Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want
By Scott Fenwick
B.S. /Hons
High levels of fruits, vegetables, greens and beans help you
lose weight because they are low in calories, high in volume and
high in critically important nutrients. On a very practical level
they fill you up, without loading you up with fat and calories.
When your stomach is filled up with high volume, low calorie food,
there is less room for other nutrients such as saturated fats.
There is also a growing body of evidence that shows that
plant-based foods help to control food cravings and overeating.
They are nutrient dense, which simply means they are packed with
all sorts of good things for you, which is something most of us
know.
But what is new is the idea that a diet very high in fruits and
vegetables (much more than the recommended 5 servings a day) can
help turn off our cravings for processed foods. This can short
circuit the food addiction cycle and help provide a jolt to your
weight loss efforts.
Your Diet May Be Balanced- But Are You?
The average diet is roughly 8% fruits, vegetables and beans. We are
told to eat 5 or more portions a day, but to get real impact on
your weight or health, you need to radically and dramatically
increase the daily intake, and put a special focus on green
vegetables like spinach, broccoli and salad. Often what keeps us
from doing this is that we are told to pursue a "balanced diet" and
to "eat sensibly". But what if your body is out of balance and
overweight?
Why Fruits and Vegetables Fight Food Cravings
Our body is really smart and often sends us signals. Hunger is a
big signal. It is your own body telling you to eat. If you have
ever been pregnant (or known someone who has!) you are familiar
with peculiar food cravings. It is the same thing with your body
and nutrients. Your body is looking for specific nutrients and is
not getting them in nutrient poor processed foods, and anything
marked low fat or low carbohydrate. So you eat and you eat and you
eat, but the body still has not acquired what it needs. It is still
looking for the nutrients available in fruits and vegetables.
Learning to listen to your body will be a skill you develop
throughout time. What I mean by this is you should start logging
your daily food intake into a diary and look specifically at what
you are eating on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. I do this and
have done this for a long time with clients and it really helps
because I can tailor the eating habits accordingly without making
drastic changes.
Green Vegetables
Scientists and researchers are just starting to understand how
green vegetables like Kale can quickly and measurably bring down
blood cholesterol levels. When you consume Kale for some reason
your "bile acids" are used in the process of digesting it. The
"bile acids" are then excreted.
When bile acids are excreted, the body needs to make more. One of
the main uses of cholesterol in the body is in the production (or
"synthesis") of new bile acid! So, high daily consumption of leafy
greens can speed up the process of bile excretion and production,
which can help to directly lower cholesterol levels.
Beans Are A Dieter's Best Friend
Did you know that a serving of beans (legumes) has the same amount
of protein as a serving of meat? The calories are also the same,
but the fat content of beans is negligible. The fibre content of
beans is extremely high. Meat is the exact opposite. The most
important part though is that beans will fill you up even more than
a hamburger. A 1/4 pound of beans is simply much bigger in your
stomach than 1/4 pound of hamburger. Try it and you will be
amazed.
I do not like fruits and vegetables?
What if you do not like fruits and vegetables? Take out a pen and
list all the vegetables you have heard of and we will see there are
a few you like. Artichokes? Corn? Cucumbers? On this list, circle
all the vegetables you like, and stick the list to your
refrigerator, for example. You do not have to eat a different one a
day. Find a few you like, and start to incorporate them into your
diet. Start by incorporating just one vegetable a day into each
meal and one fruit. You will find, as time goes on and you get
suggestions of ways to prepare them from others, you will start to
try different ones. Just get the habit formed with ones you like
and your body will start to build up its nutrient reserves. Getting
in the habit of eating a huge salad or two each day is a great way
to make the bulk of your diet healthy and nutrient dense.
What Vegetables and Fruits Speed Up Weight
Loss
There is a growing body of evidence that shows that not all fruits
and vegetables are created equally. Certain fruits and vegetables
contain more nutrients per calorie than others, and these nutrients
help your body do what it needs and wants to. When your body is
getting what it needs, you are going to feel better physically. And
you just may feel better emotionally. The absolute best vegetables
to help speed up weight loss are green vegetables- Collard Greens,
Spinach, Swiss Chard, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage. If you
are in a Chinese restaurant, pay very close attention to the
vegetables they serve. And get in the habit of eating them. If you
want to lose weight quickly, you need to eat a ton of these
vegetables every day and start to get a sense of your portion
sizes. Other things that will help you lose weight quickly are
Romaine Lettuce, Vegetable Juice, Boston Lettuce, Carrot Juice,
Tomato Sauce and Red and Green Peppers. IF IT GROWS, EAT A LOT OF
IT!
Make it happen!