What Foods Can I Eat on the Leptin Diet?

What Foods Can I Eat on the Leptin Diet?
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There are various types of medical conditions that require specific diets to maintain optimum health. The leptin diet helps the participant control the hormone, leptin, which aids the body in regulating appetite and metabolism, according to EveryDiet.org. Leptin levels in the body are proportional to body fat levels, since the hormone is freed by the fat cells. Certain foods are required for proper maintenance of the leptin hormone, so consult your health care provider for complete information and guidelines.

Fish

According to TheFactsAboutFitness.com, people who regularly include fish as part of a healthy diet have lower leptin levels. Since people who have more body fat typically have higher leptin levels, eating fish that is low in healthy fats and high in protein can help reduce your body's leptin levels. Overweight people generally have higher levels of leptin hormones in their body. It is not active in the hypothalamus, which helps to naturally control its levels. A diet rich in healthy fish may help to regulate your leptin levels by making your body more sensitive to the hormone. This effect will not only help you lose weight, but keep it off over time. While eating fish has a positive effect on your body, some types contain higher levels of mercury and other toxins, so be sure to consult your health care provider or nutritionist for more information about fish in your diet.

Proteins

Eating foods that follow a healthy leptin diet can help to increase your metabolism and burn more calories, according to WellnessResources.com. You can jump-start your metabolism every day by eating a high-protein breakfast. A breakfast meal that is high in carbohydrates will inhibit your metabolic rate and may cause slowing of your metabolism throughout the day. Eating a breakfast that consists of eggs without high-fat additions, such as butter or cheese, is a protein-rich meal that will encourage a healthy metabolic rate. Additionally, low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese with a serving of complex carbohydrates or fruit will also work.

Fiber-Rich Foods

According to WellnessResources.com, eating foods that are high in fiber is important to the conditions of the leptin diet. The leptin diet requires the participant to eat three reasonably sized meals per day with little to no snacking. To feel satiated and resist the urge to snack or submit to unhealthy food cravings, it is important to eat a diet that is high in fiber-rich foods, such as broccoli, squash and corn, as well as leafy green vegetables, such as spinach. Fiber adds bulk to the food eaten and causes the body to use energy and burn calories to metabolize properly. This is a beneficial process for the leptin diet, as it allows you to eat less and burn more fat.

References

Article reviewed by Helen Covington Last updated on: Sep 12, 2010

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