If you have been doing abdominal exercises, it is very important to consider proper nutrition as part of your health regimen. As one of the most controversial topics as far as human health is concerned, sufficient knowledge of nutritional foods is essential. Considering the fact that many so-called “health products” and food supplements are flooding the market today, it is paramount that you know how to distinguish good products from the bad, especially when you plan to lose belly fat so that you can get six pack abs. It is surprising that with the discovery of new knowledge regarding nutrients and human body metabolism, old theories regarding nutrition are being challenged. One of the issues is the fact about dietary and saturated fats.

Doing abdominal exercises such as standing abdominal exercises and lower abdominal exercises will not be helpful if you have limited knowledge about healthy fatty foods

What are fats? The popular definition of fats is a group of compounds that are generally insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. This means that fats do not combine with water, but will combine with other compounds. We tend to think that the term “fats” only refers to fatty animal tissues such as beef, chicken and pork. Actually, the word “fats” also include plant oils and fish oils. As a whole, some fats are edible while others are inedible.

Are all saturated fats harmful to the body? The answer is no. While there are harmful saturated fats such as pork fat, there are also beneficial saturated fats such as butter, cheese, coconut oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, as well as chocolate. Good saturated fats (also called dietary fats) are indeed essential to your body’s growth, development, and function. They aid in the development of muscles (especially when you do your abs workout in order to get six pack abs), maintenance of hormone production, absorption of vitamins and minerals, formation of reserved sources of energy, repair of damaged tissues, as well as microbial function. You may be surprised about this, but healthy saturated fatty foods can actually help you lose belly fat. The truth about good and bad fatty foods is that they have the same chemical component. It is only their molecular structures that are different. Are all animal fats detrimental to your health? No. According to one of the leading fat researchers in the world, Dr. Mary Enig, a high-fat diet is not a bad thing as long as it comes from natural and unprocessed sources fat. It was only the time when Western dietary habits were introduced in their places when they experienced cholesterol-related problems. However, those who preferred their old way of life and ancient dietary habits are undeniably healthy.

Unfortunately, these processed fat products are the ones that are commonly found in our food today ranging from hotdogs to noodles. It is no wonder why people who prefer traditional meals have typical long lifespan while those who consumed mainly commercialized foodstuffs develop serious health problems such as cancer, heart disease, as well as degenerative illnesses. They have lower belly fat and they have to do intensive abs workouts in order to lose stomach fat.

I know that you are excited to know which fatty foods are good for you. Let me give you examples of these food products that are made up of beneficial saturated fat that will help you lose belly fat.

1. Olive oil (extra virgin oil). This is the secret why people who are living in the Mediterranean areas enjoy delicious meat dishes yet live healthy lives. Hey, wait! This is not the usual olive oil that you find in most supermarkets today. This extra virgin olive oil is healthier than the typical olive oil product because it is extracted using traditional methods such as presses, so what you see is what you actually get. On the other hand, the usual processing method of typical olive oil companies is to extract the oil using harmful solvents. The best way to determine if the product is genuine extra virgin olive oil is to look at the label as indicated. As far as buying olive oil is concerned, it is preferable to choose those that are imported from Mediterranean countries such as Greece or Spain. Most of the products that come from these areas typically use the traditional method of pressing olives to extract the oil. These are healthier and safer since these are composed of 71% monounsaturated fats, 16% saturated fats, and 13% polyunsaturated fats. You should integrate virgin olive oil in your diet in conjunction with your belly fat exercises to get satisfactory results in your ab workout.

2. Coconut fat. People who are living in tropical countries, particularly in the islands in the Pacific Ocean, have been enjoying the benefits of the coconut trees for the past thousands of years. The “miracle fruit”, which is coconut, is a classified as a very healthy natural fat in spite of the fact that it is made up of 92% saturated fat. In addition, it is also composed of 65% medium change triglycerides, particularly lauric acid, which has antibacterial properties. If you want to gain the benefits of this “miracle fruit”, try using virgin coconut oil when cooking. This is because coconut oil does not produce harmful free radicals when exposed to heat, making your food healthier. It is also a good idea to use sugar that is extracted from dried coconut fat as a substitute for regular, sugarcane-sourced sugar.

3. Seeds. Special mention here is given to seeds that are used as healthy food ingredients or snacks. These are sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. As you can see, these products have high content of polyunsaturated fats that are now popularly known as omega-3. In time, you will be able to lose lower belly fat if you make this a part of your diet.

