Different foods come with different calorific content, meaning they go through different metabolic pathways in your body. As such, different foods can have vastly different effects on your hunger, hormones, and number of calories your body burns.
If you are looking to lose your weight, you need to consume foods that are going to increase your metabolism, promote fat loss, while increasing your body`s fat burning potential.
Fortunately, there are an array of healthy foods that you can include in your daily diet regime to promote faster weight loss. Some of the foods we are going to discuss range from locally available foods, spices, supplements to foods you have never thought about or even heard of.
In the article below, we have developed a list of amazing foods that will fire your metabolism, divert the deadly calories, and quickly burn the excess sugars and fat.
Weight Loss Friendly Foods
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Leafy Greens
Greens are the go-to meals for all your health needs. The health benefits of leafy greens are immense, and when it comes to weight loss, they are a perfect option.
What makes the leafy greens an ideal weight loss companion is they have low calorific content as well as carbohydrates and richly fibrous.
The latter feature is crucial with regards to weight loss as the green increase the volume of your meals without necessarily increasing the calories.
Consequently, this low energy density food will result to lower food intake, and hence lowering your overall weight.
Even so, leafy greens are wholesome and incredibly nutritious, with many green having high contents of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals including calcium, which is useful in burning fats.
Typical examples of leafy greens are spinach, kale, Swiss chard, among others.
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Cruciferous Vegetables
Similar to the leafy greens, cruciferous veggies such as cabbages, broccoli, Brussel and cauliflower are rich in fiber and have low calories.
The veggies are incredibly filling. Therefore, you will likely run less the risk of overindulging.
What probably separates the veggies from the green is perhaps the decent amount of protein the latter has.
Though it does not match the levels in animal food or legumes, it`s still high compared to many vegetables and plants.
Moreover, it provides an excellent alternative for the vegetarians.
A combination of the high fiber content, low energy density protein makes the veggies an incredible option to include in your weight-loss diet.
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Seafood
Seafood acts as an excellent source of protein as well as healthy fats as long as you steer away from the fried, battered varieties.
Common sources of seafood include tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines. All the above sources are low-calorie and highly proteinous.
Additionally, they are all lean meat, meaning that they will not add extra fat to your body.
Aside from proteins, seafood is an excellent source of minerals, including the omega-3s.
Replacing other macronutrients, such as fat, calories or starch with high-quality protein from the seafood is a superb weight loss strategy on a calorie-restricted diet.
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Beans and Legumes
Though they do not have a protein content similar to that of animal foods, they still do have a pretty decent protein content.
Aside from proteins, the beans and legumes are fibrous, consequently satiating and promoting fullness and low-calorie intake.
Typical examples of the beans and legumes include lentils, black beans, kidney beans, and others.
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Soups
As we have seen, foods with a low energy density or rather low calorific content tend to satiate easily, promote fullness, and make people eat less.
As it turns out, a majority of the foods with low energy density are those that contain plenty of water, including veggies and fruits.
Therefore, you can as well add water in in your food to turn it into soup.
Research indicates that taking your exact food as soup as opposed to solid food is more satiating, hence resulting in fewer calorie consumption.
However, not all foods respond this way; adding water to creamy or oily soups such as cream and coconut oil can result in increased fat content.
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Whole Grains
Of late, whole grains have been attracting a bad rap, especially when it comes to weight loss.
While some can contribute to weight gain, some types are healthy. These include the whole grains that are rich in fiber and loaded with a decent amount of protein.
Some of the notable whole grains that are quite handy in reducing weight loss include oats, brown rice, and quinoa.
Oats, for instance, come with beta-glucans, and soluble fibers. The oat`s constituents are known to boost the metabolism as well as increase satiety.
Conversely, both brown and white rice have plenty of resistant starch, especially when cooked and allowed to cool afterward.
However, you should eschew the refined grains, even those with “whole grains” on the label, as they are mostly processed junk.
Again, if you are on a low-carb diet, you should keep off from the grains as they are rich in carbs.
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Whey Protein
For those who love snacking, a diet rich in whey protein will provide you with impressive results, with regards to weight loss.
For a start, when combined with exercise, whey protein is impressive at promoting muscle growth as well as preserving muscle during weight loss.
Unlike other proteins, whey is impressive superb at suppressing appetite, thanks for its ability to stimulate the release of “fullness hormones,” such as GLP-1 and PYY.
A major highlight, however, is the ability of the whey protein to boost your fat burning process and promote weight loss in lean people and those who are obese.
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Chili Peppers
Chili does more than heat your food. It contains power anti-oxidants responsible for reducing inflammation and help in protecting your cells against damage.
More importantly, though, capsaicin, one of the primary antioxidant elements promotes fullness and prevent overheating, thus, may help you in achieving and maintain a healthy weight.
What`s more? Capsaicin compound is responsible for burning more calories and loss of body fat.
Bottom Line
Along with moderation, and exercise, the above weight-friendly foods can allow you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
