The growth and functioning of the body is highly dependent on the kind of foods we eat. While malnourishment is one extreme aspect of nutritional science, the problem of obesity and overweight is yet another extreme dimension of the same problem. Although both problems are equally important, combating malnourishment is more of a philanthropic area while combating obesity is a commercially exploited area, especially considering the large number of expensive weight loss products and programs flooding the markets. However, those who are committed can lose weight fast without investing time or energy in the expensive weight loss programs. The secret mantra to weight loss lies in exercising regularly and in taking the correct diet.
But what does ‘correct diet’ signify? Are there any magical diets for achieving weight loss? Perhaps not! Use your common sense and carefully analyze each morsel that you put in your mouth. Ensure that it is fresh and loaded with nutrients for your body. The best food for weight loss is low calorie, low glycemic, high fiber foods. In simpler terms, you should go for wholesome balanced meals comprising more of fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, rich protein sources while cutting out on all fried, sugary, spicy and creamy substances such as chocolates, candies, ice creams, sodas, greasy potato wedges, French fries, cheesy burgers, etc, which pump your body with empty calories. Ensure that what ever you eat is healthy and full of nutrients so that your body is supplied with good calories.
Here is a brief description of the foods good for weight loss –
Carbohydrates – The carbohydrate sources you select must be low-glycemic complex forms of carbohydrates, such as baked potatoes, whole grain breads, brown rice, oats, etc, which take time to get digested and which get metabolized slowly and release glucose at a constant rate into the blood, instead of getting digested easily as in the case of simple sugars and releasing all the glucose at a time, which if cannot be used up immediately, again gets transformed into fat.
Fats – Avoid the bad fats like saturated fats and trans-fats, which are commonly found in fast food items like burgers and greasy fried stuff because they are bad for your heart and shoot up your cholesterol levels. Settle for the good fats and fatty acids such as those present in Omega 3 fatty acids. They are common is flaxseeds and in nuts such as almonds and are absolutely safe for the heart.
Proteins – You can include a lot of proteins in your diet such as low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, eggs, fish, and lean meats, which are all safe sources of low-fat protein.
In addition to this, you should also include a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet for their minerals and vitamin value as well as ample water (at least 8-12 glasses per day) to facilitate weight loss.