You’ve been on a “see food” diet and whatever foods catch your eyes seem to end up in your mouth and your waist is continuously expanding. You are ready to make a change and improve your health and trim down. You are interested in knowing which foods to eat to lose weight quickly. Let’s take a look at three of the best foods that will help you quickly and efficiently drop weight, shed fat and improve your well being.
Oatmeal and Its Super Fat Burning Powers
Oatmeal is probably one of the best foods to eat for losing weight quickly. First it is an incredible source of soluble fiber. By soluble, that means oatmeal’s fiber is slowly digested as it moves through the digestive tract. This means you will feel satiated for a longer period versus eating something that is high sugar and high calorie but low in nutrition. Oatmeal is also chock full of vitamins and minerals.
The greatest benefit to oatmeal is that it boosts weight loss by 1) stabilizing your blood sugar and 2) it boosts the efficiency of your metabolism. So why is stabilizing your blood sugar important? Every time we eat, especially carbohydrates, the food is converted into sugar (or glucose). How quickly that conversion happens depends on what kind of food you eat. If you eat something that is a simple carbohydrate (nearly in sugar/glucose form) then your body doesn’t have to do much in the way of converting and your blood sugar will quickly spike. When the blood sugar spikes, insulin gets released by our body to stabilize the blood sugar levels and bring the levels back down to normal. Insulin, a hormone, will put the body in more of a “fat storage” mode when constantly released. This is the case if you are constantly eating foods that are high in sugar. If our blood sugar is kept more stable versus the rapid spiking from eating simple carbohydrate, we keep our body in more of a “fat burning” mode, i.e., less insulin gets released. So oatmeal is an excellent food to eat because it keeps the blood sugar stable and insulin release is kept to a minimum. Here is a quick take on oatmeal for a recap:
1. It makes you feel full so you are less likely to over eat or crave junk foods that are low in nutrition but high in calories
2. It keeps your blood sugar stable when consumed which keeps your body in more of a fat burning mode versus a fat storage mode.
3. It keeps your metabolism primed for burning calories and fat.
4. Oh, it tastes great and can be combined with cinnamon and fruit for a super-antioxidant breakfast, snack or dessert.
Eggs: A Lean, Mean Protein Machine
Eggs are one of the tastiest foods you’ll ever eat but they are also one of the healthiest. As a source of protein, they are probably the best from a “biological value” standpoint and definitely the best high protein food offered by mother nature. When biological value or BV is talked about as it relates to a food and protein, it means how easily and readily that food or foods can be used by the body towards protein synthesis (maintaining, repairing and building muscle). When it comes to weight loss, eggs are great for helping you feel full so eat them instead of low-nutrition foods that are high in calories. They can be low-fat if you discard the yolks (such as eating hard-boiled eggs or if you only use a yolk or two in an egg dish like scrambled eggs. Eggs are one of my favorite foods because they are low in calories yet they are filling and keep my metabolism on overdrive. This equates to smart eating and smart calorie burning.
Here is my quick take on why I love eggs so much when it comes to losing weight quickly:
- Low in carbohydrates so they keep your blood sugar stable
- They are a good source of vitamins, especially vitamins B and A
- They are an excellent source of phosphorous, selenium, iron, calcium and iodine
- They are easy to make, easy to take anywhere (especially hard-boiled eggs), easy on the wallet (inexpensive) and they taste great
- They are versatile in that they can be prepared in so many ways
- They have a high biological value of 90-100 meaning the body can nearly utilize the whole egg for protein synthesis (building and sparing lean muscle)
- They can be low fat (with yolk removed)
- They are low in calories and a must when it comes to dropping weight and fat quickly
Soybeans: Rich in Nutrition and Taste Yet Low In Calories
Soybeans pack a nutritional punch, are low-fat, low cholesterol and help zap the fat. Soybeans contain a substance called “saponin” which not only lowers cholesterol in the blood but it also promotes fat burning and fat accumulation and it’s a powerful anti-oxidant. Soybeans can be processed into many different foods such as soy milk (one of my favorites), dried soybean curb and tofu skin. It is also used in fermented foods such as soy sauce, tempeh, fermented bean paste and natto. They are also a good source of lean protein. Some of the big benefits to soybeans include:
- Helps the body remove fat
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Helps stabilize blood sugar levels (lowers diabetes risks)
- Beautifies the skin (contains anti-aging anti-oxidants)
- Helpful for losing weight (low calories, low fat and high nutrition)
- A good source of fiber and calcium
Oh, and soybeans taste great and can be easily used to make some quick and tasty dishes. Some of my favorites are:
* 8oz Soymilk (no sugar added) mixed with chocolate protein and blended with a banana and 1 TBSP of peanut butter (yum is all I can say)
* Edamame (immature soybeans still in the pod). Just boil them and add a little salt for some quick, healthy nutrition.
* Toasted soybeans (lots of recipes on the Internet). They are easy to make and versatile in that you can take them on the go. Especially tasty if you sprinkle some soy sauce on them!
If you want to lose weight quickly and look brilliant doing it, then look no further than three foods that will help you lose weight quickly: oatmeal, eggs and soybeans. You’ll not only drop the fat with ease, you’ll give your body some strong nutrition. You will not forgo taste, either, as these three foods can be prepared in so many scrumptious ways. So sub these foods into your diet and give your fat an eviction notice from your body!