The expression ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ may be a gym bunny’s favourite quote, but alas it’s true. It is thought that diet accounts for up to 70% of fitness, and that includes the visibility of abdominal muscles.
Strong, visible abdominal muscles are one of the most popular areas of the body for developing. Not only do they help to create a visually healthy and fit physique, but having a strong core helps to improve your posture, protect your body from injury and really helps with every other type of physical movement.
Hours of crunches aren’t going to give you a visible six-pack though. We all have abdominal muscles, but the number one key to making them visible is a clean diet. Sufficient cardiovascular exercise helps to burn body fat, while abs and core exercises help to strengthen and build the muscles.
Foods to Build abs:
The best foods for building abs are natural, whole foods, low in simple carbs and high in amino acids, fibre, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. These are the foods I focus on for meals and snacks when I want to strip back body fat and build up my abs:
Leafy green vegetables
Quinoa
Almonds and almond butter
Lentils
Berries
Chickpeas
Vegan protein powder
Hemp Seeds
Broccoli
Avocado
You’ll find that these foods crop up in a lot of my Eat Yourself Beautiful and Eat Yourself Fit recipes!