WHAT IS THE FLAT-BELLY DIET?

This flat-belly diet was created by several health specialists. Among them are Lise Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Prevention, a health magazine in the United States, Dr. Martine André, a specialist in health and nutrition, and Cynthia Sass, a nutrition graduate and the magazine's Director of Fitness and Nutrition. 

First of all, it is important to remember that it is natural to have a little (or a lot) of belly. No one is obliged to want a flat stomach and abs made of reinforced concrete. However, for those who want to slim down their waist and shape their bust, they have the right to get the best tips to achieve their goals. Although it is normal to have a little belly, when it has been there for too long, it can be difficult to get rid of it. As a result, that little belly fat can create a few complexes. And to get rid of abdominal fat, we all deserve a little help. And our godmother, the good fairy of the flat stomach, is a specific diet for this area. We reveal you the secrets of the flat belly diet, that we will want to try!

What is this flat stomach diet?

This flat-belly diet, called "flat-belly diet" was created by several health specialists. Among them are Lise Vaccariello, editor-in-chief of Prevention, a health magazine in the United States, Dr. Martine André, a specialist in health and nutrition, and Cynthia Sass, a nutrition graduate and the magazine's Director of Fitness and Nutrition. Their goal? To propose a simple diet, accessible to all, to get back in shape and lose weight. Although the term "diet" can be frightening, this one only has the name. In its way of operating, it is far from the classic drastic diet. Here, there is no question of depriving oneself or frustrating oneself to lose one's belly in no time. We are on a perspective of finding a healthy and varied diet that will allow us to obtain the flat stomach of our dreams, and especially to keep it in the long term. It goes without saying that some restrictions will have to be made in order to adopt it, but these are part of a new lifestyle. As for the results, the women who tested the program in the book noted a loss of 7 kilos in 1 month for some, and a reduction of 9 cm in waist size for others. 

How to adopt the flat stomach diet?

The flat stomach diet is adopted in two phases. We start with a detox phase lasting 4 days. In this phase, our daily caloric intake will be 1200 calories. The idea is to purify our digestive system, reduce gas, bloating and heaviness. In addition to eating little, we will have to accompany this phase with a 5-minute walk after each meal, to facilitate digestion. During the meal, it is important to take the time to chew our food. This step also allows us to make the work of our digestive system easier.

The second phase is a 28-day diet, i.e. 4 weeks. It will consist of 3 meals and a snack. Each meal must contain 400 calories. It will also be important, for each of our meals, to accompany it with a food rich in fatty acids. In addition, physical activity will be required to lose weight more quickly.

Foods to avoid during the flat stomach diet

During the first phase of the diet, certain foods should be avoided for 4 days. According to the book, we should do without salt, industrial foods, alcohol, refined sugars, bakery products. Those that ferment and promote the production of gas such as cabbage, onions and legumes such as beans or lentils, should also be banned. Finally, it is advisable to eliminate coffee, tea, sweeteners and soft drinks.

A typical day of the flat stomach diet:

To give you an idea of this diet, here is an example of a food routine for a day:

Breakfast: Whole grain bread toast spread with crushed flaxseed, half a banana, a small handful of pecans.

Lunch: 100g white fish, 150g spinach leaves, 1/2 avocado, 100g corn bread.

Snack: 20g of oatmeal, 1 handful of blueberries and 1 handful of almonds.

Dinner: 150g grilled salmon, 150g green beans, 1 handful of almonds.

Why adopt this diet, or not

As with all diets, it has its strong points and its drawbacks. On the positive side, it includes unsaturated fatty acids that help improve cardiovascular health. This lifestyle is similar to the Mediterranean diet with its wide choice of healthy foods to eat. Our meals are different from one day to the next, which gives us the opportunity to vary the pleasures to satisfy our palates and our figure. Finally, we love its flexibility. If we don't like this or that food, we can replace it by another one that will have an equal nutritional contribution. It is therefore very easy to adopt this diet, even if you tend to spend a lot of time in restaurants.

As for the disadvantages, the main one is that it is not designed according to the energy needs of each person. Here, we do not calculate the ratio between what we ingest and what we spend. As a result, some people may eat too much or too little, which can impact their weight loss. In addition, the protein intake is too low. Not all meals contain a source of this macronutrient necessary to lose weight. Finally, it must be accompanied by physical activity, since unsaturated fatty acids alone cannot destroy abdominal fat.