Flat belly diet: – 4kg in 15 days –

Maybe you can squeeze in a little time of day to go to the gym (we hope so!) and control the portions you put on your plate. But is this enough to protect your gut from the aggressors of modern life? Stress, anxiety, hours on end sitting at the office desk and excess industrialized food compromise the balance of the trillions (you read that right: trillions!) of micro-organisms that live inside it. What comes next is not pleasant at all: abdominal discomfort, bloating and gas. You are also much less resistant to disease, irritable and moody – can’t you? When the aggressive bacteria are in greater numbers than the protective ones, you still run the risk of becoming a hostage to the scale. “There are studies that show the relationship between this imbalance and weight gain (read the article Put the Body to Work)”, says general practitioner and homeopath Marcia Jablonka Kelman, from Clínica Biodiet, in São Paulo. So that your health and good shape are guaranteed, think about strengthening allied micro-organisms. As? Messing with the diet: remove from the menu the foods accused of weakening this army. Nutritionist Letícia Okamoto Lo, who works in partnership with the doctor, created a menu free of red meat, industrialized products laden with preservative dyes and other items that leave the good bacteria at a disadvantage. Refined sugar is even worse. “This ingredient ferments and contributes to the formation of fungi capable of inflaming the intestinal wall and making it permeable”, explains Márcia Kelman. When this happens, nutrient absorption is impaired (you eat, but you don’t get nourished! ) and food waste can pass into the bloodstream. As it does not recognize these elements, the organism produces substances to fight them after each meal. If this fight happens all the time, the inflammatory process becomes chronic and depletes your defenses. Result: low resistance, extra weight and even cellulite (yes, it also has to do with inflammation – in this case, in fat cells). The diet lasts 15 days and, during this period, you should take care of cereals, fruits and vegetables, such as oatmeal, apples and carrots (you can take them in your bag for work, college…). They carry soluble fibers, which feed and strengthen allied microorganisms. However, the most important strategy is to adhere to probiotic foods – they are those rich in live bacteria that are beneficial to the intestine. Maybe you already consume the most famous of them: yogurt. There aren’t many options available on the market, so the nutritionist suggests recipes on the menu that, because they are fermented, are also considered probiotic. Sauerkraut, for example, offers more than 10 trillion of these microorganisms in 100 grams. Warning: cabbage (the main ingredient in the preparation) does not cause gas as in the raw version. If, even so, you think you need a boost, you can resort to probiotic supplements found in pharmacies, in capsule and powder form. The recommended measure: one sachet a day. “Larger doses are individualized and must be prescribed by a doctor or nutritionist”, warns Márcia Kelman. One last tip: drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters a day. Hydration is also important to keep your gut healthy and your belly flat!

MENU:

Breakfast:
Option 1: 1 pot of natural skimmed yogurt with probiotics with 1 col. (tea) of chia (or 1 col./dessert of oats) + 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 col. (dessert) of tofu pate
Option 2: 1 pot of curd (recipe on the side) with 5 strawberries (or 1 tbsp/blueberry soup) + 2 wholemeal toast with 1 tbsp. (dessert) of cottage cheese, 1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and oregano
Option 3: Vitamin: 1 pot of skimmed yogurt mixed with 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, 1 col. (dessert) flaxseed flour and 5 ice cubes (sweetener, if needed)

Snack in the morning:
Option 1: 2 Brazil nuts, 3 almonds and 3 apricots
Option 2: 4 walnuts + 1 apple
Option 3: 1 pot of fermented milk + 1 pear

Lunch:
Option 1: Oriental salad with tahini and miso sauce + 1 fish fillet (100 g) grilled (or roasted) with pepper, rosemary, a little salt and 1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp. (soup) brown rice
Option 2: Salad: 1 plate (dessert) of red lettuce, 3/4 cup. (tea) of chickpeas, 1 tomato, onion, a little salt, lemon and 1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil + 1 large fillet (100 g) of grilled chicken + 1 tong of wholemeal pasta with tomato sauce
Option 3: Salad: 1 plate (dessert) of leafy greens (arugula, watercress, iceberg lettuce), 1/2 grated carrot, 1/2 sliced ​​cucumber, a little salt, lemon and 1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil + 1 large drumstick (100 g ) skinless, roasted with grated ginger and soy sauce + 3 col. (soup) of quinoa with broccoli (make the same as rice with broccoli)

Afternoon snack:
Option 1: 1 silver banana with 1 col. (soup) of oats (or light granola)
Option 2: 1 tapioca (made with 2 col./ tapioca gum soup) with 1 col. (tea) sugar-free jelly (or tofu pate)
Option 3: 3 slices of boiled (or baked) sweet potato with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese and oregano

To have lunch:
Option 1: 3 medium ladles pumpkin ginger soup + 1 fillet (100 g) herbed grilled chicken
Option 2: 3 medium cups of miso soup (recipe on the right) + 1 piece (100 g) of grilled (or roasted) fish + 1 dish (dessert) of cooked vegetables (broccoli, zucchini and chayote)
Option 3: 1 zucchini stuffed with light tuna in the oven + 2 col. (soup) sauerkraut