Almost every person out there trying to lose weight, thinks of carbs as their worst enemies. They tend to double up their protein intake, but totally erase carbs out of their diet.

It is true that protein would help boost your metabolism, and help you burn more calories. But you should also take note that most of the vitamins and other micro-nutrients we need to shut down our fat genes are found in carbs. Also, the fiber that we really need to keep our bellies healthy and full to prevent us from overeating, are mostly found in carbs. Carbs also help fuel brain function and physical activity.

So inasmuch as you want to lose weight really quick and you’ve read a lot of misleading weight loss articles that have advised you to totally cut out the carbs, you might want to start eating more carbs than you used to. You just have to be judicious. Here are 5 carb-rich foods you should add to your diet:

1. Sweet Potatoes

These carbs are one of the best choices you could ever make. They digest slowly and therefore, keep you feeling full and energized for long. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, an essential nutrient for weight loss. The main ingredients to focus on here, are carotenoids and antioxidants which stabilize blood-sugar levels and lower insulin resistance, which in turn, help prevent calories from being converted into fat. Sweet potatoes are also high in vitamins.

2. Oats

This should be your ideal breakfast. Research has shown that oatmeals give greater feelings of satiety than any other breakfast cereal you could ever think of. Oats also contains butyrate, a fatty acid that reduces inflammation throughout the body. This super breakfast is also known for its high content of fiber, which will help you feel full for longer.

3. Whole Wheat Pasta

You’ve most likely heard that pasta is bad for your weight loss goals, and perhaps you’ve tried to the best of your ability to avoid it as much as you can. Spare yourself the trouble, as not all pasta is bad for you. In fact, whole wheat pasta actually contains a good amount of fiber, which keeps you full and prevents blood glucose spikes and crashes.

4. Whole Wheat Bread

It is true that the breads available in most supermarkets are definitely not healthy for us. But you don’t have to completely kick bread out of your diet. Whole-wheat bread just like whole wheat pasta, is high in fiber content, which would help increase satiety and prevent overeating. So you can still eat bread, but you just need to choose the right type.

5. Barley

A cup of barley contains 6 grams of fiber. This amazing grain doesn’t only keep you feeling full for longer, but also helps to quell inflammation, and lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Your daily allowance of this food should be a quarter cup.

Conclusion

It’s important that you don’t take too much of any of these foods. If you don’t know how much is too much for you, it won’t be such a bad idea to visit a dietitian.

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Belly fat is one of the most dangerous kind of fat and contrary to popular belief, crunches and other abdominal exercises don’t really help reduce belly fat. Instead, they only make the muscles around the abdominal region bigger and stronger, but these muscles can’t be noticed until the fat around the area is gone for good.

So, if you’re reading this article because you have decided to get rid of all that fat in your belly, you have made a smart decision and we will show you 5 clever tips that will help you achieve your goal. Read on for the details:

Avoid Sugar

Diet is the single most important physical factor for losing belly fat and sugar should be considered number one on your list of foods to not eat, as it has a high amount of calories. Avoiding sugar or reducing the amount of sugar you take into your system will go a long way in helping you reduce your belly fat and instead of using sugar for your morning coffee or tea, try sprinkling some cinnamon. Cinnamon has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar. It also slows the rate at which food exits the stomach, which helps you feel fuller longer.

Drink Green Tea

Green tea helps to kick your metabolism into gear, thanks to its thermogenic properties. It contains a substance known as epigallocatechin gallate (eggg) which helps your body make better use of a naturally occurring hormone called norepinephrine. The main metabolism effect of norepinephrine is that it sends signals to your body, telling it to start breaking down fat cells and using their stored energy. So if you’re getting any regular exercise, you should try taking hot or cold green tea to kick your fat-burning regimen into overdrive.

Eat More Protein and Fibre

The body starts to produce more insulin as people age, and insulin promotes fat storage, especially around the belly. A diet high in protein may protect you against insulin resistance. In one study, obese women who followed a diet for eight weeks that was roughly 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat lost significantly more fat—including visceral pudge—than women who stuck to a plan that was 16% protein, 55% carbs, and 26% fat.

Go Jogging

Aerobic exercises generally, are known for burning calories. Jogging in at the other hand, is the most efficient aerobic exercise to help you drop some pounds. Research has found out that when you start jogging consistently, the first portion of your body that that gets affected is the tummy. Try jogging not only regular surfaces, but also on stairs. Consistency is the most important key in this exercise. It is one thing to start and another thing to continue what you’ve started. So make sure you find a good way to keep this exercise consistent. Get yourself a trainer if possible.

Sleep Well

Not having enough sleep can increase your body’s visceral fat level. When you’re tired you produce more ghrelin, which triggers cravings for sugar and other fat-building foods. Losing sleep can also alter your body’s hormone production, affecting your cortisol levels and causing insulin sensitivity by so doing, and insulin insensitivity is one of the prime reasons for belly fat accumulation. Getting about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do to achieve your goal of burning belly fat.

Conclusion

Most people make the mistake of focusing on just sit ups when trying to lose belly fat, but there is a lot more to it than that. Follow these six tips with regularity, and in no time, you’ll see some major differences in the amount of body fat on in your belly.