The Best Belly-Flattening Drinks That ice-cold lemonade may hit the spot on a 90-degree day, but it’s not doing your waistline any favors. A 20-ounce Minute Maid Lemonade contains 250 calories and 68 g of sugar. Fortunately, there are plenty of refreshing summer sips that you can drink without guilt—and they may actually help you lose weight. Here are six ways to quench your thirst without packing on pounds: 1. Flat Belly Drink: Flavored Water Staying hydrated is important when you’re trying to trim down. Drinking plenty of water helps your body maintain proper fluid balance, stops water retention (a big cause of bloated bellies), and even increases the feeling of fullness so you eat less overall. But if plain water bores you, spruce it up with fresh herbs, citrus fruits, and other low-cal flavor enhancers (sliced cucumbers work well too) to encourage you to drink up. 2. Flat Belly Drink: Watermelon Smoothie As long as they’re made without sugary mixers like sherbet, smoothies are a guilt-free way to hydrate—and watermelon is a terrific, low-cal smoothie base. Not only is it a natural hydrator because of its water content, watermelon is also loaded with nutrients, including cancer-fighting lycopene, as well as an amino acid known as arginine. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that arginine can decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass, so whip up this 56-calorie metabolism booster and sip away! 3. Flat Belly Drink: Iced Peppermint Tea This minty thirst quencher is super refreshing on a hot summer day, but it’s also a supereffective belly flattener. Peppermint tea helps your stomach process fat, ensuring even high-fat foods like burgers and steaks are digested quickly, which helps prevent bloat. 4. Flat Belly Drink: Pineapple Frappe This blended pineapple drink tastes like a beach vacation in a glass—and it packs in two belly-flattening ingredients. A tablespoon of flaxseed oil adds monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), proven belly flatteners, and pineapple itself contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps break down protein, ease digestion, and banish bloat. 5. Flat Belly Drink: Green Tea Besides reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease, green tea contains catechins, antioxidants that studies show can help reduce belly fat. If you sip green tea before a workout, these compounds can also increase your fat burn during aerobic exercise. 6. Flat Belly Drink: Dark Chocolate Shake Really? Yes, really. Chocolate—especially the dark kind—helps you slim you down because it decreases appetite and lessens food cravings overall. However, at nearly 400 calories, this shake is more of a meal than a snack. Try it for a quick breakfast to keep your appetite tamed for hours. Chocolate Smoothie Recipe Makes one serving 4 ice cubes 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 ripe banana 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s Special Dark) 2 teaspoons agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey Pulse ice cubes in blender to crush. Add milk, banana, cocoa, and agave nectar and blend until frothy. Serve immediately. 193 calories, 5.6 g fat, 3.2 g saturated fat, 36.4 g carbohydrates, 25.3 g sugar, 6.7 g protein, 5.2 g fiber, 54 mg sodium, 6 Points+
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:33:27 +0000
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