It is common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are great for weight loss. However, most people do not venture out into the other food groups to find foods that are great for their health and weight loss. Here are foods that will spruce up your diet and increase your health. And guess what? They are not fruits and vegetables.
Eggs
Eggs are great protein source.They help you feel fuller longer. Thus, your breakfast should always contain eggs. Research has shown that when obese or overweight women consume two scrambled eggs for breakfast, they consume less food within the next 36 hours than women who just eat a bagel for breakfast. The protein in eggs is also great at preventing spikes in the body’s blood sugar. Whenever your blood sugar spikes, your food cravings can increase.
Lean Beef
If you are trying to shed pounds, beef should be what’s for dinner. Lean beef contains amino acid leucine. This is abundant in proteins like meat and dairy products. Amino acid leucine helps you lose weight while maintaining calorie-burning muscle. In other words, it helps you keep your muscle mass. If you eat 9 to 10 ounces of beef a day on a 1,700 calorie diet, you can lose more weight, more fat and less muscle mass. People who eat beef also have less hunger cravings.
Red Wine
The resveratrol in red wine helps lower blood sugar and the presence of bad cholesterol in your body. Red wine is also a great source of cathechins. Cathechins promote good cholesterol and polyphenols. This leads to the prevention of formation of toxic plaque. Toxic plaque can result in Alzheimer’s disease.
Dark Chocolate
You do not have to feel guilty when you eat dark chocolate. It is great for weight loss and your health. There is 70 percent or more flavonoids in dark chocolates cocoa. Flavonoids help prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries. It also promotes health by boosting your immune systems and releasing cancer-fighting enzymes into your body.
Salmon
Salmon is another source of protein, and it packed with the good fat, Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3 promotes heart health. Salmon also contains a good amount of vitamins A, B, and D as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and selenium.
When you eat a food that contains Omega-3 fatty acids, you are improving your memory and helping your brain performs better. There are also studies that suggest that salmon can help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Walnuts
Walnuts are high in calories, but they are good calories. In fact, walnuts help you lose weight. If you add one ounce of walnuts to your diet, you are getting 2.5g of omega 3 fats, 4g of protein and 2g of fiber. This will help you feel full. As a result, you will not eat as much. Walnuts are also good for helping your sleep, preventing diabetes and keeping your heart healthy.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a primary source for omega-3. If you are a vegetarian, you should use flaxseed to get your omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds are high in antioxidants. This helps to prevent the free-radical damage of healthy cells. Flaxseeds also work to prevent cancers. You can add flaxseed to your diet by making smoothies or protein shakes that contain the ingredient.
Oats and Beans
Oats and beans are great for adding fiber to your diet. Oats contain beta glucan. It is a compound that helps lower bad cholesterol levels. Beans work to promote healthy be reducing the quantity and the body’s rate of cholesterol absorption.
Almonds
If you add 1.5 ounces of almonds to your diet, you can eliminate hunger pangs. Almonds are low on calories, but they are packed full of useful nutrients such as vitamin E and good fat.
Olive Oil
If you are middle-aged, extra virgin olive oil is a must have to help lose extra weight. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat. This means it will burn calories in your body by boosting your metabolism. You can add olive oil to your diet by using it as a salad dressing, bread dip or to saute food.
These are just a few foods that help you lose weight and promote good health. The key thing to remember is that there is more to a good diet than fruits and vegetables.