If you want to get a flat stomach and lose weight, you need to eat breakfast. And you must include a certain anti-inflammatory detox food. It’s nothing objectionable like seaweed or some other green ingredient that scares people away. We promise you’ll love it and be happy with the variety of options. What is it? Find out!
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Make berries part of your daily morning meal. They’re high in fiber, low in sugar and delicious. Whether you choose blackberries, blueberries, strawberries or raspberries (or a combo) they will leave you feeling happily full. Eating healthy, filling foods like berries will prevent you from devouring empty carbs like bagels, cereal and muffins.
Berries are bursting with natural sweetness and you can eat way more of them without worrying about the scale. For example, one cup of slices strawberries is only 50 calories. A half-cup of raspberries gives you 4 grams of fiber, blackberries 3.8 and blueberries or strawberries 1.7 grams. All berries are high in polyphenols, micronutrients that combat cellular stress by slowing down and blocking the inflammatory response in the body. The low sugar, high fiber content helps berries regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. Having high insulin can contribute to increased belly fat and cravings.
Add berries to steel cut oatmeal, plain Greek yogurt, or as a side to scrambled eggs. When berries are in season they taste so amazing you can eat them right from the container (after washing, of course!) Use frozen berries when fresh ones are scarce – they have the same nutritional benefits. Boil them down into a healthy jam or sauce, or just defrost them for toppings and snacking.
Another flat tummy bonus: Berries have lots of water to battle bloat. The water and fiber help food move through your system quickly before you suffer from gas and puffiness. “Studies suggest raspberries may actually assist in weight loss because they contain compounds that could increase the production of leptin, the appetite suppressing hormone,” says Dr. Luiza Petre, MD, director of the Medi-Weightloss Clinics. Try making raspberry tea. She says to put a cinnamon stick into a cup of hot tea. Boil some fresh raspberries until they are soft enough to push through a strainer and then into the tea. Add ice if you like it chilled.
