Want to lose weight while eating healthy? Contrary to popular belief, research has proven that there are superfoods for weight loss that are as equally tasty as they are greatly beneficial to the body. Aside from preventing chronic diseases and building bones, these delectable foods can also help in getting and staying slim.
So, after checking out health food stores in Melbourne for dietary and health supplements, ditch the diet that just makes you hungrier and hungrier by the minute and choose from these delicious treats which are not just slimming, but also healthy.
Protein-rich and filling, beans surely qualify as a healthy weight loss food. High in fiber and slow to digest, eating beans will not only make you feel full longer, but will prevent you from wanting to consume more food. According to a research from University of California at Davis, eating a meal with beans makes the body’s level of cholecystokinin (a hormone which works by keeping food in the stomach longer) twice as higher than a low-fiber meal with dry milk and rice. Evidence also points to beans keeping blood sugar more stable, reducing chances of hunger. Beans are also known to lower cholesterol while black beans do not have saturated fat found in other protein-rich food like meat – more health bonuses from these small-but-terrible legumes.
Jumpstart the day with a weight loss food that is as healthy as other fatty and sugary breakfast food: eggs. Containing a lot of protein, eggs also make us feel fuller a lot longer than usual. Eating a breakfast rich in protein reduces the desire to snack for the remainder of the day.
Another superfood option for breakfast would be oats. Aside from being rich in fiber, they contain a specific fiber type called beta-glucan which helps lessen cholesterol levels, stabilize blood sugar levels and enhance the response of human immune system to bacterial infection. Research also found that they have antioxidant compounds called avenanthramides that aid in lessening the risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies also showed that oats substantially reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, as it contains magnesium, a co-factor for enzymes involved in the use of glucose and insulin.
Studies also found grapefruit to be helpful in reducing weight. A 2006 research discovered that obese people who ate half a grapefruit before each meal or drank a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day dropped more than three pounds in a span of 12 weeks. The phytochemicals found in the fruit reduce insulin levels, resulting in the body converting calories into energy instead of flab.
Another fruit known as a superfood are blueberries. Though small, blueberries have anti-aging effects. Also, a cup of blueberries only has 80 calories. They contain antioxidants, which helps neutralize radicals connected to cardiovascular disease, age-related conditions and cancer. Apples, on the other hand, blunt appetite, due to its high fiber. They also lessen the risk of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.
If you have a penchant for desserts, then yogurt is just the superfood for you. Aside from the dose of calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium and magnesium, a study that followed 120,000 people for a decade found that yogurt was most closely linked to weight loss among all the other foods tracked.
For snacks, choose nuts. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts may be rich in calories but it has been proven that people who snack on nuts eat less at later meals, and those who munch on nuts are slimmer than those who don’t. A study also found that eating nuts causes faster metabolism, which means even when resting, calories are burned.
Start any meal with soup, and you are guaranteed to eat less. A study found that a cup of chicken soup can reduce the appetite the way a piece of chicken does. Research suggests that soup can satisfy hunger because the brain sees it as filling.
Lean beef, which contains the amino acid leucine (abundant in meat, fish and dairy products), can help in trimming down the weight while maintaining muscle. A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign proved that eating nine to 10 ounces of beef a day on a 1,700 calorie diet helped women lose more fat, more weight and less muscle mass than a group consuming the same number of calories with less protein. Also, beef eaters proved to experience less hunger pangs.
For something different, try seaweed. This sushi staple helps improve the thyroid than red meat and is also a good source of vitamins B12, B6 and D and selenium, potassium and biotin. It also has a generous amount of iodine, more than what the body needs for a whole day. Seaweed also contains alginate, which aids in reducing the fat uptake of the body.