A Diet For Lower Belly Fat

Your body usually stores excess fat around your middle. Excess belly fat increases your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Stomach fat also increases such stress hormones as cortisol and adrenaline; these hormones raise your insulin levels and deposit more fat around your middle. Follow a diet to reduce your lower belly fat and improve your health.

Water Weight

A diet to lower belly fat begins by reducing the bloat caused by the consumption of excess sugar and sodium. In "The Abs Diet," author David Zinczenko says certain foods help flush out fluid, reduce fluid retention, and prevent gas and constipation. For example, add blueberries, strawberries, peaches, squash, cucumbers, lemons, green beans, asparagus and tomatoes to your diet to reduce bloating. Drink eight to 12 glasses of filtered water a day to help eliminate the excess fluids that bloat your belly. After you eliminate bloat, eat 400-calorie meals that contain at least one healthy fat to satisfy your hunger and prevent you from overeating.

Monounsaturated Fats

A flat belly diet emphasizes monounsaturated fat. Shifting from harmful saturated and trans fats to foods rich in monounsaturated fat benefits your quest to lose belly fat. Monounsaturated fat helps lower your insulin levels, which facilitates weight loss. People who consume monounsaturated fats also reduce their risk of heart disease and the high cholesterol levels associated with obesity, according to Yale Medical Group. Olives, avocados, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds contain monounsaturated fats.

Carbohydrates

Simple and complex carbohydrates serve as your body's main source of energy. It converts them into sugar or glucose and transports them through your bloodstream. Simple carbohydrates convert to sugar quickly and spike your insulin levels, causing you to feel hunger pangs, according to "Flat Belly Diet!" by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass. Limit your consumption of simple carbohydrates to prevent overeating and storing these excess calories as belly fat. Replace simple carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates, which are slowly released in your bloodstream. Complex carbs include asparagus, broccoli, celery, eggplant, apples, pears and whole grain products.

Frequent Meals

You need to eat every four hours to lose belly fat. It's crucial to fuel your body frequently so you can maintain stable blood sugar levels. This prevents you from suffering an energy crash or cravings that cause you to consume extra calories. Avoid skipping meals, which will slow down your metabolism. Your flat belly diet should include three small meals with snacks in between to keep your metabolism burning fat.

Considerations

Eating certain foods will sabotage your weight loss goals and increase your belly fat. Limit your consumption of high-fat dairy products, lard, and red and dark meats, which contain saturated fat. Your body has a harder time breaking down saturated fats, so it stores it around your belly. Give up alcohol, which increases your blood sugar levels and fat storage.