It’s important to fuel up with the right foods when you’re watching your weight. Some foods can make it easier to keep your waist line trim and other foods make it easy to pack on extra pounds.
In general, nutrient dense foods can help keep you thin because they provide a low number of calories, high volume of food helping you feel full and provide many nutrients your body needs. Nutrient dense foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and lean proteins.
These 5 foods can help keep you thin because they help keep you full and stabilize blood sugar.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are a power house of nutrition. They are tiny seeds that swell up with liquid, which helps keep you full longer. They are a rich source of fiber and protein, two nutrients that can help keep you thin by lowering food intake at later meals.
The fiber also keeps blood sugar levels stable. Stable blood sugar levels can help signal the brain it doesn’t need to eat. Chia seeds are high in omega 3’s which are needed to fight inflammation in the body and protect cells from damage.
Since chia seeds swell, drink water when eating something with chia seeds in it. You can also put a tablespoon or two of chia seeds into a container of 16-20 ounces water. Shake it periodically and let sit at least 20 minutes. Chia seeds will swell and get softer.
You can also put chia seeds on yogurt, salads, soups, salads or baked goods. Unlike flaxseeds, chia seeds don’t need to be ground up to be absorbed. Ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations used chia seeds as sustaining energy over long periods of time.
Apples and pears
An apple a day may help keep the doctor away, but it could also help you stay thin. Apples and pears take a long time to eat because of how much chewing is involved, and these fruits are high in water and fiber content. Filling up with apples or pears can help keep you satisfied for a long time. Keep in mind juice or applesauce won’t have the same effect as chewing the whole fruit.
A 2003 study from researchers in Brazil studied a group of overweight women who were either receiving apples, pears or oat cookies as supplements three times a day on a diet for 12 weeks. Researchers found after 12 weeks, participants who had the apple or pear supplement lost significantly more weight than the oat cookie group.
Wild caught seafood
Seafood is a rich source of omega 3’s and protein. Protein has the highest satiety value out of all the macronutrients, meaning it sits in your stomach the longest. Eating protein at meals increases satisfaction and may decrease food intake at later meals.
Wild caught seafood will be higher in heart healthy oils compared to farm raised seafood, so try to buy wild caught as often as possible. Tip: incorporate wild seafood for breakfast for a healthy, satisfying start to the day.
Nuts
Nuts may not be low in calories, but a moderate serving per day, 1-1.5 ounces, can actually help keep your weight stable. Nut consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. See also: Best Nuts and Seeds
A 2007 study concluded that frequent nut consumption was also associated with a reduced risk of gaining weight. Stay within the recommended amount- a small handful per day. Consuming more than this amount may increase risk for weight gain. See also: Side effects from eating too many almonds
Yogurt
Choose yogurts higher in protein, like Greek yogurt, and that are lower in sugar for the healthiest option. How can yogurt work to help keep you thin? It may actually be because of the calcium in yogurt.
Dietary calcium has been shown in research studies to help lower risk for obesity. A 2007 study wanted to take a closer look at the specific effect of yogurt and weight loss. Researchers divided obese participants on a low calorie diet with a controlled calcium intake or on a low calorie diet providing more calcium from yogurt. Both diets had the same calories, macronutrient and fiber amount.
After 12 weeks, the yogurt group lost significantly more weight than the other group. Researchers concluded that isocaloric substitution of yogurt for other foods can significantly reduce central adiposity and fat loss.
Conclusion
Following a healthy, balanced diet with exercise is needed for weight loss and maintenance. Some foods may give an additional boost to help keeping you thin because they are high in fiber and/or protein. These foods increase satiety meaning you won’t be hungry right away after you eat them.
Yogurt may offer additional support for weight maintenance because of the calcium amount in addition to being high in protein. Nuts are relatively high in calories, but they appear to still offer benefit in weight loss and maintenance.
References used in this article
