Most medical experts recommend eating more complex carbohydrates to reduce body fat because "very little of the complex carbohydrates a person eats is converted into body fat," according to Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease.
Complex carbohydrates are found in beans, breads, cereals, fruits, pasta and vegetables. The Merck Manual of Medical Information recommends substituting these foods for higher-fat foods permanently, rather than eating them until you've reached your body-fat loss goal.
Grains
Grains have many positive qualities that help you decrease your body fat. According to "The New Pritikin Program," their high-fiber qualities reduce body fat because they "swell inside your stomach and delay gastric emptying, making you feel satisfied and full."
Pritikin's list of high-fiber, low-fat grains includes rye and whole wheat bread, barley, brown rice and
cornmeal. According to Ornish, a slice of rye bread has 0.3g of fat and 13g of carbohydrates, while a slice of whole wheat bread has 0.8g of fat and 11.9g of carbohydrates.
Fruits
Fruits have many positive qualities that help you reduce your body fat. According to Pritikin, they are more likely than high-fat foods to be used for energy, and less likely to be stored as body fat.
The best low-fat fruits include apples, blueberries, oranges, pears, raspberries and strawberries. According to Ornish's book, an apple has 0.8g of fat and 20g of carbohydrates. The per serving fat and carbohydrate content of the other fiber-rich fruits are 1.3g and 18.6g for blackberries, 0.3g and 18.1g for oranges, 0.7g and 25.1g for pears, 0.6g and 16.7g for raspberries, and 0.7g and 12.5g for strawberries.
Many fruits do contain a significant amount of simple sugars, but they are still a very low-fat food and their high-fiber qualities make them a good food choice for diabetics, according to Pritikin.
Vegetables
Vegetables that are unrefined carbohydrates help decrease body fat. According to Pritikin, you are "less likely to rush through meals and overeat" when you eat vegetables, because they require much more chewing.
Pritikin's list of low-fat vegetables includes baked potatoes. One potato has 0.2g of fat and 32.8g of carbohydrates, according to Ornish. Pritikin also lists four very low-fat vegetables--carrots (0.3g of fat per serving), eggplant (0.4g), pepper (0g) and squash (0.2g).
Soluble Fiber
Foods in several food groups have a lot of soluble fiber that are even better for helping you lose body fat than foods with more insoluble fiber or a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber can be dissolved in water. According to Pritikin, soluble fiber reduces insulin levels and appetite and
consequently, also decreases body fat.
Foods with a lot of soluble fiber include black-eyed peas (4.5g per serving), dried figs (3.7g), oat bran (2g), Brussels sprouts (1.6g) and cabbage (1.6g).
Beans
Beans are very proficient for reducing body fat because they are loaded with soluble fiber and vegetable protein, according to Pritikin. The following low-fat beans have less than 1g of fat per serving, according to Ornish: kidney, lentils, lima, pinto and green. Pritikin also recommends garbanzos, which have 3.3g of fat and 42.1g of carbohydrates per serving.
References
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease;" Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
- "The New Pritikin Program;" Robert Pritikin; 1990
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness;" Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information; 1999
- "The Well Adult;" Dr. Mike Samuels and Nancy Samuels; 1988
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