SHORT of telling you to hit the gym daily or do 1,500 abdominal crunches at home, here are some tips to keep that tummy of yours as flat as possible.

Diet
Restrict—The fastest and surest way to shed off flab in your abdominal area is to restrict calories. Food withdrawal has an instant slimming effect. The number one rule is to eat less of everything except vegetables. Therefore, if you consume one cup of rice (or its equivalent in terms of carbohydrates like bread or pasta) every meal time, cut the carbo by half and remove the rice at night. Thus, from the original three cups daily, you are down to one cup.
Sugar restriction—While it’s something we all know to be true (because sugar turns to fat so quickly), this regimen is one of the most challenging to adopt. Gentle suggestion, instead of finishing that generous slice of cheesecake, have a sliver. My rule: Not more than three teaspoons of anything sweet, and only if you have had a generous helping of greens before the meal. It’s a balancing act of sorts.

Whey—A by-product of milk and cheese, whey is considered the gold standard of protein. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine recommended whey to his patients while citing its benefits:
o Immune helper—It contains immunoglobulin.
o Keeps the body lean—especially during exercise. This is the time when it delivers bio-available amino acids and cysteine.
o Keeps blood pressure within the normal range by promoting vascular health.
o Muscle gain—promotes muscle development.
o Metabolism booster
Whey contains leucine (the muscle builder), glutathione (it contains the precursors of this master antioxidant) and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), the healthy kind of omega-6 fatty acid.
Let’s focus on CLA—the best source is from grass-fed cows. This is the kind of whey you should take which contains the safe CLA. Warning: Not all high-protein shakes contain the best CLA. Some are sourced from unnaturally fed cows on grain-based diets. Others come from altering safflower and sunflowers oils which makes them unhealthy.

Protein boosters
Whey would be number one on the list of high-protein natural sources. The question is, how much protein can one consume daily? If so, what is the limit?
Proteins are vital for building, maintaining and repairing tissue like the skin, organs and muscles.
The truth is, as one ages, the more protein is needed by the body. This is because the human body’s ability to process protein declines. The recommended consumption of protein is one gram of protein per kilogram of lean body mass (not the total body weight). If this is too complicated, then limit protein intake to 30 percent of your daily diet.

Fasting
There is always a safe way to fast. Help experts believe that eating less can result in better health. An overworked digestive system stressed by bingeing could use a little break once in a while.
No need to skip a meal. Simply try to reduce your food intake. This is a good start.

Flattening tips
1. Contract. Whenever possible and convenient, tuck in that tummy. When seated or standing you can do your casual contractions as often as you can. Tuck in, push out.
2. The number 3. In order to keep blood sugar levels stable, take a protein bar at 3 p.m. In fact, according to Health.com, the practice of eating every 3-4 hours assures you of a metabolism that is regularly energized.

3. Crunches. There is nothing like abdominal crunches you can do at home. Sit-ups with the use of a stability ball can also prevent pressure on the spine.

4. Zero sugar. The less sugar you eat, the lower your insulin. The end result is a higher glucagon level. Glucagon is a hormone which burns fat.

5. Chew 18-20 times. The better you chew, the less taxing it is on your digestive system. When food is digested well, you are less prone to indigestion and gas.

6. Avoid bloating. Maybe your salt consumption is high. Replace regular table salt with sea salt. There is less sodium in sea salt than the synthetic, commercial variety.

7. Improve your posture. Keep your spine straight. Walk tall. If you slouch, then the tendency is for you tummy to stick out.
8. Eat healthy. Whatever you eat, think lean. Therefore if you reduce carbohydrates and sugar, the rest of the healthy stuff will fall into place.

9. Laughter yoga. Every time you have a hearty laugh, you exercise your stomach muscles. But you cannot wait around for something funny to laugh at. You can, according to Paolo Trinidad of Pinoy Laughter Yoga, get into the habit of laughing every day. (www.pinoylaughteryoga.com)

10. Gym. There is nothing like a programmed workout in the gym. It guarantees a well-defined and strong body.

This week’s affirmation:
“Every day I attract goodness in my life.”
Love and light!

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