Belly Fat Diet For Dummies
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Some fruits play a more powerful role in shrinking belly fat than others. All fruits contain health benefits, such as providing you with large amounts of disease- and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. The following are some of the most powerful belly-fighting fruits and why you want to eat them.

Eat blueberries to fight belly fat

Blueberries may be small, but they’re powerhouses! These tasty berries have many health and weight loss benefits. Consider the following:

  • They’re powerful inflammation fighters thanks to their super-high antioxidant content.

  • They’re potent belly shrinkers. A study at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center found that when rats consumed just 2 percent of their calories from blueberries over a 90-day period, they significantly reduced their percentage of belly fat.

  • According to a study by the University of Michigan, they can reduce triglyceride levels and increase insulin sensitivity, perhaps cutting the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

  • They have been shown to help reduce food cravings.

Pomegranates help fight belly fat

Pomegranates with their red, juicy seeds are a potent tool to include in your weight loss arsenal. Here are the main benefits:

  • They have some of the highest levels of antioxidants when compared to many fruits.

  • They contain high levels of the polyphenol catechin. This powerful chemical has been shown to increase your body’s fat-burning potential and may even help to boost metabolism, making it a strong belly-fat fighter. To further promote weight loss, catechins may also decrease appetite, helping to prevent overeating.

  • They may help decrease fat buildup in the arteries, making them as healthy for the heart as they are for your waistline.

Tart cherries help burn belly fat

Tart cherries are rich in the plant chemical anthocyanin. Not only does this chemical give the cherries their bright color, but it also helps you burn belly fat.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that when mice were given food that contained added tart cherry powder, their body fat reduced by 9 percent more than mice fed the same diet without the additional cherry powder.

Even better, most of the weight loss came from fat stores in the abdominal area. The mice fed the cherry powder also showed significant decreases in cholesterol levels as well as a decline in inflammatory markers.

Tart cherries are different from the sweet cherries you may often eat raw. They’re not usually found in the fresh produce aisle. Instead, you can usually find them frozen or dried. Just be sure you buy an unsweetened variety.

Grapefruit, the super fat burner

Grapefruit is a super fat burner. It also has diuretic properties, which help you shed any unwanted water retention, leaving you looking and feeling slimmer, especially in the midsection. This refreshing citrus fruit has long been linked with many promising studies touting its weight loss benefits. Here are a couple to chew on:

  • A 2011 study in Nutrition & Metabolism by researchers at Vanderbilt University found that when obese adults consumed half a grapefruit or 4 ounces of 100 percent grapefruit juice before three main meals, they experienced a significant decrease in both body weight and waist circumference.

    Why? Perhaps the high water content and volume of the grapefruit prior to meals helped make them feel fuller sooner, allowing them to eat smaller portions at the next meals.

  • A 2009 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that eating a low-glycemic-index food, such as grapefruit, for breakfast before exercising helps you burn 50 percent more fat.

If you’re taking medications, make sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice. Grapefruit products can have potentially adverse interactions with some medications.

More fruits to enjoy

No fruit is bad for your belly as long as you consume the right portions per day. Besides the already listed fruits, you have many, many more great options, including

  • Apples

  • Blackberries

  • Grapes

  • Mango

  • Nectarines

  • Oranges

  • Peaches

  • Pears

  • Plums

  • Raspberries

  • Strawberries

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, is a nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert who has contributed to national media outlets such as the CBS Early Show, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Fitness Magazine, and Prevention Magazine, among others.

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