71.6% of people in America aged 20 or older are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive body fat that raises the risk of many health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, and depression, among others. From children to adults, obesity has no age, race, or ethnicity. If you’re overweight or obese, it’s high time you reorganize your diet and swap the fat-laden unhealthy foods with nutrient-dense food as well as improved activity. Losing weight is not easy, and prevention is better than cure. Below are some of the foods to go for to manage your weight.
Whole Grains
A whole grain is any grain of any cereal containing the bran, germ, and endosperm. Refined grains only retain the endosperm. Whole grains have all the nutrients and therefore crucial for a healthy diet and weight. Whole grains include ragi, jowar, maize, and bajra. You can incorporate these whole grains for your breakfast porridges.
Beans
Filling, inexpensive, and versatile, beans are a vital protein source. They are also slow to digest and high in fiber, meaning you’ll feel full for longer preventing you from overeating.
Pureed Vegetables
You must add more vegetables to your diet to enjoy and cut back on the excess calories you’re eating at the same time. Penn State University research showed that people enjoyed the dish just as the same but ate 200-350 fewer calories when they added pureed zucchini and cauliflower to mac and cheese.
Sausage and Eggs
A protein-rich breakfast helps keep hunger at bay and keep you away from snacks throughout the day. It is during the day snacks that people go for the fatty and sugary foods.
Tea
Researchers have discovered links between regular consumption of black and green tea and reduced risk of cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Further studies reveal that green tea helps people lose weight due to two key ingredients, epigallocatechin gallate and caffeine.
Meal replacement shakes
If you’re looking to lose weight or keep off it and have a busy lifestyle, meal replacement shakes are a useful option. An active lifestyle means that you don’t have the time to find healthy meals and might be forced to go for fast foods, which are a NO. A healthy replacement shake is always satisfying and healthy as it contains a wide array of vital protein, fiber, and nutrients with fewer calories than processed foods.
Water
Water is one of the healthiest drinks as it contains no calories, facilitates physiological and metabolic processes, and helps in detoxification and other numerous benefits. For people looking to manage their weight, multiple health organizations, including CDC, recommend increasing the general water consumption.
Other foods to help manage obesity
- Vegetables the colorful variety and not potatoes
- Whole fruits
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Fish and poultry
- Plant oils
Foods and drinks to avoid
- Sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit drinks, soda, and sports drinks
- Fruit juice
- Refined grains such as white rice, sweets, white pasta, and white bread
- Potatoes, baked or friend
- Red and processed meats
- Fast foods
- Alcohol
