Weight Loss Tips

High fiber foods are one of the greatest kept secrets of losing weight and successfully keeping that weight off. That’s right, something as simple as increasing your daily fiber intake can really make a difference in how much weight you can lose.  There are many other health benefits that foods high in fiber also provide but most people don’t consider how well it works for weight loss.

A report published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association discovered the main difference between “normal-weight” adults and their overweight counterparts was the amount of fiber they took in in their day-to-day diet.  The two groups had the same amounts of sugar, bread, dairy products and vegetables. The difference was the normal-weight subjects ate 33 % more dietary fiber and 43 % more complex carbohydrates daily (per 1,000 calories) than those who were overweight.

Why high fiber foods work for weight loss

Most high fiber foods are frequently low in fat and calories and it just makes sense to eat these foods for any weight loss program.  Another reason it works so well is the body can’t break down fiber so it speeds through your digestive tract never having an opportunity to become body fat.  But the greatest advantage of foods high in fiber is it swells up in your stomach and actually makes you feel full.  Once you experience that full feeling, you’re less likely to eat or even snack.

High fiber food also helps stabilize blood sugar levels which prevents the high and low levels that can signal you are hungry.  Fiber also helps your digestive system and studies even show it helps to lower your cholesterol.   Another health benefit of fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains is they offer you a healthy amount of disease-fighting antioxidants.

Here is a list of high fiber foods that will help you get more fiber into your daily diet.

Want a healthy food list along with all of the health benefits they offer you?  This list of exceptional foods below are loaded with vitamins and provide excellent health benefits.

The most important healthy eating tip is to remember to choose foods closest to their natural state.  Less processed foods offer far more health benefits than processed foods. This is a list of healthy foods to include in your daily diet and are ideal for maintaining good health.

Most fruit is good, healthy food but some are exceptionally good for you.

Apricots
Apricots are very healthy because they are high in beta-carotene which helps to keep some kinds of cancers away. They are also high in fiber and vitamins.

Avocados
Avocados contain an unsaturated fat called Oleic acid, which helps to lower your overall cholesterol and raise levels of HDL or good cholesterol.

Mangos
Mangos are lodaded with antioxidants to keep your immune system healthy. One medium mango has a whopping 57 MG of vitamin C, which is almost your entire daily recommended dose and ranks high for healthy foods to eat.

Raspberries
Raspberries are high in fiber and are packed with vitamin C. Raspberries contain Ellagic acid, which is known to help slow cancer cell growth.

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe has a large amount of vitamin C and beta-carotene antioxidants that help protect your body’s cells as well as helps to lower your blood pressure. Half a melon contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly twice as much as a banana,

Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain one of the strongest antioxidants known to man called Lycopene. Lycopene can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach, and colon cancers in half if you eat just one tomato daily.

Onions
Onion have a powerful antioxidant called Quercetin, which can help to protect against many types of cancer. They are also very high in fiber.

Broccoli
Broccoli has Indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, which helps protect against breast cancer. It is also high in beta-carotene and is loaded with vitamin C.

Spinach
Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend off macular degeneration, which is a major cause of blindness in older people.

Peanuts
Peanuts as well as many other nuts like almonds and walnuts contain mostly unsaturated or good fat and can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 20 percent. Nuts make excellent healthy snacks.

Pinto Beans
One half cup of pinto beans has more than 25 percent of your daily folate requirement, which protects you against heart disease. Beans contain very high fiber which gives you that full feeling.

Skim Milk
Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for good vision and along with Vitamin A that could improve your immunity to allergies. Skim milk is also high in calcium and vitamin D as well.

Yogurt
The bacteria in active-culture yogurt can help prevent yeast infections and the calcium strengthens your bones. It’s more healthy to get plain yogurt and mix in your own fruit to keep the calories and sugar content low.

Cold Water Fish
Cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Another health benefit of omega 3 fatty acids is they help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.

Crab
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and zinc which boosts your overall immunity.

Olive Oil
Olive Oil has many antioxidants that can protect you against heart disease by controlling LDL, which is bad cholesterol levels and raises your HDL, or good cholesterol. Olive oil has so many health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows olive oil producers to put a heart-healthy claim on their labels.

Eat as many of these foods on this healthy food list for maximum health benefits.

Did you know that there are foods that not only help you lose belly fat but can also improve your health?  According to new research, certain foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids can protect you from chronic disease as well as keep fat from accumulating around your stomach.

We will focus on five of those foods that are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids that specifically help you melt body fat around your waistline.  You may even be a little surprised because even though these flat belly diet foods have many health benefits some may be hard to resist.

Nuts

Most nuts contain a high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids or good fat and eating nuts regularly can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 20 percent.  Eating 2 tablespoons of nuts at every meal can help reduce the collection of belly fat.

Nuts and seeds like almonds, Brazil nuts, dry-roasted cashews, dry-roasted peanuts, dry-roasted sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are perfect examples of the right kind of nuts to eat to keep belly fat away.

Oils

Oils highest in monounsaturated fatty acids are canola oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, pesto sauce, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil and walnut oil.  Use 1 tablespoon of these oils in cooking, salad dressings, in a sandwich spread or mix it with pasta.

Olives

Olives are not only rich with antioxidants but are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids that work very well to help you to lose belly fat.  10 large black or green olives can be eaten as healthy snacks or you can top salads, sandwiches and cooked meats with them.

Avocados

Avocados are not only high in fiber but contain a fat called Oleic acid, which helps to lower your overall cholesterol and raise your levels of HDL or good cholesterol.  Smash up some avocados to make guacamole or garnish a sandwich or a salad with a few slices.

Dark Chocolate

We have saved the best for last.  Who hasn’t heard about the health benefits of dark chocolate lately?  As long as you don’t eat too much dark chocolate and keep your serving at 1/4 cup per day, it is another perfect food rich in monounsaturated fatty acids.  Who would have ever thought that something like dark chocolate could actually help you lose belly fat?