5 Skinny Beach Snacks
Sarah-Jane Bedwell,SELF magazine
If you want to look great at the beach this summer, you'll want to make snack on these slimming foods before you hit the sand. Eating the right foods before you go and while you're there can be the difference between having a bloated belly and feeling trim. So add these snacks to your beach bag!
Related: Shed Pounds Without Starving
Low-fat yogurt. Yogurt contains good bacteria called probiotics that can help to reduce the bad bacteria in your intestines responsible for belly bloating. Already a bit bloated? Try topping your yogurt with crystallized ginger, which can help banish bloating once it's begun.
Hummus with veggies. Not only will the protein, fiber, and healthy fat in hummus help you feel more satisfied so you eat less (eating too much before donning your bathing suit is never a good idea), hummus is also made from slimming garbanzo beans. Adding beans to your diet regularly will help you look great this summer, as studies show that bean eaters weigh less and have slimmer stomachs.
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Water with mint and lime. Drinking plenty of water is important to banish bloating because when you are dehydrated, your body actually retains water. A good rule of thumb is that if your pee is light in color you are hydrated, but if it is darker (close to apple juice color), you are dehydrated. Adding mint and lime to your water not only adds flavor, but compounds in mint seem to help reduce gassiness.
Pineapple. Not only is this the perfect cool, refreshing treat to eat by the pool or on the beach, pineapple also contains an enzyme called bromelain, which promotes good digestion and helps to break up foods that are harder to digest, reducing their bloating effect.
Related: 20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
Whole-grain crackers. If you are snacking on crackers, chips, or cereal as you loung, you'll want to double check the ingredient list and look for a whole grain listed first. That's because studies show that people who eat whole grains have less belly fat than lose who eat refined grains (which may appear on the ingredient list as enriched flour).
And of course, with any snack you chose, be mindful of your portion size as eating too much of anything can lead to fat gain. Now, go hit the beach!
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