Natural Foods that Help You Lose Weight

Natural Foods that Help You Lose Weight
Photo Credit Veggies image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com

If you are trying to lose weight, you're faced with numerous drastic options including drugs and surgery. If you want to lose weight naturally, however, your options are much simpler. Natural weight loss requires exercise and a diet consisting mainly of low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods. Start making progress toward your weight loss goal by adding healthy, natural foods to your diet.

Fish

Fish is naturally high in protein and essential fatty acids, making it a natural metabolism booster. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," if you eat fish daily as part of a reduced-calorie diet you may lose more weight than if you consumed the same amount of calories and no fish. To keep its fat content low, do not fry it. Instead, eat it baked, grilled or raw, as in sushi.

Vegetables

A healthy, natural weight loss plan requires you eat foods that are high in vitamins and minerals but low in overall calories. Vegetables give you the nutrition you need, with few excess calories. They can help break the boredom of dieting by adding color and flavor to otherwise bland meals. Veggies also provide fiber, which keeps you feeling full and promotes digestive health.

Fruits

Much like veggies, fruits supply vitamins, fiber and minerals. Unlike most natural diet foods, however, fruits can help you fight sweet cravings with their natural sugars. While whole fruits are an important component of a weight loss plan, canned fruits can be packaged with sugar or syrup, adding extra calories.

Nuts

Healthy snacking can be a challenge to dieters with chips, pretzels and energy bars being high in processed calories. Nuts are a healthy and convenient snack food with numerous benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, nuts--especially walnuts and almonds--are naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve your heart health and cholesterol levels. Nuts also contain protein, which stimulates your metabolism and satiates you between meals.

References

Article reviewed by DeborahO Last updated on: Sep 12, 2010

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