The best ways to lose belly fat?
- Eat foods that increase metabolism
- Eat foods that are high in fiber which makes you feel full and absorbs fat in the bloodstream, and for extra measure:
- Eat foods high in antioxidants, which keep fats from oxidizing and forming clots.
Visceral Fat: I should feel good about the compliments I get on my (fairly) long legs and uh, large chest (for better or worse). I’ve never had much of a waist though…and hips? Forget it. Growing up, I envied my petite friends who looked good in jeans. They had the pear shape: larger around the hips and smaller at the waist.
I am an apple. Being an “apple” means I carry weight around my middle, and as it turns out, not only is it discouraging to have a belly, it’s also the least healthy location for fat on the body.
Research shows that people with excess abdominal fat have the highest risk for heart disease. They think this is because people with larger waist-hip ratios have more visceral fat, which is the fat that wraps around the internal organs.
For the sake of my heart health, it’s time to carve down the waistline.
So before we break down the specifics, once again, what’s the best way to fight belly fat?
Briefly:
- Eat foods that increase metabolism
- Eat foods that are high in fiber which makes you feel full and absorbs fat in the bloodstream, and
- Eat foods high in antioxidants, which keep fats from oxidizing and forming clots.
The recipe I’m including below meets all of the above criteria, and it’s delicious! I made this for friends last night in fact and everyone loved it. It’s a cabbage salad made with green and purple shredded cabbages, green onion, sunflower seeds, parsley, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, and a vinaigrette dressing.
Sometimes I’ll include raisins and/or chopped apple in this recipe to add sweetness.
This dish provides so many health benefits and it’s simple to make and saves well in the refrigerator for 2 days. I love using cabbage for salads in place of greens because whole cabbage stays fresh for up to 10 days in the frig.
SPECIFICS TO LOSE BELLY FAT:
CABBAGE: HIGH IN FIBER AND ANTIOXIDANTS: A POTENT BELLY-FAT FIGHTER, with additional cancer-preventing properties…
Cabbage is in the cruciferous family, along with broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower, asparagus, radish and others. It has a substance called sulforaphane, which is within the isothiocyanate group of organosulfur compounds.
Studies show that this substance is not only able to protect cells against cancer but also to kill off cancer cells while still being safe for the surrounding cells. This is linked to its ability to increase glutathione in the blood – an important antioxidant.
An important mechanism for SFN chemoprevention is through the enhancement of glutathione (GSH), the most abundant antioxidant in animals and an important target in chemoprevention.
Fiber too: This cancer-preventing quality of cabbage should be enough to get us eating our cold slaw on a regular basis but in addition cabbage has a lot of fiber. Fiber will make you feel fuller and more satisfied, and it is also related to lower cholesterol levels. (For more information on cholesterol, check out my post “Does Saturated Fat cause High Cholesterol and does high cholesterol cause heart Disease?”)
Garlic and onions are also cancer-preventive and cancer-fighting foods. They are high in bioflavonoids and reduce inflammation from free radicals, which are those annoying unpaired electrons that go wild and damage the cells’ DNA. Bioflavonoids prevent the damage to cells by donating an electron and stabilizing the molecule. A study from the National Cancer Institute found that eating approximately two teaspoons or more of garlic, onions or scallions per day was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of prostate cancer for the participants in the study.
GREEN TEA: A KNOWN METABOLISM-BOOSTER, with additional benefits at preventing cancerous cells.
Green Tea: We’ve talked about eating foods high in fiber and foods that contain antioxidants. Now we can discuss ingredients that also help to speed up the metabolism. Drink a few cups of green tea along with this cabbage salad to get additional belly-fat-fighting benefits. Green tea contains catechins which are antioxidants said to increase the rate at which your body metabolizes calories.
Studies find that people who drink green tea burn up to 100 calories more per day. I didn’t know this when I started drinking green tea but I do notice a slight slimming effect from it when I drink 3-6 cups per day. Make sure it’s organic though. Many teas have been found to have high pesticide residues. One that I really like is the Yogi Super Antioxidant Green Tea, and Yogi teas are on the clean list of teas without pesticide residues.
SPICES: VERIIED STUDIES SHOW THAT SOME SPICES SPEED METABOLISM
Spices: Herbs and spices can play a role in losing belly fat as well. Red hot pepper flakes, included in this recipe, contain capsaicin. Capsaicin has metabolism-boosting properties, and authors of the article Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications, (from the National Institutes of Health website), contend that capsaicin has multiple benefits for weight loss.
Turmeric is another antioxidant-rich spice which can be added to this recipe for a healthy savory touch, if you enjoy the taste. Cinnamon, which reduces blood sugar, goes very well if you make this with raisins and/or apples.
*Note: to shred the cabbage finely, the best solution I’ve found is a mandolin. Chopping doesn’t give the cabbage the same ability as a mandolin to absorb the dressing and it doesn’t taste as good.
Recipe for Cabbage Salad:
Ingredients:
- ½ head Napa Cabbage, shredded*
- ½ head Red Cabbage, shredded
- 4 green onions, chopped
- Handful of parsley, finely chopped
- Handful of raw sunflower seeds
- Clove of fresh garlic, finely chopped
- Sprinkling of red pepper flakes
- 3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos OR Soy Sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil
Directions:
Mix everything together well in large serving bowl and enjoy. This saves for 2 days in the refrigerator so feel free to make extra for the following days’ lunches. This goes well with a savory meal for a fresh side dish, or you can even add it to a green salad or use it on tacos. I like eating it alone because it’s so delicious, easy-to-make, and healthy.
Additional Reminder: For a sweeter salad add sliced apples, raisins, and cinnamon.
Note: For easy finely-shredded cabbage, I like to use a mandolin. 
Additional Note: Include cabbage and/or a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables every day. To fight belly fat, eat them raw, with an apple cider vinegar dressing. Apple cider vinegar contains hydrochloric acid and can lower blood sugar, aiding digestion and weight loss. Cruciferous vegetables are known to prevent cell damage and even kill off cancer cells.
