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If you are trying to lose some belly fat, smoothies are an excellent addition to your diet to support your goals. They make sense for many people on the go because they are fast to whip up.
But of course, what you add to your smoothie is really important if you are trying to target your belly fat. You should think about adding yogurt, whole fruit, protein and nut butters to the smoothie to target your belly fat even faster.
- Protein:Â The smoothie you make should have some type of protein for an even more steady blood sugar level, said Ruth. This will help you prevent an insulin increase, which essentially will cause your body to store even more fat in the stomach.
- Fruit, such as oranges or strawberries: These fruits have vitamin C, which research has shown plays a large role in helping to stabilize cortisol levels. “When cortisol levels are high, it can make your body want to hold onto extra weight and not let go of it,” says Ruth.
- Yogurt:Â Adding a little yogurt could help boost levels of the healthy gut bacteria, which some research shows might play a role in where and how much your body stores the fat.
- Almond or Peanut butter: These have large amounts of magnesium, which might help reduce cortisol levels, says Ruth.
Looking for a few new recipes that will help you target your belly fat? Here are three of our favorites.
1 — Berry-Avocado Smoothie
This smoothie is plant-based and is technically paleo that includes 3 kinds of berries (blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) with a milk base that is cashew. When you are looking to burn extra belly fat faster, it is important to pick the right liquid base for the smoothie your making, which is why we suggest cashew milk and not a fruit juice.
Fruit juice isn’t the same as a whole fruit and could also contain a lot of sugar. “I prefer the plant-based milk or normal milk for the smoothie base. This is because fruit juice could contain about 36 gm of sugar each cup,” said Ruth. “Once you combine this with all the extra fruit inside the smoothie, it is like a one-way ticket to a huge insulin dump. Plus, all the sweetness in fruit juice comes from high fructose, which studies have shown is linked with the development of additional belly fat.”
2 —Â Chocolate Tofu Smoothie
Do not be freaked out by the tofu in this smoothie –it adds a great protein punch, and the added mushrooms (i.e. adaptogens) will provide you some additional immune support and better sleep cycle regulation.
3 — Paleo Green Creamy Smoothie
The addition of the flaxseeds in this avocado and spinach smoothie will help you feel fuller for longer and add extra health benefits. Flaxseeds contain high amounts of lignans, which are compounds that are plant-based and give amazing health benefits in preventing cancer and helping to balance hormones.
