Foods to Jump Start a Diet

Foods to Jump Start a Diet
Photo Credit waist measurement image by msw from Fotolia.com

Eating the right foods can make the difference between feeling hopeless and being successful on a diet and losing weight. Some foods can give you the nutrients you need not only to be healthy but also to help you reach your weight-loss goals. Dieting is not always about eliminating but about incorporating certain foods into your diet that help keep you feeling fuller longer; doing this can help jump start your diet.

Fruits

The more fruits that you eat, the easier it will be to lose weight and the more of it you will lose. It is the perfect food to jump start your diet. According to nowloss.com, your body burns 16% more calories after a meal is consumed that is made up of mostly fruits and vegetables than a meal without any of them. This source also states that fruits high in vitamin C liquefy or burn off body fat so it can be easily flushed out of your body. Some of these fruits include oranges, lemons, pineapples, grapefruit, apples, limes and watermelon.

Not only do fruits contain essential vitamins but they also contain water and fiber. In fact, fruits are low in calories and energy density because they have high water and fiber content, as stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Fruits have fewer calories than most foods so you can eat a greater volume of them and this can help you to feel fuller.

Vegetables

Along with fruits, eating more vegetables helps with losing weight and jump starting your diet. As it is with fruits that contain vitamin C, vegetables with this vitamin burn off fat through flushing it out of the body, as nowloss.com says. Some of these vegetables include tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, celery and carrots.

Vegetables not only contain vitamins but minerals, enzymes, fiber, antioxidants and protein needed for good health and avoidance of disease, according to naturalnews.com. This site also says that when they are eaten, the body is satisfied and the signal to continue eating is extinguished. Evidence shows that vegetables, which are plant-based foods, can help to control food cravings and overeating, as peertrainer.com states. Vegetables, just like fruits, help keep you fuller for longer periods of time and weight loss is not only easier but can happen faster.

Other Foods

Other foods are also effective for jump starting a diet and for weight loss besides just fruits and vegetables. Nowloss.com offers a list of these foods, including oatmeal, raw nuts, dairy products, whole-grain breads, potatoes and resistant starch, which is another kind of dietary fiber. Lean proteins are also on the list in the form of fish, baked poultry and whey protein. As a matter of fact, this source says that your body burns more calories when it digests protein than when any other type of food is digested, with the exception of fruits and vegetables. Nowloss.com also claims that protein stabilizes blood sugar, makes you feel full and helps stimulate your metabolism.

References

Article reviewed by GayleZorrilla Last updated on: Jun 15, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments