Over the past several years, I’ve done a lot of corporate wellness coaching. The number one and two things people want to work with me on are (1) Food/Diet and (2) Fitness/Body. Of course, many people wanted to focus on both, and generally the top reason for focusing on either was to lose weight. I spent so much of my time dispelling myths about food, diet, and workouts, and in the process, I learned about what really works.
See, the thing is, it’s no secret that working out and eating right leads to a better body (size and shape). It’s also true and more widely known now that you can’t out-train a bad diet, and abs are made (mostly) in the kitchen.
As a result, the foundation for losing weight will always be to cut junk out of the diet and to move more.
But in addition to that, I’ve found several foods and ingredients, that when added to a person’s normal nutrition intake, will lead to weight loss. It’s not rocket science, but it is science!
It’s time to leave behind the notion that eating fat causes weight gain, and if you want to achieve a lifelong healthy weight, you need to focus on this:
True Food Nutrients
True Food — take the gunk out of your diet (eat high quality, low toxin foods).
Nutrients — eat macronutrients in a good ratio, eat a lot of micronutrients, and eat specific micronutrients more often!
The list below targets just one aspect of that equation (eat specific micronutrients more often).
Note: this doesn’t mean to add these foods in addition to what you’re already eating. It means you should substitute them into your diet in place of things you usually eat.
Of course, I can’t guarantee you’ll actually lose 10 pounds if you add these foods because you may be sabotaging yourself with other lifestyle habits. However, based on my experience with clients, it is completely reasonable in the presence of a high quality real food balanced diet (not calorie-restrictive).
In my completely anecdotal and non-peer-reviewed study, my clients who ate more of the foods listed below lost more weight than the “dieters” who did not. Some lost more than 10 pounds, but I think you’ll agree with me that I can’t predict your specific weight loss because (1) I don’t know your starting weight and (2) I don’t know your current lifestyle.
Eat More of These:
1. Coconut Oil – medium chain fatty acids cannot be stored in the body but must be used for energy (supportive of a healthy metabolism and thyroid function)
2. Spicy Foods – capsacin is known to increase thermogenesis (increases your metabolic rate—there’s even speculation about chili peppers and coconut oil together causing more weight loss)
3. Celery – unlike previously thought, celery is not a negative-calorie food, but it does contain a lot of water and a lot of fiber, which help you be hydrated and feel full, as well as promoting healthy bathroom habits—which are important for both metabolism and removing gunk from your system
4. Grass Fed Meat (especially beef) – conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in grassfed animal products (beef! butter!) is helpful for promoting the mobilization and use of fat from the cells (it’s a catalyst, so it gets things started!)
5. Oily fish (like salmon) – increased insulin sensitivity occurs with increased omega-3 fatty acid intake, and this leads to less insulin release in response to blood sugar spikes, which in turn leads to more efficient processing of both sugar and less fat storage (more fat mobilization/use)
6. Olive oil – oleic acid in olive oil is converted into a hormone in the intestines that tells the brain you’re full–so it causes you to eat less and suppresses appetite
7. Seaweed – substances found in seaweed do three main things (1) inhibit fat-digesting enzymes, (2) block fat absorption, and (3) make you feel full
8. Tomatoes – eating tomatoes can help reverse leptin resistance (which prevents you from feeling full)
9. Cinnamon – metabolism of glucose (sugar) is assisted by cinnamon, therefore decreasing fat storage that would occur without it
10. Coconut Flour – the very high fiber content creates a low net-carb amount in this flour, resulting in both lower impact on blood sugar and increased feelings of fullness
Most of these foods/ingredients work by chemical means—in other words, you get more bang for your buck in the metabolism department when you choose these foods over others. The two that don’t are celery and coconut flour. Their mechanisms for weight loss depend on fiber and/or water content. I included them because my clients have experienced significant success by incorporating them into their diets. The bottom line is that in the presence of a “good” diet, if you incorporate these foods, you will lose more weight than if you don’t.
My philosophy?
Give yourself an advantage! It’s easy, and these foods all taste good!
What are your secret food weapons for weight loss?
great list and we agree! we eat a lot of those foods you mentioned – love them all!