Is uncomfortable belly fat undermining your health and confidence? Fat around the midsection can be particularly difficult to budge, thanks to a combination of genetics, age, and other factors. So how can you beat the bulge? We already know you can’t spot reduce belly fat, but what you eat can make a huge impact. “Eat the good, eliminate the junk,” certified personal trainer Eric Samaniego tells Texas Health. “A variety of good foods will also provide all the essential vitamins and minerals to allow your body to function properly, including weight loss and weight management. And remember to practice good hydration; drink plenty of water every day.” Here is an underrated superfood shown to torch body fat and improve health, experts say.
RELATED: How to Target Belly Fat With This Simple Diet Change.
Eggs and Belly Fat
ShutterstockResearch shows regular consumption of eggs can help with fat-burning, especially around the stubborn midsection area. A study published in Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate at least five eggs per week had “significantly” smaller waistlines: “Participants reporting high egg consumption (five or more eggs a week) showed significantly lower body mass index, weight circumference and body fat mass percentage values and higher body lean mass percentage values than those reporting low egg consumption (less than one egg per week)...This finding is important from a public health perspective, suggesting that higher egg consumption (five or more eggs a week) may lead to a healthier body composition, especially due to higher protein intake.”
Eggs and Blood Sugar
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Eggs are an ideal fat-burning-friendly breakfast choice. “Eat eggs as your first meal of the day,” Columbia University-trained nutrition expert Fred Pescatore, MD, tells Woman's World. “It’s absolutely safe to have two to three eggs a day. And I find them critical for losing weight and keeping it off. You get a mix of protein, fat and nutrients like lecithin and folate that help keep blood sugar down, hold food in your system and trigger a high level of satiety that lasts for hours.”
Eggs and Satiety
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Eggs help prevent hunger, which is key to successful weight loss. “In addition to being relatively low in calories and providing a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients, the protein in eggs can also help you feel fuller for longer by increasing the production of hormones that signal that you've eaten enough,” says Harvard Health. “Eating protein also reduces levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry.”
Eat the Yolk
ShutterstockDon’t be afraid to consume the yolk of the eggs for a major nutritional boost. "The majority of the dietary benefit actually comes from the yolk," cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Jeremy London tells Fox News. "I'll use two eggs and then add some egg white to it to give more volume and more protein as well. Because I do want the nutritional value from the yolk, but I like to have that added protein just because I lean pretty heavily on the protein in my personal diet."
RELATED: 7 Delicious Foods That Boost Your Metabolism, Say Experts.
Choose Free-Range When Possible
ShutterstockThe quality of the chicken’s life absolutely impacts the quality of eggs. "I personally do think that [has] an impact because, just like 'we are what we eat,' everything we put in our mouths then are the building blocks for ourselves," Dr. London says. "The same is true for the chickens."
Eggs and Heart Health
ShutterstockEggs are high in dietary cholesterol—but it’s nothing to panic about. “The scientific evidence around eggs and heart health has evolved,” says Harvard Health. “It's true that eggs are rich in dietary cholesterol. But we've learned that saturated fat and trans fat are far worse for your cardiovascular health than dietary cholesterol. The good news for egg lovers is that eggs contain very little saturated fat and no trans fat. So for most people, eating an egg a day won't negatively impact your heart health.”
