What are the best foods for flat abs?

Belly fat is known to be a barometer for many chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and can increase your risk for stroke as well.  Knowing that it harms our health makes having a “muffin top” that much more unappealing.  Unfortunately for many people, the waist is often the first place excess fat goes. Even worse, it is also one of the hardest areas on our bodies to lose weight.  But what can we do to combat this? These nutritional tips could help you get to flatter abs in no time:

1.     Eat Healthy Fats: Fatty fish such as salmon are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for your health. According to the American Heart Association, people should eat at least two servings weekly of lake herring, lake trout, mackerel, salmon, sardines or tuna for the healthy omega-3 fats they contain.  If you aren’t into fish, try avocado or nuts to get the healthy, monosaturated fats your body needs.

2.     Can you say fiber? : Apples are a great source of fiber and also help keep you feeling fuller longer. Berries are also great high fiber foods to add into your diet.  They are extremely high in vitamin C, high in fiber, and low in calories.  Vitamin C is important to helping our body reduce tension and boost the immune system. Fiber helps to regulate our blood sugar levels.  Regulating blood sugar levels is important because drastic changes in our blood sugar can cause us to have mood swings, which may contribute to anxiety. Alternatively, quinoa is a complete protein, high in manganese, niacin and fiber.  Manganese helps keep bones strong, while niacin helps lower cholesterol.

3.     Go green: Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Filling half of your plate with veggies is one of the key ways you can get your daily intake, stay full and keep your weight at bay. These dark green friends help keep you fuller longer.

4.     Grapefruit is the flat belly fruit: Grapefruit is packed with Vitamin C and it may work to lower cholesterol. Grapefruit juice is the morning rival to orange juice. It's packed with potassium, Vitamin A and C, it's a healthy choice among other citrus morning beverages. Grapefruit technically isn't a negative-calorie food, but it's still fairly low in calories, delivering only 74 calories per cup.  Grapefruit contains naringenin, an antioxidant derived from the bitter flavor of grapefruits, which triggers the liver to break down fat.

5.     Drink Green Tea:  Every tea is rich in antioxidants but this is especially true for green tea. Having at least 3 cups of tea per day will fight off the free radicals which contribute to belly fat accumulation.

Aside from belly busting foods, you can also consider planks to be your best friend. Many people don't perform them to the best of their ability, but making simple tweaks to a basic plank will create more tension throughout your entire core. Try doing a regular (straight-arm) plank but make sure the soles of your feet are perpendicular to the floor and then gently drive your heels away from each other.