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Food Friday – 10 Foods To Help You Lose Weight

By October 19, 2012April 16th, 201420 Comments

 

female fitness blog

10 Foods to Help Your Lose Weight

 

With so many different foods and diet programs to choose from, it can be hard to know what you should and shouldn’t eat for weight loss . But, there are some foods that are ggood for you and help you lose weight at the same time.

 

The healthiest foods should meet 6 important criteria:

 

1) Dense Nutrients — Foods should have a high percentage of essential nutrients compared to the amount of calories.
2) Great Taste — If you have to hold your nose and gag it down, chances are you won’t eat it no matter how good it is for you.
3) 

Whole Food — Processed foods have been stripped of most of their nutrients and contain a ton of artificial ingredients that have been added to them.
4) Affordable — You need to be able to find them fresh, at a good price.
5) Easily Available — The best foods can be found from your local market. Many of them are locally grown.
 Look locally first.
6) Familiar — The healthiest foods should be easily recognizable. You should know how to prepare these foods and  what foods compliment, to make them easy to add to your meal plans.

 

Best Foods for Weight Loss for Women

 

1 – Beef

. The fat content in beef regulates your hormones, preventing that afternoon crash. Try adding it to your breakfast with some nuts to improve your mental accuracy and focus. The protein also helps rebuild muscle tissue after you exercise, aiding in your post-work out recovery. What a great way to start your day!

2 – Nuts

. Nuts are made up of monounsaturated fats, which makes them great for the heart and cardiovascular system, but that’s not all. They also contain vitamin E, folate, niacin, manganese, oleic acid, the phenolic antioxidant resveratrol, and protein.

 Recent studies show their ability to control blood sugar levels.  This means you’re 31% less likely to gain weight. But you include them in your diet at least twice a week. By eating nuts, you get healthy fats and antioxidants, and you’ll find it easier to lose weight just by eating a few handfuls. How could you argue with that?

3 – Fish Oil

Fish oils have a ton of benefits. They:

  • Give your body energy
  • Prevent fat storage
  • Increase your body’s insulin sensitivity
  • Lower your cholesterol levels
  • Promote muscle growth
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Lower blood pressure.

Some studies show that fish oils reduce your risk of various cancers and other diseases. And because it improves so many different aspects of your health and athletic performance, it makes it one of the best supplements to take in daily.

4 – Grapefruit. 

Grapefruit contain a number of important nutrients and antioxidants including:

  • Vitamin C – A powerful antioxidant.
  • Lycopene – A carotenoid phytonutrient known to have antioxidant and anti-tumor properties.
  • Polyphenols – Great for fighting illnesses.
  • Phenolic compounds- Which has anti-tumor properties.
  • Limonoids – Increase the breakdown of toxins in the liver.
  • Pectin – A soluble fiber that reduces cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • Naringenin – A flavenoid that helps repair damaged DNA.

This healthy food is also known to prevent colon cancer, prostate cancer, and kidney stones. Grapefruit also contains a high amount of enzymes to help burn fat, a large amount of water, and very little sodium., assisting in weight loss.

5 – Eggs

. The leucine found in eggs makes them a great food to include when trying to lose weight. This amino acid helps reduce the amount of lean tissue loss, while increasing fat loss, and stabilizing glucose levels. In other words, it boosts your metabolism and turns your body into a fat-burning machine. Another benefit of eating eggs? The lutein and zeaxanthin found in eggs is great for your eyes.

6 – Kale. 

Extremely high in fiber, kale helps you feel full, but it’s also an super healthy source of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, carotenoids like lutein and zeaxathin, calcium, manganese, potassium, beta-carotene, and phytonutrients. Kale is excellent for fighting cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. It also helps prevent UV damage to your eyes, osteoporosis breaks, dementia, and certain cancers.

 POWER FOOD!

7 – Broccoli

. Low in carbs and high in fiber, broccoli helps you feel full and sustain your energy levels. With it’s natural diruetic effect, broccoli is the perfect vegetable for weight loss. It’s low in calories and fat, and high in vitamin C, helping fight illnesses while and burn fat. In fact, one study performed by Dr. Carol Johnston found vitamin C could increase weight loss by up to 30%.

8 – Beans

. If added to your diet in the right way, beans can help you lose lots of weight. They’re an excellent source of lean protein and low in calories, so use them to substitute foods that are high in calories and saturated fats. And because they’re high in fiber, they’ll help you feel full, so you’ll eat less without feeling hungry.

