As you may already know, losing weight requires making several changes in your life. Engaging in regular physical activity not only strengthens your muscles and gives you endurance, but it also improves your overall mood and reduces your risk of getting diseases. If you want to get rid of excess belly fat, working out shouldn’t be the only thing on your mind. There are other factors you should consider too. Take, for example, eating more nutritious food, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep.
There are specific food options, like green tea, oats, and cinnamon that are extremely beneficial for reducing belly fat. To get a run-down on some of the numerous health benefits of these foods, we spoke with Dr. Nikola Djordjevic of Health Careers, Dr. Josh Axe of Ancient Nutrition, Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, Nataly Komova, RD, registered dietitian and fitness expert, and Dr. Ben Schuff, ND, LDN, Director of Naturopathy & Nutrition at BIÂN. Read on for their insight!
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Green tea
Green tea is a great way to give your body's fat-burning process a boost. According to Dr. Djordjevic, "The major component of green tea, [epigallocatechin gallate otherwise known as EGCG], is a strong antioxidant that is scientifically proven to have anti-inflammatory action. ECGC suppresses the expression of inflammatory cytokines and related enzymes in your body."
Dr. Axe agrees that "green tea is a healthy addition to your diet since its consumption has been considered a natural metabolism booster for centuries thanks to special antioxidant compounds." He continues, "Green tea isn't just beneficial due to its antioxidant content. It's also been shown to be a natural fat-burning beverage, in part due to its caffeine. Sipping on a cup of matcha green tea is not only soothing—drinking it regularly may help to reduce body fat and lower cholesterol levels."
Dr. Djordjevic adds, "[The] antioxidants in green tea also help you burn fat by speeding up your metabolism, thus aiding in weight loss. In short, green tea is a magic drink loaded with antioxidants that can even prevent diseases such as cancer, tumors, high cholesterol, and heart diseases." How about swapping your usual cup of joe for a cup of green tea? It not only reduces belly fat, but it has a plethora of other health benefits!
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Oats
One of the main reasons that oats are beneficial to weight loss is because they have a low-calorie density, this means "the ratio of volume to calories is quite low with this particular food," Richards explains. "When you look at the [number] of calories in cooked oats compared to the weight of a pound of cooked oats you are consuming a mere 300 calories for a pound of food. This means you are eating a large volume of food with little calorie consumption, which is a key component of weight loss through food." Noted!
Oatmeal is also loaded with fiber. Fiber will keep you full throughout the day, that way you won't feel the need to snack later on. "The fiber content in oatmeal fills you up more quickly and for longer periods of time," Richards emphasizes. "This helps to prevent overeating later on as a result of a calorie-dense and nutrient-poor meal that is processed quickly and leaves you feeling hungry soon after eating."
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Cinnamon
Finally, cinnamon is not only a great ingredient to add to your coffee or oatmeal, but it's also anti-inflammatory and metabolism-boosting. "Cinnamon in coffee reduces inflammation and hyperglycemia and increases fat burning," Komova explains. "Cinnamon is a natural sweetener with a strong and fabulous flavor," she adds. She says that cinnamon can "help shed more calories and fight infections."
Dr. Schuff agrees that cinnamon is great for maintaining and boosting your metabolic rate. "Cinnamon is a versatile ingredient that has been used successfully as an adjunctive treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease by improving blood sugar management," he explains.
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So there you have it. Doctors agree that green tea, oats, and cinnamon are great foods to add to your diet to burn visceral fat. And, luckily, you can have them every day for breakfast! Just combine them together into one meal: oatmeal topped with cinnamon and a cup of green tea.
