Traditionally it was thought that all those delicious foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, etc., must be avoided to shed pounds. Even today, many believe that meat and fish are the main reason for weight gain. Don’t follow some unscientific diet plans suggested by old-school weight loss gurus.
Weight loss plans are all about eating low-calorie foods.
The simple arithmetic of weight loss is nothing but fewer and fewer calories in your diet. You need the requisite amount of calories for bodily functions and the energy required for your day-to-day activities.
7 Healthy Weight Loss Diets
Heather Mangieri at the Academy Of Nutrition and Dietetics says, “Certain foods can help you shed body weight because they help you feel full for a long time and help in curbing cravings.”
Dieting is not about starving yourself to become feeble and unhealthy. There are a whole lot of tasty and nutritious food items you can eat safely without adding pounds to your body.
We should always concentrate more on building muscle mass and losing flabby fat. A hopelessly frail and slim body makes a person good for nothing. So we aim to eat the best healthy foods, but we will need high-carb foods.
Here are the top 7 food items you must always have in your diet plans.
1. Nuts and Seeds
The nutritiously rich nuts and seeds are must-have items in your diet plan. The safest snacks you can have daily are nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts, pecans, or walnuts. They contain essential nutrients and vitamins and will drastically reduce your appetite.
You can choose from such wide varieties of nuts and seeds; even pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are very good snacks.
Some of the studies point out those nuts are usually very rich sources of Vitamin E and magnesium, which is good for keeping you young and energetic. They help rejuvenate your skin and sharpen your brain even in old age.
Nuts and seeds contain healthy fats and a moderate amount of calories (except a few of them, like almonds and peanuts, have high calories).
We should only take a handful of seeds and nuts a day and have different ones on each day of the week. They help in improving health and vitality.
Nuts improve insulin sensitivity and suppress appetite to lose weight naturally.
As per the recommendations of the American Heart Association And FDA, it is good to eat 1.5 ounces (about a handful) of unsalted raw nuts and seeds per day to reduce the risk of heart disease and to improve the healthy immune system and metabolism.
2. Roots and Tubers
Many weight loss gurus used to discourage the inclusion of roots and tuber food in the weight loss diet plan. Traditionally the tubers were considered high-calorie food that promotes weight gain.
Recently, dieticians have been encouraging the intake of tubers as a source of calories. It is found that millions of people in the world who use tubers as staple food have remained healthier and harder than others.
One of the most commonly used tuber-food items worldwide is potatoes.
The roots and tubers are rich in carbohydrates; they provide useful micronutrients and the amount of glucose our bodies need.
They do not contain toxic sugar or fructose found in the fruits. Above all, they are nutritious and delicious to eat.
Caution
Tubers should be taken in moderation and per the body’s energy requirements. It is best for people who do a lot of physical and energetic activities. Lethargic and clumsy people should not think of enjoying the tasty tubers if they do not want to put on weight.
Finally, tubers are a good source of carbohydrates that you should include in your diet.. but they are not for sedentary and obese people.
3. Vegetables
Having more and verities of vegetables as a major part of your diet is the best way to reduce calorie intake.
Vegetables are the most satiating and tasty dishes you can think of for those looking forward to achieving their weight loss goals. They do not add calories, but they fill you up.
Vegetables should be an indispensable part of your daily diet
as they have numerous health benefits.
They are good sources of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals for the body. They enhance immunity, metabolism, red blood cell counts, and good cholesterol.
Vegetables reduce the risk of fatal diseases, heart ailments, diabetes, obesity, stroke, cancer, and many others.
Vegetables are also very rich in fiber and antioxidants. Lack of verities of vegetables in your diet can make you physically weak and ill health in the long run.
Above all, numerous tastes and flavors are possible with many vegetable dishes.
To lose weight naturally, begin to eat various vegetables every day and keep the consumption of a high-calorie diet as minimal as possible. However, full vegan diets are not a good idea.
4. Eggs
Eggs have numerous health benefits; and are of special importance for all weight loss enthusiasts.
We have been studying and hearing about the goodness of eggs from our school days. It is good for our eyes, bones, hair, nails, brain health, heart, and muscle building. It is a rich source of pure protein, iron, calcium, and many essential vitamins and nutrients.
These days weight loss gurus are giving a very important place to eggs in the diet plan. A breakfast that includes eggs is very satiating, and its rich protein helps us arrest the craving for fringe eating during the day.
Several studies have reported that people who have eggs regularly for breakfast have an increased tendency to eat less during lunch and a lower interest in snacks during the day.
More importantly, eggs do not add bad cholesterol to the blood, and protein from eggs is very good for muscle building (the best natural protein food for muscle builders).
It has been found that people who have protein-rich breakfasts (eggs and meat) stay fuller during the day than those who have cereals and grains for breakfast.
