We now know that you can’t loose weight simply by burning more calories than you consume. We also know that even though fat contains more calories than carbohydrates, eliminating healthy fats from your diet won’t result in weight loss either. The new weight loss strategies all revolve around hormone balance. Hormones control weight gain/loss and the body’s ability to burn fat.
Hormones are responsive to the ratios of carbohydrates, fat and protein that we consume. In addition, our stress load plays a large role in our hormone balance. If we are physically or emotionally stressed, it will throw off our hormone balance and result in inflammation, food cravings and weight gain. The key is to live a healthy lifestyle and consume foods that maintain a healthy hormone balance and reduce inflammation. A healthy diet will reduce the toxins entering your system and allow your body to repair altered hormonal pathways.
Meat, Dairy, and Eggs
Conventional animal products are most likely fed genetically modified grains that contain pesticides, herbicides and other toxins. These animals are often given a lot of hormones and antibiotics which make their way into the food you consume. In addition, when animals are fed diets that are not natural to them, like corn and soy products, their bodies respond by breaking down quality fats. This makes it more difficult for you to get the healthy fats you need, in addition to throwing off your hormone balance because of the hormones contained in the animal products.
Healthy Fats
Most processed foods contain low quality fats such as canola oil, peanut oil, safflower and cottonseed oils. These fats are polyunsaturated fats that are high in omega 6. Medium-chain fats found in coconut oil and grass-fed butter are much better for you. Some other great fat sources include avocados, olives and olive oil, pasture-raised animal products and wild-caught fish. A diet rich in these healthy fats is shown to increase the metabolism of fat and lipids and assist in weight loss. In addition, they combat inflammation and support brain healthy function.
Reduce Sugar and Grain
It is important to reduce refined sugars and grains because they increase blood glucose levels and increase inflammation. Elevated blood sugar concentrations also cause hormonal imbalances leading to fatigue and an inability to loose weight gain. Foods to avoid include:
- White pasta, bread, rice and pizza
- Pantry items including cookies, crackers and cereals
- Condiments and drinks that are high in sugar like like ketchup, mayonnaise and fruit drinks
Instead, add plenty of vegetables and low glycemic fruits like cherries, grapefruit, pears, apples, oranges and plums. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain powerful nutrients that can help you loose weight, improve energy, and strengthen your immune system. In addition they contain fiber and enzymes that support healthy digestion and nutrient absorption. The antioxidants in them support detoxification pathways and heal tissue damage. Not to mention they are loaded with vitamins and minerals that your body needs for optimal cellular activity and brain health.
Add Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Chronic inflammation weakens the immune system and is thought to be a major factor in most diseases. Many foods like ginger, turmeric and pumpkin seeds possess antioxidant properties to provide a powerful anti-inflammatory effect for healing. Besides the foods already mentioned in this article, other anti-inflammatory foods include root vegetables, green tea, bone and vegetable broth, cacao, and garlic.
Avoid Deep Fried Foods
Compared to other cooking methods, deep frying adds a lot of fat. When foods are fried in oil, they lose water and absorb fat, which further increases their caloric load. As an example, the same size piece of fried cod contains over double the calories and 12 times the amount of fat as baked cod. And the same amount of potato eaten as french fries contains triple the calories as a baked potato and 17 grams of fat. In addition, the fats used to deep fry are transformed to hydrogenated fats due to the very high temperatures during cooking. This makes them difficult for your body to break down, which can ultimately lead to negative health effects, and will make it difficult for you to loose weight.
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