Healthy Eating Series: Top 10 “All You Can Eat Foods" and Still Lose Weight

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could diet and not be hungry all the time? If you ask anyone who’s ever dieted before, they’ll most always say that one of the number one complaints about diets and why they don’t work is hunger.

Many studies have shown that, while there is no magic food to instantly help you lose weight, increasing and replacing high calorie and less useful foods with ones with more fat burning qualities can actually help you lose weight faster.  And some of them are surprising!

For example, foods that contain a lot of fiber make your stomach feel fuller and more satisfied. So you’re less likely to experience the awful “I’m-on-a-diet” hunger-pains!

Here are some high fiber vegetables:

Highest Fiber Vegetables 

1. Avocado
2. Beans*
3. Broccoli*
4. Brussels sprouts
5. Cabbage*
6. Carrot*
7. Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans
8. Eggplant
9. Greens — collards, kale, turnip greens*
10. Lima beans 

Brussels sprouts, carrots* and cauliflowers* are good in stimulating your pancreas and kidney to flush out the wastes, hence cleanse your body cells.

Lettuces*, radishes and horseradishes are rich in iron and magnesium which in turn have fat dissolving properties. These 2 minerals can ramp up your metabolic process, to burn off the fat deposits in your body.

Carrots* and onions increase your metabolism to help you burn off more fat.  Beets, cucumber, garlic, cabbage are diuretics, and help to break down fat to make it easier for your body to get rid of fat.

Root vegetables (sweet potatoes*, potatoes*, turnips), tough-skinned fruits and raw nuts and seed are also great foods to eat to lose weight. The fibers in them not only help to rinse your body cells of fat but also help to fill you up quickly and decrease your body’s calorie absorption rate, to reduce your hunger pangs.

And here are some high fiber fruits:

Highest Fiber Fruits 

1. Apples*
2. Avocado
3. Bananas
4. Berries — Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, etc.*
5. Dried Fruits — Figs, Raisins, Apricots, Dates, etc.*
6. Guava
7. Kiwi
8. Orange*
9. Pears*
10. Prunes

Citrus fruits like oranges*, lemons*, grapefruits* and tangerines* are not only rich in vitamin C, they’re also good in diluting the fat deposits in your body. The diluted fat becomes ineffective and in easier form for your body to flush it out.

Apples* and berries* ,which contain a chemical called pectin, help to limit your cells’ capacity to absorb fat and also helps cells to release their fat deposits.

Last but not least, lean protein is a great weight loss secret, because of its thermogenic qualities.  That means that your body uses energy to digest it, thus burning calories at the same time. 

Here are examples of lean proteins:

1. chicken, turkey (the breasts)*
2. very lean red meat such as top round and lean sirloin*
3. fish, shellfish and other seafood
4. egg whites*

So, enjoy the feeling of fullness while you watch that scale go down!  I’ve highlighted (with bold, italics and asteriks) the foods that can be found right here in Arizona, grown by our hard-working farmers and growers.    To find a local farmer or farmers market where you can buy these foods fresh from the farm, go to https://fillyourplate.org.

Series Archives:

To read the previous articles in this series:   

Healthy Eating Series: Top 10 “All You Can Eat Foods” and Still Lose Weight

The New Steak Diet: How to Eat Beef and Still Lose Weight

Healthy Eating Series: 5 Ways to Keep Your Healthy Eating Resolutions Alive

Healthy Eating Series: Discover How Easily You Can Get Back to Better Eating in the New Year

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Arizona Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and improving the Agriculture industry through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services.

For more information contact Julie Murphree at (480) 635-3607 or go to http://www.azfb.org.