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Natural Health

The 4 Best Natural Foods For Weight Loss

June 30, 2009
By J White

Many people like popping pills to aid in weight loss. The problem with this is that most if not all of these pills come with some warnings attached to them.

A more effective and safe way of losing weight is to go with natural foods. Yes, I know that natural foods can be dangerous as well, but in most cases the amount you would have to eat to cause you harm is out of the range for most people. So that should not be that big of a concern.

In fact, some of the best natural food sources to aid in weight loss is at your disposal now. The following is a list of 4 of them.

4 Best Natural Foods for Weight Loss

Fiber Rich Foods

If everyone would increase fiber in their diet to the recommended amount per day, this is the one food that would help to alleviate many health problems, especially obesity. As for how much you should have in your diet, for women whose calorie needs are 2000 Calories per day, they should ingest 28 grams per day. For men whose calorie needs are 2800 Calories, they should ingest 36 grams per day. For men and women, this comes out to be 14 grams, per 1000 Calories.

Low Glycemic Foods

Low glycemic foods are extremely beneficial to your health and to weight loss. This is because they help to control the spiking of your blood sugar, which is a major cause to obesity and is also a cause of type 2 diabetes.

As far as determining which foods have a low glycemic index, there is no fool proof way since it depends on how the food source is digested, for instance cooked or eaten raw. Though there are many list showing the glycemic index of foods, as a general rule and if you are unsure about a food source, notice if the food is whole grain and high in fiber. These types of foods tend to be linked to a low glycemic index.

Green Tea

Individuals who have taken green tea extract high in catechins, namely epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG, have been shown in studies to have a greater decrease in body weight, as well as in their body mass index and visceral fat then those who did not take the supplement.

As for how much to take, studies have shown good results for those who have taken less than 300 milligrams per day. However, those who have taken more, in one study 600 milligrams a day, showed greater fat loss than those who did not take as much. So, to enjoy its benefits, look for green teas that show there ECGC amount.

Acai berry

Acai berry is another wonderful natural food. Completely safe, this berry has become popular because of its high antioxidant capacity, more formally, Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, ORAC. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, blueberry has an high ORAC. However, acai berries have more than 5 times the amount of ORAC than blueberries.

Moreover, not only does this berry help to reduce free radicals in your body, it has also been shown to aid in weight loss, reduce pain and soreness, help to fight cancer, and help protect against heart disease. To enjoy its benefits, you can pick up a bottle at your local grocer or at a health food store.

Technorati Tags: acai berry, fiber, glycemic, green tea, natural foods

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