It is old news that the United States has an obesity problem. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, two-thirds of U.S citizens are either overweight or obese, while over a third are obese. I think we can all agree that this is a huge issue that must be addressed.
Most individuals have opted to practice a healthy weight loss eating plan while a larger percentage have resolved to use particular types of drugs, all in a bid to lose weight. Unfortunately, these attempts have failed miserably. You are exercising on a daily basis, you are following a weight loss eating routine, and you are proud of your healthy habits. However, week in week out, you don’t seem like shedding any significant weight. Maybe now is the time to review your dieting habits. What types of foods and drinks have you been using? Are they all natural? How effective are they? So today in this post, we are going to discuss in excruciating detail some of the best and most efficient natural foods for weight loss. Read on to learn more.
Quinoa
Quinoa might have started as a health food trend. However, it has now become a staple diet, especially for the health conscious individuals. This is because it is filling, boast of a neutral flavor which blends well with most types of dishes, and it has lots of nutritional value. However, did you know that it can make you shed some pounds too?
It is worth noting that quinoa is not a low-calorie food. What makes it so compelling is its nutritional value, which promotes health as you lose weight. In fact, a one-cup serving of cooked quinoa provides significant amounts of many of the B-complex vitamins; nutrients essential for a healthy metabolism, essential minerals such as iron and phosphorus which your cells use to manufacture DNA.
Each serving of cooked quinoa comes loaded with fiber and protein, which are useful in losing weight. According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School, consuming at least thirty grams of fiber is an easy way to shed off the unwanted weight. The study says that a cup of quinoa contributes more than five grams toward this particular objective. On the other hand, the available protein in quinoa stabilizes your blood glucose levels. Bearing in mind that proteins consume more energy to break down than either fats or carbs, you’ll burn lots of calories during the process of digestion.
Finally, quinoa has a low glycemic index, which is vital for your blood sugar regulation. If you didn’t know, the glycemic index is a measure of how fast foods increase blood sugar levels. Eating foods that are high on the glycemic index often stimulate hunger thus contributing to obesity. Quinoa has a glycemic index of fifty-three, which is considered moderate.
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Let’s face it, most of us are overfed but undernourished. In fact, it has been proven that one of the contributing factors to the obesity problem is typically the shortage of certain phytochemicals our body uses to promote good health. New research from Sweden highlights the probability that successful weight loss might be as simple as increasing the amount of dark green leafy vegetables in your diet. To be more precise, Dark green leafy vegetables do have unique compounds known as thylakoids which trigger satiety signals in your body to aid you to regulate the rate of food intake, prevent weight gain and enhance weight loss. Health-infusing greens include turnip greens, spinach, kale, mustard greens and certain types of lettuce.
It is imperative to note that dark green leafy vegetables are high in fiber, and low in carbohydrates and are among the most filling foods you’ll get around. Due to their high fiber content, these types of vegetables regularly digests slowly, ensuring that you remain fuller most of the time. Thus you’ll likely not feel hungry. Additionally, greens are rich in the minerals and vitamins your body requires to stay healthy. For instance, most dark leafy greens contain beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. They also contain lutein, vitamins B, K, C, calcium and certain amounts of Omega-3 fats.
So, what amount of dark greens should you eat? The USDA recommends taking at least three cups of dark, leafy greens every week. However, this only represents the minimum amount, and most nutrition experts suggest eating half a cup of green leafy vegetables on a daily basis, especially if you intend to lose weight.
Lemon Water
For ages now, wellness bloggers, health coaches, and some celebrities have touted the weight loss benefits of lemon water. It is believed that it kickstarts your metabolism and helps in weight loss. But, are these claims true? Does a simple cup of lemon water possess unique slimming properties?
First and foremost, lemon juice has two ingredients that are associated with maintaining a healthy body weight. The first ingredient is ascorbic acid, or simply vitamin C, which is INVERSELY related to body mass. This implies that people who take more ascorbic acid are likely to weigh less compared to those who are low in vitamin C, and this is according to a particular study in the Journal of Nutrition in 2008. To be more precise, when the blood levels of ascorbic acid were tested in 120 women and men who participated in the study, those who were overweight and had larger waist measurements had significantly lower levels of ascorbic acid.
