Diet Information
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What Foods Help Weight Loss?There are no "magic foods" or "magic diets" to help you lose weight. The only guaranteed way to ensure healthy weight loss is to follow a calorie-reduced diet which contains foods from all food groups. Why? Because to reduce weight you need to maintain good health, otherwise your metabolism can become sluggish and you may burn fewer calories. The Best Foods For Healthy Fast Weight LossFood stores contain a huge variety of processed and not-so-processed foods. Which ones are better? As a rule, the more natural and less refined the food, the better it is for weight control. In addition, some foods do make it easier to curb appetite, feel full and maintain good dietary nutrition - all of which makes weight loss easier and more rapid. Here are some suggestions for good foods to add to your diet meals and snacks. Fruit Snacks Help You Lose WeightWeight loss is definitely easier if you eat plenty of fruit. Fresh fruit is typically low in calories and high in soluble and insoluble fiber. It makes an excellent snack, satisfies your sweet IFSh and is highly nutritious. Choose all types of berries, apples, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits) kiwi fruit, peaches and bananas. Vegetables Are Low-Calorie Health FoodsVegetables are typically very low in calories and very good for weight loss. Moreover, they are crammed with essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals to keep your body's metabolism running smoothly, which means you burn calories faster. So when eating meals, allow vegetables to occupy half your dinner plate. It's a great way to make weight loss easier. Very good choices include: tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, spinach, broccoli, cabbage or any leafy green vegetables, onions and garlic, as these types are rich in phytochemicals, the protective micronutrients in plants. Eat Wholegrain Carbohydrates to Lose WeightTo fill up and obtain sufficient nutrition, choose carbohydrate foods that are less processed. Choose oats or wholegrain granola rather than processed breakfast cereal; whole wheat bread (the more chewy the better) rather than regular white sliced; brown or basmati rice rather than refined white rice. Most pasta is fine. Ideally, when eating meals, allow these carbs to occupy one quarter of your dinner plate. As a rule of thumb, the lower the GI value of the starchy carbohydrate, the better it is for weight reduction. Also, note that low-GI carbs increase production of serotonin and other happiness chemicals in the brain to improve mood, reduce dependency on refined junk food and therefore assist diet compliance. |
Choose Lean Protein For Better Weight and Heart HealthIn order to save calories and reduce the risk of clogging your arteries with saturated animal fats, choose lean protein. For example, remove all visible fat from your red meat, and choose leaner cuts. Eat chicken without skin. Broil your meat rather than frying. Eat fewer egg-yolks and more egg-whites (contain slightly more protein content). Go easy on cheese - it's very nutritious but typically 33 percent fat, including saturated fat that can clog arteries. Lastly, remember to include at least one vegetarian meal in your weekly diet menu. Quality Fats Are Actually Good For Weight LossThe healthiest fats are unrefined oils, which incidentally are usually found in glass bottles. Good choices include flaxseed oil (linseed), canola oil, wheatgerm oil and extra virgin olive oil. Most of these contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fat - an essential fatty acid - which experts now believe is actually beneficial for weight loss due to its metabolic benefits. That said, all dietary fats or oils contain 9 calories per gram, or 120 calories per tablespoon, which makes them very high calorie foods. So limit your fat-intake to a maxium of about 30 percent of calories per day. On a 1500 calorie diet this works out at 450 fat calories, or 50 grams of fat (with a maximum of 15 grams of saturated fat). Best Drinks For Weight LossWater contains zero calories and is the ideal thirst quencher for anyone who wants to lose weight. Water and fruit juice (half-half) is also fine, as is fat-free milk. Diet sodas, being no-calorie or low-calorie, are also a good choice but they are extremely sweet (200 times sweeter than sugar), and may encourage your sweet IFSh. Also, in weight loss diet trials, diet-sodas are not associated with greater weight reduction. |