The Three Big Fat Thin Foods

Are you hoping we’re going to say pizza, French fries and chocolate cake? Sorry, no deal. It’s just an unfortunate fact of life that foods like those are high in fat and calories and definitely not on the menu for those seeking to lose weight.

However, there are three super foods—well, some are food components, really—that can help you to lose weight naturally and more easily if you incorporate them into your diet. Interested? Good. Read on.

The number one addition that should be part of every weight loss program is calcium. In fact, you may have already heard that drinking milk and eating low-fat dairy foods can help you to lose weight. That’s because calcium plays a little trick on a chemical found in the vitamin D family that results in increasing the metabolism of dietary fat and suppressing the storage of fat as body fat. That’s a neat trick, indeed, but calcium has another one—it helps to increase your core temperature. This action equates to burning more calories with less effort!

Eat more fiber to lose more weight. This may sound like a contradiction since fiber is the portion of plant-based foods that pass through our intestines without being digested or providing any nutritional benefit. So, where’s the beef in the claim that fiber can help promote weight loss? It lies in the fact that fiber makes us feel fuller sooner and longer, as well as in the value of transporting fat and cholesterol out of the body quickly so that less of it is absorbed. That’s not a bad trick either, eh?

Boost your metabolism with beans. You may have heard the expression that beans are good for your heart; the more you eat, the more you…lose weight? That’s because most varieties of legumes are high in protein and fiber that builds muscle, regulates digestion and promotes the burning of fat. For instance, recent research has shown that when soy consumption is increased, more pounds are shed. That’s because soy has an action on regulatory hormones and receptors in the brain that signal the body to speed up metabolism. Studies have also shown that soy may decrease serum cholesterol and glucose levels, decreasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. (One caveat, however: soy can have a negative effect on those with thyroid disorders and should be avoided by these individuals unless supervised by a health care practitioner.) Other good choices of beans include kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, limas, navy beans and pinto beans. However, avoid refried beans and baked beans, which are high in fat and sugar, respectively.