Foods That Fight Belly Fat
MUSHROOMS
"As we head into colder months with less sun exposure, vitamin D intake from food becomes extremely important. Research shows that low levels of vitamin D may be correlated with abdominal obesity," says Kayleen St.John, R.D., executive director of Nutrition and Strategic Development of Euphebe. "Mushrooms grown under UV light should be incorporated into belly fat-fighting meals."
SPICY CHILI PEPPERS
Bring on the heat! "Spicy chili peppers contain capsaicin, a compound known to increase satiety and decrease caloric consumption," says Hever. "It also helps encourage fat burning. Enjoy capsaicin by sprinkling ground cayenne or chili pepper over food or in beverages such as tea or lemon water, or cook hot peppers into stews, chilis, and soups."
SEA VEGETABLES
They may not be totally mainstream yet, but there's good reason to incorporate marine gems like nori, hijiki, wakame, arame, and kombu into your regular diet. "With omega-3 fatty acids not found in other plant foods, sea vegetables (or seaweed) are inflammation fighting powerhouses," says St.John. "Omega-3 fatty acids are potent inflammation-fighters, so sea vegetables can enhance your body's ability to suppress inflammation and may lead to a flatter belly."
BROCCOLI
"A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that dark green veggies, like broccoli, may help reduce belly fat," says Amidor. Bonus: "The study also found that these veggies may also decrease risk factors for type 2 diabetes."
BEANS
"Beans are the ultimate weight loss food," says Hever. "They have the ideal macronutrient composition (a perfect ratio of fiber and protein) to ensure satiety with few calories and they also happen to be versatile, cheap, and user-friendly. You should eat at least one and a half cups of beans a day to support weight loss without feeling hungry."
NUTS
"Nuts are surprisingly an excellent food to support weight loss. Although they're rich in calories, they've been associated with weight loss and weight loss maintenance," says Hever. "Researchers suggest this is due the fact that nuts promote satiety, thereby leading to compensation of calories elsewhere in the diet. Also, nuts have been shown to increase resting metabolism." A faster metabolism can help flush out any bloating, so this is definitely a plus for slipping into your skinny jeans or favorite cocktail dress.
SPICES
Not only will flavorful herbs and spices make your cuisine taste more like Ina Garten's, less like I-need-to-order-take-out, but they have powerful properties to boot: "Consider adding the spices cayenne, ginger, and turmeric into your cooking more often," says Lewis. "These spices help reduce overall inflammation in the body due to special compounds and properties they contain."
RASPBERRIES
"Fructose has (rightly so) gotten a bad rap lately for its role in promoting central obesity or belly fat," says St.John. "However, fructose found in whole foods like fruit does not act so sinisterly in the body. Fresh or frozen raspberries contain a great deal of fiber, which helps to regulate the body's insulin response and also reduce belly fat."
COCONUT OIL
Fat may have once been villainized as making us pack on the pounds, but the Mediterranean Diet, nutritionist guidelines, and a wide body of research (like this study!) are working to banish fat's former rep. Such is the case bolstered by coconut oil: "Research shows that coconut oil doesn't negatively impact blood lipid levels like once believed and that it may even help to promote a reduction in stomach fat. The belly fat-fighting properties of coconut oil stem from the amount of medium chain triglycerides contained which are metabolized quickly and therefore stand less of a chance to be stored as adipose," says St. John. Simply put: The kind of fats coconut oil contains won't turn into fatty deposits stored in your body.
ONIONS AND LEEKS
While probiotics encourage the growth of good bacteria, prebiotics feed the ones you already have. When you eat prebiotic foods like onions and leeks, they produce butyrate, a metabolic wonder drug that improves insulin sensitivity and increases the amount of fat you burn, says Rafael Kellman, M.D., author of The Microbiome Diet.
ARTICHOKES AND ASPARAGUS
Like onions and leeks, these green veggies are prebiotic foods that produce acetate, an acid that turns on the fat-burning activity in your cells by helping them recover from inflammation. To get more greens, roast artichoke hearts and asparagus in the oven with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and a spritz of lemon.
AVOCADO
You know that choosing the right types of fats is key, and here's why: Unhealthy fats, found in processed foods, meats, and cheeses, feed the type of bacteria that spark inflammation and cue your body to store fat, says Lipman. But healthy fats high in omega 3s and 6s — like those in avocado, nuts, olive oil, and salmon — do the opposite. They provide long-burning energy by regulating how quickly glucose enters your cells, keeping hunger at bay.
LEAFY GREENS
Bok choy, spinach, kale — healthy organisms in the gut, which needs trillions of good bacteria to function at its best, says Lipman.
JICAMA
This Mexican root vegetable contains inulin, a type of fiber that slows down the absorption of blood sugar to help you feel fuller longer, Kellman says. It's also high in magnesium and manganese, two vitamins needed for digestive enzymes to function at their peak.
GARLIC
It seems counterintuitive to feed the microbiome foods with antimicrobial properties, but studies show that garlic only goes after bad, inflammation-causing bacteria while leaving good bacteria intact. It's also rich in inulin, the fiber that helps the body digest food more efficiently and steadies blood sugar.
WATER WITH LEMON
Lipman suggests sipping it as soon as you wake up and after each meal. "Bitter foods like lemon help stimulate your body's GI juices and aid the start of the digestion process. When digestion is robust, your body breaks down food better and absorbs more of its nutrients, both of which help you maintain a healthy weight and flat belly."
KIWI
Craving something sweet? This fruit — along with colorful radishes, tomatoes, and carrots — contains arabinogalactans, a plant-based fiber and prebiotic that feeds the friendly bacteria that help your metabolism function optimally. The fiber also kills E. coli and klebsiella — two types of bad bacteria associated with carrying excess weight, Kellman says.
