You can’t be healthy if you don’t watch what you eat. Food is the most important component of our lifestyle and can affect everything from the way we look to the way we feel. When we are sick, diet is the first thing the doctor inquires about, and often the first thing they would tell you to change. So, it is no surprise that whenever you plan a healthy change in your life; you need to alter your diet first. It holds true for people looking to lose weight.
When we say you need to change your diet, it does not imply you need to eat less or starve. It isn’t as simple as that. If anything,  starving will have a negative impact on your weight loss journey. If you don’t have the energy to workout properly, your progress will slow down and you might even hit a plateau. What you need instead is to replace the unhealthy food with healthy food filled with essential nutrients.
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Understand the Good vs. Bad Foods
Now before we list down foods that can help you get fit, let’s try to understand why certain foods are bad while others are good for our health. It is all about the nutrients. Nutrients are what keep our body healthy and running.
Unhealthy food is usually void of any nutritional value. While everything you eat contains calories, the unhealthy food contains empty calories. They are high in sugar and fat. These empty calories will make you crave and eat more. No wonder they make you gain pounds. Healthy foods are filling and can curb your appetite. They contain ingredients that can burn fat and remove toxins from the body.
Without proper nutritional intake, your body cannot burn fat as quickly as it should. So, you need to adjust your diet to make sure you are getting all the essential nutrients rather than empty calories.
Seven Nutritional Food that Can Help You Lose Weight
If you are ready for your weight loss journey, include healthy and nutrient-rich food in your diet. To help you make your diet more fitness-friendly, we have created a list of seven foods that can speed up your weight loss.
1. Oatmeal
Push the paddle on your weight loss plan by replacing your bowl of cereal with a bowl of oatmeal. Contrary to what you hear in your favorite cereals ad, a bowl of oatmeal contains more soluble fiber and protein than most cereals. Proteins are essential for replacing fat with lean muscle. Fiber will make you feel satiated and eat less throughout the day. Oatmeal is also low in sugar.
This clear victory of oatmeal over cereal was tracked, studied, and recorded by a group of biomedical researchers.
2. Legumes and Pulses
Several foods come under this category. Lentils, peas, beans, or chickpeas – almost all kinds of pulses are fitness-friendly foods. First, they are low in fat and rich in soluble fiber. One reason fiber-rich food is good for weight loss is that it slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and makes you feel fuller for longer.
Since pulses do not contain a lot of fat, they are great for untimely cravings. You can have a bowl of beans instead of cookies. The fun part is that you can make delicious dishes out of pulses and legumes.
3. Yogurt
Not all bacteria are bad. Your gut bacteria help you digest food and burn calories. Happy gut bacteria mean a healthy gut, and a healthy gut is essential for a quick weight loss. Yogurt can do it all for you. Yogurt supports weight loss in more than one way. It is full of probiotics that keep your gut bacteria happy. It is loaded with calcium, and calcium-rich foods speed up the fat breakdown process in our body.
Many studies prove how beneficial yogurt is for overall health, especially for those who want to lose weight. A bowl of yogurt with bits of fresh fruit is a great solution for your dessert cravings.
4. Avocado
Fruits are great for health because they are rich in nutrients. They contain the healthy dosage of minerals and vitamins. However, some fruits are also rich in sugar and carbs, and may not always be the healthiest option for people dealing with obesity-related health issues. One fruit that surpasses all in terms of weight loss benefits is Avocado.
Avocado is rich in fiber, potassium, and healthy fats. Despite the fat content, it can help you shed pounds. It can curb your cravings for hours without depriving your body of essential nutrients.
5. Almonds
Nuts are good for weight watchers. They pack a lot of energy and nutrients. A handful is enough to keep you going for hours. One of the most fitness friendly nuts around is the almond. In a comparative study, participants on an almond-rich diet managed an 18 percent reduction in their weight while the other group saw just 11 percent reduction.
Not only are they rich in fiber and protein, they also offer a healthy dose of magnesium, vitamin E and healthy fats. They also contain L-arginine amino acids, which can help you burn fat.
6. Dark Chocolate
Just when you thought the list is boring!
It is hard to follow on any diet plan that keeps you from eating chocolate. Good news is that you have to replace your regular bar with a bar of dark chocolate. It is the most delightful way to shed a few pounds. Dark chocolate is nutrient dense food that contains fiber and healthy fats. It can slow down sugar absorption and hence curb your appetite for a longer time.
Studies have proven that flavonoids found in dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity and the overall metabolic rate. Not to mention, polyphenols and anandamide in chocolate will help you keep a positive attitude throughout the tough journey.
7. Green Tea
No food-related list is ever complete without at least one beverage. And no beverage can support your weight loss efforts like the good old green tea. Green tea is a potent mixture of ingredients that stimulate weight loss. It has powerful antioxidants called catechins. These antioxidants remove toxins and elements that keep you from losing fat.
A study revealed that people who consumed green tea burned 17 percent more fat during the workout. It also improved the metabolic rate and those people burned more calories throughout the day. So, while it may not suppress your appetite, it will help you burn a major portion of the calories you consume.
Conclusion
With the right diet, you can burn more calories, manage your appetite, and lose weight faster. You have to be more prudent about what you eat and drink. However, no major dietary changes should be made without consulting a professional. Visit a healthcare facility or use a trusted telemedicine software to contact an expert dietician. An expert will help you make the right dietary choices that will get you closer to your fitness goals.
