Foods to Eat and Avoid to Manage and Avoid Obesity and being Overweight
Have you spent hours at the gym practising various exercise routines yet failed to get in shape? Is obesity affecting not only your appearance but also your health adversely? If you replied affirmatively, you need to make dietary modifications to shed those excess kilos. Obesity is one of the most common health issues that several individuals are experiencing worldwide. Long-term obesity can lead to a range of choric health issues, such as diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, and more. While you may practice workouts regularly at the fitness centre, you won’t succeed in getting in shape unless you practice dietary management of obesity. Switching to a nutritious obesity diet can help you reduce your undesirable weight and enjoy sustainable weight loss benefits. The guidance of expert dieticians can help you have an obesity diet plan comprising foods that prevent obesity and nourish your body with essential nutrients. Also, certified nutritionists eliminate the foods that cause obesity from your diet. Including healthy, homemade foods, fresh fruits, and unprocessed foods in your regular diet can work wonders in shedding those extra pounds and keeping off the excess weight even after achieving the desired fitness goals. So, you might be wondering exactly which foods you should eat and which to avoid while following an obesity diet plan, aren’t you? Read on to discover more about dietary management for obesity.
12 Best Foods To Eat to Prevent or Beat Obesity
Eating right than eating very less is always beneficial and plays a pivotal role in achieving weight loss goals. Here’s a list of healthy foods that you should include in your obesity diet plan.
- Oatmeal
Begin your day by relishing a bowl of oatmeal to attain a lower number on your weighing scale. It not only satisfies your appetite but also helps you stay full for a longer duration than usual. Eating oatmeal for breakfast makes you feel less hungry at lunchtime, and you can have a lower intake of calories at lunch to achieve desired weight loss benefits. Oatmeal offers you a greater quantity of fibre, proteins, and a lesser amount of sugar than breakfast cereal; so, it is an ideal food to prevent obesity.
- Pulses
One of the nutritious foods for weight loss benefits and combating obesity is pulses. Lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas are known for being healthy pulses. The abundant fibre and protein content in these pulses helps you stay full for a longer span and prevent you from snacking unnecessarily. The soluble fibre in them also helps in slowing down digestion and absorption. Proteins aid in building healthy muscles. A healthy obesity diet comprising pulses makes a positive effect on your weight loss goals. So, have pulses in your breakfast and meals for the effective dietary management of obesity.
- Cruciferous vegetables
Having fresh cruciferous vegetables in your obesity diet plan supplies you with a healthy dose of fibre. Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower can help you get rid of those undesirable kilos. You can have these fresh vegetables in your salads or culinary delights.
- Berries
When coming to the healthy, nutritious fruits to devour to get in shape, make sure that your list of foods to beat obesity includes berries. The abundant fibre content in berries plays a crucial role in weight management. You may include a variety of these berries, such as blackberries and raspberries, in your regular diet. Top up your oatmeal, salads, and smoothies with these nutritious berries while following dietary management of obesity.
- Nuts
Nuts are one of the healthiest foods that prevent obesity. Obese people including nuts, such as almonds, in their daily diet, happen to lose greater weight than those who don’t have nuts in their regular food intake. Daily intake of about 50 grams of nuts can help you experience a reduction in not just weight but also waist size, total cholesterol, BMI, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides. Packed with proteins and fibre, nuts make a nutritious dose of food that also provides you with ample energy. They also offer you heart health benefits. Have them in moderation in your daily obesity diet.
- Eggs
Having eggs in your breakfast comes with amazing weight loss benefits. They deliver good quantities of proteins and also make you feel full for a sustainable time, thereby preventing you from overeating during your lunch. Eating eggs in breakfast also helps lower your blood glucose levels and ghrelin levels. So, they help you keep your blood sugar levels in check while managing your weight. Be sure you have eggs in moderation daily in your breakfast or meals.
- Avocadoes
Another nutritious fruit that falls on the list of foods that prevent obesity is avocado. Eating fresh avocadoes delivers you good quantities of fibre and healthy fats. It is not just beneficial for weight loss effects but also effective for reducing the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. So, relish fresh avocadoes and stay in shape.
- Leafy Green Vegetables
Include fresh leafy greens in your obesity diet plan. They have abundant fibre and are low in calories; so, after eating them, you won’t feel hungry soon. Also, leafy greens are loaded with essential nutrients, such as antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. So, while you lose weight, you nourish your body with crucial nutrients by having leafy green in your healthy obesity diet. Choose to eat spinach, kale, fenugreek, and collard greens. Also, you can go for mustard leaves, and drumstick leaves.
- Fatty Fish
If you are a non-vegetarian, rightly cooked fatty fish is a great option to battle obesity while nourishing your body. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and proteins make it a healthy food to include in the dietary management of obesity. Add salmon, tuna, cod, sardines, and halibut to your nutritious obesity diet.
- Whole Grains
Replace your carbohydrate food sources with whole grain substitutes, as it is a sure-fire healthy technique to shed extra kilos. Whole grains are loaded with proteins and fibre, so they help meet your health needs while promoting weight loss. Have quinoa, brown rice, and oats in your obesity diet plan.
