Summertime is near and you know what that means. It's either time to bust that gut or buy a swimsuit or an outfit that makes it look like you did. While you are sucking in your stomach and making every excuse not to exercise, take note of some of the best belly-fat busting foods which you can easily make part of your daily routine.

Sugar...the obvious nemesis, but just don't stay away from sugar entirely. Satisfy your sweet tooth and reap the benefits as well. Agave nectar, something new to most of us, although it contains the same amount of calories as sugar, has a lower glycemic index (GI). Recent studies show, foods with a low GI index release at a slower rate therefore enhancing your metabolism. Use it in place of sugar in teas, coffees or oatmeal in the morning.

Fruit. Many diets concentrate on eating primarily proteins and shun fruit consumption altogether complaining its fructose disrupts blood sugar levels and increases hunger pangs. But thank heavens for scientific studies as recent studies show, fruits can help melt away that baby fat or beer belly you've been toting all these years. The trick is to know which fruits to eat. Look for low-energy density fruit which has the largest amounts of water,fiber and enzymes. Think strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon which have a n ED range on the lower scale of .2 (look for fruits which fall into the range of 0-.6).

Green tea. Perhaps this is why obesity has not plagued many Asian countries (until they learn to supersize). We have all heard of how green tea supposedly helps you lose weight. Try drinking a cup 30 minutes before each meal as studies show the polyphenols present in green tea help to boost brain levels and inevitably keep metabolic rates high.

Get your zzzz's please. Even if you're not eating chips and ice cream into the early hours of the night, you could be packing on pounds just by being awake. If the body fails to get enough sleep you unknowingly boosts your cortisol (powerful stress hormone) levels in the blood by 40% which triggers cravings by 33%. Shoot for seven hours!

Quickest way to burn that belly is to grab some weights. Just light weightlifting such as 10-15 minutes a day research suggests can significantly increase the production of belly-flattening human growth hormone (HGH).

Something fishy. Fish and its illustrious omega-3 fatty acids help to stimulate leptin, a hormone associated with converting stored fat into energy. Eat 12 oz. of seafood a week or if fish is not your thing opt for fish oil. Women who take 3,000 mg. of fish oil a day can double their chances of ridding body fat.

If all else fails:

Women: Buy Spanx or a Miraclesuit

Men: Buy a brightly colored hawaiian button down and watch that gut disappear.