Superfoods for flat abs

Banish belly fat and crank up metabolism

from Self

Bananas - Slice one over whole-grain cereal or into yogurt (two more flat-abs foods!) to beat puffiness. One banana delivers 422 milligrams of potassium, which helps limit the amount of stomach-swelling sodium in your body.

Green tea - Sipping three cups of this brew a day may rev metabolism enough to burn 30 extra calories, thanks to the antioxidant compound ECGC. That's enough to drop about 3 pounds a year without dieting.

Oranges - Foods rich in vitamin C help curb fat absorption, and studies show that low levels of the nutrient are linked to bigger waistlines. You need only 75 milligrams a day (the amount in an orange) to trim your tummy. It doesn't get more a-peeling than that!

Spinach - Diets low in calcium and vitamin C can increase your odds of gaining belly fat. This leafy green boasts both nutrients, making it doubly slimming.

Whole grains - Complex carbs are a flat-ab friend! The fiber in whole grains helps keep your insulin levels low, which may shrink fat cells. Eat at least three 1-ounce equivalents of whole grains a day. A slice of whole-wheat bread or 1/2 cup cooked whole-grain pasta is equal to 1 ounce of grains.

Yogurt - Add some culture to your slim-down shopping list: Yogurt encourages the growth of good bacteria in your gut, crowding out the bloat-causing kind. Opt for a lowfat plain variety with a Live & Active Cultures seal.

Kettlebell Figure Eight Sit Ups

OK. This one sounds difficult, and that's because IS a challenging move. But take it slow and watch your form. No matter how many reps you can do (10? 20? 40?), you'll feel the benefit.

• Start on your back with your knees bent. Hold the kettlebell by its horns with your palms facing up. (Your wrists should face each other.) Perform a sit up.


• Once you're upright, take the kettle bell in your right hand, lift you left leg and transfer the kettlebell under it. Then hold in the left hand, lift the right leg and repeat.


• Hold the kettlebell by the horns and return to the starting position.

Way to go Pam and Kathy! Pikes Peak in the background definitely approves.