8 Foods to Avoid to Keep Belly Fat Away
Belly fat is linked with higher risk of developing various health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and even certain types of cancers.
You may have to make some sacrifices that shake up your daily diet, but finding healthy alternatives will provide priceless incentives. The categories make up the 8 worst foods for packing on belly fat, some more obvious than others, but all of them are an equal threat to building body fat.
1. Refined Grains
Grains can be great, and as a matter of fact the food pyramid says they should make up a relatively big part of your diet. They can reduce the risk of heart disease, promote healthy digestion and even help with weight management. But if you’re ingesting the wrong type of grains, you might be doing the opposite of weight management. Refined grains such as white bread, white rice and carb-loaded snacks go through a refinement process that takes away nutritional value and leaves the consumer feeling less full. Switching to whole grains will be more satisfying and place you in a demographic associated with lower levels of abdominal fat.
2. Sugary Drinks
These are the silent villains of fat gain. People hardly expect their liquid calorie intake to contribute to fat, yet it’s a prevalent issue in the U.S. The Harvard School of Public Health found in a study that the disheartening amount of obese people in the country has been fueled by sugar-laden drinks such as sodas and juices. One bottle of soda can contain more than 200 calories, the equivalent to some value fast-food cheeseburgers. They also elevate the risk of heart disease and diabetes, so stay mindful of your drink labels.
3. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Like grains, oils that provide fats can be great for health, but only if you consume the right kind. Hydrogenated vegetable oil are loaded with trans fats — the only type of fats with absolutely no nutritional incentives. They pack foods with calories that your stomach can’t burn off and dangerously add to high cholesterol levels. Olive oil and other sources of healthy fats are good for your diet when consumed in moderation and should completely replace trans fats if you’re taking stomach fat loss seriously.
4. Fatty Animal Product
As we mentioned above, the healthy fats derived from some oils, nuts and fish are great for your health, but there are still options other than trans fats to avoid. While slightly more nutritional than trans fats, saturated fats from meat and dairy products can still pack on unwanted body fat. The most common source of these fats are fatty cuts of meat, butter, cream and whole milk. While saturated fat is a necessary part of a balanced diet, you only need a small amount of it to fully benefit it’s health properties, so they don’t have to be completely cut from a diet, but they should be limited.
5. Fried Foods
They’re a staple of state fairs and fast food joints, but you should know by now that the delicious taste of fried food comes with a price. While you may be entertaining your taste buds, you are also increasing your risk for obesity, stroke, fat gain and even cancer. The nutritional value of foods that are plunged into deep fryers is slim, with little vitamins and a wonky balance of macronutrients. Fighting the temptation of deep fried Oreos for a healthier alternative could be the next big step to a flat stomach.
6. Alcohol
Perhaps one of the most unexpected items on the list is alcohol. Consumption excess amounts of alcohol makes the liver work hard on filtering it out and forget about burning off fat. The major villain here ties in with the above-mentioned sugary drinks. A single drink is loaded with calories, often sugars that are quickly stashed as body fat. There is also the link to junk food binging when consuming alcohol — maybe the ten beers that lead to a late night pizza aren’t doing a flat stomach any justice.
7. Pastries
They might mark special occasions, like a big cake on a birthday or cookies on Christmas, but baked goods are hardly ever a nutritionally sound choice. They are nice for a very occasional treat but the high levels of sugar and fat as well as an absence of protein make them a menacing fat gainer. Even snack bars that boast a “healthy look” can be loaded with sugar. Read the label before you eat and try to find healthier alternatives to constant cake and cookies. For example, you can try this recipe for superfood energy bars with cacao.
8. Foods High in Sodium
Salty products are probably one of the shadiest contributors to fat gain because they can’t be measured in calories. Sodium is prevalent in plenty of modern processed foods because of the way it enhances taste and preserves longevity, but it also contributes to a rounded stomach. Sodium causes water retention, and when too much is consumed it can lead to a bloated stomach. Sodium can also dangerously alter your blood pressure if you consume too much of it. Keep your eyes peeled for the sodium content of processed foods at the supermarket, you may be surprised which ones are loaded with it.