9 – Turkey

. Turkey is an excellent source of protein and low in calories. But, the cool thing part about eating turkey is its high level of tryptophan. If you’ve never heard about it before, you’re not alone, but I’m sure you’ve felt its effects.

 Tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids the body uses in a number of processes, including producing nervous system messengers like those necessary for rest, relaxation, and sleep. So when you feel like having a nap after Christmas dinner, that the tryptophan at it’s best. Turkey also has a whole host of other benefits, too.

 This amino acid helps you sleep, but it also promotes serotonin production and elevates your mood. (It has even been used by professionals to treat a number of emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety.) And last, but not least, it helps regulate your appetite.

10. – Sweet Potatoes. 

Sweet potatoes, not only are they YUMMY, there are high in fiber, which is important for weight loss. Fiber helps keeps us regular, fights diseases, and reduces the risk of colon cancer. It also slows digestion to help you feel fuller longer, while helping us flush fat from our bodies.

 Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of beta-carotene, complex carbohydrates, manganese, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Their antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties help you stay healthy and rebuild muscle tissue after exercising.

Add these 10 foods into your weight loss diet and you’ll be losing inches and building muscle like crazy. You’ll look fantastic and feel like you can take on the world, and that’s how you should feel!

 

 

See Also: Quick And Easy Fat Torching Recipes

 

 

 

Join the discussion 20 Comments

  • michele b. says:

    Great choices! I’m proud to say I’ve already eaten 5 of the 10 so far today!

  • Anna says:

    Great job Michele!

  • Jabeen says:

    Hey Flavia i just wanted to know if i am ok to eat kale raw and still reap the benefits
    Thanks!

  • Carlene says:

    Hi Flavia,
    What is the best kind of beans to eat, I always find myself wondering about this, so I just don’t eat them and can I combine beans with other protein in one meal?

    • Anna says:

      All beans are good. Eating a variety is great! Have pinto beans one day and black beans the next 🙂 Of course you can! I love mixing beans with chicken and if it’s post workout I will throw some rice in there as well.

  • Nana says:

    Hi Anna & Flavia,

    What kind of beef & turkey do you recommend? Thank you!

    • Anna says:

      Hi Nana,
      I get the 93% lean (7% fat) ground beef and turkey. Organic is best whenever possible. Turkey breast, sirloin, and filet mignon are also great choices!

  • Jennifer says:

    Hi Flavia,

    I am new to FBL (a couple weeks in), although I have been studying and applying your workouts, products, blogs and tips for a couple of months now.

    My doc wants me to get my cholesterol down, it is currently at 213. Can you recommend some nutrition tips on how to lower my cholesterol while maintaining my FBL program?

    My current goal is to lose 15lbs of fat and lower my cholesterol to under 200 by March 2013. I am also considering entering your contest, as well!

    Thanks a million!

  • Great choices !! I know that I’m doing something right because I eat all of the above. But, I also know that I must be doing something wrong because I’m still a bit pudgy : ( I’m having a bit more of a struggle loosing and maintaining now that I’m over 55. If you can help me (do you offer consulta- tions?), I’d like to be doing a lot better than what I’m doing now.

    • Anna says:

      Hi Noreen,
      Flavia’s programs tell you the exact amount of food you should be eating at what time, and the exact workouts you should follow. If you have a specific question Flavia or I will be happy to help you, just post it on the blog. 🙂

      • Petra says:

        Hi Anna,

        I’ve got both programs (Bodylicious and curvalicious) and I ate all of the food mentioned above, but my problem is portions sizes. Even eating too much healthy food can cause weight problems. In your reply to Noreen you says the programs tell you exactly how much to eat. Can you tell me where i can find that information?

        Thanks a lot!
        Petra (netherlands)

        • Flavia says:

          Hey Petra, in the nutrition PDF you take your weight and multiply as suggested to get all your portions of calories and macronutrients. OR you had the option to purchase the meal plans which has all the calorie levels for you. You will be able to simply do the math when you look through the PDF again, however.

  • Alaina says:

    Thanks for the great post!
    Just curious how to use beef and nuts at breakfast.
    Thanks for all you do!

    • Flavia says:

      I have steak quite often. I also cook extra lean ground beef mixed with sautéed veggies and greens. Those 2 are my main breakfasts that I make that are quick. And nuts, you can throw into the ground beef mix or just set a small amount on the side and snack on them. I also purchase nut butters that I use in my shakes and as a spread on bread or pancakes. Look at healthy bread recipes and pancake recipes. I have some on my blog 🙂

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