The Key Superfoods You Need For Weight Loss

by: Jayson Hunter Registered Dietitian, CSCS

The reason why you need to incorporate these superfoods into your diet is because they provide excellent nutrients that fuel your body for optimum efficiency as well as help reduce inflammation which allows you to recover better between workouts. All this means you make greater progress in your weight loss.

Make sure you incorporate as many of these foods as you can on a daily basis to stoke your metabolism fat burning furnace.

Fruit: These fruits are high in antioxidants, which help with disease prevention and contain flavonoids. Flavonoids help with eyesight and coordination. These dark colored fruits are also a good source of fiber and boost your immune system.

Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Guava (great source of lycopene)
Goji Berries
Dried Plums

Nuts: Great source of fiber, phytoestrogens, vitamin B6, niacin, magnesium, healthy monounsaturated fats, and protein. Nuts help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and seem to help maintain healthy blood vessels.

Almonds
Walnuts
Cashews
Brazil Nuts
Hazelnuts

Bean/Lentils: Beans are a great source of protein and fiber as well as low in calories. They help to stabilize blood sugars and provide isoflavones that help to prevent certain forms of cancers and heart disease.

Legumes (chickpeas, lima beans, lentils, dry beans)
Black Beans
Red Beans

Oils: Particulary Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is a heart healthy fat that helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. It contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to control cravings

Fish: Fish contains the potent Omega 3 fatty acid. It is potent in a very good way. It helps your body store less fat and helps your body convert fat to energy. It is a great anti-inflammatory as well as wonderful brain food. The ADA recommends that you consume 1.5-3gms of Omega 3 fats a day. One serving of the choices below will provide almost 4 gms of Omega 3 fats.

Salmon
Tuna
Mackeral

Vegetables: A variety of colors is the key here. For example carrots are a great source of beta carotene , which can reduce the risk of cancer, tomato contains lycopene another powerful anti-oxidant that reduces the risk of cancer.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach contain carotenoids that improve your immune system and is full of vitamins and minerals. We also can’t forget about broccoli, cauliflower, kale and other cruciferous vegetables that contain cancer fighting properties.

Carrots
Tomato
Broccoli
Kale
Spinach
Cauliflower
Beets
Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Purslane

Green Tea: Not only is non-caffeinated fluid good for you, but research has shown that green tea may be one of the best disease fighting fluids you can consume. It is very high in antioxidants and scientists have shown that is has reduced cancer in individuals by as much 60%. It actually inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Research has also shown that it reduces over cholesterol levels as well as increasing the ratio of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Here are just some of the ailments that drinking green tea helps:

* cancer
* rheumatoid arthritis
* high cholesterol levels
* cariovascular disease
* infection
* impaired immune function

There is also some research that drinking green tea shows benefits to those wanting to lose weight. Researchers showed that those that consumed caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those that consumed caffeine or a placebo. More studies are being conducted to determine if this is valid evidence, but so far it looks encouraging.

If you can eat as many of these superfoods as you can on a daily basis you will be running at peak efficiency and burning maximum calories to stoke the fat burning furnace called your metabolism.

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the Carb Rotation Diet. To discover the 5 absolute truths Every Serial Dieter Who Seeks Rapid-Weight loss MUST come to grips with visit The Carb Rotation Diet.