If your goal this year is to achieve flat, firm abs, or six-pack abs, challenging your core with a variety of exercises is important, but even more so is the food you eat.
The age-old saying “abs are made in the kitchen” couldn’t be truer. While abs are trained in the gym, they are revealed in the kitchen. The fact is, nutrition plays a significant role in how your body looks, and you simply can’t out-train a bad diet. So if your goal is to uncover your six-pack, healthy, abs-friendly foods have to be a staple in your approach. Here, we share important nutrition tips and a list of the top foods to help uncover a strong, sculpted midsection.
1. Eating every 2.5-3 hours will help speed metabolism, prevent cravings, and stabilize blood sugar.
2. Completely rid your diet of processed foods, refined sugar, fried foods, soda.
3. Say goodbye to diet foods—anything labeled “sugar-free” or “fat-free” contains chemicals that cause the body to not only crave more junk, but also hold onto stored fat.
4. Eat a serving of lean protein with every meal.
5. Eat more veggies. Veggies are chock-full of antioxidants and vitamins, and they’re low in calories.
6. Eat healthy fats. Healthy fats burn unwanted body fat. Plus, healthy fats offer many health benefits for your organs, tendons, muscles, and skin. A Registered Dietician (RD) can help you determine what serving sizes you need.
Vegetables
- Sweet potatoes
- Peas
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Arugula
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Brussels sprouts
- Butternut squash
- Onions
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Lentils
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- String beans
- Cucumber
- Ginger
Healthy Fats
- Natural peanut butter
- Almond Butter
- Unsalted almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Hazelnuts
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Unsalted sunflower seeds
- Unsalted mixed nuts
- Salmon
- Avocado
- Flaxseeds or flax oil
- Chia seeds
- Virgin coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Tahini
- Natural, soft cheeses (goat, brie, feta)
- Almond milk
- Flax milk
- Coconut milk
- Unsweetened coconut
- Fish Oil & Omega-3’s
- Salmon
- Hummus
Lean Proteins
- Turkey
- Fish
- Chicken
- Quinoa
- Beans
- Eggs
BY SJ MCSHANE