The six-pack abs or a flat stomach has been a coveted thing, made famous by film stars and fashion models. Do you want washboard abs for yourself? Eat the "Flat Belly Diet", designed by Liz Vaccariello, which is a 1,600 calorie plan, based on the Mediterranean diet style. This diet emphasizes the importance of unrefined food and advises you to eat fruits, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, seeds, lean protein, beans, but not too much of red meat. The components of the diet are described below:-

1) Salt

Salt is the biggest enemy of a flat stomach. It helps the body retain water, which leads to bloating and extra water weight for the body. Therefore, avoid salt in food, salty seasonings on dishes, and packaged treats, which are high on sodium.

2) Sugar alcohols

These go by the names xylitol or maltitol and you may not have know this till now, but sugar alcohols are found rampantly in candies, energy bars, and low-calorie snacks. The bad thing is that your stomach, especially the gastro-intestinal tract, is unable to absorb sugar alcohols as a result of which, these can cause gas, bloating, even diarrhea.  

3) Bulky raw foods

You may have heard that raw foods are good for your health but that is not exactly the case. Although raw foods are similar to cooked foods in terms of nutrition but they take up more space in the intestines. Eating raw foods means loading up extra volume in your gastro-intestinal tract, which you, of course would not want.

4) Gassy Foods

Accumulation of gas in your gastro-intestinal tract is another roadblock in achieving a flat stomach. Therefore, avoid gas-causing foods like legumes, broccoli, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and citrus fruits.

5) Fried Foods

We don’t need to tell you this. Fried foods are not good for your overall body, especially your stomach because these are slow to digest. Instead, the Flat Belly Diet recommends eating olive oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil, safflower oil, etc, which contain monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFA. MUFA is effective in losing the tummy fat, which is the hardest to lose in the whole body.

6) Carbohydrates In Excess

If you reduce your carbohydrate intake, your body can be taught to use the stored fuel, which is in the form of glycogen, stored in the muscles. Glycogen is a backup source of energy, which is not used otherwise. So, less carbs means more consumption of body glycogen, which means weight loss. Are you happy now?

7) Chewing Gum

This may sound a bit childish, but it is actually true. Chewing gum, something that you have been doing since childhood, actually feeds more air into your body, which, in turn, leads to bloating. Now, you don’t want that so stop chewing that gum now!

8) High acid drinks

You know coffee, tea, hot coca in daily life without knowing the effect it has on your body. These and more are high in acidic content, and, therefore, a cause of bloated stomach. Exclude the above drinks as well as alcohol from your diet and reduce belly fat from your body.

Water retention, bloating and flatulence are the main enemies of a flat stomach and with the help of the Flat Belly Diet, you can achieve your dream of washboard abs. This blog was about what to avoid for a flat stomach. Now read about the flat stomach food guide to know what to eat.

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