Regardless if you are a college student who wants to keep fit during the first enrollment year or a working parent who cannot follow regular eating habits, these ideas will help you to understand how the calories work. If you want to keep yourself fit, you must consider these twenty foods that will assist with the different metabolic processes in your body. A reason why it happens relates to the opposite effects that these products have on your hunger call, hormonal changes, and, most importantly, the number of calories that you burn as the food is consumed. As a way to help you see the light through it all, we came up with a simple explanation of why these twenty foods will be a great starting point to keep yourself fit.
1. The Eggs
It was believed for a long time that eggs are high in cholesterol, which is not entirely true as they are quite filling and nutrient-dense in most conditions. Without a doubt, egg consumption can raise a person's LDL-cholesterol when taken with numerous fat foods, they also help you to lose weight when consumed alone. A reason for that relates to proteins and the natural fats contained in eggs.
According to one study that involved thirty women that were overweight, consumption of eggs for breakfast compared to bagels has increased their satiety senses and has motivated every participant to eat much less during the next 36 hours since they did not feel hungry.
Turning to another eight-week scientific survey, we can see that eating eggs for breakfast helps to lose even more weight when a person is keeping with the low-calorie diet. It must be noted that the majority of these nutrients that become helpful in this case are also encountered in the yolks.
2. Leafy Greens Are Your Best Helpers
Speaking of leafy greens, you must add kale, spinach, collards, or swiss chards. Even if you may not like these foods that much, they have some properties that make them precisely adjusted to any weight loss diet. Being low in calories and carbohydrates with fiber, such foods also help you to keep hydrated and filled with energy.
Eating leafy greens is also the best way to increase the total volume of your daily meals without turning to any extra calories. Turning to various scientific studies, we can see that meals and diets that have low energy density readings assist people in processing fewer calories even when they have a complex daily schedule.
Leafy greens also represent a great source of nutritious elements and are very high in vitamins. Since they act as antioxidants, they will help you to remain in high spirits. According to some recent studies, including minerals and calcium, they can help in fat burning.
3. Salmon
As it is known, salmon is very high in terms of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids levels, which makes salmon an ideal choice for a healthy and non-chemical weight loss diet. It must be noted that even if you dislike fish, salmon is quite different and is healthy for your health. It can keep you away from hunger even if you eat a little bit. Moreover, it will keep your calories level low.
Since salmon is loaded with high-quality protein, "good" fats, and various important nutrients, it also has a major difference like most seafood products - it has a significant amount of iodine. It is extremely important for the proper functioning of the thyroid, which is exactly what helps to keep our metabolism levels running as is required.
Some studies prove that most people these days do not fill their iodine daily needs, which also leads to severe health problems and lack of energy.
Speaking of Omega-3 fatty acids, they also help to reduce overall inflammation processes, which play an important role in the prevention of obesity or any metabolic disorders.
If Salmon is an absolute "no-no" for you, think about mackerel, trout, sardines, or herring as an alternative.
4. Cruciferous Secret Ingredient
Do not let the cruciferous vegetable ever frighten you. Some people dislike them, yet they are quite helpful for immediate weight loss. They include vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, which can be cooked in numerous ways. What makes them helpful is an amount of fiber, which helps to stay fit and healthy without feeling hungry or tired. It must be noted that their high amounts of protein will give you additional strength. Of course, they may not have as much protein as any animal-based food or legumes for that matter, yet if you are a vegan or prefer vegetables, it is the safest way to go!
According to some studies, their nutrition qualities also contain cancer-fighting substances. A great combination of protein, fiber, and an already mentioned low energy density makes these vegetables a secret ingredient that you must include in your daily routine, especially if you plan to lose some weight without taking too long.
5. Lean Beef & Chicken Breast Route
Contrary to most popular beliefs, going the meaty way will not make everything wrong! We all know that meat has always been blamed for all the existing health problems even though we already have enough evidence to prove the opposite and counteract these negative meat claims.
Of course, processed meat is not that healthy per se, yet, unprocessed red meat does not lead to any risks of heart disease or diabetes.
As we turn to several scientific reviews, red meat has a very weak correlation in terms of cancer among males and no correlation per se in females. It must be noted that since meat is high in protein, it can be safely considered as a weight-loss product.
Moreover, protein is also the most filling nutrient a person can consume, which means that if you need to fight hunger, some meat will help you right away. If your diet is filled with proteins, you can burn up to 100 calories daily.
Another study shows that if you increase your protein intake to at least 25% of your daily calorie ratio, you will immediately reduce your late-night quests for snacks up to 50%. It will result in about 0.45kg per week.
For example, if you are already implementing a low-carb diet, you should have no fear of turning to fatty meats in your diet. Now, if you have a moderate or high carbohydrate diet, it would be safer to turn to lean meats.
