10 foods you should be eating to get a six-pack
Words: Alex Woodhall
It’s worth noting that everybody has abdominal muscles, but not everybody can see them as they’re hidden behind a barrier of fat. No matter how many sit-ups, burpees and Russian twists you do, if your eating habits don’t change nor will your physique. Simply building muscle won’t give you the Gosling-like stomach you’re craving, it’s a case of burning off the blubber before the washboard appears. The six-pack gentlemen, is made in the kitchen, not the gym – this is what you should be eating to hit that sub 10 per cent body fat.
BROCCOLI
Packed with fibre and very low in calories. The little trees are proven to fill you up and help drop some weight. Load up your dinners and lunches with them as well as other greens such as kale, spinach and green beans.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potato is a proven low-GI food, a category that are essential for controlling blood sugar levels and metabolising fat more efficiently. Replace your regular potato intake with these for a small change that packs big results.
APPLES
Fruits can be a silent weight gainer, especially when over-consuming, the high sugar content proving detrimental. An apple a day though, as the adage says, keeps the doctor and fat away, as the high level of antioxidant polyphenols go some way to preventing fat storage.
GREEN TEA
Fluid intake is vital, especially calorie free liquids, water and green tea above all as you won’t have to scale back food to compensate for liquid calories. Green tea has a range of health benefits, but crucially it supports metabolic rate, causing your body to burn more calories, helping those abs appear quicker.
CHILLI PEPPERS
Another metabolic supporter, the element that gives the food its heat – capsaicin – is responsible for speeding your metabolism up by creating heat and raising body temperature. Hence why it’s often preached that spicy foods help you lose weight.
BLUEBERRIES
A bona fide superfood rich in fibre, antioxidants and vitamin C. Have these with your breakfast or as a snack to help give your metabolism a kick – they help to inhibit the formation of new fat cells, although that’s not to say you should eat them by the literal truck load.
TURKEY
Those hours spent in the gym with the goal of sculpting your stomach won’t count for much if your protein levels are poor. 9 calories per pound of body weight is the goal and will help stop lean muscle mass loss that comes with a low calorie diet. You should be eating turkey more than just for a week in December. It’s worth 29g of protein per 100g, but also has a host of other nutritional benefits. Not only is it very lean but loaded with niacin, selium, B vitamins, zinc and tryptophan.
PUMPKIN SEEDS
You shouldn’t just be getting all of your protein from a single source, cycled intake will give you a wider range of subsequent benefits and dietary goodness. Toss out the midday snacks of crisps and the like for nuts and seeds – pumpkin seeds contain 33g of protein per 100g – although you only want to be taking around half that at most per portion.
SALMON
Salmon is packed full of healthy fats and oils as well as being a solid source of protein (20g per 100g), not to mention being rich in vitamins, particularly B-6, B-12 and crucially magnesium. Magnesium controls cortisol levels, a hormone which when spiked leads to fat storage – hardly ideal when getting beach body ready.
MUSHROOMS
They’ll add low-calorie bulk to meals, helping you stay fuller for longer, beating off the late night cravings that can come after dinner and prove a nightmare when trying to shed fat.
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