You may have to make some sacrifices that shake up your daily diet, but finding healthy alternatives will provide priceless incentives. The categories make up the 8 worst foods for packing on belly fat, some more obvious than others, but all of them are an equal threat to building body fat.
1. Refined Grains
Grains can be great, and as a matter of fact the food pyramid says they should make up a relatively big part of your diet. They can reduce the risk of heart disease, promote healthy digestion and even help with weight management. But if you’re ingesting the wrong type of grains, you might be doing the opposite of weight management. Refined grains such as white bread, white rice and carb-loaded snacks go through a refinement process that takes away nutritional value and leaves the consumer feeling less full. Switching to whole grains will be more satisfying and place you in a demographic associated with lower levels of abdominal fat.
2. Sugary Drinks
These are the silent villains of fat gain. People hardly expect their liquid calorie intake to contribute to fat, yet it’s a prevalent issue in the U.S. The Harvard School of Public Health found in a study that the disheartening amount of obese people in the country has been fueled by sugar-laden drinks such as sodas and juices. One bottle of soda can contain more than 200 calories, the equivalent to some value fast-food cheeseburgers. They also elevate the risk of heart disease and diabetes, so stay mindful of your drink labels.
3. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Like grains, oils that provide fats can be great for health, but only if you consume the right kind. Hydrogenated vegetable oil are loaded with trans fats — the only type of fats with absolutely no nutritional incentives. They pack foods with calories that your stomach can’t burn off and dangerously add to high cholesterol levels. Olive oil and other sources of healthy fats are good for your diet when consumed in moderation and should completely replace trans fats if you’re taking stomach fat loss seriously.
4. Fatty Animal Product
As we mentioned above, the healthy fats derived from some oils, nuts and fish are great for your health, but there are still options other than trans fats to avoid. While slightly more nutritional than trans fats, saturated fats from meat and dairy products can still pack on unwanted body fat. The most common source of these fats are fatty cuts of meat, butter, cream and whole milk. While saturated fat is a necessary part of a balanced diet, you only need a small amount of it to fully benefit it’s health properties, so they don’t have to be completely cut from a diet, but they should be limited.
5. Fried Foods
They’re a staple of state fairs and fast food joints, but you should know by now that the delicious taste of fried food comes with a price. While you may be entertaining your taste buds, you are also increasing your risk for obesity, stroke, fat gain and even cancer. The nutritional value of foods that are plunged into deep fryers is slim, with little vitamins and a wonky balance of macronutrients. Fighting the temptation of deep fried Oreos for a healthier alternative could be the next big step to a flat stomach.
6. Alcohol
Perhaps one of the most unexpected items on the list is alcohol. Consumption excess amounts of alcohol makes the liver work hard on filtering it out and forget about burning off fat. The major villain here ties in with the above-mentioned sugary drinks. A single drink is loaded with calories, often sugars that are quickly stashed as body fat. There is also the link to junk food binging when consuming alcohol — maybe the ten beers that lead to a late night pizza aren’t doing a flat stomach any justice.
7. Pastries
They might mark special occasions, like a big cake on a birthday or cookies on Christmas, but baked goods are hardly ever a nutritionally sound choice. They are nice for a very occasional treat but the high levels of sugar and fat as well as an absence of protein make them a menacing fat gainer. Even snack bars that boast a “healthy look” can be loaded with sugar. Read the label before you eat and try to find healthier alternatives to constant cake and cookies. For example, you can try this recipe for superfood energy bars with cacao.
8. Foods High in Sodium
Salty products are probably one of the shadiest contributors to fat gain because they can’t be measured in calories. Sodium is prevalent in plenty of modern processed foods because of the way it enhances taste and preserves longevity, but it also contributes to a rounded stomach. Sodium causes water retention, and when too much is consumed it can lead to a bloated stomach. Sodium can also dangerously alter your blood pressure if you consume too much of it. Keep your eyes peeled for the sodium content of processed foods at the supermarket, you may be surprised which ones are loaded with it.
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