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Some foods are outstanding at helping with bloating and combating belly fat — there’s a reason why green tea is considered a magical metabolism-boosting elixir. But the opposite can also be true: some foods and drinks do nothing more than contribute to weight gain and belly fat, without giving back in the form of nutrients your body actually needs.
Whether you choose to eat these foods in moderation or cut them out of your life completely, here are the four foods no one should be eating anymore because they cause stomach rolls.
Soda
Made from pure sugar, with ingredients like caffeine and corn syrup and not a single redeeming vitamin or mineral to be found, soda is at the top of most health expert’s lists of foods and drinks that should be avoided for both health and weight loss reasons.
Fruit Juice
Yes, fruit juice contains a few extra vitamins that you won’t find in soda and, if it’s a choice between the two, juice wins. But not by much.
A glass of juice can contain more than 20 grams of sugar and will spike your blood sugar levels. All of that sugar can also contribute to belly fat if you make a habit of drinking too much juice each day. Whole fruit, which contains far more fiber and nutrients than processed juice, is always the best choice.
Bagels
Don’t let clever breakfast marketing tactics fool you — a New York style bagel can contain upwards of 800 calories, and that’s before you add sugary jams or butter. Bagels belong to a category of carb called refined carbohydrates, which have been processed and contain far less fiber and nutrients than unrefined carbs like quinoa and barley. They’re fine in moderation, but won’t do your weight loss goals any favors if you are consuming them every day.
Alcohol
One of the biggest problems with drinking alcohol on a regular basis is that it’s easy to forget you are consuming a lot of empty calories.
According to Psychology Today: “The first unpleasant fact is that at 7 calories per gram, alcohol contains nearly twice the number of calories as do carbohydrates (4 calories per gram) and proteins (4.2 calories per gram). On top of that we need to consider other components such as the carbs inherent in beer itself, the sugar contained in fruit juices and mixers, and the fat in the cream that goes into cocktails.”
The second unpleasant fact? All of those calories need to be burned immediately or your body will simply store them as fat.