The most nutritious part of an egg is the yolk, but more protein is found in the egg whites. If you suffer from cholesterol-related health issues, you should not have too many egg yolks.
Contrary to the common notions, eggs DO NOT lead to heart attacks. Bad cholesterol is mostly due to trans-fat oils, saturated fats, fatty meats, etc. For sure, eggs help in the development of good cholesterol. The antioxidants lutein, and zeaxanthin, found in eggs, are very important for healthy eyes.
An egg is a must-have food item in your diet for weight control. It will make you feel full, and you will not need or worry about eating high-calorie snacks and meals during the day.
5. Meat and Fish
Fish
Fish is the best source of lean protein, which is good for those serious about a healthy weight loss meal plan.
Fish has healthy omega-3 fatty acids and is low in unhealthy saturated fats, which makes fish an ideal menu for all.
There are numerous varieties of fish to choose from, and they also have varying tastes. As it is so, you will never get tired of eating fish.
Fish is healthier than meat as it contains several essential nutrients and Omega-3 fatty acids; it is good for the heart, brain, skin, and hair.
It is medically proven that Omega-3 fatty acid makes a person mentally sharp and composed. This fatty acid improves cardiovascular health and fights cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Normally those who have fish regularly are found to be mentally stronger and less prone to depression.
Going by the standards set by several studies on a fat-burning diet, fish and fish oil were found to be a very good diet for healthy weight loss. Fish has a lot of advantages over red meat as it is very low in calories and mostly contains only healthy fats.
Meat
Meat is one of the most favorite dishes that most people all over the world (approximately 66% of the world population is non-vegetarian) love to relish. Meat is an easily available source of protein.
Due to massive commercial farming of slaughtered animals, the quality of meat has depleted with the rampant usage of growth hormones and antibiotics used in animals. Because of this reason, meat dishes may not be as healthy as they used to be a long time ago, but we have limited choices other than this.
The most healthy and nutritious meat we can use is cows, buffaloes, chickens, and goats grown inin natural environment of pastoral lands. The meat and milk from cows fed on green grass have higher nutritional value than those fed on grains and artificial fodder.
Lean meat is an excellent diet for healthily maintaining a slim body. Lean meat has the maximum amount of protein and the least amount of fat/calories.
It is also rich in Omega-3 and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which helps our body to increase lean mass. We also get a good bit of vitamins A, E, and Glutathione (a cellular antioxidant enhancer) from meat.
If you have the available space and time, grow and rare chickens, ducks, turkeys, and fish on your farm to have a healthy supply of meat and fish for your family.
Weight loss diets without fish and meat can cause harm to the overall health of your body over some time.
6. Fruits
Fruits have always been considered an essential part of our regular food. But in recent times, especially the weight loss gurus do not support having fructose-rich fruits regularly.
Fructose-rich fruits may cause some worries over weight gain and diabetes issues.
However, we need help to think of a diet bereaved of fruits as they are a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients for our body. Some fruits have therapeutic and healing effects as well.
These days some of the best weight loss supplements, like Garcinia Cambogia, Raspberry Ketone, Acai Berry, African Mango, etc., are all from those particular fruits.
Many recent studies suggest that fruits like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, avocados, and grapefruits have excellent weight loss impacts.
If you are already overweight, you need to limit the intake of fructose-rich fruit to a minimum.
Some recent research (also a recent study at Scripps Clinic in San Diego) showed that a handful of grapes or a glass of grape juice a few minutes before a meal is good for weight loss. It helps to suppress the appetite and improves the metabolic process in the body as well.
All citrus fruits are good sources of Vitamin C and help improve physical immunity against common diseases.
A common saying is that “Apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apple is rich in soluble fiber and pectin. It is very filling and a good appetite spoiler to help lose weight.
Undoubtedly, fruits are an excellent food we can have at any time. Fruits come in such wide varieties and flavors with seasonal changes. We should surely have balanced varieties of fruits in our diet but have them moderately to avoid weight gain due to the fructose/calories present in them. Some years back, dieticians would frown at having oils, fats, and dairy products as major items in the diet plan.
7. Fats, Oils, and Dairy
However recent studies and research on diets emphasize the importance of including healthy fats (except saturated and trans-fats), oils, and low-fat dairy products as a necessary part of a good diet plan.
Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy, cell growth, hormone production, and absorption of nutrients.
It is good to use butter or coconut oil for deep-fry cooking because they are mheat-resistantheat. But for preparing raw foods like salads, use only extra virgin olive oil.
Among the dairy fats, the best ones are cheese, butter, and
yogurt, as they are rich in mono-saturated fats, calcium, and nutrients. Pure dairy fats have a very low risk of weight gain.
However, it is important that in any diet we choose to have, be it ‘fat or oil,’ everything must be in moderation. If you want to be fit and slim, eat as much as your body requires for all its functions and the energy precisely required for your daily activities.
You could also read the article on the food items that must be avoided in our diet plan.