There is no magic recipe that helps you get rid of excess weight; the important thing is to burn more calories than what you consume. However, there are foods that not only contain few calories, but they also reduce your appetite.
Here’s a list of five foods that have these properties:
Shelled pistachios – Studies performed at the University of Eastern Illinois demonstrated that those persons who ate shelled pistachios had a 42% less calorie intake compared to those who ate pistachios with the shells previously removed. Because shelled pistachios occupy a larger space in a bowl, those who ate them had the sensation that they ate much more than the actual amount.
Potatoes – Potatoes are accused unjustly of being the enemy of weight loss diets. A medium-sized potato has only 220 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams pf proteins. During a study, it has been stated that boiled potatoes confer the highest sensation of fullness among all foods – twice as much as whole wheat bread, fish, steak, fruit and vegetables. Potatoes contain “resistant starch”, a type of carbohydrate that cannot be digested and that has a role in reducing arterial tension and speeding up the fat burning process. A cold potato salad, thus, makes an ideal lunch or dinner.
Eggs – Several studies demonstrate that eggs eaten at breakfast may help reducing calorie intake during the day. During the research, the test subjects were divided into two groups. The first group had been fed with eggs for breakfast, whereas the members of the second group ate croissants. The results showed that the first group lost 65% more weight than the second one, and they lost a lot of abdominal fat. The researchers discovered that eggs reduce the hormone levels that induce the sensation of hunger, and they accelerate the hormone levels that produce a sensation of fullness.
Oat flakes – If you don`t like eggs, you may opt for oat flakes instead. These represent an excellent option for breakfast, as they fill you up fast, and they are a good tonic for the nervous system because of their high vitamin and mineral content. 100 g of oat flakes contain 375 calories, 11 g proteins, 9 g unsaturated fats, 66 g carbohydrates and 3.5 g of fibres.
Greek yogurt – Fat free or lower fat, Greek yogurt is one of the most nutritious options for weight loss. Yogurts from Greece contain more than 20 g of protein per cup, and they have relatively low natural sugar content.