Greek Yogurt
Besides being packed with 23 grams of muscle-building protein per cup, Greek yogurt is rich with calcium and probiotics, both of which can help reveal your six-pack, says Spano.
In one European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, people who drank a fermented milk beverage with probiotics every day lost a significant amount of abdominal fat that hangs out between your muscles and organs.
However, those who didn’t drink up lost zero stomach fat.
To get the most out of your yogurt, make sure yours says that it contains “live and active cultures” right on the label.
And stay away from the flavoured varieties.
Their sugar can both spur belly fat and fluid retention around your midsection, says dietitian Cassandra Forsythe.
Whey Protein Powder
This source of protein also includes branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which decrease exercise-induced muscle damage and increase muscle recovery to help your workouts score you the strongest core possible, says Spano.
Plus, in one study published in The FASEB Journal, dieters who doubled their protein intake in general, not necessarily from whey, lost more fat and maintained more muscle than those who ate the recommended daily amount.
If you’re avoiding protein from dairy because of an allergy, whey protein generally doesn’t cause any stomach upset, bloating, or gas, even in people who are lactose intolerant, says Spano.
Use whey protein powder to help you eat about 110 grams of protein per day.
Whole Grains
Complex carbs, especially from whole grains, are vital to powering your workouts and reaching your fitness goals, says Forsythe.
Plus, fibre from whole grains reduces stomach fat and increases your body’s levels of satiety hormones that help keep you from overeating, says Spano.
In one Pennsylvania State University, when dieters got all of their grains from whole grains over the course of 12 weeks, they lost about the same amount of weight as those who avoided grains altogether.
But those who ate whole grains lost more fat from their midsections.
Forsythe’s favourite grains for defined abs are brown rice and wheat berries, which are very filling without all the bloating that some grains can cause.
Asparagus
The green stalks are rich in prebiotic fibre, a type of fibre that fuels the good bacteria in your digestive tract and helps fight bloating, says Spano.
Plus, it acts as a mild diuretic—and the less excess fluid you have in your body, the more your muscles pop, she says.
Asparagus’ high antioxidant value may also help keep your core muscles strong while preventing inflammation-related weight gain.
Still, when it comes to uncovering your abs, you can’t go wrong with really any vegetable, she says, noting that people who eat more vegetables tend to carry around less abdominal fat—period.
Almonds
Besides keeping things moving through your GI tract to prevent constipation and bloating, the non-fermentable fibre in nuts is awesome for increasing satiety and stabilising blood sugar levels, says Forsythe.
And in a 2015 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, eating 30 to 35almonds a day helped dieters shed abdominal fat.
That may be because almonds contain more fibre than most other nuts.
Green Tea
Between its caffeine and antioxidants, green tea is packed with health benefits.
While both nutrients can help reduce any excess belly fat, pairing them with workouts will help you score crazy core gains, says Spano.
For instance, while caffeine blocks fatigue-inducing adenosine to help you work out harder and longer, in one Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study, EGCG, the powerful antioxidant for which green tea is famous, was found to increase the amount of oxygen that your body can use as fuel while you sweat.
The takeaway? Better workout performances and results. Try drinking a glass before your next workout.
