It’s time to change our way of thinking when it comes to losing weight: eat more to weigh less. The right foods help you drop up to a pound a week by revving your calorie burn and curbing cravings – even while skipping the gym! Weight loss starts in the kitchen and these 10 foods can help you to lose weight naturally and keep it off for good as well.
Pears
By eating a pear before a meal, you will help to curb your hunger, and end up eating less, and feeling full longer. Each pear provides you with 6 grams (24% of your daily value) of fiber! Plus, the antioxidants in pears may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an “apple shape.”
Eggs
I need to stress here – the WHOLE egg (yolks included)! They won’t harm your heart or raise your bad cholesterol, but they can help you trim inches. They are an excellent source of protein and therefore can play a big role in supporting natural weight loss. They’re also a great form of slow release energy to keep you going throughout the day.
Berries
Like other fruits, berries are high in water and fiber, which can keep you full longer. But they have another benefit that aids in weight loss: they’re very sweet! This means berries can satisfy your sweet tooth for a fraction of the calories you would take in gobbling cookies or brownies. Blueberries in particular stand out because they’re easy to find and loaded with antioxidants.
Beans
A food that is filling enough to starve off hunger, that’s inexpensive, high in fiber, and versatile? You can also add great source of protein to that description of beans. They are slow to digest which means you feel full longer, which may stop you from eating more. Be sure to soak the beans though before cooking to help with digestion.
Wild Caught Salmon
Not only do fish fats keep your heart healthy, but they shrink your waist, too. Omega-3 fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity which helps build muscle, decrease belly fat, and give you natural energy. And the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns. Be sure to always opt for wild salmon vs. farm raised.
Avocado
They are high in “good fats” (monounsaturated fat) and they are something that you can eat in abundance, since they keep you feeling nourished and satisfied. Eating a diet that is high in healthy fat lets your body to sense when you have eaten enough food and to let you know when you are full. Listening to and connecting to your body in this way will allow you to best know what to eat and when.
Ginger
Ginger can improve digestion by increasing the pH of the stomach and stimulating the digestive enzymes. An efficient digestive system can help process ingested food more efficiently, which can contribute to weight loss because the bulking parts of ingested foods can be efficiently processed and eliminated from the body. It has been also proven to boost the body’s metabolism by up to 20%! By increasing the rate of metabolism, ginger can help burn off some of the fat stored up in the body.
Green Tea
This delicious and nutritious beverage contains catechins, a type of phytochemical and anti-oxidant that may briefly affect the metabolism. To get the most benefit, you may need to drink green tea several times a day. If you drink your green tea hot, it takes longer to drink and provides you with a soothing, relaxing experience!
Almonds
Though it may seem counterintuitive, eating certain types of fats actually help your body burn fat! Almonds are a great example. They contain monounsaturated fatty acids that burn belly fat. They also curb hunger between meals, are high in protein, and fiber. As a nice bonus, almonds also have vitamin E, which prevents cell damage, making you can look younger and prevent certain diseases such as heart disease and obesity.
Grapefruits
There is a compound in grapefruit helps to lower insulin levels in the body. Insulin is a fat-storage hormone. This decreased insulin level prevents the body from storing as much sugar as fat, and also help curb appetite. A high insulin level is what turns the brain on that it’s time to bring some energy into the stomach.
