As far as Food Selection is concerned, you need a high protein and a low carbohydrate diet to facilitate great abs. Most people make the mistake of thinking that keeping their fat low is the most important component. This is not true!!
Let's talk first about protein. Good high protein and low carb foods are lean meats, fish, egg beaters and green vegetables. The first change most people need to make is to increase their daily intake of protein.
Protein is the key food fuel in eliminating body fat.
Those looking to shed body fat should increase their protein to be a minimum of one-third their total calories. Protein totals as high as 40% can be both desirable and achievable. You may need to substitute a good protein powder for breakfast or lunch. That will depend on how you commonly eat.
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Secondly, there are carbs. High carb foods include all sugar based junk foods, bread, pasta, fruit, soda and juices, vegetables such as potatoes and corn and grains such as rice.
Again, you should be aware that excess carbs are most often the real ab killers, not Fat.
Why? A couple of reasons.
First, it is hard to wildly overdo fat if you have an upper limit of carbs. Other than in meat; fat has a tendency to be holding hands with carbs in your favorite junk foods. In other words, it's tough to nibble around the carbs to get only the fat out of a Twinkie. So if you are watching your carbs, you are also limiting excessive amounts of fat.
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Second, when carbs are eaten, they stimulate insulin. A little insulin is great because it sends fuel to the muscles, but too much insulin and the fuel calories start piling up in the fat cells. Worse, high insulin also skyrockets the enzyme, lipoprotein lipase, and you think you are starving. When insulin is controlled by lower carbs and higher protein, the body taps stored fat for energy. Yes, low carb eating plans increase ketones. But is that really so bad? Ketones are a normal byproduct of fat oxidation. If I am trying to lean out and define, I want to be MILDLY ketonic. Ketones can be used for energy and will help to spare my muscle tissue. Ketones have also been found to send quieting signals to our appetite center in the hypothalamic region of the brain and make us feel remarkable satisfied.
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