6. Reduce Your Appetite With The Boiled Potatoes
It is quite unfair that boiled potatoes seem to lose their popularity these days. Still, they have enough to make a perfect food in terms of weight loss and keeping your health in optimal shape. As it is known for decades, potatoes contain an incredibly extensive range of useful nutrients with most elements that a person needs. If you turn to our history, you will find enough evidence about people surviving with potatoes alone for a long period of time, which also proves why it can be useful in terms of reducing your appetite.
They are also high in potassium, which represents a great lack in most people even though it plays an important role in keeping your blood pressure and heart-related processes under control. Speaking about its filling qualities, potatoes always remain at the top of the most filling foods that have ever been tested.
It also means that if you eat white or boiled potatoes, you will always feel full and will turn to other foods much less. In terms of weight loss, some studies recommend leaving potatoes to cool for a while once they have boiled. It will form a special fiber-like substance that is quite useful.
Alternatively, you can try sweet potatoes, turnips, and most root vegetables to keep the variety.
7. Time to Get Some Tuna Fish
Since it represents a lean fish, Tuna is a great source of high-quality protein, just like salmon. What you do in practice is replacing your macronutrients like carbs and fats with protein, which is the best method of losing weight, especially if you turn to any low-calorie diet option.
It is no secret that Tuna is quite popular among bodybuilders, fitness specialists, or fashion divas since it allows them to increase their intake of protein while reducing calories to a minimum. It is also important to choose tuna that has been canned in water instead of oil.
8. The Magic Beans and Legumes
Since beans like lentils, black beans, or kidney beans are high in protein and fiber, they are one of the tasty methods to keep your senses of being full at all times. It is a lower calorie intake as well. Another important aspect of beans is the presence of a special resistant starch, which will assist you in losing weight and still staying fit.
Of course, we must mention an existing challenge of legumes tolerance among most people. It is only important to look it up online about how they must be cooked right to taste good.
9. Fill Yourself With Some Soup.
No, we are not talking about some creamy or oily soups that must be avoided if possible. The talk here goes about high-water content soups that are most helpful to keep you full. The trick here is to come up with some food that will contain lots of water, which becomes possible if you mix some vegetables or fruits as an option. Remember that you can always add some water to make a soup out of almost anything.
According to some studies, it has been proven that eating the exact same food that has been turned into a soup helps people to feel satiated and consume fewer calories while also addressing their motoric skills.
10. Cottage Cheese
Coming back to protein foods, it is high time to consider some dairy products like cottage cheese, which remains one of the best options with high protein levels and very few carbs. It is also very low in terms of fat.
You can take a break from work or studies and eat some cottage cheese, which will instantly boost your protein levels. It is also quite satiating, which must be considered. Keeping your calories at bay, you will never eat too much! According to most studies, dairy products also have their high amount of calcium, which assists in fat-burning processes.
Alternatively, you can try Greek yogurt or even Icelandic dairy products called Skyr.
11. Going Exotic or Meet The Avocados
Avocados represent a unique fruit. Unlike most fruits that are always high in carbs, avocados are actually full of healthy and nutritious fats. To be precise, they are high in monounsaturated oleic acid, which is exactly the same fat ingredient that can be encountered in olive oil.
While most people think that avocados are only fat, they also contain a lot of water and fiber, which is quite helpful when you need to add more energy to your body.
If you have never tried avocados before, think about adding them to your vegetable salad. According to some studies, they contain such important ingredients as fiber and potassium (think potatoes) and increase carotenoid antioxidant absorption to 15 times when mixed with the vegetables!
12. Apple Cider Vinegar
If you have been a part of any natural health circle, you might have already heard about the benefits of apple cider vinegar. It is often used for salad dressings or vinaigrettes. Some healthy life aficionados even try diluting it in water as a drink. However, we do not recommend such a practice! Even though some studies assume that apple cider vinegar can be helpful for weight loss, it is better to combine it with some vegetables as you cook.
According to some studies, if you take vinegar along with a high-carb meal, you will instantly feel less hungry and will eat at least 200 calories less on a daily basis.
Another 12-week study has shown that people who had from 15 to 20 ml of vinegar daily could lose at least 2.6kg during the specified period.
Another benefit of vinegar is reducing blood sugar spikes, which will bring you numerous health benefits.
13. Change Your Snacks for Some Nuts
They can easily become a healthy addition to your weight loss plan, especially when consumed in moderation! And no, the nuts are not as fattening as most people think! They have a balanced amount of protein, fiber, and healthy fats that will help you to feel happy as they are like green tea in some sense.
According to some studies, eating nuts greatly enhances your metabolic health and leads to weight loss.
Another study shows that people who eat nuts are much healthier and happier than those people who tend to avoid them. The most important is to keep things moderate. Just do not mix binge drinking with the nuts!
14. Whole Grains
Despite all the negative press coverage of some cereals, some of them still remain healthy and might be an option to consider. Of course, we talk about several whole grains because of their high fiber elements and a great amount of protein. Our safe examples contain oats, brown rice, and quinoa.
Starting from oats, they are full of beta-glucans and soluble fibers. In simple terms, it is what will help you to increase your satiety levels and improve metabolism.
