The flat abs diet has six core principles that will help you to lose belly fat and have a sleeker body all around. Even if you cant get rid of your gut through endless crunches, you should see success with this flat abs diet. That is because new research has show that what you eat may be just as important as how much you exercise.

The first important step is to eat more fiber. You should eat at least 25 grams of fiber a day. The reason is that bulk fiber is like a sponge which, when combined with water, moves the fat through your body more quickly.

The best high fiber foods are fruits and vegetables. In addition to having a lot of fiber naturally, fruits and vegetables are very low in calories. Whole grains are preferable to processed flours for the same reason.

Part of what makes natural food so good for you is the chew factor. It takes longer to eat these foods, so your brain has time to get the signals that your stomach is sending that it is full. Researchers have found that eating high fiber plant food with any meal reduces the average amount of calories by 100.

The next step is to opt for a sensible amount of high quality carbs. The flat abs diet does not require that you dramatically limit your carbohydrates the way the Adkins or South Beach plans do. However, if you want to lose your belly fat, you will have to control your carb intake.

Again, fruits and vegetables provide the highest quality carbs available. They are the foods least likely to promote bloat. Because they are composed of a lot of water, they have fewer calories and carbs for their volume.

You should have no more than 65 percent of your diet in carbs. That means that on an 1800 calorie diet, you will have between 200 and 300 grams of carbs. On the Adkins diet, you can have no more than 35 grams of carbs, so as you can see the flat abs diet is more generous.

Next, you want to drink lots of water at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day.

Many people think that drinking water will make them bloat when the opposite is actually true. Water washes away the sodium in the body and thus reduces bloat.

If you are having trouble consuming that much water, try these variations:

Drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water twice a day. It is easier to consume lots of water in a single setting if it is not ice cold.
If you like cold water, freeze fruit or small pieces of fruit and float it in your water. It will keep the water cold and add a nice flavor to it.
Use small amounts of fruit juice or other extracts such as mint to flavor the water.

Along those lines, tip number 4 on the flat abs diet is to avoid sodium wherever possible. A woman needs 500 mg. of sodium to keep her body functioning regularly but the average American woman gets between 3000 and 6000 mg. daily. If you eat a typical meal at a Chinese restaurant, you will get about 3000 mg. of sodium. The body responds to this sodium intake by retaining water. The next day, you will see the result on the scale and in the mirror. Its not that the Chinese food added too many calories its that it has so much sodium.

The next bit of advice is to not eat too much at night. When you put food in your body less than three hours before going to sleep, it causes you to bloat. Plan to shut down the kitchen after a light to moderate dinner. If you must eat, consider limiting it to a snack of 100 calories or less. A cup of tea can often satisfy your need for food after dinner.

Finally, the last bit of advice on our flat abs diet has nothing to do with food at all. Instead, you will want to work on reducing stress.

Stress triggers the hormone cortisol which turns up your appetite and directs your body to deposit fat around your abdomen. One way to eliminate stress (and lose weight) is to exercise. You should also practice ways of relaxing when you get into a stressful situation.

So, there you have it. When exercise alone isnt working to remove your belly fat, try the flat abs diet.

Tags: 1800 Calorie Diet, Abs Diet, Adkins Diet, Bloat, Calories, Core Principles, Crunches, Diet Exercise, Drinking Water, Fewer Calories, Fiber Plant, Flours, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, High Fiber Foods, high fiber plant food, Losing Weight, Lot Of Water, Natural Food, Ounce Glasses, Plant Food, South Beach, Sponge, Whole Grains —

Advice for Healthy Living in 2006
Anna Fleet

With the New Year now upon us, it’s important to give pause and
consider making some positive changes regarding the state of
your health. As they say, there’s no time like the present.
People the world over often make resolutions to do something to
better themselves in the coming year. In 2006, consider doing
something that will benefit your overall health. The following
suggestions may just help to ensure that you’re able to make New
Year’s resolutions for many years to come.

Get a Check-up – An excellent place to start when
considering lifestyle changes is with an honest assessment of
your health. At this stage, it wouldn’t hurt to consult with
your physician. Why not make an appointment for your annual
physical exam? This way, you can begin the year with an accurate
assessment of your physical state. Your doctor will be able to
focus your attention on areas that are of immediate health
concern. This is especially important if you’re a smoker, if
you’re overweight, or if you have any significant health issues
that might prevent you from performing simple daily tasks.

Drink More Water – Make another profound difference to
your health by consuming more water. Many people make the
mistake of assuming that they’ve received enough water from the
various pop, coffee and other beverages they’ve consumed in a
day. This is not entirely accurate. Ideally, one should consume
upwards of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Water helps
the body metabolize stored fats. It can also help your body
cleanse itself of free radicals, which have been linked to
cancer and other such ailments.

