While summer may be months away we all still want flat stomachs to show off in bikinis on the beach, no matter the season.And one of the best ways to achieve it is to eat a very surprising food, according to wellbeing expert Liz Earle - and that's steak.
Earle, the co-founder of the eponymous skincare giant, has a Korean-inspired recipe from her new book, The Good Gut Guide, that promises to reduce bloating, improve gut health and help you on the way to a flatter tummy.
She recommends eating her kimchi-marinated steak dish - which takes less than half an hour to cook - if you want to have a flat stomach.
The dish is a warm salad, with the steak resting on a bred of pak choi, and Chinese cabbage.
Liz Earle explains why the dish is so good for gut health.
She said: 'This sustaining steak dish from my brand new book, The Good Gut Guide, is packed full of goodness, with the garlic, onions, pak choi and kimchi all working to help feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut.
'The protein, found in the steak, is also vital to help soothe our digestive tract – but do make sure you are opting for high-welfare, pasture-fed meat here to ensure you’re getting the best health benefits.'
Soothing the digestive tract can help to reduce bloating, which in turn can help flatten your tummy.
Kimchi Marinated Steak
(Serves 4)
About 600g grass-fed sirloin steak, sliced into strips
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1 head Chinese cabbage (nappa), shredded, or pointed green cabbage, shredded
2 pak choi, trimmed and shredded
Tamari, to taste (optional)
Black pepper
4 lemon wedges, to serve
For the marinade:
2 tbsp kimchi, chopped (make sure you use plenty of the juice)
Put the beef in a non-metallic bowl, add the kimchi and mix together until really well combined. Cover and leave in the fridge for as long as you have, from 20 minutes to overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a wok, add the onion and stir-fry on high, moving it around the pan for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few seconds, making sure nothing burns.
Drain the beef strips from the marinade (keeping the marinade to one side), put the beef in the wok and, moving it around the pan, cook on high for a few minutes, then remove it with a slotted spoon and put to one side.
Put the marinade in the wok, cook for a minute until it bubbles, then add all the greens and continue cooking and stirring until the leaves begin to wilt. Return the beef to the wok and combine everything so it all gets well coated. Taste, and add tamari if needed, or some black pepper.
Give it a stir, then transfer to serving bowls. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
The Good Gut Guide: Delicious Recipes & a Simple 6-Week Plan for Inner Health & Outer Beauty by Liz Earle is available on Loot.co.za for R444. Purchase the book here
Daily Mail