4. Nuts. Instead of munching your favorite potato chips or French fries, why not shift your snack-food into something healthier? Peanuts, macadamias, almonds, cashews, and walnuts are the way to go! These delicious nuts are excellent sources of polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, as well as minerals and other nutrients. After doing your lower abdominal exercises during your abs workout, you tend to get hungry. Eating raw nuts not only satisfies your hunger, but it also helps you lose stomach fat. It also helps build your muscles due to the high protein content of nuts. Try it! Just keep in mind to eat only raw or dry roasted nuts. Don’t buy the ones that are cooked in oil because the process destroys the chemical structure of saturated fatty acids.

5. Healthy animal fats. Animal fat is actually good for your health, provided that it is not consumed excessively, and it should come from organically raised animals. The reason why commercialized animal fat products are harmful is due to the presence of synthetic chemicals found in the fatty tissues of these animals. Engage in ab workouts regularly to eliminate unwanted fats and to get six pack abs.

6. Avocados or guacamole. Avocados are very healthy sources of saturated fats and fiber. It is composed of 25% saturated fats. You can prepare avocado or guacamole desserts anytime of the day. However, the most delicious serving is the avocado shake, which is blended with just the right amount of sugar and skimmed milk.

7. High-fat fish diet. Fishes such as mackerel, wild salmon, sardines, herring, and trout are examples of fishes with high polyunsaturated fat content, known as omega-3. These fatty acids help you eliminate lower belly fat. Make them a part of your diet.

8. Dark, bittersweet chocolate. Unlike the usual milk chocolate products that are found in groceries which are unhealthy, dark and bittersweet chocolate is actually good for your body. This chocolate is made up of at least 70% cocoa, which is a rich source of antioxidants. When buying chocolate products, look for the following brands: Chocolove Extra Dark, with 77% cocoa content or Dagoba New Moon, with 74% cocoa ingredient.

Examples of harmful saturated fat products

1. Refined oils. Almost all cooking oil products that are found in supermarkets today are refined; thus, these are harmful to your body even if they are made from natural ingredients and are not hydrogenated. The process of refining oil includes solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing, high pressure mixing, and heating with extremely high temperatures. Sad to say, supposedly healthy products such as sunflower oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, and canola oil have undergone these processes. As a result, the natural structure of fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, has been destroyed. This leaves a residue that is composed of harmful free radicals that cause cardiovascular diseases and develops lower belly fat in humans. So how should you choose good cooking oil products? Just look at the label of the product where you can find out about the process being used. If it is indicated “virgin oil”, “naturally pressed” or “cold expeller pressed”, you can be assured that it is safe to use.

2. Hydrogenated oils. These oils include popular grocery items such as margarine and Crisco products. Why are they harmful? It is because the process of adding pressurized hydrogen changes the chemical structure of the fatty acids. In addition, the oil undergoes heating at very high temperatures to kill bacteria, adding of industrial solvents to extract pure oil, as well as bleaching and deodorization to remove the natural odor of the oil. Consuming these products can cause health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, as evidenced by excessive lower belly fat.

3. Deep-fried food. Refined and hydrogenated oils are harmful even in small amounts. How much more if you deep fry your food using these oils? Considering the fact that potatoes and commercially-grown chicken are already laden with chemicals such as pesticides, and grower feeds respectively, the health hazards will increase. I don’t want to tell you this, but your favorite foods such as French fries, potato chips, tortillas, and fried chicken are included in this list. Even if you spend the whole day doing belly fat exercises on your abs workout, it will do you no good until you stop eating such unhealthy foods.

4. Homogenized and pasteurized milk fat. Homogenization is the process of using a pressurized system to mix milk curds, cream, and butterfat into standard liquid milk that we find in the groceries today. This is done in order to maintain the flavor and consistency of most cow milk products. However, the disadvantage of this process is due to the mixing of milk fat, making it saturated with fatty acids with damaged molecular structures. This harmful saturated fat can accumulate inside your body in the form of lower belly fat. Since it is very difficult to find such milk products, I suggest that you check out the truth about real milk for additional information on how you can buy these healthy products. In addition, you can use skim milk if you can’t find raw milk products in supermarkets. Skim milk is a good substitute since it is not homogenized compared to other commercialized milk. Furthermore, you will be glad to know that your favorite yoghurt is one of the milk by-products that you can enjoy without any health risks. I suggest that you drink raw milk, skimmed powdered or liquid milk, or yoghurt during your abs workout. Nothing replenishes your body better with so many nutrients than whole milk during your abdominal exercises.

I am sure that you will be very excited to know about these data, because this will help you achieve your dream of having six pack abs by continuing your belly fat exercises. My book, Truths About Abs is available in the internet today.