Do you want to know the principles of a diet for abs? Are you looking
to develop a six pack? Did you know that changing your eating habits is
as important as exercise? This article will look at six ways you can
diet for abs.
Any
diet for abs will begin with eating more fiber. You need to eat at
least 25 grams of fiber a day to ditch the belly fat. Some researchers
have even said that 35 grams is optimal. Fiber is the indigestible parts
of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
The bulk factor of fiber
is like a sponge when it combines with the water in your digestive
track, it soaks up everything. High fiber foods also fill you up, so you
are unlikely to overeat. Finally, there is the factor. High fiber foods
just take longer to eat. This allows your stomach to signal your brain
that you are full before you stuff yourself.
The next strategy is
to choose a sensible amount of quality carbs. The best diet for abs will
have 45 to 65 percent of the calories from carbs. But this does not
mean a lot of Twinkies. Fruits and vegetables have carbs in them, but
they are the high quality ones.
Carbohydrates break down into
glucose. This is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. When
glycogen is stored, it carries with it three times its own weight as
water. Fat and protein carry no weight. This is why people who go on no
carb diets like Adkins can initially lose weight so quickly. They are
really just losing water. That is why you don't want to go above 65%
carbs in your diet.
Still, you want to have at least 45 percent
carbs on your diet for abs. You should focus on balanced eating. For
best results, eat at least three to five servings of veggies (15-25
grams of carbs); two to four servings of fruit (30-60 grams of carbs)
and about 1 cup (8 ounces cooked or 2 ounces dry, or 2 slices of bread)
of whole grains per day.
Next, you should drink your water. Many
people mistakenly believe that drinking a lot of water will cause them
to bloat. In fact, the opposite is true. Drinking water will flush your
body of sodium. The water will be eliminated naturally. But when it
takes the salt in your system with it, it will actually reduce bloating.
But,
don't drink fizzy drinks such as soda. That's because pop and spritzers
increase bloating. The carbon dioxide trapped in the bubbles creates
gas, which slows down stomach emptying. Also, limit your consumption of
alcohol and caffeine. Both are natural diuretics, which increase fluid
loss and don't replace your body fluids as effectively as water or
juice.
The next tip on our diet for abs is to watch the sodium.
You only need about 500 grams of sodium a day, but most people get
between 3000 and 6000 grams in the modern diet. This is just too much.
Processed food and restaurant meals are the main culprits. Try to eat at
home by preparing your own foods more.
Try to eat light at night.
Your biggest meal should be breakfast. A moderate lunch should follow
at noon. Your evening meal should be the smallest of the day. And, after
dinner, close the kitchen.
Finally, try to reduce your stress if
you are on a diet for abs. Stress triggers cortisol which is a hormone
that causes you to deposit fat around the organs in your abdomen.
Exercising and deep breathing relaxation techniques can help you to
chill out.
