A successful weight process heavily depends on nutrition. Specifically, 80-90 percent of the success or failure is attributed to the foods you consume. Hence, if you are to get rid of the excess pounds and stay healthy at the same time, you need to incorporate healthy and weight-loss promoting foods in your daily diet. While the word diet is often associated with depriving of certain foods items, the truth is that all of them are important and there is a reason why you need them in your diet. Here are the best foods to use to lose weight, blast belly fat, and stay healthy. Check them out!
1. Avocado
Avocados have relatively low sugar content, compared to fruits like apples or pears. According to a study done by the Nutrition Journal, those who eat half a fresh avocado daily reduced their appetite and cravings by 40 percent for a few hours.
Being rich in monounsaturated fats which act as energy-boosters, avocado can be used as replacement for store bough pre-workout supplements. Not only it boosts energy, but it keeps the metabolism running optimally even after you are done with the workout.
2. Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are ideal weight –loss tool, since they are packed with both fiber and protein. These nutrients leave you with a full feeling even a few hours after a meal, but also help regulate blood sugar levels. Consequently, they protect against hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Optimizing the micro-organisms balance is yet another benefit of these foods.
3. Berries
Eating berries is a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth, without any guilt. They are low in calories and in sugar when compared to other fruits, which makes them good allies in any weight loss process. However, make sure you don’t add any sugars in them and think it is healthy!
4. Pear and Apple
Both pear and apple are low in calories but high in fiber content, which helps them make you full for an extended period of time, without eating too much of them. A small pear contains about 86 calories while a medium-sized apple has around 95 calories, which is 5 percent of the recommended healthy intake.
In one study, 49 women aged 30-50 years were given either apples and pears or oat cookies. At the end of the study it was found that those adding these fruits to their daily diet lost weight while the second group didn’t notice any improvement.
5. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is one of the best foods for losing weight and burning fat, as it acts as hunger suppressant and it is known as negative calorie food. In other words, it takes more calories to digest it than it actually contains, which stimulates the process of burning fat. In addition to this, grapefruit regulates insulin level, which in turn helps prevent accumulation of fat in the critical parts of the body.
6. Whole Grains
Despite the controversies regarding whole grains, it has been scientifically proven that as long as the right kind is eaten in moderation, it does offer a wide array of health benefits. According to researchers at Wake Forrest University, those who eat 2.5 servings daily reduced their risks of cardiovascular disease by up to 21 percent.
The best sources of whole grains include barley, wild rice, whole grain cord, whole oats, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and sorghum.
7. Salmon
Salmon is packed with nutrients that help regulate weight indirectly. Specifically, it is rich in omega-3 fats, (4,023mg per 178 grams of salmon), a nutrient that boosts mood and improves brain function. These fats also improve digestion, promote fluid balance, lower the risk of obesity, and reduce inflammation in the body. It has been scientifically shown that salmon is also loaded in proteins and amino acids that impact insulin, thus affect metabolism and weight.
8. Grapes
Grapes contain phytonutrients like popyphenol and phenols, both of which have anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent obesity and metabolic diseases. Polyphenols have been also shown to protect against fructose-induced oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity.
As grapes are high in fructose and calories, it is recommended to limit their consumption to a cup of them on a daily basis. As you can see, the portion size is the key!
9. Sweet Potato
In its raw form, sweet potato is high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients, both of which offer benefits for the heart, digestive system, and the eyesight. Sweet potato has lower glycemic index than the ordinary potato and it helps improve blood sugar levels, despite the fact that it is starchy. Its fiber content improves digestion and gives enough time to the body to convert starches into simple sugars.
10. Green Tea
Did you know that green tea is one of the best weight-loss beverages out there? Given that Japanese and Chinese consume this tea on a regular basis, the fact that there are hardly any obese people in Japan and China doesn’t come as surprise.
Green tea contains caffeine and EGCG or Epigallocatechin gallate, both of which aid weight loss. While green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, the amount is still enough to boost aerobic performance and burn fat.
