Want to Look Great This Summer: Try These 4 Foods to Help You Burn That Stubborn Belly Fat

According to the Health Survey of England, over 28 percent of adults in England are overweight. This is a huge number, considering all the health issues associated with obesity. Unfortunately, losing weight, and in particularly excess belly fat, can be tricky. And there is a good reason why. Fat around the midsection of the body has more fat cells, which do not respond as readily to lipolysis, or the fat-breaking process, as fat cells in other areas of the body. While working out can help you lose weight, there are also other steps you can take to speed up the process, including eating the right food. Believe it or not, making certain dietary choices can help you shed those extra pounds around the belly area.

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, the good type of fat that satiates the appetite and minimizes the accumulation of stomach fat (an avocado contains around 10 grams of healthy monounsaturated fats). Eating avocados also increases the absorption of carotenoids, the cancer-fighting antioxidants produced by fruit and vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, and oranges. In addition, avocados are also packed with vitamins and minerals including potassium, which promotes healthy heart function.

A breakfast favourite, eggs are a great source of not just protein, but also vitamin A, omega 3 and choline. Eggs are also rich in antioxidants such as zeaxanthin and lutein, which are responsible for maintaining cell health. Consuming protein found in eggs increases the metabolism, which, in turn, helps to burn more calories as you go about your day (an egg contains around 6 grams of protein). Protein also controls the appetite, which means that you will stay full long after you have your scramble eggs or eggs over easy.

While this might seem counterintuitive, oily fish, such as salmon or tuna, can make a huge difference when it comes to increasing the metabolism and promoting cell health. Salmon and tuna are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which can help you lose unwanted belly fat by increasing adiponectin levels, the hormones that help burn fat. Omega-3 also acts as an anti-inflammatory, reducing insulin levels and minimizing cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Oily fish also contain vitamin D, which has been linked to weight management. In fact, low levels of vitamin D have been tied to increased visceral belly fat. Alternatively, you can also try omega-3 supplements. “Not just great for promoting weight loss, omega-3 encourages normal brain and eye function, supports healthy skin and may even improve the symptoms of depression,” says an expert from Sundt.

So technically coffee is not food. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning for its belly fat fighting properties. Drinking up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (approximately three shots of coffee) increases the metabolism and helps to burn calories—more than this is not recommended.  And please keep in mind that when talking about coffee, we are talking about exactly that, so if you want to lose weight, you can forget about your sugary caramel lattes.