The Flat Belly Diet was devised by Prevention magazine editors, Cynthia Sass and Liz Vaccariello. The diet is based on eating Mediterranean type foods and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, abbreviated and known as MUFAs. The diet is designed to be followed for 28 days, preceded by a four-day jump start period.
Original Flat Belly Diet
The original Flat Belly Diet book consists of a four-day jump start phase. This involves consuming only 1,200 to 1,400 calories daily and drinking "Sassy Water," which is a combination of herbs, spices, citrus juice and cucumber. Once the four-day phase is complete, the diet advises eating four meals or snacks daily, each consisting of 400 calories. The authors state they arrived at the 1,600-calorie figure, "because that is the precise amount an average adult woman needs to get down to her ideal body weight."
Flat Belly Diet for Men
Other than the original Flat Belly Diet book, there is also a "Flat Belly Diet for Men" book. The plan for men advises eating three 400-calorie meals and one 400-calorie snack during the "Flat Abs Kickstart" phase and adding an extra 400-calorie snack for the remaining 28 days of the plan. The diet's creators arrived at the 2,000-calorie figure because 2,000 is the number of calories that an average man needs to reach his ideal body weight.
Monounsaturated Fats
According to the American Diabetes Association, a small 2007 study undertaken in Spain by J.A. Paniagua, MD, PhD, et al, revealed that eating a diet rich in MUFAs can help prevent central body fat distribution, therefore reducing belly fat. The monounsaturated fatty acid foods for the Flat Belly Diet are small portions of avocado, nuts or sunflower and flaxseeds. Olives and dark chocolate are also permitted.
References
- Good Housekeeping: Flat Belly Diet
- "Flat Belly Diet"; Liz Vaccariello; 2009
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Care: Diabetes Journals: Monounsaturated Fat--Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution and Decreases Postprandial Adiponectin Expression Induced by a Carbohydrate-Rich Diet in Insulin-Resistant Subjects
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