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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Foods To Eat To Lose Weight

There often is a phase in our lives when we try to put on some healthy weight by eating right and combining this with a proper exercise regimen and fitness training, in the hope that it could make a world of difference in the way we look and feel. The despairing aspect of the attempt surfaces usually when we tend to do only the eating part of it and neglect the vital work outs that are necessary to put the extra calories that have been ingested to good use. The unfortunate end result is the rather shapeless entity that we cringe looking at in the mirror - something even uglier than what we are used to seeing!

There hence arises the need to adopt measures to reduce weight gain by curbing appetite. The most important of these is to drink large amounts of water, and this can be done at just any time of the day. It plays an important role in filling up the stomach and tricking the brain into believing that it may not require as much food to get satiated after all! Over and above this, water takes on the dirty job of flushing out waste products and toxins that are generated within the body as part of routine functioning.

Certain food stuffs that have been found to be extremely helpful in suppressing hunger also have a low calorie count, which implies that these do not do too much harm even if they are consumed. These are leafy vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, spinach etc. which are almost calorie free and most importantly add vital roughage to your diet; roughage is necessary for healthy bowel movement. Gorging on an apple is another great way to fight hunger pangs because its bulky fiber content fills up the stomach and instantly turns off your appetite control hormones. This way it prevents you from overeating and also contains vitamins and minerals and vital plant nutrients as well as large amounts of folic acid. Another good idea is munching on an entire jar of pickles – this won’t give you more than 50 calories roughly, and yet they can be very satisfying and take up a considerable amount of space in your stomach, again turning off your cravings. You can also try concoctions of fruit and vegetables that appeal to the taste buds with the help of low starch gums and soy protein.

One of the supplementary methods that have been found to be effective in controlling weight is to consume fiber tablets to give a feeling of fullness. These often contain apple pectin fiber, oat bran fiber and other natural fibers, and must be taken before you begin eating and gulped with lots of water; without adequate water, these pills can block the digestive tract. Topping this off by eating low caloric density foods and beverages will further suppress your appetite and cause the brain to believe that the hunger has been taken care of. It is even more effective if combined with physical exercise.

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