Are you tired of making mental lists of all the fabulous foods that you aren't allowed to eat when you're losing weight? How annoying is it to go weeks without having anything with flavor or substance? We know how tough it is to kiss chocolate, pizza and potato chips goodbye, so we've come up with a list of 25 - yes 25 fabulous foods that you can actually eat to lose weight.
- Apples
Although trouble for Adam and Eve, these are definitely not "forbidden fruit" for dieters. Apple skins contain pectin, which is a liver-cleansing insoluble fiber. Apples also contain natural antioxidant nutrients called flavonoids, which help to protect your health.
Bonus: The scent of green apples is thought to be a stress reducer.
- Bananas
Not only are they a great source of potassium, but they are also a quick and easy way to pick up some good, complex carbohydrates.
- Beans and Legumes
Provide carbohydrates, protein, iron and best of all, legumes are nature's best source of fat-fighting fiber. Not only will the fiber keep you regular, but soy, in particular hastens the breakdown of stored fat. Lima beans, chickpeas and kidney beans are especially high in fiber, lengthening the amount of time that you feel full, which in turn, will help control cravings.
Bonus: Helps stabilize blood sugar.
- Berries
Beans don't have to be your only source of fiber. Berries contain a great deal as well. Blueberries and blackberries are great roughage sources, and raspberries actually contain 8 grams of fiber per 1 cup serving.
- Breakfast Cereal
Bacon, eggs hash browns and toast are surely going to pack on the calories first thing in the morning. By replacing those high fat breakfast foods with breakfast cereals, you will not only slim-down, but the fiber in the best ones will help fill you up. Avoid sugar laden kids' brands and seek out instead, low-fat, high fiber (look for 5 grams per serving) choices like frosted mini wheat squares and raisin bran. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association published a study showing that women who ate cereal were 30 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate other breakfast foods.
- Broccoli
Not only delicious, but broccoli is the best vegetable for nutrients, antioxidants and fiber - which again, keeps you feeling full and satisfied for longer periods of time.
Bonus: Broccoli contains the anti-cancer compound, sulphoraphane.
- Cayenne
Hope you like hot & spicy, because cayenne helps to speed metabolism and lower blood sugar before excess insulin can result in fat storage.
- Cinnamon
You might already know that excess sugar in the blood can cause fat storage, but what you might not know is that eating cinnamon with food can help your body to metabolize sugar up to twenty times better.
- Dairy
2007 brought headlines about the weight loss qualities of milk. But it's not just milk - eating 3-4 dairy servings a day (low- or nonfat cheese, milk or yogurt) can help burn more fat by moving energy stored in fat cells to working muscles. That helps to eliminate old fat cells, making it easier to keep the weight off.
- Enova Oil
Most oils, including olive oil, contain triglycerides. Originating from canola and soy oils, Enova oil contains a different type of fat - diglycerides, which are metabolized differently and are therefore not as easily stored as fat. An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study shows that dieters using Enova oil lost more weight than those who used other oils.
- Flax Seeds and Flax Seed Oil
Oil-soluble toxins get stuck in the body's fatty tissues. Flax seeds and their oil attract and escort those toxins out of the body, which means fewer fat stores left in the body.
- Garlic and Onions
Both contain phytochemicals, which break down fatty deposits and cholesterol. Onions contain the flavonoid, quercetin.
Bonus: This odiferous pair of pungent foods kill bacteria, viruses and fungi and protect against heart disease and garlic is rated as a potent anti-cancer food by the American National Cancer Institute.
- Green Tea
Green Tea extract contains caffeine, which is a well-established fat burner. An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that catechins, a component of green tea extract, lowers body fat and cholesterol. It may also slow the rise of blood sugar after a meal by decreasing the action of amylase, an enzyme that is important in the breakdown of starches.
Bonus: Green Tea is rich in anti-oxidants and anti-viral properties.
- Leafy Greens
Another great source of fiber, dark leafy greens such as spinach, mustard greens and others are notably nutritious and contain very few calories.
Bonus: Leafy greens are rich in vitamins and antioxidants which protect against cancer, cataracts, heart disease and memory loss.
- Low-fat Yogurt
Plain, low-fat yogurt is a great source of calcium, which according to Michael B. Zemel, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the of Tennessee, can help to burn fat more efficiently. He suggests that not getting enough calcium triggers the release of calcitriol, a hormone that causes fat storage. Yogurt and other dairy foods are leading sources of leucine, which also helps fight fat.
Bonus: Yogurt is also a great source of protein.
- Nuts and Seeds
Eaten in moderation, as they are very high in calories and fat, nuts and seeds can help you slim down with their fat-fighting protein and fiber. A handful or two (or a portion about the size of a deck of cards) of raw, unsalted walnuts or almonds is enough for a healthy, filling snack anytime. According to Purdue researcher Richard Mattes, Ph.D., peanuts' satiating power helps people to eat less overall.
Bonus: Nuts and seeds are chock full of immune-system boosters.
- Oatmeal
A complex carbohydrate, oatmeal slows digestion, which keeps blood sugar levels stable and helps to make you feel full for longer periods of time. Oatmeal is also a source of fiber and protein, which combined with the complex carbohydrates fights cholesterol. There is research showing that oatmeal can actually reduce one's craving for fatty foods. Remember, we are talking about the slow-cook version, not the over-processed, sugar-laden instant version.
- Olives and Olive Oil
Being rich in healthy fats, olives and olive oil help to make you feel full and curb junk food cravings.
Bonus: Olives and olive oil are rich with monounsaturated fats, which can help lower high blood pressure.
- Oranges and Limes
In addition to tasting terrific, these citrus fruits are loaded with fiber to help fill you up, and keep you feeling that way longer.
Bonus: They are also high in vitamin C and folic acid.
- Cold-water Fish such as Salmon, Tuna and Mackerel
When prepared using little fat and eaten in moderation (two 4 oz servings per week), these fish are a great source of protein and are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce cholesterol levels.
- Sweet Potatoes
A good carbohydrate with fiber aplenty, these fat-free starchy vegetables will help you feel full for hours. Sweet potatoes also contain carotenoids which are said to stabilize sugar levels and help with weight loss. Rich in vitamin C and potassium, sweet potatoes have enough nutrition to validate every single calorie.
Bonus: With as much beta-carotene as carrots, sweet potatoes help fight heart disease, cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Tomatoes
Tomatoes are full of vitamin C and the phytochemical lycopene. Lycopene stimulates the production of the amino acid carnitine which has been shown to speed the body's fat-burning capacity by one-third.
- Turkey
With the fewest calories of any animal protein, turkey contains the amino acid leucine, which may keep metabolism high by preserving muscle mass during weight loss.
- Water
In addition to priming the body for fat loss, water also flushes out harmful toxins. Insufficient water consumption can zap the body of energy, making you move less and lose less.
Bonus: Water keeps your skin soft and healthy, lubricates your joints and prevents dehydration.
- Whole Grain Crackers and Bread
Switching to whole grain breads as opposed to bleached white breads will provide you with twice the fiber, zinc, vitamin B6 and magnesium.
Don't forget - it's important to realize that simply adding these foods to the chocolate, pizza and potato chips won't work, you'll have to replace at least some of them before you will notice a difference on the scale.
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