Get a six pack you can't buy in the shops!

A lot of people these days suffer from a (small or larger) protruding stomach with love handles to match. In Flanders we call this protruding stomach: "een buikje" (a small stomach) and love handles, they get called a quite rude "neuk teugels" (litt. fuck handels?!?) . Some find it "cute" but healthy is something else. Causes are: too little exercise, a poor diet and often stress. Follow my tips and you will be rid of that protuberant mass in a jiffy.

* Eat healthy and balanced:

A. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit so you get your daily dose of vitamins and fibers. Fibres are indispensable for the proper functioning of the intestines!

B. Avoid fatty foods. They make you gain weight very quickly and it upsets your whole intestinal functioning , which causes a bloated feeling.

C. Opt for sustainable sugars. Pasta, bread and potatoes give you a longlasting and full feeling so you don't have to commit hold-ups on your fridge every few hours.

* Eat slowly and chew your food well: it will benefit your digestive system.

* Avoid bubbles in your drinks. Fizzy drinks provide as many bubbles in your intestines as in your glass and that gives you a bloated stomach full of air and cramps…

* Avoid snacking so your digestive system can "breathe" once in a while.

* Don't use too much salt. Up to a limited amount, salt is necessary in our body for the vital biological reactions. More than this requirement, salt creates your body cells to swell, that is so called cellulitis. Cell edema is the accumulation of salt and water which increases your bodyweight. Just take all salts away from your table. You will be receiving the necessary salts through your daily helpings of fruits and vegetables the most. Salt is also bad for your cholesterol, all the more reason to reduce its use.

* Avoid stress and make sure you can relax at the dinnertable. Eat in a quiet environment, certainly not in front of the television or whilst doing something else. Your intestines will protest considerably less.

* Drink as much water as possible. At least a litre and a half a day, preferably not during meals. Are you a juices fan? Bad news: you should better not drink too many, the high acidity unsettles the bowels.

* Reduce your milk intake: milk doesn't digest easily and often weighs heavily on the stomach.

* MOVE! Endurance sports burn lots of calories, moreover they optimize your digestion, a flat stomach guaranteed! My top 3 sports are:

A. Running: it's easy to lose weight and your lovehandles will melt like butter in the Californian sun. Additionaly you will unconsciously work out your abdominal muscles.

B. Rowing: you don't always need to row on a beautiful lake, you can do it at your local gym: abdominal muscles guaranteed, moreover you'll train your arm muscles, on top of that it burns calories very fast.

C. Swimming: in particular the "crawl" stroke ensures oblique abdominal muscles. In addition through the resistance of the water you'll get muscles much faster than on dry land.


* Abdominal muscle training: an absolute must! Do 3 sets of 20 exercises every day: normal and oblique abdominals sessions. Are you tired of the traditional abdominals sessions? Try the kinesis wall in the gym, join a "abdo" grouplesson or use the powerplate for quick results.

Check your local gym for all the possibilities. :)