- Dark Chocolate
Chocolate lovers can snack on dark chocolate while struggling to get rid of obesity. Dark chocolate promotes weight loss in a range of ways, such as by reducing appetite and hunger and improving insulin sensitivity. It also improves your mood. Be sure you have high-quality dark chocolate which has a minimal quantity of added sugar. Since it is high in fat and calories, make sure that you have dark chocolate in moderation when following a customised obesity diet.
- Soups
Last, but not least, soups can be a great option to beat obesity and begin your meal healthily. You can enjoy homemade soup comprising plenty of lentils and vegetables, as it offers you great health benefits. Savouring a small bowl of nutritious soup just before your meal supply you with all essential nutrients, help you feel full moderately, and prevent you from indulging in excess food.
9 Unhealthy Foods to Avoid When Battling Obesity
While you strive to lose weight, it is important to keep your hands off certain tempting foods. Foods containing a lot of calories, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and other unfavourable ingredients may not just fail your efforts to get in shape, but also impact your health negatively. So, you need to avoid having certain foods that cause obesity when struggling to shed your calories.
- Milk Chocolate
While snacking on milk chocolate may please your taste buds, the sugary delight adds a lot of calories to your body. The blend of milk and sugar can prevent you from getting rid of obesity. Also, processed ingredients in milk chocolate can be unhealthy when you consume it in excess and can hamper your weight loss efforts. So, keep your hands off milk chocolate when following a well-planned obesity diet.
- White Bread
One of the foods that cause obesity and is having a high GI (glycaemic index) is white bread. The consumption of white bread in your regular diet not only causes a spike in your blood glucose levels but also takes plenty of time to get digested in your body. So, it is advisable to avoid eating white bread or restrict its consumption when battling obesity.
- Spreads and Jams
Although most of us would love relishing spread and jams, we should not forget that they are loaded with sugar and preservatives. The intake of spreads may not just lead to a failure of your weight loss efforts but can also cause an increase in your blood glucose levels. Relishing jams and various sandwich spreads in excess or daily can cause a surge in your weight. Even though the spreads and jams may flash tags, such as “zero fats”, on their labels, they supply your body with plenty of sugar. So, limit or avoid these tempting seasonings when following dietary management of obesity.
- Junk Food
Another food that tempts all age groups, from kids to grown-ups, is junk food. Although they may taste great, junk foods are unhealthy food options. They not just make you gain weight but also affect your health adversely when you eat it often or in excess. Excess consumption of junk food, such as deep-fried foods, causes a boost in your cholesterol levels and increases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Also, abundant salt, oil, and cheese content in the crispy fries, pizza, and burger hampers your health and prevents you from shedding excess kilos. So, keep junk food at bay when following a well-designed obesity diet plan.
- Processed Meat
Processed meat may tempt you to savour them, however, it does more harm than good to your body. Eating processed meat supplies your body with a greater quantity of calories that promote weight gain. So, when trying to get rid of obesity, stay away from processed meat as it is one of the foods that cause obesity.
- Frozen Meals
Frozen meals may sound like a ready-to-eat and easy option to relish. However, they affect your health and may lead to weight gain. Frozen meals have high-fat content, i.e. saturated fats, which is unhealthy. The ratio of fats to proteins and carbohydrates in frozen foods is double, so they supply your body with an excess of calories and make you gain weight. Also, they may contain high quantities of sodium which is again harmful to your health. High-fat content in these meals may raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. So, ensure that your well-developed obesity diet does not contain frozen meals.
- Candy bars
Packed with plenty of sugar, refined flour, and added oils, candy bars are low in nutrients and high in calories. Even though you would love to munch on these candy bars, they are quite unhealthy and provide you with high quantities of calories. When you feel tempted to have one when following a well-designed obesity diet, choose to have a handful of nuts or a small fresh fruit of your choice.
- Sugary Beverages
Aerated drinks and fizzy cold drinks fascinate most of us to enjoy. Flavoured drinks are loved by most youths. However, keep in mind that these fluids are full of sugar and add up plenty of calories in your body. So, when you are making efforts to burn calories and get in shape, keep your hands off these sugary drinks.
- Ice cream
Lip-smacking cold dessert is the favourite food of most of us. However, being loaded with sugar and cream, it’s an unfavourable option to go for when working on shedding those excess kilos. So, restrict or avoid adding ice-creams to your properly planned obesity diet as it will do no good to your health but will only promote weight gain.
If you are working hard to get in shape and looking for natural ways to get rid of those excess pounds, opt for a personalized obesity diet plan. Certified nutritionists at Health Total can help you receive a customised obesity diet comprising the right, nutritious foods and eliminating unhealthy options to help you get rid of the excess weight without taking a toll on your health. Also, our dietary management of obesity helps nourish you with all essential nutrients, boost your immunity, enable you to enjoy long-lasting weight loss benefits, and improve your quality of life. So, waste no time, get in touch with us at Health Total and embark on a smooth weight loss journey with our personalized obesity diet plan.
Sign up for a FREE consultation with Health Total experts to get more tips on getting rid of obesity or any other health condition. Call toll-free at 1-800-843-0206 and book an appointment!