Feel full
Feeling fuller for longer is the goal of many of us when we’re watching what we eat. In some ways this sounds like an easy thing to do… with common sense telling us that the more we eat the longer we’ll feel full up. But this isn’t quite the truth and foods containing lots of sugar can encourage the excessive release of insulin, which lowers our blood sugar, potentially making us feel hungry quicker. In fact, a study shows that daily amounts of apples and pears lead to more weight-loss in women who ate the fruit compared to those that didn’t. This could be due to the fruit’s natural sugars rather than refined carbohydrates.
Help your body
Our bodies need to work hard to get rid of our excess pounds, especially when we make exercise a part of our diets. Our cells require water so that we don’t get dehydrated and so they can help us process food and get rid of toxins. Our digestion can get a further boost when we eat probiotic yoghurt, with the bonus that this comes in lots of different low-fat varieties. Lean red meat is good for supplying iron to red blood cells so our muscles get the oxygen they need when we work-out.
Speed it up
Increasing our metabolism means our body will need more calories to complete its daily processes. Metabolism tends to slow with age, which is why we might find it harder to lose weight as we get older. Certain foods have been linked with speeding up this internal system. Green tea and spices, such as chili peppers, can all have this desired effect and is a good complement to exercise routines that also keep our metabolisms working quicker.