1 Missing Link to Flat, Firm, and Fabulous Abs
by Kathy Smith
There’s more to killer abs than just exercise and abdominal crunches. Turns out that there’s a direct relationship between a healthy digestive system and your overall look, too. Not only does what you eat affect whether or not you pack on pounds, but what you eat can also impact how your digestive system works, how it processes and eliminates waste effectively, as well as how it helps support the surrounding muscles and tissue.Don’t you love when you notice the results from working out and eating healthier? You catch a glimpse of new definition in your arms and your legs and all the effort is worth it. But if you’re still noticing some tummy jiggle, you’re not alone. And one potential solution might surprise you.
Abs and an Upset Stomach
Gas, cramps, bloating, general aches and pains, and even a distended abdomen are common complaints. What’s happening inside your body is gut inflammation from food allergies and food intolerance.
Here’s that potential solution I mentioned: The greater the level of inflammation in your digestive system, the greater the likelihood that your abdominal muscles will not respond to exercise.
Why?
Well, when you’ve got a stomach that’s inflamed, giving you pain, that inflammation can affect the abdominal muscles that are supposed to be stabilizing your core. In other words, those pain impulses that come from your digestive system can result in weakness and more pain in those regions of the abdominal wall. And when those muscles become weak or disabled due to your (sick) digestive system, they aren’t much help to you and they won’t respond very well to your attempts to work them.
Just about any problem you might have in your digestive tract is called a “digestive disorder” – indigestion, heartburn, or simply an upset stomach. Highly processed, poor-quality foods and fast food don’t make the situation any better.
A Diet That Agrees With Your Core
You know you have to make good choices when it comes to food, beverage, and getting proper exercise. It can be a challenge to eat well and exercise for purposes of losing or maintaining your ideal weight. But I bet you’ve never thought about how your digestive system can change the way your core responds to exercise.
The goal is to get the internal workings of your core to be in harmony with the rest of your body so when you perform a core workout, and work those abs, you see the rewards in a tighter, flatter belly. And you can accomplish that with some slight changes to your diet.
The Cleveland Clinic offers the following suggestions:
• Eat at least 7 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
• Choose whole grains whenever possible.
• Limit consumption of higher fat meats like beef, pork, lamb, and processed meats.
• Cook by steaming, poaching, stewing, braising and boiling more often. Avoid fried foods.
• Spicy foods, alcohol, soft drinks (including zero-calorie soft drinks), corn and dairy products are the foods that the majority of people have problems with. Review your intake of these items and completely eliminate them to determine if they could be causing digestion problems.
• Drink lots of water! Dehydration leads to a host of problems. Being fully loaded with water will also allow you to get the most of your workout.
And of course, don’t forget to keep up with your exercise and abdominal work routine. The road to a flat belly entails a combination of efforts. You’ll not only look better, but you’ll feel better, too!
Try this 5-minute crunch-free ab routine from my Flat Abs over 40 Program as a way to maintain your workout routine while you take a closer look at your digestive health:
Purchase Kathy Smith's Total Body Turnaround complete workout (clip above) HERE.
Comments