Secondly, lemons are great sources of hesperetin. If you didn’t know, this is an antioxidant flavonoid. According to a study in Genes and Nutrition, when laboratory mice were fed a high-fat diet, the ones which were also given hesperetin gained significantly less weight compared to rats that did not take the flavonoid. Also, lemons are good sources of pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber and protects your cardiovascular health by specifically reducing your cholesterol levels. Bearing in mind that pectin, absorbs lots of moisture, it, therefore, fills your belly, and this creates the sensation of feeling full.
Chia Seeds
Chia is an edible seed which is extracted from the desert plant Salvia Hispanic and grown mostly in parts of Mexico. Chia seeds are highly nutritious, relatively affordable and boast of a mild flavor which works in most dishes. They are averagely high in calories, thanks to their healthy omega three fatty acids, while their fiber content makes them a fantastic addition to weight loss diets.
It is crucial to note that one of the primary reasons why this particular food is perfect for weight loss is because it has high protein contents. Usually, when you want to lose weight quickly, you reduce the number of calories you eat and raise your protein intake. That is exactly what you get with chia seeds. Up to fourteen percent of these seeds is protein. This property makes them weight loss friendly because of the nutritional value. A diet high in protein content induces incredible appetite reductions, keeping your body weight in check.
These seeds come packed with lots of dietary fiber. Roughly ten grams per ounce of chia seeds. This contributes a surprising amount to your routine fiber consumption goals. Only taking more fiber is an ideal weight loss practice, even if you don’t incorporate other diets, and this is according to Harvard Medical School.
Broccoli
If you want to lose weight faster and in a natural manner, then you should seriously consider integrating broccoli into your diet plan. It is high in dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins and low in calories. This implies that by adding a dose of this leafy green to your diet plan, you will meet your daily nutrient needs and shed off weight at the same time.
Bearing in mind that broccoli has high fiber content, it makes you satiated and controls your hunger. The high fiber content will help you consume burn more fats. Additionally, it contains Vitamin C, A, K, and calcium. Vitamin C and calcium, in particular, may promote rapid weight loss. Your body needs vitamin C to synthesize a chemical known as carnitine, which is important for metabolizing calories into energy.
It also contains chromium, which is thought to control your insulin activity. Through this process, it can impact carbohydrate metabolism, boosting weight loss.
Freshly Juiced Greens
Vegetables and fruits offer an incredibly long list of health benefits because of their phytonutrient content. One of the advantages of juicing fresh greens is that drinking them, as opposes to eating them whole, makes them easier for your body to digest. By juicing fresh greens, you get to take lots of quantity of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients quite quickly.
By drinking this kind of juices, you reduce your cravings significantly. In short, you are giving your body all the necessary nutrients it needs to stay healthy, and in turn, you experience a reduction in cravings, especially for processed foods and sweets. If you didn’t know, these are the type of foods that often hinder your weight loss goals.
Moreover, by drinking a natural and a freshly made juice, your appetite shuts off tremendously. You’ll feel satiated and satisfied, much more than you would if you had consumed empty calories in certain junk foods. Most of these juices also have metabolic stimulating and blood glucose stabilizing effects, which are vital for a successful weight loss realization.
Green Tea With Ginger
Green Tea is typically very effective when it comes to offering health benefits to your body. On the other hand, ginger tops the list of the best essential and natural home remedies. Mixing these two will result in the production of even a more active component which can give you numerous health advantages.
Ginger can have a profound impact on high cholesterol levels that is often linked to obesity. It helps reduce cholesterol levels by significantly lowering hepatic and serum cholesterol levels. Ginger also improves your digestion process, controlling the movement of food through your stomach, large and small intestines. With a smooth digestion, you benefit by losing more weight much easier. Ginger also suppresses cortisol, which is a hormone necessary for energy mobilization and control. High levels of cortisol have been proven to increase belly fat and weight gain in general.
On the other hand, green tea has incredible fat-fighting abilities. It contains polyphenols which have been associated with increased metabolism leading to weight loss. In fact, according to a study conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea extract raises fat oxidation and increases body metabolism immensely.
The Bottom Line
If you are currently struggling with weight loss problems, you don’t have to worry anymore! All you have to do is to start incorporating each of the above natural foods and drinks into your diet plan. Most of them are readily available and affordable, and nothing should hold you back from trying them. However, do you have to take my words for it? Start it today, and you’ll be surprised at the amount of weight you’ll shed in just a short period.