Many people struggle with excess weight, especially around the mid-section, which is one of the unhealthiest areas of the body to carry excessive poundage due to the increased danger of cardiovascular disease. Naturally, the first inclination for anyone striving to reduce this proverbial "spare tire" is to follow a diet plan promoting the concept that you can achieve a flat belly. Such a diet plan exists: the Flat Belly Diet, based on a Mediterranean-style diet and the theory that including monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA's, with every meal helps the body properly digest food and reduce belly fat.
Identification
The Flat Belly Diet made its debut in 2008 as the combined inspiration of chief editor Liz Vaccariello and nutritionist Cynthia Sass of Prevention Magazine. The theory behind the Flat Belly Diet, known as FBD among its followers, focuses on the importance of the "good fat" otherwise known as monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFAs. Instead of trying to totally eliminate fat from your diet, the FBD recommends including a MUFA serving with each meal. The FBD plan suggests four meals daily, consisting of about 400 calories per meal, spaced four hours apart. This timing is important, to stave off the hunger pains that often lead to overeating, or eating the wrong types of food.
Types of MUFAs
Monounsaturated fatty acids, MUFAs, represent the "good fat" in nutrient-rich foods. One of the mainstays of MUFA foods is the avocado. This fibrous fruit or vegetable, depending on who you ask, is a key component of FBD meals, from breakfasts to dinners and even snacks. The FBD cookbook features avocado blended into fruit smoothies, spread on toast along with a boiled egg and sliced into chunks as an addition to salads. Other MUFAs include olives; pesto sauce; nuts and seeds such as almonds, pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds; olive, canola, flaxseed and sunflower oils; and dark chocolate.
Features
The professionals responsible for the FBD offer a variety of resources to people who choose to follow the plan. Teams of writers and nutritionists have produced different cookbooks, including the original FBD cookbook and a family cookbook, explaining the FBD plan and the nutritional significance of MUFAs. These cookbooks offer sample meal plans and corresponding recipes, complete with nutritional and caloric information. In addition, an online support site is available for a membership fee. Both Vaccariello and Sass, along with other Prevention Magazine staff members, monitor the site and interact with members. Anyone who joins the site as a paid member can set up a profile, print off customized meal plans and shopping lists, ask for assistance from the nutritionist, and chat with other FBD "buddies" on the forum.
Considerations
As with any diet plan, you should first check with your healthcare provider to determine if the FBD is an appropriate eating plan for you. Also, keep in mind as with any diet, the FBD plan is not perfect, nor does it provide any magical weight loss solution. A balance of a proper diet with nutrient-rich foods such as MUFAs, combined with moderate exercise and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, offer the best opportunity to lose weight and to attain an optimal level of health.
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