Body shapes vary. Today we'll learn about the hourglass shape, the best foods for it, and exercises that keep it balanced and healthy. So check out this article. It's part of a series about all body types.
Best foods for the hourglass body type:
We'll start with foods you should regularly eat, which are:
First food: fresh fruits
Fresh fruits are a good source of nutrients like sodium, potassium, fiber, folic acid, and healthy fats. Fruits like guava, orange, apple, watermelon, and berries help with boosting immunity and improving metabolism. And burn more calories.
Second food: fresh vegetables
Fresh vegetables also like fruits Give the body a lot of vitamins, dietary fibers, and antioxidants, Also, they help keep a healthy body weight, especially leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, lettuce, arugula, and turnip. Every meal should include one of these vegetables.
Third food: whole grains
Whole grains are foods rich in vitamins, fibers, andThey help make your body healthy. They also give you lots of proteins, iron, and magnesium, It protects your body from many diseases, boosts it to burn extra fat, and helps control bad cholesterol, which reduces belly fat.
Fourth food: lean meats
Lean meats are a great source of proteins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids, And this lean fat doesn’t cause weight gain. Instead, it helps build more muscle, which increases muscle mass and boosts metabolism. Lean meats include skinless chicken and red meat. You should avoid processed meats like pastrami.
Fifth food: salmon
At the top of the list for this body type is salmon because it has a high content of omega-3, potassium, and seleniumIt also helps digestion, which cuts down on stored body fat. So always cook some veggies with salmon to get a full meal with balanced nutrients.
Foods you should avoid:
There are some foods you should stay away from as much as you can to keep your body shape and curves. They are:
First food: baked goods and processed foods
Processed and baked foods They are the main reason for obesity because they have large amounts of sugar, and hydrogenated oils. Eating them leads to hard-to-lose fat like belly and thigh fat, making your body look unhealthy and unbalanced. So always try to make healthy baked goods and eat those.
Second food: caffeine
Caffeine is also found in drinks other than coffee like soda and fizzy water, and drinking these too much can stop you from getting an hourglass figurebecause they cause metabolism problems, migraines, and insomnia that make your body store more fat since it needs more food. So you should cut down on caffeine in your diet as much as you can.
The third food: Dairy products
Too much dairy might help fat build up around your belly, because of cholesterol imbalance in your bodyand irregular heartbeats. You should also avoid processed dairy like cream or coffee creamer because they're the worst for your health and so for your body and how it looks.
A suitable diet plan for an hourglass body:
Day one:
Breakfast: Omelet with gluten-free toast.
Snack: Half a pear (if hungry)
Lunch: Tuna salad with two drops of olive oil and leafy greens
Dinner:Vegetable soup
Day two:
Breakfast: Half an apple with a spoon of almond butter
Snack: Boiled egg
Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with sautéed veggies
Dinner: Two grilled chicken wings with half a cup of brown rice
Keep a low-fat diet and try to cook meals in healthy ways always. You can find some healthy recipes here
Best exercises for the hourglass body:
Exercises for this type focus on the waist and arms. Doing exercises with a healthy diet helps sculpt your body and highlight its features well. So never skip workouts.
First exercise: bridge poses
How to do it:
- Lie down on the ground, bend your feet, put your hands by your head, then lift your body like in a push-up on your heels. Keep your feet parallel. Try to keep your thighs parallel to the ground, then return to the start position.
- Try to repeat it at least 5 times with three sets.
Exercise two: Plank with leg kicks
How to do it:
- Start in a normal plank, keep your belly tight, bend your right leg forward, then extend it back again.
- Repeat that move 5 times for each leg, with 3 sets.
Exercise three: Side plank with leg lift
How to do it:
- Support your body on your right elbow and right foot, then bring your left foot and left elbow together until they touch.
- This exercise might feel hard at first but it gets easier with practice. Repeat 5 times, 3 sets.
Exercise 4: Dumbbell squats
How to do it:
- Hold two dumbbells in your hands, lift them up, then lower down like sitting on a chair with a straight back and bent arms, then place your hands before going back to start.
- Repeat this exercise 5 times for 3 sets.
