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Eating for weight loss is an actual thing — the foods you choose to eat can have as much of a positive impact on your weight loss goals as the foods you choose not to eat.
At the top of the list of healthy foods you’ll find these five anti-inflammatory foods doctors swear by to shrink your waistline over 50. These nutrient-dense foods will fill you up and provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need to help you lose inches from your abs and waist.
Avocados
If you’ve heard that avocados are actually a fatty food, you’ve heard right — and that fat is a good thing when it comes to weight loss.
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which prevent blood sugar from spiking. Unlike refined carbs like white bread and pasta, which spike blood sugar levels and encourage your midsection to hang on to fat, foods that are healthy sources of good fat have the opposite effect: they set conditions that make it easier to burn fat around the abs and waist.
Bananas
There’s a great reason why so many runners and athletes pack a banana in their backpack: this is one fruit that provides both short and long-term fuel.
Aside from filling you up, bananas are an excellent source of potassium — a mineral that boosts your metabolism, helps you build muscle, and keeps you from bloating and retaining water.
Blueberries
High in fiber and antioxidants, blueberries can improve blood flow and help deliver oxygen to muscles, according to CBS News. And the good news about that is that more oxygen to your muscles makes it even easier to get your cardio in for the day.
A toned belly relies on a healthy diet, strength training, and cardio that can burn fat and reveal your muscles.
Green Tea
Several studies have shown that green tea boosts your metabolism and can help you burn fat through a process called thermogenesis. If you’re trying to kick-start your weight loss goals, try replacing your morning coffee with green tea or drinking several cups of the hot brew throughout the day.
Greek Yogurt
A source of probiotics, plain Greek yogurt is great for belly fat because it helps eliminate bad bacteria in your gut and rev up your metabolism. Yogurt is also high in protein and calcium and will fill you up fast, without adding a ton of calories or added fat to your plate.
