The Top Ten Foods For Weight Loss

After spending 6 minutes and 42 seconds talking about and recording my food shop, I have since experienced some technical difficulty (mainly I didn’t talk loud enough!) and unfortunately cannot put up a video blog today and will have to try again next week. Instead, I will recommend the top ten foods that I think are staples in any shopping basket, but especially if fat loss and developing a leaner physique is your goal.

PORRIDGE OATS: a perfect start to the day as it’s a high fibre (provides the feeling of satiety, fuller for longer) complex carbohydrate that slowly releases energy throughout the morning. It has very little sugar so you will not get that mid-morning slump that many breakfast cereals guarantee as well as being a great energy source for fuel for exercise.

SWEET POTATO: they taste delicious and their natural sugars are slowly released into the blood stream making it a superior choice carbohydrate throughout the day providing a regular and balanced source of energy. It is the sudden insulin spike from high sugar ‘white’ foods such as bread and pasta that lead to weight gain.

CHICKEN BREASTS: they are high protein (approx. 25g of protein in a medium breast- palm size) but also incredibly lean and low in fat. If you are serious about seeing some abdominal definition you want to opt for the leanest cuts of meat such as chicken and turkey rather than lamb/pork.

EGGS: they are a complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids as well as good fats and vitamin D found in the yolk. They are incredibly versatile in the kitchen and easy on the digestive system.

WHITE FISH: Like eggs, the body can process flakey white fish such as cod and haddock very easily. They are low in fat and sugar and high in protein making them an ideal food choice at the end of the day.

COLD WATER FISH: these include salmon, mackerel and sardines. Salmon especially is a great source of Omega 3 (an essential fatty acid that the body can only get through ingestion) as well as being high in protein. Fats serve important functions in the body including cell formation, brain structure and function as well as being great for skin and hair care.

NUTS: another great fat source but they are also very nutrient dense. Almonds especially have the most nutrients over any other nut and walnuts are the best source of Essential Fatty Acids

APPLES: they are high in fibre and satisfy hunger for very few calories so are a great boost in aiding weightless. Apples are both nutrient and vitamin dense, especially in vitamin C, iron and calcium but much evidence shows that they provide many health benefits that can help prevent degenerative diseases.

LEAFY GREENS VEGETABLES: they are the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food (calorie for calorie) providing the nutrients and vitamins that the body needs for optimum function. They are low in carbs but high fibre making them slower to digest and have little impact on blood glucose. Kale, Broccoli, Chard and Spinach, Lettuces are good examples

GREEN TEA: a natural antioxidant and a good source of caffeine which promotes elevated metabolism making fats more mobile and easier to use as a fuel source.

By Rebecca Maslin