The best foods for weight loss
The basis for successful weight loss is a balanced diet and avoidance of a sedentary lifestyle and overeating. If that doesn’t work, and before you get caught up in diet fads or false promises, perhaps Mother Nature can help you achieve your goals. Before the advent of modern medicine and frozen foods, people relied on nature to meet their nutritional needs. This included natural products to prevent chronic diseases and strengthen the immune system. Most of the time it worked! Since the body needs fuel to stay alive, finding the right balance is key to losing weight and staying fit. Let’s be honest, “many of the foods you eat metabolize quickly, and you’ll feel hungry more often, which can mean more snacking and higher calorie intake,” writes prevention.com. Our bodies are sometimes exposed to all sorts of unhealthy foods, and this can hinder our ability to achieve our weight loss goals. From healthy fats to high-protein gems, here are the 6 most nutritious foods in the world and how they can help you lose weight.
Avocado
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that avocados contain healthy fats that prevent overeating. But that’s not all, as people who ate avocados had lower body fat levels and smaller waistlines. A diet rich in monounsaturated fats can help better distribute fat throughout the body, as well as in the abdominal area. “1 tablespoon of mild and slightly nutty-tasting avocado oil contains about 120 calories and 10 grams of monounsaturated fat—a nutritional profile almost the same as extra virgin olive oil,” shares eatthis.com. As an added bonus, people who ate half a fresh avocado reported a decreased desire to eat more throughout the day.
Grapefruit
Dr. Ken Fujioka conducted the Grapefruit Diet Study, a 12-week pilot study. He studied metabolic factors in 100 men and 100 women. People who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost 3.6 pounds, and those who drank a serving of grapefruit juice 3 times a day lost 3.3 pounds. However, many patients in the study lost more than 10 kilograms. The reason for this is that fiber fills you up and the fruit contains fewer calories than other foods. When you feel full, you stop wanting to eat more. “In this study, they ate more than half a grapefruit per day,” Fujioka said. “Participants ate the fruit more like an orange: They cut it in half, then into quarters, and then separated the fruit from the peel.” Eating grapefruit this way is thought to provide more of the beneficial compounds. Grapefruit comes in several varieties: red, yellow and pink. They are very promising for many nutritionists.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the best foods for weight loss. They contain vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, vitamin A, vitamin B5 and selenium. Egg dishes increase satiety and reduce food intake at subsequent meals, compared to other meals with the same calorie content, explains authoritynutrition.com. “Several studies of overweight women found that eating eggs instead of bagels increased satiety and caused them to consume fewer calories over the next 36 hours.” Researchers also found that eating eggs speeds up metabolism. No matter how healthy eggs are, you should not abuse them. People with high cholesterol should watch the number of eggs they eat each week.
Pistachios
Pistachios, which contain fiber and protein, can help you maintain weight by making you feel full. They contain 160 calories per 50 nuts. They lower cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease and help you lose weight. Researchers put 52 obese and overweight subjects on a diet restricting them to 500 calories less than “Half were assigned to a group that ate pretzels as a snack, while the other group snacked on pistachios. After 12 weeks, the pistachio group was more successful in achieving their weight loss goals,” reports dietsinreview.com. This nut is lower in calories than other nuts such as almonds and walnuts. Pistachios may reduce the risk of heart disease due to their content of healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics.
Cherry
Cherry can not only protect your heart and mind, but also help you lose a pound or more. Drinking tart cherry juice may increase levels an enzyme (anthocyanin) that helps the body better oxidize fats and can also help relieve muscle soreness after exercise. Researchers from the Journal of Medical Food found that rats that consumed cherry powder along with a high-fat diet did not gain as much weight as rats that did not consume cherry powder. At the same time, inflammation in the body decreased, and the content of lipids in the blood decreased – factors that contribute to weight gain. “The blood of the rats showed much lower levels of inflammation, which is associated with diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” the study concluded.
Mother Nature was given to us to use for our health and overall well-being. Make small positive changes to your eating habits and learn what works for you. If you need more guidance, consult a good nutritionist or talk to your doctor.
