Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Skip Diet Pills and Fads, Try Natural Weight Loss Foods - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

People all over the world are trying to lose weight, and there is a wide assortment of diets, fads, clinics, and pills to help people lose weight quickly. Many of the best ways to suppress appetite can actually be done naturally by eating certain foods and won't require someone to go through strict and disciplined dieting.

The following are the ten best foods for natural weight loss and appetite suppression.

Cayenne Pepper: The National Institutes of Health and the McCormick Spice Company found that adding half a teaspoon of cayenne to food can help someone burn 10 or more calories every hour.

This is great news for people who already like spicy food, and even better for those that don't normally eat it. Someone who normally doesn't eat spicy foods will actually get a better effect from eating cayenne pepper.

Red Peppers: Capsaicin is an element that is found within red peppers. It reduces appetite, and at the same time increases energy. Taking supplements won't work, so you will have to taste the actual pepper to get benefit from this natural weight loss food.

Cinnamon: Eating cinnamon with a meal causes the body to produce less insulin. Insulin converts excess sugar to fat. So less insulin means less fat being made.

Apples: A recent study showed that when someone eats an apple before a meal, they also eat 15 fewer calories. This has to do with GLP-1, which tells the brain to suppress appetite. Eating a medium size apple before meals is a great natural weight loss food.

Lemon: Lemons naturally take up fat that is stored within the body. Eating a lemon also slows down digestion, which makes a person feel more full afterwards. Lemon can be easily added to food or to water.

Water: Drinking water before eating makes someone feel fuller. A study was done involving two groups of overweight people. One drank water before eating, and one was given low-calorie food. Compared to the low-calorie food group, those that drank water before meals actually lost more weight.

Green Tea: Researchers have found that drinking green tea increases the rate of how fast fat is burned. They suggest having 3 - 6 cups of green tea on a daily basis.

Seaweed: Those that like sushi will like to know that seaweed is a great natural weight loss food. Dutch researchers have found that algae help in reducing appetite by 30 percent. Their suggestion is to add algae to a drink or a shake.

Garlic: Garlic is a very common ingredient in food and may be one of the best ways to help lose weight. Garlic gives off a very strong smell that activates areas of the brain, helping to reduce appetite. Smelling garlic however isn't enough; you would need to eat it too.

Garlic can also be easily found in supplement form. This way, you can have garlic during lunch and not offend people with your breath.

Eggs: Egg is very rich in protein that helps to satiate hunger. Those that eat eggs at the beginning of the day are less likely to consume high calorie meals later on. Eggs are tasty addition to breakfast, and help set up the rest of the day as well.

Other Weight Loss Suggestions

In addition to trying these foods for natural weight loss, try to find a balance in meals. Eating whole, natural foods like fruits and vegetables are the best. Eating a more plant-based diet also helps, and beans and legumes are great sources of protein. Exercise as well, but make sure to do it in a balanced way that is healthy for both the body and the mind.


, Yahoo! Contributor Network