4 food swaps to lose belly fat
Thereโs no need to eliminate entire food groups when trying to lose belly fat, all you need are some sneaky food swaps (okay, andย some killer core workouts).
Aย studyย from The Harvard School of Public Health states thatย specific food choices (or rather swaps) may help with weight control.
These food swaps can help you blast belly fat
Certain foods can increase belly fat,ย while other foods can help decrease belly fat.ย The foods which spike our blood sugar levels the most are, cruelly, also the foods we tend to craveย the most.
However, these foods oftenย make us feel our worst, inside and out. But by swapping highly processed foods for healthierย alternatives, it can cause the greatest change in weight.
Which foods lead to the most weight gain and what swaps can you make to blast the belly fat?
1. Cereal for oats
Heavily processed cereal is filled with refined sugars leaving your blood sugar levels to spike. Swapping cereals for oats, whichย are digested more slowly than refined grains have a gentler effect on blood sugar and insulin, keeping hunger at bay.
A great way to start of your morning, oats are full of fibre andย since fibre slows digestion, youโre less likely to feel hungry straight after breakfast (weโve all been there).
A 2010 study published in theย โJournal of the American Dietetic Associationโย found that overweight and obese participants consuming whole-grain oat cereal lost more inches from their waist that those consuming the same amount of calories, but who ate low-fibre cereal.
2. Store bought for homemade treats
Here at The Healthy Mummy weโre all about making your own snacks and meals in general. We LOVE talking aboutย meal prep,ย meal planningย and yummy sweet recipes!
Why? Because homemade treats are not only going to save you money theyโre also going to save you from unwanted belly fat.
How? Homemade is lower inย sugar,ย lower in calories and lower in fat. Trans fats are laden in store bought treats along with preservatives making you feel sluggish and bloated.ย Trans fats promote deposition of fat in the belly area.
To show how trans fats can lead to weight gain, aย studyย tested if monkeys would gain weight being fed trans fats orย monounsaturated fats.
The result was that the monkeys on theย trans-fats dietย gained nearly four times as much weight and had 30% more tummy fat than the monkeyโs fed the healthy monounsaturated fat. So incorporated these good fats in the form of avocado, nuts and olive oil.
Try these delish Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bites for a healthy take on a calorie-laden original.
3. White rice for brown rice
As a general rule of thumb, the darker the colour, the better!
Swapping refined grains (white) with whole grains (brown) is your best bet to blast the belly fat asย whole grains donโt cause the blood sugar spikes after eating that refined grains trigger, which means insulin levels remain lower.
Research published in theย American Journal of Clinical Nutritionย in 2008 compared obese adults who ate refined grains with those who ate whole grains. After 12 weeks, both groups had lost the same amount of weight, but those who ate whole grains lost double the amount of tummy fat.
Use brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole grain bread, whole wheat tortillas and so on.
4. Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate
Dark chocolateย contains belly fat fighting monounsaturated fat and free-radical-fighting flavonoids.
Dark chocolate also has heart protecting properties. Theย British Medical Journalstatesย โprotective effects have only been shown for dark chocolate (at least 60-70% cocoa), rather than for milk or white chocolate, probably due to the higher levels of flavonoids found in dark chocolate.โ
Because dark chocolate is very rich, youโll also eat less. Win win!ย Try thisย dark chocolateย recipe that can fight the belly fat.
Want to blast your belly?
Check out theย 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
An affordable, customisable program designedย to help mums reach their weight loss goals and tackle their health.
Our Challenge entails:
- Hundreds of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) โ with video instruction
- Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans
- Time-efficient exercises for busy mums โ under 30 mins
- Challenge combines Pilates exercises with interval and circuit training (HIIT)
- Suitable for basic to advanced fitness levels
- Home to thousands ofย EASY-TO-MAKE recipes!
To find out more on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challengeย click here.