10 Ways To Reduce Your Belly Fat

10 Ways To Reduce Your Belly Fat
(Shutterstock*)
5/1/2014
Updated:
5/1/2014

Gained a few pounds over the holidays? These belly-busting tips will help you lose the belly fat (and belly bloat!) and squeeze into that tight dress in a week, or look better in your bathing suit just in time for your vacation.

1. Eat slowly

Chew foods carefully. Very carefully. The more work your mouth does, the less your digestive system has to do. Undigested food in your system and slow elimination (read constipation) are common reasons for belly-bloat.

2. Avoid wheat and all wheat-containing foods

Instead, eat rice and quinoa as your main starches.

3. Skip the sodium

The slightest bit of sodium can lead to a full-body swell. Read food labels carefully and avoid any foods containing more than 200mg of sodium, and steer clear of the salt shaker. Instead, beef up your intake of potassium, a natural diuretic.

Read more about the dangers of too much salt

4. Skip the starch at dinner

Instead, combine protein with veggies. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, couscous – starchy foods cause water retention and are best eaten in the hours before a sweaty work out.

5. Steam your greens

Raw vegetables can cause bloating in some people. Lightly steam kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or other greens and drizzle with lemon and some olive oil.

Read more about leafy green vegetables

6. Steer clear of gas-forming foods

Beans, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and soy are common culprits.

7. Avoid dairy products

Many people don’t realize they’re lactose intolerant and suffer with bloating, gas, and even diarrhea daily. Shun ALL dairy products for a week – milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese. When you re-introduce it, you’ll know right away whether or not it’s a cause of your bloat. 

8. Take a B complex vitamin

The supplement gives you a fantastic energy boost and triggers your body’s fat-burning mechanisms.

9. Drink green tea

Its EGCG/caffeine combination is a proven fat-burner, and it works fast.

10. Sweat

It doesn’t matter how you do it - of course, exercise is preferred, but if you hate to move, sit in a sauna, steam room, or at the beach on a hot day.

 This article was originally published on www.NaturallySavvy.com

*Image of “belly“ via Shutterstock

Related Topics