Have you heard this saying before, “abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym,” and even if after hundreds of crunches and ab exercises, the washboard abs still remain a “no show,” it’s time to look towards the kitchen to sculpt your abs because some of the best ab sculpting foods are right there in your kitchen and fridge – you just have to identify them. Along with getting into calorie deficit, avoiding sugary foods and refined carbs, and working out regularly (not necessarily in the gym), you need to have a good amount of ab-sculpting foods in your diet. Here’s a little fact we would like to reveal – the abs are already there, you need to shed away the fat layer above and reveal the muscle beneath it. Only with the right amount of nutrition and exercise, your abs will shape up just the way you like. In fact, high intensity exercises work better in defining abs than crunches and other ab exercises. So, do place a great deal of importance on a high-protein and nutritious diet and couple it up with cardio, strength training, and HIIT (7 Minute Fat Burning HIIT Exercises That you Can do At Home). So, here’s a checklist on the ab-sculpting foods that you should include in the grocery list.
1. Almonds: They have all essential nutrients to build abs – healthy fats, fiber, protein, and other trace minerals.
2. Beans and legumes: Packed with protein, low in calories, they also have iron and other essential minerals. Check out Rati Beauty weight loss diet on the Rati Beauty app to find what type of beans and legumes should be included in the daily diet to reveal abs.
3. Dairy products: Cheese, milk, yogurt, curd, have good amount of protein, good for the gut, and packed with nutrients that help burn fat and build muscle.
4. Eggs: Rich in protein, eggs are a nutrient powerhouse, and have all essential nutrients needed to build muscle, especially egg whites.
5. Strawberries/Blueberries: Berries are great for weight loss and build muscle, especially strawberries and blueberries that also give an amazing antioxidant boost.
6. Olive oil: This oil has monosaturated fatty acids that help to mobilize fat and polyphenols that fight the bulge. In fact, it’s one of the best cooking oils for good health and weight loss.
7. Oats: It’s a whole grain and has high fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and protein content.
8. Peanut butter: Rich in protein, it promotes satiety, increases secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, and leads to diet-induced thermogenesis, and one or two scoops of peanut butter topped over apple slices make for a delicious protein-rich treat.
9. Whey Protein: Whey protein powder is an element without which building muscle seems incomplete. It helps to build lean muscle too.
10. Ricotta Cheese: If you find whey protein powder unappetizing, here’s another delicious option – which not only is a good source of protein, it also provides belly-fat reducing calcium.
11. Lean Meat: Switch to lean meat to build muscles with its rich protein content.
12. Whole Grains: Barley, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, brown rice all come under whole grains, rich in fiber, essential minerals, protein – that help to burn fat and reveal ab muscles.
13. Low Glycemic index fruits: To reveal the abs, you need to cut out sugar and low-glycemic fruits help to do that – here’s a list of fruits with low-glycemic index.
14. Broccoli: Low in calories, high in vitamin C, it boosts metabolism and helps to burn calories.
15. Cheddar Cheese: A rich source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), it helps burn calories and build muscle too.
16. Chicken: For non-vegetarians, chicken is a great muscle building food with its high protein content.
17. Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds have lots of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids that not only keep your skin smooth and your hair shiny, it boosts metabolism, melt fat, and reveal washboard abs.
18. Yogurt: As we have mentioned earlier, calcium and protein are fat-burning and muscle building foods, and yogurt has both of them.
19. Spinach: High in iron, low in calories, it’s a good muscle-building food too.
20. Casein: Along with whey protein, casein helps build muscle and promote weight loss.
So, what are you waiting for, head to Rati Beauty app to know how to include these foods in your daily diet to lose weight and sculpt abs.
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