The Color Diet: Eat Colorful Foods for Belly Fat Loss

nagina-abdullah

Nagina Abdullah

MOLECULAR & CELL
BIOLOGY, UC BERKELEY

August 8, 2018

Eat by colors -what to eat to lose belly fat

Remember paint by numbers? I used to marvel as the seemingly blank page took its form as a beautiful painting, thanks to the numbers telling me which colors to put where. Sometimes deciding what to eat can feel like staring at a blank page, especially when you’re thinking over what to eat to lose belly fat. Eat by colors what to eat to

To make eating for belly fat burning easier, I came up with a color diet, a color-coded system to help myself remember which colors to look for at the grocery store. It reminds me of painting by numbers as a kid, since it’s like an easy-to-read map that gives me a framework.

Belly fat isn’t just embarrassing, it’s a serious health risk. You can learn more about the dangers of belly fat (and a great spice to counteract it) here. If you’ve been wanting to prioritize eating to lose belly fat, but it seems like a lot of work, this post is for you! I made a fun, easy system for you.

The Color Diet That Will Help With Belly Fat Loss!

Cayenne pepper for weight loss and other wonderful health benefits.

Eat Your Reds

When you’re scanning mounds of brightly colored produce, look for bright and dark red. Surprisingly, red fruits have more nutrients called anthocyanins that specifically calm fat-storage genes. (1,2) Look for Red Delicious or Pink Lady apples, strawberries, red grapes, and blueberries (hey, they’re purple which is almost red).

While you’re looking for red, also grab a couple hot red peppers, either fresh or ground. They have curcumin which is one of the most powerful belly fat burning compounds on earth.

Bright red cayenne is a top belly fat torch! Get a Cayenne Cheat Sheet here with 5 ideas for adding more cayenne to your food (it doesn’t have to be painfully hot!). And check out my post to learn more about capsaicin for weight loss.

Eat your Greens

Avocados are a dearly beloved fruit. Green, fatty (the good kind), and famous for being smeared onto fancy toast. Their monounsaturated fats reduce hunger and keep you satisfied for longer and also block belly fat storage. (1) Any time you can slice up half an avocado into your salad or lentil dish, do it. Or make a big green bowl of guacamole to dip cucumber slices into.

Leafy greens, broccoli and other green veggies are also full of fiber that satiates you and keeps digestion healthy. A happy digestive tract is one of the keys to a fired up metabolism and less bloating.

Use green veggies in these popular meal plans, complete with recipes and storage ideas.

Easy Spicy VEGETARIAN One-Week Meal Plan

Easy Spicy VEGAN One-Week Meal Plan

Easy Spicy PALEO One Week Meal Plan

Eat Your Browns

Brown nuts and seeds keep your blood sugar levels steady with stabilizing protein. People who snack on nuts have lower abdominal fat than people who snack on carbs. (4)

Flax seeds and chia seeds are another great source of fiber, to regulate digestion and even burn belly fat. They contain a different kind of fiber than vegetables called soluble fiber. It creates bulk in your digestive tract to really clean in out and also slows the release of simple sugars into the bloodstream. (5)

Beans and lentils are another great source of soluble fiber and slow-burning energy (6) Though most legumes are brownish, lentils also come in green, red and yellow!

Eat Your Whites  

Fish, chicken, eggs are all excellent protein sources. Eating enough protein is one of the biggest factors in feeling sustained and combating belly fat (7).

Mushrooms (both white and brown) are high in Vitamin D. Low Vit D is linked to extra belly fat. (8) Coconut oil is a healthy white fat that reduces belly fat and stabilizes blood sugar. (9) A few ways to use more coconut oil are to grease the pan (instead of using butter) when cooking eggs, put it in your favorite green smoothies, or even put a spoonful into your morning coffee.

More Belly Fat Loss Tips: Drink These!

Drink Clear (but flavorful!)

Detox water is a staple in my house and for my coaching clients. It’s so easy to make, incredibly refreshing. Here’s an excellent a fat-burning and blood sugar regulating detox water from Sofab Food.

Fat burner detox spa drink

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 9 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lage grapefruit
  • 1 large lemon,
  • 1 large orange
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • Filtered water

Instructions
 

  • Slice fruits into circles, with peels on.
  • Grate your ginger.
  • Add into a large vessel, fill to the top with filtered water, and let steep overnight on the counter.
  • Drink all day and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

You can make up your own versions of detox waters by slicing up one or two of your favorite low-sugar fruits, like strawberries and lemons, etc. Add fresh mint or rosemary sprigs for extra detoxing points and flavor.

It’s so good! In the morning, fill up your BPA free water bottle and hit the road refreshed.

Meal planning with these fabulously colored foods can be easy! Here are some posts to help + make your life easier.

Beginners How-To Guide for Easy Meal Planning

BPA Free Soup Containers & Food Storage for Meals

The Ultimate Guide on How to Lose Weight Without Exercise

Rainbow of Teas

Especially those made with antioxidant spices, like turmeric tea or ginger tea help disarm inflammation, boost your metabolism, and flatten your belly. Turmeric tea is bright yellow and ginger tea is a light golden color. This cinnamon tea recipe, a slightly reddish brown, will also show you similar health benefits.

Herbal caffeine free teas and green tea for weight loss (hot or iced) are also packed with antioxidants and metabolism boosters.

Drink Black or Tan

Coffee stimulates the colon and helps you stay regular. (10) But don’t add any sugar or sweetener in tea or coffee (even no-calorie artificial sweetener)! The sugar will cancel out the belly weight loss power of coffee. Stick to black coffee or unsweetened almond milk.

Best Belly Fat Dessert

Dark chocolate and berries together are the perfect sweet snack that actually helps reduce belly fat!

Dark chocolate (the darker the better) and berries together cause fermentation in the belly that reduces insulin resistance and inflammation. (1) Inflammation can cause excess weight and make it really hard to lose weight. The fat in the chocolate also slows the absorption of sugar in the berries.

P.S. – For more belly fat burning tips, check out the benefits of turmeric for weight loss.

Cayenne also goes great with chocolate, why not add it to chocolate cake?

For a Skinny Spice Salad Dressing recipe, get this FREE Cayenne Cheat Sheet.

Let me know if this color diet makes shopping for belly-flattening foods more fun for you! Tell me in the comments below and let me know what food or drinks are your favorites.

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Nagina Sethi Abdullah, BA, MBA

Nagina Abdullah is a health coach for middle-aged women and professionals. She coaches women to boost their metabolism naturally, shed pounds and keep them off. Her work with weight loss clients led to the creation of Masala Body, an online weight loss platform that provides an easy and accessible system that helps women sustainably lose weight. She has helped over 1200 women successfully lose from 10-80 lbs and create a sustainable lifestyle change. Nagina earned her degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley.

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