If you're trying to lose weight, you may be tempted to cut calories, but eating too little can put your health at risk. Instead of restricting your caloric intake, you can focus on fueling your body with healthier, more nutritious foods.
Superfoods are nutrient-dense ingredients that, in addition to promoting overall health, contain specific compounds, micronutrients, and antioxidants that can help with weight loss.
According to science, these are 10 of the best superfoods for weight loss:
1. Cinnamon
Some studies suggest that cinnamon (make sure it's "Ceylon Cinnamon") may have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. This could help you control your appetite, particularly in people with type 2 diabetes.
Scientists at the University of Michigan discovered that cinnamaldehyde, an essential oil found in cinnamon, can help burn fat by activating thermogenesis (the metabolism process where heat helps burn calories).
You can sprinkle cinnamon on your breakfasts or add it to your drinks such as coffee or smoothies.
2. Dark Chocolate
In one study, women who ate chocolate at night (compared to those who ate during the day) had better metabolisms and lost fat around the waist after two weeks.
Consumed in moderation, and always in its versions with a higher concentration of cocoa, this food is an excellent regulator of metabolism.
But be careful: while there was an obvious weight loss, the researchers advise against excessive consumption of chocolate due to its overall high caloric content and of course you have to look for it to be sugar-free.
3. Green Tea
It is known by many that green tea is thermogenic or fat burning, it is loaded with antioxidants called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that helps speed up metabolism. Additionally, green tea also contains a small amount of caffeine, which speeds up your metabolic rate and increases fat burning if drunk before exercise.
A study from the University of Birmingham in England found that men who took a green tea extract before exercising burned 17% more fat than those who didn't.
Several other studies suggest that green tea may promote weight loss by stimulating the body to burn fat. Green tea contains catechins, a type of phytochemical that can briefly affect metabolism. To get the most benefit, you may need to drink green tea several times a day. Try to drink your tea hot as it takes longer to drink, providing a relaxing and mindful experience.
4. Spirulina
Spirulina is an algae with a striking bluish-green color. It is extremely rich in vital nutrients like essential fatty acids, protein, vitamins B, C, E and full of chlorophyll. All of this gives spirulina the status of a true superfood.
Its nutrients energize the metabolism and this action is maximized during a low-calorie diet. Additionally, the amino acids in spirulina not only aid in the maintenance of muscle mass, but also in the maintenance of long-term weight loss results.
Spirulina contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that stimulates the secretion of cholecystokinin. In turn, cholecystokinin helps reduce appetite and makes a person feel less hungry. As a result, spirulina is an excellent appetite suppressant. It also contains a lot of fiber, which helps keep you full for longer.
5. Fermented Food
These foods include tempeh, apple cider vinegar, and my favorites, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut or fermented cabbage, which is both a prebiotic and a probiotic food, meaning it adds beneficial bacteria to your gastrointestinal tract and feeds the good bacteria that they are already there. Sauerkraut is also high in fiber, which helps control appetite and regulate blood glucose levels.
Probiotics (good bacteria) found in fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system. By adding fermented foods to your diet, you will be able to neutralize harmful microorganisms and as a result, the barrier lining the intestine will be protected and nutrients will travel to the rest of the body more effectively.
We've all heard of the apple cider vinegar diet, but how exactly has it earned a spot on our list of fat-burning foods?
Researchers discovered that it was the acetic acid in this vinegar that was effective in burning fat from our environment. A 12-week study showed that obese men who consumed a daily tablespoon of this product experienced a half-inch loss from their waist.
6. Avocado
One study found that eating an avocado nearly every day, as part of a calorie-controlled diet, helped participants lose weight. Avocado is high in healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which promote satiety. A research published in a scientific nutrition journal found that adding half an avocado at lunch can help overweight people feel more satisfied and reduce their desire to eat in the hours after that meal.
7. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds can be considered one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. They contain fiber and protein, so they make you feel full faster. Plus they are a low carb food
To top it off, chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can further help with weight management.
8. Quinoa
Quinoa is a staple in any weight loss plan. This whole grain superfood has 8 grams of hunger-fighting protein and 5 grams of fiber in one cup, plus it's packed with nutrients like iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. Quinoa is easier to cook than brown rice. equally versatile for use in a multitude of dishes.
9. Leafy Greens
Green leafy vegetables include lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, kale, and a few others. They have multiple properties that make them perfect for reaching or maintaining a healthy weight. They contain fiber and nutrients that keep you full and hydrated.
Lettuce, for example, has a lot of water content to take up space in the stomach. That leaves less room for fatty foods that you may crave later in the meal.
10. Oats
Raw oats are packed with resistant starch, a type of starch that resists digestion but is very supportive of weight loss. In the digestion process, resistant starch releases by-products that can make your cells more responsive to insulin, helping to reduce stubborn fat around your midsection.
Not only does oatmeal keep your insulin levels low after you eat it, preventing blood sugar spikes that signal your body to store fat, but it's also high in fiber, and as your body breaks down that fiber, you burn calories.
You can prepare it in many ways, here we leave you a recipe to inspire you.
Something you should consider before consuming oats or other seeds:
Seeds and grains contain phytic acid, a compound that, when consumed through the foods we eat, inhibits the absorption of essential minerals. This is because phytic acid binds to these minerals to form phytates. Humans do not have the necessary enzymes in their system to break down phytates. Basically, a fair amount of minerals pass through our small intestine without being absorbed.
There are a few ways to reduce the phytic acid in oatmeal to increase your body's mineral intake while enjoying a bowl of these seeds for breakfast. The main method is to soak the oats for 12 hours or overnight in water. Using the same ratio of water to oatmeal that you would normally use to cook them and then wash them before cooking. Soaking activates an enzyme in oats called phytase that naturally breaks down phytic acid.