What Foods Help With Weight Loss?

A common and dangerous myth about weight loss is that you need to stop eating in order to lose weight. That food is the enemy. This is dangerous and make life so boring too, because you are missing out on so many delicious foods that will help you to not only lose weight but to be healthy and full of energy.

So what foods help with weight loss?

1. Good fats

Good fats include mono and poly - unsaturated fats. Have you ever heard that people who consume the Mediterranean diet have lower heart disease? Have you ever read the book 'French women don't get fat'?. Well a common thread here is that these diets are high in good fats.

So the good fats include:

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) : are found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados. MUFA's are known to help reduce abdominal fat (ie. belly fat).

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): are found in fish and its oil, and in many nuts and seeds. Diets high in PUFAs help our bodies to burn fat and increase our resting metabolic rate (the calories we burn we are not doing anything).

* A note on saturated fat : Saturated fat is found in animal products, and there is in fact a way to eat these animal products and have them to be helpful in weight loss. The key is this: Make sure you are choosing grass fed, organic meat products which is high in a compound called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is even sold in supplement form because of its ability to help to manage weight loss over the long term. Some studies have even shown that CLA reduces body fat while maintaining muscle tissues, and also increasing your metabolic rate. So when it comes to meat, just be sure to choose the right kind.

2. Breakfast

Ok, so not one particular food, but one of the most important aspects of weight loss is the habit of eating breakfast. Check out this post on 2 Important Fat Fighting Breakfast Tips.

3. Organic Plain Probiotic Yogurt

The key here is plain, organic and probiotic.

Plain - because there is no added sugar. You can sweeten it up with some honey.

Organic - so you know that the there are no growth hormones or antibiotics from bad farming practices.

Probiotics - Some research studies have shown weight loss with regular probiotic intake, perhaps because probiotics may help you slim down because by making your intestinal walls less permeable.

4. Green tea and yay! coffee!

Green tea and coffee both have a thermogenic (heat producing) effect in the body. When the body produces heat, it burns calories.

The optimal amount of coffee for weight loss is 1-2 cups a day. Note More than this will actually decrease your ability to lose weight, so be careful to drink in moderation.

The optimal amount of green tea for weight loss is 3-4 cups a day. The great thing about green tea in abundance is that it is also high in antioxidants, which help your skin and organs to stay younger.

5. Foods high in fiber - These include fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Read more for a list of high fiber foods.

With love,

Grandmother's Kitchen