Reduced fat, low carb, high fiber, less calories… Manufacturers constantly devise numerous schemes to get your food dollars with so-called improved and healthier foods.
The reality is a cookie is a cookie, period. (Yep, even that silly Cookie Diet.)
Any time you remove something from a food, you’ve got to add something else. Manufacturers compensate low-fat yogurt, for instance, with added sugar. Low-carb foods, likewise, often come packed with artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and higher amounts of saturated fat.
Rather than buy supposedly healthier versions of junk foods, I want you to fill up on whole foods so you have no cabinet space (let alone appetite) for the Entenmann’s Crumb Coffee Cake and Pirate’s Booty aged white cheddar popcorn.
Before you take away, I want you to add these five things to your diet for fast fat loss:
1. Fiber. Want the number one nutrient that, hands down, gets fast fat loss? Fiber slows stomach emptying and suppresses ghrelin, a hormone your stomach produces to remind you to eat. More fiber means you’re less likely to go down in those walnut blondies you made for your daughter’s class. A study in the journal Nutrition Review showed people who got just 14 grams of fiber last four pounds over four months without any additional food restrictions. (I’m not giving you permission, by the way, to load up on fiber and still eat a brownie.) Fiber also helps you detox, lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol, and helps support a healthy gastrointestinal tract. If you’re not meeting your fiber quota from food, Medibulk from Thorne Research provides a therapeutic eight grams of fiber per serving.
2. Xylitol. Dump the aspartame and all those other artificial sweeteners that create calorie dysregulation and make you fat. Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in fruits and vegetables that supports bone health, reduces cavities, and helps boost fast fat loss. Like fiber, xylitol suppresses ghrelin. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who used xylitol at meals became satiated with fewer calories.
3. Vegetables. Let’s get this out first: corn, potatoes, peas, and carrots are not vegetables. That said, you could eat bushels of spinach and still not tally up many calories. Vegetables – particularly green, leafy ones – are nutrient- and fiber-packed powerhouses for very few calories. Be creative: even your most finicky kid will love Brussels sprouts sautéed in olive oil with a little organic bacon. (Some good fat will help you absorb the veggie’s fat-soluble vitamins.) If you’re not meeting your five-to-10 veggies serving quota, find creative ways to incorporate them like a mixed-green salad or a hearty winter soup.
4. Fish. Fat helps you burn fat? I know, it sounds crazy. But omega 3 fatty acids in wild, cold-water fish can shunt fat away from fat cells and allow your body to burn it for fuel. A study in the journal Appetite concluded eating fish suppresses post-meal hunger longer. Omega 3s also increase insulin sensitivity and raise your metabolism, both of which help you burn fat. A study in the Journal of Nutrition showed that mice that got fish oil with their high-fat diet metabolized more fat and gained significantly less weight than the high-fat mice that didn’t get fish oil.
5. Green Tea. You know all those fast fat loss supplements that celebrities endorse? Almost every one contains a compound in green tea called EGCG, which boosts metabolism and helps you burn more fat. Skip those overpriced supplements and your afternoon latte for a venti hot green tea. A study in the journal Physiology & Behavior concluded people who drink green tea burn more fat than non-tea drinkers. Green tea also contains theanine, which reduces stress, cortisol levels, and your waistline.
Sources:
Auvichayapat P, et al. Effectiveness of green tea on weight reduction in obese Thais: A randomized, controlled trial. Physiol Behav. 2008 Feb 27;93(3):486-91.
Howarth NC, Saltzman E. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev. 2001 May;59(5):129-39.
Mori T, et al. Dietary Fish Oil Upregulates Intestinal Lipid Metabolism and Reduces Body Weight Gain in C57BL/6J Mice. American Society for Nutrition. J. Nutr. 137:2629-2634, December 2007.
Parra D, et al. A diet rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulates satiety in overweight and obese volunteers during weight loss. Appetite. 2008 Nov;51(3):676-80.
Shafer, R.B., et al., Effects of xylitol on gastric emptying and food intake. Am J Clin Nutr, 1987. 45(4): p. 744-7.
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