It's so true what people say – abs are made in the kitchen! Even if you're killing it in the gym four to five times a week, careful attention to your diet is the key to success - poor nutrition can sabotage your workout efforts! It's important to know the importance of having a healthy balance. This way, by harnessing the following strategies and using our five day eating plan, you'll have all that you need to know on how to get a flat stomach, and more importantly, a healthier one too!
- Eat three meals a day, evenly spaced. Be especially careful not to overeat at night, as the food can sit in your stomach and ferment, causing gas and bloating.
- Watch your portion size as large meals can also lead to fermentation, gas and bloating. Serve your meals on a side plate to regulate portions.
- Eat fruit for breakfast only, not as a dessert with meals later in the day to avoid fermentation.
- Sit down, eat slowly and really chew your food to improve digestion.
- Avoid fizzy drinks, including sparkling water. Drink still water with meals and avoid caffeine, which could interrupt digestion.
- Go pro: You can get a dose of friendly flora from sauerkraut, yoghurt, tempeh and miso.
- Get prepped: Eat wholegrains, berries, apples, broccoli, cauliflower and high-fiber beans such as lentils and chickpeas for a prebiotic boost
- Get enough rest - your body recovers and rebuilds while you sleep, so getting your eight hours' every night is important
- Balance your hormones - if your hormones are out of whack, which can be caused by too much stress - thank you cortisol; and a poor night's sleep - when grehlin and leptin (the hunger hormones) can get out of balance; your body will screaming at you to eat more... and all the wrong type of foods, high-fat, high-sugar we're looking at you!
This 5-day beat-the bloat menu if packed with nourishing ingredients, that are easy to find, and will not only keep you full up (and not reaching for a biscuit at 4pm) but also boost your skin, hair and mood, as well as your body.
Day 1
Breakfast: Fruity yoghurt crunch in a tall glass
Layer spoonsful of probiotic yoghurt, sliced watermelon and blueberries and sunflower and flaked almonds. Drizzle with raw honey.
Lunch: Smoked salmon sandwich on rye
Spread 2 thin slices of rye bread with mustard, add 2 slices of smoked salmon, a handful of fresh rocket and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Dinner: Fig and feta tart
Make a ‘pastry’ by mixing together 25g grated carrot, ½ tablespoon of chickpea flour, 10g grated parmesan cheese, 1 egg and a pinch of paprika. Press into a baking tin and bake for 20 minutes until crisp. Top with 1 slice prosciutto, 1 fig, quartered, 10g crumbled feta cheese and a little salt and pepper. Bake again for 20 minutes and serve with steamed broccoli.
Day 2
Breakfast: Shredded Wheat with banana
1 Shredded Wheat with 120ml skimmed milk, topped with 1 tablespoon of probiotic yoghurt, 1 sliced banana and a drizzle of raw honey.
Lunch: Brown rice sushi
Mix together 75g cooked warm brown sushi rice with 20ml rice vinegar and ½ tablespoon of Xylitol sweetener. Place on a sheet of nori seaweed and top with slices of red pepper and avocado. Roll up and serve with soya sauce.
Dinner: Baked sweet potato with baked beans
Top 1 medium baked sweet potato with 1 small pot or can of low-sugar baked beans and 1 tablespoon of probiotic yoghurt.
Day 3
Breakfast: Quinoa porridge
Simmer 50g quinoa and 150ml skimmed milk in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add ½ apple, peeled, cored and grated, 10g flame raisins, a pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of raw honey.
Lunch: Moroccan chickpea balls with beetroot dip
Soften ¼ chopped onion and ½ garlic clove in a saucepan. Put in a food processor with 100g tinned, drained chickpeas, 20g wholemeal breadcrumbs, 1 beaten egg, salt and pepper. Process to form a dough. Roll into balls and fry in a non-stick saucepan for 8-10 minutes. Serve with 100g probiotic yoghurt mixed with 100g cooked, chopped beetroot.
Dinner: Glazed vegetables with feta cheese
On a baking sheet, arrange a selection of sliced carrots, zucchini, vine tomatoes and red onion. Season, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of raw honey and add 50g crumbled feta. Bake for 30-50 minutes until veggies are soft.
Day 4
Breakfast: Yoghurt with kiwi and berries
Top 1 small tub of probiotic yoghurt with ½ sliced kiwi fruit and a handful of mixed berries. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of raw honey.
Lunch: Broad bean soup
Soften ½ chopped onion and ½ chopped celery stick in a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add 250ml veggie stock, 25g brown rice, 100g frozen broad beans, a sprig of thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked. Top with chopped mint.
Dinner: Japanese tuna parcels with wilted greens
Place a 150g tuna fillet in the center of a piece of baking paper. Top with 1 teaspoon of grated, chopped spring onion and ½ chopped celery stick. Make a dressing with soya sauce and a dash of dry sherry. Drizzle over the fish, top with sesame seeds and fold the baking paper into a parcel. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
Breakfast: Coconut French toast with warm berry compote
Mix together 1 egg and 15ml skimmed milk. Dip 1 slice of wholemeal bread into the mix and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Fry until golden in a pan spritzed with olive oil cooking spray. Warm 50g mixed berries in a saucepan and serve with the toast.
Lunch: Lentil soup with wholemeal roll
Heat ½ carton of store-bought lentil soup and serve with 1 small wholemeal roll.
Dinner Zucchini tagliatelle
Soften ¼ sliced red pepper, 40g frozen peas and ¼ sliced fennel bulb in a saucepan. Add 40ml white wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a vegetable peeler, slice 1 zucchini into ribbons. Boil in salted water for 2 minutes, drain and add to the veggies. Top with chopped parsley and pine nuts.
These recipes are from Lowri Turner’s book The S Factor Diet: The Happiest Way To Lose Weight. Buy on amazon.co.uk
This article first appeared in Women’s Fitness
