Instead of starting off the New Year a few pounds heavier, you can actually lose inches if you stick to eating certain holiday foods. Here are five festive foods that will help you to burn belly fat— all while tasting delicious!
1- Cinnamon
The enticing aroma of cinnamon will not only put you in the holiday spirit. But it can also help you to burn belly fat and shrink your waistline. Studies have found that the active compound methyl hydroxy chalcone polymer (MHCP) in cinnamon makes fat cells more receptive to insulin. And when cells are more receptive to insulin, they allow it to transport sugar into the cells for energy. This keeps insulin levels in the bloodstream low. You want to keep your insulin levels low. Because when they’re elevated it can trigger your body to store more fat, specifically belly fat.
Combat belly fat by adding some ground cinnamon to foods like sweet potatoes, apples, oatmeal, popcorn, etc., or even sprinkle it in your cup of tea or milk.
2- Sweet Potatoes
Sure, a sweet potato pie loaded with marshmallows and butter is not the healthiest option when trying to fight belly fat. But sweet potatoes themselves are a wise choice when trying to whittle your waistline.
Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin C which helps reduce stress. When the stress hormone cortisol is chronically elevated in your body, you can experience increased fat storage in the abdominal area. German researchers found that vitamin C can help return cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. This may help prevent increased belly fat storage.
To get in your daily dose of vitamin C, aim to include a baked sweet potato with a meal. If you don’t love sweet potatoes, don’t stress — citrus fruits and bell peppers are also terrific sources of vitamin C.
3- Milk
If it wasn’t for all those cookies, Santa might actually have a six pack! That’s because whether you use milk in your favorite holiday recipe or drink it with a meal, dairy-rich foods such as milk are actually potent belly fat fighters. In fact, low-fat milk, such as 1% or 2% milk, is a triple threat. Since it contains 3 powerful belly blasters: Calcium, arginine, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Arginine has been shown to help increase fat oxidation whereas CLA is thought to promote fat cells to shrink off and die. Especially around the midsection. Calcium is also an effective fat fighter. One study found individuals who ate a diet rich in dairy lost almost twice the amount of fat and weight with the majority of the fat loss coming from the midsection. So drink up and aim for two to three 8 ounce cups per day.
4- Walnuts
If Christmas carols were written about shedding excess pounds, they would sing about walnuts roasting over an open fire instead of chestnuts! That’s because walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. This not only fights off inflammation but also keeps the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from peaking. This helps prevent damage to your body from chronic stress and increased fat storage caused by elevated cortisol levels.
Since walnuts are high in calories, you should only consume a moderate amount per day. Aim for an ounce of nuts daily (about a handful) and it will be effective at shedding belly fat.
5- Red Wine
You may not associate red wine with weight loss since overindulging in alcohol is a sure way to pack on the pounds. But if you’re going to drink at holiday celebrations the healthiest way to go is red wine.
Red wine is rich in resveratrol which has been shown to suppress levels of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is what promotes increased fat storage. So, suppressing these hormone levels may decrease body fat while helping to increase lean muscle mass. Use this dietary guideline to prevent excessive alcohol intake: Women shouldn’t drink more than a 4 ounce glass of wine per day and men shouldn’t have more than two glasses daily.
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