As for born and white rice, it has great amounts of resistant starch, especially if you let it be cooked and allowed to cool off sometime after.
Remember that choosing refined grains is not that healthy. Take note that some "whole grains'' that we see labeled as such are highly processed junk foods that must be avoided as they are quite harmful to your health.
Those who are already on high-carb diets must avoid grains. Still, if you like them, it won't hurt adding them to your diet!
15. Chili Pepper
It must be used with great care as a person must build up some tolerance by eating it regularly if one does not have any allergic reactions. The reasons why we have it included relates to a temporary appetite reduction and an increase in fat burning. It is quite useful for any weight loss diet, just do not overdo it!
According to studies, chili pepper contains a special substance called capsaicin, which helps to reduce appetite and increase fat burning. They even sell this substance as a supplement in some weight loss stores commercially, yet choosing a natural route is much safer!
According to a study, eating 1 gram of red chili pepper reduced appetite and also increased fat burning even among those people who did not eat them regularly before.
However, the same study shows that people who have already been used to eating spicy foods had little to no effect.
16. Add Some Fruits to Your Life
According to most healthcare experts, eating fruits is good for your health. The studies also claim that people who avoid eating fruits (as well as vegetables) are less healthier compared to people who do.
It must be noted that correlation never equals causation, which means that these studies are not that useful in terms of specific cases. Nevertheless, eating fruits has various properties that help to lose weight. Even though most fruits contain natural sugar, they also have a low energy density and will need to be processed by your body. Their high fiber content helps to prevent sugar from being let out way too fast into your bloodstream.
Remember about fruit intolerance before choosing this path. If you are on a very low-carb or ketogenic diet, avoid the fruits as well or keep things moderate.
17. Grapefruit
Numerous studies claim that grapefruit is the best of keeping your appetite low and reducing your calorie intake, especially if eaten before meals. It is always worth trying if you can tolerate it. Its positive effects on weight control have been studied directly.
The study that has lasted for 12 weeks and included 91 obese individuals shows that eating at least half of a fresh grapefruit has led to a weight loss of about 3.5 pounds or 1.6 kg.
The grapefruit also leads to insulin resistance reduction, which is an odd metabolic abnormality that has been noticed in various chronic diseases.
Most importantly, if you eat half of a grapefruit about an hour before your daily meals, you will feel much more satiated and will consume fewer calories.
18. Chia Seeds
The Chia seeds belong to the most nutritious foods that have ever existed. They also contain 12 grams of carbohydrates per ounce (about 28 grams), which is quite high, especially if one considers that 11 of these grams belong to fiber.
It is exactly what makes Chia seeds a friendly low-carb food that has one of the best fiber sources out there.
According to some other studies, this high fiber content helps the chia seeds absorb up to 11-12 times their weight in water by turning to a gel-like substance that expands in your stomach.
Some other research shows that even though chia seeds can help in the reduction of a person's appetite, they do not have a significant effect in terms of weight loss. Nevertheless, if you take a closer look at their nutrient structure, chia seeds can be a great addition to your weight loss diet.
19. Not All Fats Are Equal or Why The Coconut Oil Matters
Firstly, it is high in fatty acids that have a medium length, which is also known as medium-chain triglycerides. These fatty acids greatly boost your satiety levels in a much better way than most other fats by increasing the number of calories that you have burned.
Moreover, turning to more studies, one in females, and one other in males, the coconut oil also reduces an amount of belly fat.
Even though the coconut oil still contains calories, adding them on top of what you are already eating in your schedule is not a good idea. It is not that much adding the coconut oil to your diet per se but replacing some of your cooking fats with it.
Some studies also assume that coconut oil is much less satiating than MCT-based oil, - a special supplement that has much higher levels of medium-chain triglycerides.
Another example is extra virgin olive oil, which is also one of the healthiest options.
20. Probiotic Yogurts Solutions
The majority of probiotic yogurts are meant to increase your digestive system, which is worth adding to your weight loss strategy, especially if you want to avoid some products that contain added sugar. It is helpful because it already contains a special probiotic bacteria, which improves the ways how your gut system functions.
In other words, if your gut is healthy, it helps to protect your body against inflammation and increases leptin resistance, which is exactly what controls the hormonal aspects of obesity.
Remember to choose yogurts that contain live, active cultures. The reason for that is that most other yogurt types do not have any probiotics per se.
Think about full-fat yogurts as well. According to some studies, keeping a full-fat dairy diet, may decrease obesity risks and type 2 diabetes.
It is best to avoid low-fat yogurts because of their high sugar levels.
Just Keep Things Balanced!
It is not too challenging to choose your healthy foods and come up with a good weight loss strategy that will keep you fit. The most important thing is keeping things balanced and not overdoing it! You can think about numerous foods like fish, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. The processed foods to check out include probiotic yogurts, extra-virgin olive oil, or oatmeal as an option.
Remember to keep your body fit by exercising more as eating these nutritious foods must be processed right! It will help your body function in a better way and will pave the road towards a happier life!
