Eat Your Way to Delicious Abs

Trimming your waistline is not solely a journey in vanity. A strong core is actually the foundation of good health. Having excess abdominal fat is an extreme health risk that is actually akin to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, even if you are at a normal weight for your height.  If most of your fat is around your waist rather than at your hips, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk goes up with a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men.

Photo Credit: Harvard Health

Waist to Hip Ratio is actually the best indicator of body fat distribution—it looks at the proportion of fat stored on your waist, hips and buttocks.

WHR = Waist Circumference divided by Hip Circumference.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), abdominal obesity is defined as a Waist to Hip Ratio of >0.85 for females and >0.90 for males. For men and women, a WHR of 1 or higher is considered to be an indicator of high risk for heart disease and other problems associated with being overweight (breathing problems, high blood pressure, gallstones, diabetes, etc).

A trim waistline and strong core will also lead to decreased lower back pain, greater balance and endurance, as well as improved posture.

Doing 1000 crunches and 2 hours of aerobic exercise per day won’t help you see your abdominal muscles any faster if you don’t make the right changes to your diet–that’s right, the majority of ab work is done in the kitchen. You CANNOT outrun, outsculpt, outpressup, outHIIT a bad diet, no matter how hard you try.

Luckily for us, we are not condemned to a lifetime of bland meals or extreme restrictive “diets” to achieve good ab health and strengthened core muscles. Far from it! In fact, you get better, more sustainable results when you focus more on adding more healthy food groups to your diet than on eliminating not so healthy food groups entirely. Eat more vegetables, nuts, fruits, lean protein, legumes and healthy fats; cut back on processed foods, sugar and refined grains. What are refined grains? White Rice, White Bread, White Pasta–they have been stripped of many nutrients and key fiber that are so very useful for optimal digestive health. You don’t have to do keto or extreme low carb diets–you just need to swap refined grains for whole grains (Brown Rice, Wheat/Multigrain Bread, Whole Wheat Pasta).  Moderation (Portion-Control) is also absolutely crucial–too much of even healthy foods is very bad. Of note: Regular aerobic exercise and strength training are also essential to fat loss and strengthened core muscles.

So here are 10 delicious,  healthy and filling meals that have helped me keep a steady pace of fat loss and much trimmer waistline–I am even starting to see some hints of abdominal musculature (WHATTTTT!?!?!?!)

1. Grilled Salmon (4-6 ounces), Cabbage Corn (1 cup) and Black Bean Salad (1/2 cup)
2. Quinoa (1/2 cup), Brown Beans (1.5 cups), Nigerian Stew–Tomato Sauce (3/4 cup), Sauteed Spinach (1 cup), Baked Jerk Chicken Wings (3-4 wings)
3. Asian-style chopped salad kit [savoy and green cabbage, romaine lettuce, carrot, celery, green onions, cilantro, sliced almonds and wonton strips]–1.5 to 2 cups; Sesame Dressing; Chipotle Grilled Chicken (4-6 ounces); Boiled Eggs (1-2 medium sized); Slices of Papaya (PawPaw)–1/2 to 1 cup.
4. Plain Whole Milk Kefir (1 cup), High Key Keto Granola–cinnamon almond (1/4 cup), Grape-Nuts Cereal (1/4 cup), Mixed Berries (1/2 cup) or Mango slices (1/2 cup), Bell and Evans Baked Chicken Strips (2-3 strips)
5. Cauliflower Fufu (1-2 cups of blended Cauliflower cooked in a saucepan and combined with 2 tablespoons of psyllium husk powder); Nigerian Efo Riro (Green, fish, stockfish, chicken, tomatoes, palm oil, herbs and spices)–1 to 1. 5 cups.
6. Asaro (Nigerian Yam Porridge)–1/2 cup, Nigerian Brown Beans Porridge (1 cup); sauteed spinach (1 cup), stewed Tilapia and or stewed Chicken (1 piece each).
7. Blackened Salmon (4-6 ounces), Cole Slaw(1 cup), curry brown rice (1/2 to 1 cup), pineapple salsa (1/2 cup).
8. Turkey Chili (ground turkey, onions, spices, dark red kidney beans)–1.5 cups, shredded cheese–1/4 to 1/2 cup, green onions, Multigrain Tortilla Chips (10-15 chips)
9. Nigerian Unripe Plantain Porridge (green plantains, fish, spinach or collard greens)–1.5 to 2 cups, stewed fish and/or stewed chicken (1 piece each)
10. Low Carb Breakfast Sandwich–Keto biscuits, chicken sausage patties, cheddar cheese (1 slice), fried egg, chipotle aioli

Here are some 120 to 250 calorie snacks that are tasty, filling, and healthy:

1. Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers 0.8 oz bag–120 calories (YUMMY!!!)
2. Sahale Snack Pomegranate Vanilla Flavoured Cashews–1.5 ounces (220 calories) (DELISH!!!)
3. KIND Snacks Dark Chocolate, Nuts, and Sea Salt Bar–1 bar (200 calories) (TASTY!!!)
4. Firehook Multigrain Flax Mediterranean Crackers with 1 tablespoon of Almond Butter or Peanut Butter, or 1/4 cup of Tuna Salad (SHOWSTOPPER!!!)
5. Karma Nuts Toasted Coconut Roasted Cashews–1.5 ounces (160 calories) (HEAVENLY!!!) **Optional–mix with Mitica Crunchy Quicos (Toasted Giant Corn Nuts) 3/4 oz 100 calories
6. FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD Multigrain Chips 1.5 ounces (210 calories) with Chunky Salsa (3 tablespoons 30 calories) (UMMMM!!!)

Feel free to throw in any of these high volume fruits (meaning, fruits with high water content that are naturally lower calorie and lower glycemic index): Lemons, Limes, Grapefruits, Oranges, Canteloupes, Watermelon, Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries).

Photo credit: http://www.joannasoh.com/

When you do that which is in your control to optimize important health parameters such as your waist size, you will not just look your best– you will also feel your best while living your best life as your body will start to function at its peak potential.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and your favourite healthy meal/snack recommendations . Please share them in the comment section below and let’s grow together, building a strong community of lifelong learners.

Love,

Chichi