8 Foods to Avoid for a Flat Belly

8 Foods to Avoid for a Flat Belly

Whether you’re looking to avoid a bloated belly or shed off some extra pounds, the solution is in your diet: you need to eat clean! While the grocery store is decorated with aisles full of colorful snacks and pre-packaged meals, the majority of them should be avoided at all cost. This food is full of harmful chemicals, artificial sweeteners, and excess fats that serve no purpose other than to bloat you, stay stored in fat cells and organs, and raise your likelihood of developing heart disease and diabetes.

These are the eight foods to always avoid so you can keep a flat belly:

Sugar

Candy, pastries, cake – you name it. Not only do these sweet guilty pleasures provide little to no nutritional value, but they also slow down your metabolism. Subsequently, overindulging in treats can develop into a serious sugar addiction. If you have a sweet tooth craving that needs to be silenced, swap out treats for fruit.

Fried and fast food

The excess fat and sodium of fast and fried food is the ultimate catalyst that kickstarts obesity. Additionally, sodium plays the role of causing uncomfortable bloating. Not only does it retain water, you feel sluggish and tired after consuming large quantities of it. Last but not least, the grease that covers the food is highly-concentrated with artificial fats.

Processed meats

Processed meats are preserved with potentially-harmful chemicals. The main types of processed meats are smoked, anything canned, dried, and salted and cured, and the foods under this category are bacon, jerky, smoked salmon, and corned beef – just to name a few examples. Chemical compounds found in processed meats are not natural and full of sodium. Over a prolonged period, the constant consumption of them can cause cancer.

Alcohol

Even though happy hour drinks are fun to have every weekend, the cocktails can take a toll on our weight. Excessive alcohol consumption equals unnecessary calorie intake. Did you know that one bottle of beer is equivalent to seven pieces of sliced bread? Contrary to popular belief, one drink can actually hurt if it’s constantly consumed.

Fruit juice

Upon first impression, fruit juice doesn’t seem harmful. It’s a liquefied version of its solid, healthy form, right? Wrong! Fruit juices are filled with amounts of sugar similar to what’s found in soda. These sugars can sometimes never be digested, which is then stored in your fat cells, muscles, and liver.

Dairy

While dairy is full of calcium, potassium, and vitamins, it causes digestive problems and issues such as gas, nausea, stomach aches, and diarrhea. In fact, over 75% of the global population is lactose intolerant! If a body does not produce enough lactase, it is unable to break down the lactose from milk – and as a result, you get bloated and gassy.

High-fructose corn syrup

You need to watch out for foods with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). They’re all guilty of having the ability to shut down the fat-regulating hormone, leptin, that is responsible for sending hunger signals between the stomach and brain. This is why products full of HFCS are so addicting to eat: you never feel full, which provokes you to eat until you’re satisfied.

Anything labeled “low-fat” and “diet”

The truth of the matter is this: any food marketed as “low-fat” or “diet” will undeniably and always possess the same amount of fat and sugar as something unhealthy – and sometimes even more. Furthermore, these nutrition labels are marketing ploys to get you into a buying what you think is a “diet-friendly” product.

At the end of the day, a clean diet is vital to not just a flat belly, but a key element that enriches your health and quality of life! Healthy food makes you feel better, and tastes refreshing and revitalizing when prepared properly. After integrating wholesome food into your diet for some time, you will no longer feel self-conscious about looking bloated, and you come to realize that a flat belly is also a happy one.