We are bombarded with information on diets. Pick and choose which fits for you. The main thing is making a decision and sticking to your goals, no matter how many times you may fail, right? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that around 20 percent of overweight individuals were able to maintain weight loss for longer than a year, according to their findings. Then there were those who gained it all back. Is this a phenomenon? Not really, people who overate gained all their weight back and kept it on. Why? They fell into poor patterns again and because there is no instant cure for losing weight. The foundation for successful weight loss is having a balanced diet and cutting back on a sedentary lifestyle and overeating. Remember, diets are only temporary, you need to make a lifestyle change to make it last. If you want to vamp up your efforts then there are weight loss foods by Mother Nature that can sustain you and help you drop the pounds! Here are 6 superfoods for successful weight loss.
Apples
Apples fill you up but don’t add a lot of calories, making them perfect for dieters or for anyone trying to maintain a normal weight. Eating an apple before a meal may help you from over eating. World’s Healthiest Foods shared that apples help us fight fat. Additionally, the relatively modest amount of pectin found in whole apples has now been shown to interact with other apple phytonutrients to give us the kind of blood fat lowering effects that would typically be associated with much higher amounts of soluble fiber intake. There is more to this wonderful fruit, it ranked second for highest antioxidant activity and also has been touted to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and some forms of cancer. An apple a day is really good for your health and waistline.
Chocolate
If you need a chocolate fix and want to lose weight, you may be in luck. In one study, chocolate lovers who were given dark chocolate “Ate 15 percent less pizza a few hours later than those who had eaten milk chocolate,” WebMD reported. Dark chocolate can be used to help you resist the temptation to eat more sweets. Unlike milk chocolate, dark chocolate has 70 percent of cocoa and is packed with flavonoids. Dark chocolate also contains healthy fats and this can slow down the amount of sugar going into the blood stream. It will also reduce you from having an insulin spike. Chocolate is no longer considered a junk food with its healthy antioxidants and weight loss potential. However, it is easy to go overboard with eating this yummy food, so beware.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have tremendous health benefits and are often overlooked. They bring vital nutrients to the body, can reduce inflammation and may even shrink tumors. For the dieter, eating mushrooms will make you feel satisfied. The reason is that mushrooms contain antioxidants, pantothenic acid, fiber, selenium, niacin, riboflavin, selenium and copper. “They are also low in both calories and energy density, making them a good way to fill up without going over your daily calorie limit. This allows you to lose weight and fat without feeling deprived,” healthyeating.com reported. The research found that people who switched out their meat and replaced it with mushrooms consumed fewer calories and lost more weight and body fat.
Spices
Ginger, red pepper flakes, mustard seed, turmeric and cinnamon are used to lose weight. The spicier a dish is, the more it makes you feel satisfied, along with slowing down how fast one eats. Adding spices to your life will improve your weight and overall health. It is something to think about in addition or outside of traditional medicine. Add black pepper to dishes, soups, salads and to your eggs because it does something pretty cool to your system. It sets off a positive chain reaction in the body and could be used in the future to treat obesity. Also, try mustard seed powder in foods as this can burn up to 1,000 calories. There is more, we need to mention cayenne pepper which could burn abdominal fat and increase metabolism by raising the body’s temperature.
Nuts
Eatthis.com reported that overweight and obese adults who just consumed a quarter cup of nuts a day “Decreased weight more effectively than a snack comprised of complex carbohydrates and safflower oil—after just two weeks.” They also found that nuts like walnuts and almonds contain L-arginine, an amino acid, which is one of the building blocks for proteins in your body. Nuts may help build more muscle and help with fat distribution. There is more to nuts than weight loss. If used in moderation, nuts can really help reduce the risks for heart attacks and liver cancer. Researchers found lower risks associated with these diseases than those who did not consume nuts. Nuts are rich in vitamin E and good sources of fiber, magnesium and vitamin B-2. You don’t need to go overboard with eating nuts as they are high in calories. Make sure you don’t eat more than a fist full or it will be counterproductive.
Grapefruit
If you eat just half a grapefruit before each meal, you may lose a pound a week. Grapefruit, which is found in a few varieties of red, yellow and pink can help people lose weight. Dr. Ken Fujioka was the author of the Grapefruit Diet study and he found that the consumption of grapefruit led to a significant reduction of body fat in 91 obese men and women for 12 weeks. “Eat fruit before any meal and you will lose weight,” said Julie Upton, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman. The reason for this is that the fiber fills you up and the fruit has fewer calories than other foods. When you feel full, you will stop wanting to eat more. If grapefruit makes you pout, add a little coconut sugar or stevia on it to balance the sourness.
If you want to lose weight, now you have the power and it is all in your food. If your diet has stalled, look to get it back on track by finding balance and adding superfoods that will give you an edge. Note that not everyone is the same and everyone has different nutritional needs. But don’t get discouraged as it is a journey for most of us.
