind your head, you then take opposite elbow to opposite knee. One leg straight out parallel to floor, one leg bent in knee to chest. Don't just move your arms! Twist from the waist!) to your cardio and diet changes! This exercise activates more muscles in your abdomen than normal crunches.

And don't forget: a little pooch is NATURAL! A perfectly flat stomach only exists in photo-shopped pictures.


For a slimmer center, EAT:
*Melon (low calorie, high in potassium which prevents excess salt, therefore water, retention)
*Wine (or POM juice, for us non-drinkers)
*Whole-grains (high fiber helps to remove cholesterol, fatty acids, from the blood stream, reducing storage around your waist)
*Grapefruit (can prevent the insulin spike that increases fat storage around your middle, plus vitamin C which has been shown to play a role)
*Walnuts (or Flax! Omega 3's may be fats, but they help to prevent storage or new fat on the body, especially in the belly region)

For a whittled middle, AVOID:
*Sugar substitutes (horrible for you and your body has trouble digesting these lab-made sweeteners, leading to bloating, gas, and increased hunger later. Use Stevia, Maple Syrup, or Agave Nectar instead!)
*Canned soup (the insanely high salt content leads to water retention which leads to belly swelling)
*Partially and fully hydrogenated oils (aka trans fat. READ LABELS! "0 trans fat per serving" does NOT mean NO trans fat! These fats are not used for flavor, they are used to increase shelf-life. They are created in a lab by adding extra hydrogen ions to unsaturated fats, therefore creating a substance that the body does not recognize and doesn't know how to handle. Research has shown that these fats lead to increased storage of fat around the waist, so avoid these at ALL COSTS!)