Foods You Didn’t Know Could Help You Lose Weight
Think cheese is the route of all weight gain and potatoes will make you fat? Think again. It may surprise you to learn that many of the foods we wrongly perceive as diet DON'Ts may actually help you to lose weight. So deprive yourself no longer! Instead, try incorporating these foods into your meals as part of a calorie-controlled diet and see if they make a difference. And give regular exercise a go, too.
iStockIce Cream
Time to get excited – it IS possible to eat ice cream and lose weight. Calcium-rich foods like ice cream are thought to reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown in the body, as well as keeping you feeling fuller for longer. But before you make a mad dash for the Ben & Jerry’s, you should be warned that most ice cream is extremely high in fats and sugars. Try to go for a sugar free, low fat option like frozen yogurt.
iStockOlive Oil
It’s true – fats CAN actually help you shed the pounds. Polyunsaturated fats like those found in olive oil can stop you feeling hungry, while olive oil itself contains a naturally-occurring chemical called oleic acid, which aids the breakdown of excess fats in the body. Try swapping out your usual frying oil for a tablespoon of olive oil and see if it makes a difference.
iStockPeanuts
Peanuts have a bad rep because of their relatively high calorific value, and are often dismissed from weight loss plans completely. But, thanks to the high levels of proteins and good fats they contain, a 181 calorie handful a day can actually curb hunger pangs and help to control blood sugar levels. This means your diet could actually be easier to stick to.
iStockAvocado
Why do we remove the avocado from our salads when its high levels of monounsaturated fats, potassium, vitamins E and B and fibre keep us feeling fuller for longer and boost our beauty at the same time? It all boils down to the misunderstanding of one word: fat. In this case, the fat in avocados is the type of fat that helps to build cells and reduce cholesterol, not the type of fat – saturated fat – that clogs arteries and causes cellulite.
iStockMilk Shake
Sadly, we’re not talking MacDonalds thick shakes – it’s the skimmed option that your waistline can really benefit from. Like ice cream, low-fat, high-calcium foods can stave off hunger pangs and even help your body to burn calories. Feeling peckish? Try making a milkshake with skimmed milk, half a banana and strawberries. Tasty, and keeps you going until meal time.
iStockGrapefruits
Ever heard of the grapefruit diet? Marilyn Monroe swore by it, and, as it turns out, there may have been some method to her madness. Researchers at the Nutrition and Medical Research Centre in San Diego discovered that eating a grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice before a meal resulted in more than 3 pounds of weight loss in 12 weeks. This is because there is a naturally occurring chemical in grapefruits that lowers insulin levels, reducing cravings and increasing your body’s ability to burn fat.
iStockChilli
Adding chilli to your food is a great way to boost your metabolism, which helps you to burn fat faster. A single chilli pepper also contains a full day’s supply of beta carotene (which is great for maintaining healthy skin, hair and nails) and twice your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C – an essential antioxidant that helps to battle toxins and foreign bodies in the blood stream.
iStockCurry
Another falsely accused diet ‘sin’ is curry. A home-made vegetable curry can actually be a powerful metabolism booster if made with key ingredients such as chilli, garlic, turmeric, ginger and a touch of cinnamon. Using high-fibre vegetables like spinach, kale, sweet potato will keep you feeling fuller for longer, too. Avoid saturated oils and fats, coconut milk and red meats.
iStockSwiss Cheese
Believe it or not, hard white cheeses could actually benefit your waistline. Calcium-rich foods reduce enzymes that produce fat stores in the body and increase the rate in which fat is broken down. As Swiss cheese is higher in calcium than most other cheeses, this makes it the ideal diet friend in small, calorie-controlled portions.
iStockCinnamon
Did you know that sprinkling a little cinnamon on your porridge in the morning could help to reduce your blood sugar levels and keep them at a steady rate? This means hunger pangs are staved off for longer while your fat-burning energy levels are maintained.
iStockPop Corn
Pop corn is one of the lowest calorie snack options available. A cup of popped pop corn contains just 20 calories without sugar or butter, and a lot of fibre too, which can help to stave off cravings and keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel. Just hold off on adding butter or sugary toppings.
iStockPotatoes
Potatoes have a bad rep, but really, it’s the way we cook them that determines how good for us they are. According to research done at the University of Colorado, you’ll burn between 20-30% more fat by including foods loaded with resistant starch – like potatoes – in your meals. This type of starch also prevents your body from storing too much fat and keeps you feeling satisfied. Swap out chips for a small baked potato and see if it makes a difference.
iStockChocolate
Depriving yourself of a sweet treat now and then is a big diet DON’Tin our eyes. In order to stay motivated, allow yourself small rewards a couple of times a week. We recommend a few squares of dark chocolate – it’s lower in saturated fat and packed full of beauty-boosting antioxidants. Bonus!
iStockMustard
Like chilli, hot mustard is a thermogenic food. This means that it can help to raise our internal body temperature to such an extent that it is able to burn calories faster. So next time you order a roast, ladle it on thick and fast!
iStockEggs
Why do we think that eggs are bad for us? Perhaps it’s because we associate them with cakes and fry-ups? While it is true that they are relatively high in cholesterol, eggs are low in calories and full of essential amino acids, selenium and vitamins, all of which help to keep us feeling full and boost beauty. Try poached eggs on wholemeal toast or a vegetable omelette as a healthy meal option.
iStockVinegar
It may seem unlikely, but vinegar is actually a great way to trick your body into thinking it’s full. This is because it contains acetic acid, which slows the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine so that you feel satisfied for longer. It can also help to curb soaring blood sugar levels, while apple cider vinegar is a well-known digestive tonic that can reduce bloating and water retention in the body.
iStockChewing Gum
We don’t recommend actually eating the stuff, but the simple act of chewing sugar-free gum can burn around 11 calories an hour. Not very much, but every little helps – especially if you consider it’s possible to lose 10 pounds in a year if you chewed all day, every day.