Get Moving – Exercise is yet another effective way to
maintain optimal health. That’s not to say that one has to
become entirely committed to working out each and every day, but
it’s in every individual’s best interest to perform some form of
activity 3 times per week. Physical exercise can be performed in
a wide variety of ways to keep it fun and interesting. For
instance, the simple act of walking is a highly effective form
of exercise. It’s one that can be completed without supervision,
without props, and without any previous experience working out.
Joining a gym has a number of direct benefits as well. Not only
will you have access to some excellent equipment, but you will
also benefit greatly from the fitness knowledge that most
personal trainers possess.

Pay Attention to Nutrition – Diet also plays a
significant role is one’s overall health. Everyone should be
familiar with the dietary guidelines established by the leading
health agencies and authorities. The “food pyramid” is by far
the most popular set of published nutritional guidelines. The
food pyramid advises people to include all of the major food
groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat (or protein)
– in their diets. Keep in mind that the food pyramid is merely a
nutritional guideline. The dietary needs of each individual will
vary drastically, and what’s ideal for one person isn’t
necessarily ideal for the next.

By following these few simple suggestions, you can take control
of your health and your life in 2006. Good luck!

About the author:

Anna Fleet is a certified personal trainer. When she is not
working out or helping others achieve optimal health, she is the
face and voice behind www.fitnessgear101.com – an excellent
online resource for information about Fitness Gear
Information, Aerobics
Equipment, and Workout Routines.

Tags: Accurate Assessment, Ailments, Anna Fleet, Author, Best Interest, certified personal trainer, Day Water, excellent equipment, Fats, Food Groups, food pyramid;, Free Radicals, Glasses Of Water Per Day, Health Concern, Health Issues, Honest Assessment, Lifestyle Changes, New Year's Day, online resource, Optimal Health, Ounce Glasses, Physical Exam, Physical Exercise, physician, Positive Changes, Profound Difference, Resolutions, Significant Health, Smoker, www.fitnessgear101.com —

Loose belly skin has many causes: pregnancy and losing a significant amount of weight are probably the two most common. We all want to look our best and having loose skiin around our middle is unsightly and can make us feel bad about ourselves. Whatever the cause, you have several options to help tighten loose skin.

Before you jump right into thinking you need a surgical option try these less invasive options.

1. A simple daily exercise program may be just the thing for you. Get your body moving and include some specific core exercises like crunches and lunges. If you firm up and tone the muscles in your sides called your obliques, the skin should follow suit and tighten as well. Get some cardio in, too.

If you can’t stand running or walking on a treadmill then get out and go for a walk around the neighborhood or find a friend with some free time and go run around the tennis court for an hour three times a week. Running after all those mis-hit balls can be quite the awesome workout.

2. If you adjust your eating habits along with starting a simple daily exercise program you will find your loose belly skin tightening up even faster. A low-fat, low-carb, high protein diet will help whip you into shape in no time.

3. Stay away from sugary drinks and snacks. All they will do is add fat to the already loose skin and then you will have two problems to deal with instead of just one.

4. Stay hydrated. This is the most important thing for everyone. Your skin will love you for it and it will reward you with remaining elastic. Drink one-half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. If that seems like too much or you find you are spending an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom then back off to just 8-10 eight ounce glasses everyday.

5. Do some research about skin tightening creams. They are out there and you can buy them over the counter. They may have a skin firming compound in them and also a moisturizer to help increase your skin’s elasticity.

6. If you try everything I have suggested here and find it does not give you the results you want then talk to your personal physician about maybe making a referral to a plastic surgeon to discuss a tummy tuck. This should be your very last resort though. There are risks involved with every surgery and a tummy tuck is no exception.

Pain is one obvious side effect, the risk of infection is another, not to mention the recovery time of about six weeks. The results you get when the surgeon tightens up your loose belly skin may be absolutely amazing but you will not be able to even stand up straight afterward for about a week, so you will need someone with you for at least the first 24 hours until you recover from the anesthesia and get your bearings and learn how to move effectively.

Tags: Atkins, Cardio, Core Exercises, Crunches, Eating Habits, Elas, Exercise Program, Free Time, Healthy Diet, High Protein Diet, Loose Skin, Losing Weight, Low Carb High Protein Diet, Lunges, Moisturizer, Obliques, Ounce Glasses, Pillsbury Doe Boy, Skiin, Sugary Drinks, Surgical Option, Tennis Court, Treadmill —