Every meal or snack that you consume includes nutrients. Your body requires protein-rich foods to build muscle and stop storing fat. Here is a list of foods that give you natural fat burners a turbo-boost and give you tight, toned, to-die-for abs.
Eggs: A veritable protein-powerhouse, eggs make the perfect breakfast or post-workout meal as they stop lean muscle from being broken down, while their high level of vitamin B12 has the opposite effect on fat cells (B vitamins also give you energy, so you’ll feel like the Duracell bunny when doing sit-ups).
Lean meat: Meats like turkey and beef are full of the stuff, which makes them adept at building muscle and strengthening the immune system. Beef is also full of those fat-destroying B vitamins, which is an added bonus.
Oily Fish: Don’t be fooled into thinking these delicious fish, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, will make you put on weight rather then lose it. They also protect your immune system, so you can keep exercising without feeling run down or ill. You should aim to eat three portions of oily fish a week.
Nuts: Nuts have a reputation for being eye-wateringly high in fat – but in fact they are another source of ‘good’ fats and nuts such as almonds and Brazils are the perfect snack to carry around with you.
Olive Oil: Olive oil actually encourages your body to burn fat and reduces your cholesterol, which means your heart benefits too. Just one ounce of olive oil contains almost 90% of your daily recommended amount of monounsaturated fat. If you are hard enough, down a shot of olive oil once a day – your stomach will thank you for it.
Beans: Most beans (and we’re talking about the likes of kidney, lima, fava and edamame rather than canned baked beans, which can be high in sugar) are full to the brim with protein, as well as dietary fiber and iron.
Whole Grains: Your body still needs carbohydrates. If you want a flat stomach, then you need to stop eating processed carbs like white bread, pasta and white rice. Instead, swap them for fibre-rich, unprocessed whole grains, including wholegrain bread, pasta, rice and cereals to stop your body from storing fat.
Low-fat Dairy: As most of you are probably already aware, cheese is the enemy of our waistlines. But it doesn’t have to be. You should still eat cheese and other dairy products such as milk and yoghurt, but make sure you switch to a low-fat variety.
Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is essentially liquid protein, and it’s a top choice for a pre-workout breakfast.
Leafy Vegetables: Low in calories and fat, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and lettuce are packed with fat-burning fiber as well as an endless list of vitamins and minerals.