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Foods to Avoid for Abs

Many people struggle to lose fat in their abdominal area. Excess abdominal fat increases your risk of many illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. Genetics play a role in the distribution of body fat, so if other members of your family carry fat in their bellies, you are more likely to as well. Genetic predispositions aside, there are some ways you can trim fat from your abdominal area. Simply changing the way you eat can have an impact on the appearance of your abs. Some foods you should avoid while trying to decrease abdominal fat include refined sugars, saturated fats and refined white flours.

  1. Refined Sugars

    • Soda contains refined sugars, which contribute to abdominal fat.

      Refined sugars, such as those found in convenience foods and beverages, burn much more quickly than the natural sugars found in fruit and vegetables. As a result, foods high in refined sugars leave you feeling hungry very soon after eating them. This hunger causes you to want to eat sooner and, therefore, consume too many calories. The extra calories that your body doesn't burn off will be stored as fat. Avoid foods that contain refined sugars, including sodas, canned fruit and candy bars.

    Saturated Fats

    • Saturated fats, such as butter, increase your LDL cholesterol.

      Saturated fat is not only bad for your waistline, it's also bad for your overall health. Saturated fat increases your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is the kind you need to avoid in order to protect your heart. Unsaturated fats, such as those found in fish and walnuts, actually work to decrease your LDL cholesterol, making them a healthier choice. According to workingoffbellyfat.com, you should limit your intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your diet. Some foods that contain saturated fat include red meat, butter and cream.

    Refined White Flour

    • Hamburger buns are usually made from refined white flour.

      Food products containing white flour should be avoided when trying to lose abdominal fat. After consuming refined white flour, your body immediately converts the flour to sugar. As mentioned earlier, sugar is burned quickly and leaves you feeling hungry again very soon after eating. Foods containing whole wheat flour, such as whole grain bread and pasta, are a better choice because they are digested much more slowly and keep you feeling full longer. Some foods that contain refined white flour and should be avoided include white bread, white pasta, cookies, pancakes and hamburger buns.

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