Top 11 foods to help you lose weight

Top 11 foods to help you lose weight

We could all do with a kickstart to lose unwanted fat.
These 11 foods pack a nutritious punch with vitamins and minerals. They ensure you are not run down or hungry while trying to lose weight.
Tomatoes
Have high amounts of lycopene and antioxidants such as Vitamins E and C and betacarotene. This super food is great for anti-ageing and cancer prevention. To increase the potency, eat tomato paste.
Extra-lean beef
High in protein, this ensures you lose body fat and not muscle. Lean beef is a high source of iron, ensuring production of haemoglobin in your blood which carries oxygen. Suffering an iron deficiency results in feeling tired and poor concentration and increases your chances of infections and colds. Keeping it extra lean will ensure minimal animal fat so you lose weight and keep your heart healthy too.
Fresh herbs
They not only make healthy foods tasty, they are high in antioxidants. A recent study showed that they are 42 times higher in antioxidants than apples. A tablespoon of oregano has the same free radicals as a medium apple. This is also true of natural teas. So, in the words of the Spice Girls, spice up your life!
Blueberries
Jam-packed with antioxidants, the darker the berry the more antioxidants. These are responsible for lowering the risk of cancer and heart disease and improving brain function. They also act as an anti-inflammatory. Blueberries are rich in Vitamin C which boosts the immune system.
Oats
Natural rolled oats can be microwaved with skim milk, adding honey or fruit for flavour and sweetness. Filled with fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and good fats, they will aid in lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure.
Fish
An awesome form of low-fat protein and omega 3, a fatty acid essential for brain and eye development. It is recommended we have one to two serves of fish a week.
Legumes
A low-GI food, these will decrease your appetite and regulate your blood sugar levels. So eat some kidney beans, chick peas and black beans. They are packed with fibre, protein, nutrients and are pretty much fat-free, filling you up with minimal calories.
Yoghurt
It ensures the balance of your digestive system, with its good bacteria. Yoghurt is high in calcium, for healthy bones, and potassium. It’s a great replacement for a snack or dessert. Make sure it’s low or no fat.
Raw nuts
A great snack food containing phytochemicals, fibre, and fatty acids. Most contain monounsaturated fat, which lowers cholesterol. Although a few are great, be careful not to over-indulge.
Spinach
Although it is high in iron, it is not a source of iron that humans can absorb. Eating spinach with your extra-lean beef will help with the absorption of iron. Spinach is the food with the highest content of Vitamin B folate, which contributes to preventing colon cancer, heart disease and birth defects.
Oranges
You won’t be surprised they are filled with Vitamin C and fibre. They also contain potassium which regulates water balance at a cellular level and many phytochemicals believed to lower the risk of breast cancer, inflammatory conditions, blood pressure and heart disease.

There is no need to starve yourself to lose weight — you actually need to eat more.
Remember to eat more often and more of the good stuff. This will prevent your body from shutting down its ‘burning system’ and keep your metabolism running high. It will also ensure that you are strengthening and firming your muscles. The more muscle mass you have, the more fat you burn.
A healthy eating regime ensures we feel great and have more energy, which will in turn increase the desire to be more active and to exercise.

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