Flat Belly Cookbook For Dummies® White Bean and Tomato Pesto Pizza
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Some foods and drinks can bloat your belly almost instantly by increasing gas in your digestive tract, causing your abdomen to look distended. This condition can be uncomfortable, but the good news is it’s only temporary.
“When you have an event coming up where you want your midsection to look as slim as possible, it’s usually best to avoid these foods for a few days beforehand,” says Gidus. “Keep reminding yourself how great you’re going to look in that little black dress—for most people, vanity combined with a short-term deadline is more powerful than textbooks full of information on how to achieve long-term health!”
Other foods may contain ingredients such as saturated fats and refined carbohydrates that can pack on the pounds and cause your body to accumulate belly fat, gradually expanding your waistline over time. While you probably won’t gain a large amount of weight over one holiday season (the average amount is, surprisingly, only one pound), for most Americans, that pound sticks around—and that’s where the problems start.
“When you indulge in sausage balls, fried latkes, sweet-potato-and-marshmallow casserole, fudge, eggnog, or whatever your treat of choice might be, you’re taking in calories, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and more that contribute negatively to your long-term health,” comments LaRue. “The cumulative effect can be serious, so it’s smart to limit these types of food—or avoid them altogether if you’re the super-high-willpower type.”
In Flat Belly Cookbook For Dummies®, Palinski-Wade, Gidus, and LaRue (all of whom are recognized nutrition experts) share everything you need to know to shed fat and tone your midsection. However, if you have time for only a crash course before facing off with an array of tempting holiday choices, read on to learn about seven of the biggest belly bloaters and where they’re found:
Belly Bloater # 1: Sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes that are only partially digested in your body. Because of this, they provide fewer calories per gram than regular sugar. They can also cause uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects such as bloat, gas, and diarrhea, all of which can cause your belly to look and feel distended—and which can put a major cramp in your holiday style.
“You’ll find sugar alcohol mostly in sugar-free snacks, gums, and candies,” says Palinski-Wade. “If you see ingredients such as xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol, you’ve found sugar alcohol—and you should probably move on to another choice.”
Belly Bloater # 2: High-sodium foods. Salt may not stand out as a belly bloater because it’s calorie free. But excess sodium causes your body to hold onto water weight, which leaves you feeling bloated and makes it hard to have a flat, toned midsection.
“Excessive sodium intake can do more damage than just making you look bloated, though,” notes LaRue. “In addition to the negative impact sodium has on your waistline, it can also increase blood pressure and stiffen arteries. For that reason, you should aim to keep your daily sodium intake under 2,000 mg (or under 1,500 mg per day if you have high blood pressure). So when you’re preparing your plate at the holiday office party, it may be okay to allow yourself a few bites of high-sodium hors d’oeuvres, but pile your plate up with offerings from the fruit and veggie tray so you can fill up on this healthier fare.”
Belly Bloater # 3: Refined carbohydrates. Refined carbs are everywhere you look—they’re found in white rice, white pasta, sugary cereals, enriched-flour crackers, and much more. These grains have been processed and stripped of the outermost and innermost layers of grain, leaving all the carbohydrates and calories, but little of the protein, fiber, and nutrients. While this type of processing allows grains to be digested rapidly, they provide little in the way of fullness after eating. In addition, their rapid digestion leads to spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, causing additional fat storage right where you want it least—your belly!
“Enjoy grains, but choose whole grains instead,” recommends Palinski-Wade. “Reach for brown rice over white rice, whole wheat pasta over white, and popcorn over snack chips. With a few simple changes to your grain selection, you can reduce cravings and hunger while avoiding the belly fat-storing insulin spikes that accompany refined grains.”
Belly Bloater # 4: Processed meats. Meats such as bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are high in sodium and saturated fats. Because sodium causes your body to retain excess water, this alone can bloat your belly. But combine that with a high intake of inflammation-promoting saturated fat, and you have a recipe for excess belly fat.
“Limit processed meats to special occasions and occasional treats to prevent a negative impact on your health and your belly,” Gidus suggests. “And yes, I know that’s more difficult than usual over the holidays—but not impossible. Look for lower-fat options made with turkey or chicken breast over beef and pork varieties. But keep in mind that these lower-fat options typically contain just as much sodium as the original options, so don’t overdo it!”
Belly Bloater # 5: Carbonated beverages. Carbonation is mostly just water, and it’s typically calorie free, so it seems innocent enough—especially when you’re not even consuming it in a soda!—but it can really bloat your belly.
“Because the carbonation comes from gas blended with water, when you drink a carbonated beverage, the gas can ‘puff out’ your stomach, making it appear distended and bigger than it really is,” explains Gidus. “This puffiness will last for only a few hours, but even so, avoid carbonated drinks on days when you want to look your slimmest.”
Belly Bloater # 6: Soda. Although this popular beverage is a staple in most restaurants and homes (and at most holiday parties), it’s a big belly bloater. For one thing, soda contains gas-producing carbonation. Even more potent is its main ingredient, sugar, making it a rich source of empty calories that don’t provide any fullness. And finally, soda sparks a spike in blood sugar, which is followed by an insulin spike, leading to excessive belly fat storage.
“Diet soda isn’t the solution,” warns LaRue. “In addition to including temporarily bloating carbonation, diet sodas are loaded with artificial sweeteners, which are a foreign chemical to your body. If you take in too much of an artificial ingredient, it may increase inflammation, which stores fat. In addition, some studies have linked diet soda with an increase in hunger and cravings, which can make staying on track with your meal plan a challenge.”
Belly Bloater # 7: Alcohol. Since alcohol is a source of empty calories and can actually increase your appetite, it can be a major source of weight gain and increased belly fat when consumed in excess. “You don’t need to eliminate alcohol over the holidays; just keep an eye on the quantity you consume,” says Palinski-Wade.
In addition to limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, she suggests that you follow these simple guidelines:
• Your best choice for alcohol is red or white wine, a wine spritzer, or light beer. Some alcohol can have health benefits. Red wine, for instance, is a great source of resveratrol, which has anti-inflammatory properties and may be beneficial to heart health.
• If you have a mixed drink, avoid high-calorie mixers such as soda. Instead, try mixing your drink with club soda or seltzer with a splash of juice for flavor.
• Drink alcohol at the end of the meal instead of before eating. Alcohol can stimulate appetite and lower inhibitions, resulting in your making less healthy food choices or eating larger portions.
White Bean and Tomato Pesto Pizza
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.
3. Roll the dough into a thin circle. Transfer the rolled dough onto the baking sheet.
4. In a food processor or blender, puree the beans and pesto. Spread the bean and pesto mixture on top of the dough.
5. Top the pizza with broccoli, mushrooms, and goat cheese.
6. Bake for 18 minutes or until crispy and the cheese is melted.
Per serving: Calories 293 (From Fat 96); Fat 11g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 480mg; Carbohydrate 41g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 13g.
Note: Pizza often gets a bad rap, but adding lots of vegetables and beans along with a whole-wheat crust can provide a nutritious and balanced meal.
Vary It! Get creative! Switch up the cheese, beans, or vegetables to find your unique flavor combination.
16 ounces whole-grain pizza dough
1/2 cup cannellini beans
3 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
to you by Amy Tobin
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