Diet ideas for losing body fat…
In general, it is the heavy processing of foods that makes it wreak havoc inside our bodies. Most foods in their natural unprocessed state are inherently good for us. Of course there are always exceptions. . . a salad of poison ivy leaves is “natural and unprocessed” but certainly wouldn’t be good for us!
To summarise with a couple of the most important aspects of nutrition that help to get you lean for life and showing off a six pack. . .
1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet – not only does it have a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Plus it is a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle. . . And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.
2. Think fibre! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits, and high fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I personally do not eat many grains as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits, but I am a bit of a fan of sprouted grains. I generally recommend looking for carbohydrate sources that have at least 2-3 grams of fiber per each 10 grams of total carbs. Remember that fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for losing body fat.
3. Don’t be afraid to eat dietary fat! Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as causing more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources are all nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats, but are actually beneficial (but that’s way beyond the scope of this article).
4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:
1) Artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening, and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods
2) High fructose corn syrup, which is in almost all sweetened products on the market
So don’t delay follow the tips.
