Healthy foods for weight loss

If you're like most people making a New Year's resolution, you want to eat healthier, lose weight, or both. And if you're like most of us, your resolve has already started to waver. In thisBiopedia article, we'll share a few healthy foods for weight loss. Read more in the following lines.

By March 1, the majority of weight-related New Year's resolutions have been defeated by unrealistic expectations, fad diets, disappointment over lack of results, and a host of other factors. Don't give up!

Make the 2024 resolution the one that stays. It's easier than you think, and the first step to getting back on track is to focus your next trip to the grocery store on the best foods to satisfy hunger and reduce cravings.

To make it as easy as possible, we've prepared a list of healthy foods that will help you lose weight. We've added a checklist of foods to avoid as well.

Healthy foods for weight loss: proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of our body. They help build, repair and maintain our tissues. Proteins strengthen our immune system. Most importantly for people trying to lose weight, proteins help you feel full after eating and help maintain your metabolism.

The best healthy foods for weight loss that are sources of protein are:

• Chicken, turkey and/or eggs;
• Seafood;
• Non-fat yogurt and cottage cheese;
• Tofu.

However, it is also important to pay attention to foods that will undermine weight loss. You are advised to cross them off your diet right now.

Beverages that are sugar-sweetened or "naturally sweetened" provide little or no nutritional value. Instead, they raise your blood sugar and insulin response with a concentrated dose of sugar that is quickly absorbed - leading to increased appetite and cravings.

Even if the drink is made from 100% fruit juice and no sugar is added, it mixes the fruit's natural sugar while removing its awesome fiber. (Food for thought: you probably wouldn't eat three oranges in one sitting. So why would you drink so many?)

Worst offenders:

• Carbonated drinks
• Juice
• Sports drinks

Alternatives: Whenever you find yourself craving a sweet sip, reach for an aromatic herbal tea.

Fiber

Fibre also refers to healthy foods for weight loss. And the interesting thing is that you can get them without even touching bread.

Here are which healthy foods contain the most fiber:

• Legumes- beans, lentils, etc.
• Raspberries, blackberries, pears, apples, strawberries, blueberries, cherries;
• Of vegetables: artichokes, Brussels sprouts, greens, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, red peppers, beets, asparagus, cabbage, zucchini, onions, celery;
• Almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanut butter;
• Chia, flax, sesame, sunflower, hemp, pumpkin seeds.

Experts advise avoiding sugar because it causes insulin to spike, and high insulin levels cause your body to store fat instead of burning it.

Refined carbohydrates also lead to a crash-and-burn effect as blood sugar drops below the recommended range, leading to greater appetite, "hangovers" and more cravings.

The worst offenders

Pre-sweetened yogurts;

• Canned fruit;
• Sauces, especially such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, French dressing and the like.
• Alternatives

The bad news? 80% of our food contains added sugar. The good news? It's all in the same place - packaged goods usually dominate the center of your supermarket. That's why your best strategy is to "shop the perimeter," where you can focus on fresh produce and natural, wholesome foods.

Go in with a list and stick to it, read labels (even products from the same family can vary greatly in their contents) and never shop when you're hungry.

Healthy foods for weight loss: foods rich in fat

Fat tends to get a bad rap, but your body needs it to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, not to mention heal wounds.

Fat is also the slowest macronutrient to absorb (the correct order is carbs, protein, fat), so it promotes satiety and adds flavor to food.

The fats with the most protective health benefits are unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Saturated fat is not the enemy it has been labeled for the past 50 years; consider it a "neutral" fat.

The best sources of fat that support weight loss are:

• Olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil;
• Nuts and seeds;
• Avocados;
• Butter;

Experts advise that when aiming for weight loss, and not only, avoid highly processed foods.