You have a right to be concerned about that excess belly fat that is building up around your midriff. Here is a break down of the ten foods that you can eat that can help reduce the size of that paunch and thus reduce your risk of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart attacks.

1.    Eat More Fiber

A digestive track that is bloated or constipated can cause your belly to be distended. To exercise the muscles of the digestive tract eat more fiber in the form of whole grains, vegetables and flax seeds. This helps move waste matter out of the digestive tract as well which in turn can also result in a flatter midriff.

2.    Eat Whole Grains

Eating more whole grains can help flush fat and cholesterol out of the intestines. Furthermore whole grain foods act like a large washcloth swabbing out the sides of the colon and cleaning it.  Whole grain wheat, oats, quinoa, spelt and bulgur are excellent whole grains to ingest. Do not ingest whole grain wheat if you suspect you have an allergy to it as that can cause the intestines to become inflamed and distended.

3.    Drink More Water

The colon needs to have the capability to flush out toxins and the best way to do that is to drink plenty of water. Try to drink at least 1-2 liters of pure water per day. Remember that if you wait until you feel thirsty to drink a glass of water, you’re already dehydrated.

4.    Eat Magnesium Rich Foods

Foods high in magnesium, such as spinach, beets, dates, and raisins, help fight a variety of cancers and help keep your muscles operating without pain so you can work out to reduce that belly fat.  Magnesium also calms the nerves, which in turn helps prevent anxious overeating. Magnesium is one of the minerals most needed by our bodies to function. Yet most of us are not getting enough.

5.    Eat Folate Rich Foods

Eating a diet filled with folate or folic acid rich foods like spinach and orange juice can help fight cancers as well as help fight fatigue. You will be able to exercise longer without getting exhausted if you get enough of this nutrient.

6.    Get Enough Vitamin D

In order to lead a perfectly healthy life you need to supplement your diet with at least 1000 milligrams of Vitamin D and not the 200 milligrams that were previously thought to be needed to stay healthy.

7.    Consume More Cayenne

Eating cayenne helps sweep fat and cholesterol out of the system and thus goes a long way toward preventing abdominal swelling and fat building up around the midriff. Cayenne has also been shown to be helpful in preventing heart attacks.

8.    Eat Zero Calorie Foods

Zero calorie foods are foods like lettuces and berries that have almost no calorie count but a high amount of fiber in them. These foods are also rich in antioxidants and help keep you from gaining weight.

9.    Drink Goat or Rice Milk Instead of Milk

There is a theory that has been popularized that many inflamed colons and digestive tracts are caused by the drinking of cow’s milk. This can be due to an intolerance to lactose or an allergy to it. Try substituting raw goat milk or rice milk instead as many people find the distension of their bellies decreases once they are no longer drinking allergenic substances that produce a lot of gas and inflammation.

10. Juice Your Vegetables

Juicing your vegetables is one of the best ways to get the nutrients your body needs to function properly. In addition, to providing vitamins and minerals (including often neglected trace minerals such as zinc, boron, iodine, copper, etc.), juicing floods the body with enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts. They help your body to utilize the vitamins and minerals that you intake.

So there you have it, ten ways to start flattening that stomach.

Magnesium Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure in Milligrams (mg)

      Buckwheat flour, whole-groat 1 cup = 301

      Bulgur, dry 1 cup = 230

      Oat bran, raw 1 cup = 221

      Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat 1/2 fillet = 170

      Wheat flour, whole-grain 1 cup = 166

      Barley, pearled, raw 1 cup = 158

      Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup = 156

      Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow 1 cup = 155

      Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added 1 oz (142 seeds) = 151

      Beans, white, mature seeds, canned 1 cup = 134

      Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup = 120

      Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added 1 cup = 110

      Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched 1 oz (6-8 nuts) = 107

      Lima beans, immature seeds, frozen, baby, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup =101

      Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup = 98

      Beans, navy, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup =  96

      Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned 1 cup =  94

      Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup = 94

      Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, cooked, boiled 1 cup = 91

      Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, 3 oz =  91

      Muffins, oat bran 1 muffin = 89

      Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup = 89

      Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce 1 cup = 86

      Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked 1 cup = 86

      Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup = 86

      Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup = 80