The 5 Most Overlooked Foods for Weight Loss Success
Hey Angels and Alphas,
I hope we can all agree that weight loss has nothing to do with denial and deprivation. In fact, sustainable weight loss is actually attainable when you focus on the quality of your diet, not the quantities of food you’re eating.
If you can eat a balanced diet full of nutritious, wholesome foods, you’ll likely be content with much less because you’ll be giving your body what it needs.
Many of the foods people usually think are off-limits can actually become a weight-loss superfood when taken from the perspective of quality over quantity. And sometimes, the very foods people deprive themselves of could actually help support their weight loss goals if they’re used correctly.
Let’s talk about these 5 foods that can not only help you achieve your goal faster, but also make your diet much more sustainable.
#1 PASTA
Pasta is a food that is rather low on the glycemic index – the ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate will raise your blood sugar levels. It’s a scale from 1-100, and the lower the number, the longer the food actually takes to digest, meaning you get a steady fuel to support your health and energy levels.
Usual whole-grain pasta falls in the range of 33-35 (which is about half that of white bread.) White pasta averages in the 40-45 range. And since pasta is traditionally served alongside other wholesome foods such as vegetables, olive oil, and seafood, pasta is actually an awesome choice for people who want to lose weight.
Just make sure you stick to the whole-grain options. Double up on your veggies and don’t go for the cream-based sauces.
#2 WHOLE MILK
So many people assume skim milk will help them stay slimmer. But that’s not really the case when it comes to dairy. A study published in the American Journal of Nutrition discovered that almost 20,000 women who consumed high-fat milk and whole-milk dairy products had a lower risk of being overweight when compared to women who drank skim milk.
This is because a lot of the essential fatty acids are stripped from the milk when it’s skimmed. This is the component that actually helps you feel satiated and full for a long period of time. It’s been shown that when people reduce the amount of fat in their diet, they tend to gravitate toward refined carbohydrates. And we all know where that leads.
The bottom line is, IF you eat dairy, eat a variety of dairy products but remember to opt for whole milk.
#3 COFFEE
A daily cup of coffee will do so much more for you than just help you wake up in the morning. It stimulates the brain and the nervous system and brings in vital antioxidants that may even help improve your metabolism of glucose. This means it’s likely to suppress appetite and lower the risk of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Caffeine also helps stimulate the body’s natural ability to burn more of its fat stores via thermogenesis and even improve the performance and endurance of athletes.
The effects that coffee has on weight loss are not that direct, but the overall benefits coffee brings are enough to make it stack pretty well in the long term as a weight loss enhancer.
Here’s a pro tip: most of the benefits that coffee is promoted for are largely due to black coffee – not the sugar-filled and cream beverages from coffee joints and drive-thrus.
#4 DARK MEAT
Did you know that dark meat chicken or turkey only brings in about 5 extra calories and 1g of fat more than your usual white breast meat? But somehow, it’s suddenly “off-limits” when it comes to weight loss.
Dark poultry is usually more tender, rich in flavor, and it’s much juicier than white meat.
It also requires less butter and oil when you cook it. It’s one of the best sources of lean protein that leaves you feeling satisfied and less likely to overeat. Plus, dark meat contains more iron and zinc, two vital immune-boosting minerals.
Here’s a pro cooking tip: Thighs are about ½ the size of the breast, making them easier to put in portions (compared to today’s 10-ounce halves.)
#5 DARK CHOCOLATE
How can a food be both a stress reducer and also curb cravings for other sugary treats? We all know the impact stress has on weight loss and how it’s the reason a lot of people have developed an unhealthy relationship with food.
And while the benefits of chocolate are usually specific to the concentration of cocoa flavonoids, it’s still studied to be amazing at lowering cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease.
But here’s a tip… don’t go for the convenience store chocolate bars which are packed with added sugars and fats. Go for chocolate bars that have at least 70 percent cocoa. And keep your portions in check.
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