Abs Are Made in the Kitchen

Are you striving for that 6-pack? And I'm not talking beer here! ;) I'm talking about your abs!

I always thought the secret to getting those flat abs meant that I had to do a ton of sit-ups and crunches. I could not have been more wrong. 

Three kids, 3 c-sections later, and I have a flatter stomach than I did back in my college days when I was hitting the gym targeting those abs hard. How did I get there?! I changed what I did in the kitchen. I started eating clean and healthy. 

Did you know we all have that 6-pack of abs already? It's true! It's hidden under our belly fat. Just look at kids. You will see that they have abs, and they probably have not done a sit-up in their life.

By simply changing what you eat, you can start to break down those fatty tissues that are stored around your abs and bring out those beautiful abs of yours.

What changes do you need to make in your kitchen if you desire a flat mid-section?

• Commit! You have to make the decision to change your habits! Start eating clean. Am I saying you can't have cheat meals and treats? No! But the majority of what you eat should be clean, and when you do have treats, make sure you count those into your calorie intake and continue exercising to make up for it.
• Cut back on processed food. Cut back on store bought treats and make more of your own food. Read labels and avoiding unnatural ingredients and chemicals.
• Cut way back on white flour and refined sugar. The way they make white flour is by stripping wheat of everything useful. When picking out your flour, you want to make sure to choose whole-grain flour or sprouted-grain flour.  As for the refined sugar, that along with salt can cause extreme bloating. If you want something to sweeten up your meal, try adding honey or agave nectar. Switch your salt to sea salt.
• Add healthy fats, such as nuts, avocados and coconut oil. There is a big difference between the fat you get from avocados versus what you get from a bag of chips! Healthy fats are so good for you and a must-have in order to burn the bad fat. 
• Track calories. It's easy to forget all that you eat throughout the day. Track those calories! It's simple, you want to eat less calories than you burn. I use MyFitnessPal to track what I am burning and consuming.
• Increase water intake. Water helps flush out toxins, excess water and sodium.