Unexpected foods good for weight loss.
The world of dieting can be a confusing place. One day you hear a food is bad for you and the next you hear it’s good. A food may be high in fat, so you’re told to avoid it to lose weight, but then you’re told certain kinds of fat are actually good for your health. The rules of dieting change over time as scientists continue to discover the complex way your body works.
In your daily journey to lose weight, you may want to reconsider the following foods. What you once thought was off limits may now be recommended for health, weight loss, and well-being.
Reconsider: Nuts
Yes, they are high in fat, but that’s okay. It’s a good kind of fat. Polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids are all good for your heart and provide your body with energy. The dieting fads of the 80s and 90s that told you to avoid all fats like the plague are best left in the past.
The combination of fats, fiber, protein, and nutrients found in nuts is the perfect recipe to fill you up, provide lasting energy, and stabilize blood sugar. So the next time you’re hankering for a quick fill-me-up snack on the go, reach for a handful of nuts. Find a kind you like and keep them handy in the car, at your desk, or in the cupboard. Just don’t eat too many!
Reconsider: Eggs
When it comes to eggs, there’s the white and the yolk. Because the yolk is high in cholesterol, the whole egg has gotten a bad reputation. Part of the reason is that one egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, which is more than half the recommended daily amount. The theory goes that the more cholesterol you eat, the higher your blood cholesterol becomes and the greater the danger to your heart. However, recent science has shown the effect of cholesterol consumption isn’t as cut and dry. Cholesterol is essential to body functions and the liver produces it on its own. But when you eat foods with cholesterol, your liver slows down production, keeping your cholesterol levels relatively even.
That said, people with high cholesterol should watch their intake to be on the safe side, but others can safely eat an egg a day as part of a healthy diet to lose weight. Yes, lose weight. Thanks to an egg’s high protein content, that easy-to-make food can be very helpful for weight loss.
Reconsider: Cheese
It’s true that cheese and other dairy foods are high in calories and should be eaten in moderation, but dairy products are also loaded with calcium and protein. Calcium has been shown helpful in the fight against fat because the body burns more calories when it gets enough calcium. Hence why overweight people who eat lots of dairy lose more weight than those who limit their intake. The protein in dairy also aids in weight loss by keeping you full longer. That doesn’t mean you can go crazy on dairy. Watch out for the high fat and sodium content of cheese and other dairy products by choosing low-fat or reduced fat options.
Reconsider: Red Wine
Drinking too much red wine has been associated with an increased risk for certain cancers and alcoholism. But it may surprise you to know that when you drink in moderation and limit your red wine consumption to a glass or two a day, it may help you burn fat.
Dark purple grapes contain ellagic acid, a compound that slows the growth of fat cells and limits the growth of new fat cells in your liver. You can get these benefits by eating grapes or by drinking grape juice or red wine.
Reconsider: Coffee
The jury has also been out on the benefits, or lack thereof, of coffee. Studies show coffee is only bad for your health when you drink more than four cups a day or load it with cream, sugar, or syrups. The caffeine in coffee, however, can be helpful in your fight against fat as it gives your metabolism a boost and reduces your appetite. Rather than adding sweeteners that negate coffee’s natural benefits, add a little skim milk and teaspoon of sugar.
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