Your Own Herb Garden Banish Belly Fat With These Must-Eats and Must-Skips

Banish Belly Fat With These

Must-Eats and Must-Skips BY JACQUELINE SAGUIN

Gravitating toward that extra scoop of Rocky Road? Skip the guilt, and eat your heart out with these healthy foods! They’re bound to make you look and feel better, banishing belly fat.

MUST EAT MUST SKIP

Ginger

This spicy root contains enzymes that speed up the digestion process. It’s antibacterial and antiinflammatory powers are a natural cure for your gut. Relying on spices for flavor helps you cut back on the salt, which also keeps bloating at bay, according to nutritionist Amy Shapiro for Prevention. com. Take a shot of ginger, or if you have a sensitive stomach, brew a ginger tea!

Oats

Don’t be deceived: Carbs aren’t your enemy. And not all carbs are created equal. According to Health.com, whole grain carbs help you stay slim and act as a great source of filling fiber. A study found that women who regularly ate whole grains had a 49% lower risk of major weight gain over time. Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal to guarantee your body its daily dose of fiber, and press reset on your stomach.

Avocados

This fruit is loaded with key nutrients like potassium that help shed excess sodium. It’s also high in soluble fiber and healthy fats, helping us feel satisfied on smaller portions. You can easily incorporate this food into different meals and snacks like avocado toast and avocado-based salads. In addition to keeping the pounds off, avocados coat the stomach and help with digestion, increasing its absorption of other nutrients and antioxidants, according to Health.com.

Dark chocolate

You’ll be relieved to hear that not all desserts are off-limits. According to Health.com, any good quality dark chocolate above 65% cacao is good for you – in moderation. Similar to avocados, dark chocolate carries healthy monounsaturated fatty acids that help speed up metabolism.

Sugary drinks

A Frappuccino piled high with whipped cream may be your Starbucks go-to, but it’s not doing your stomach any favors. Coffee drinks and bottled teas are sweetened with high-fructose syrups that make it difficult to digest and leave you feeling bloated, turning those few minutes of heaven into hours of regret.

Red meats

Refined carbs

It’s the guilty pleasure foods: white bread, pasta and candy. We love to eat them and struggle to part from them. These are processed foods stripped of their nutritional value to extend its shelf life, oftentimes leading to a rapid rise of glucose and insulin. After the high, you’re left feeling hangry.

Although a rich source of vitamins and minerals, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Red meat’s high saturated fat levels help with weight gain. And its high sodium levels promote bloating, especially around the belly. There’s a clear link between high intake of processed red meats and higher risks of heart disease and cancer, according to Harvard Medical School.

Packaged foods

It’s time to say goodbye to certain cereals and pretzel mixes. Packaged snacks typically have high sodium and high sugar counts. Sodium makes you retain water, causing a bloated belly. Like refined carbs, packaged foods are processed to extend their shelf life.