It’s the new year and we’re all trying to get our bodies bikini ready for summer, which is hopefully just around the corner. David Gomes tells us about some foods that you should ban from your regular diet both while on a weight loss diet and after…
This is the perfect time of the year to exercise and make diet tweaks to get into your desired shape for the summer. When it comes to diets, besides what you eat during the dieting period, what you eat after is also important. There are some specific foods that should be avoided even after you reach your target weight in order to maintain it. Here are the top five you will want to take note of.
White bread and white rice
If you can’t imagine having breakfast, lunch or dinner without white bread, then you should definitely change your habit. Unlike bread with whole grains, white bread has no nutritional value which means it does not contribute anything to your organism.
Ideally, you should switch to whole wheat or whole grain bread. So, how does white bread make you gain more weight? The answer is simple; while it’s not especially high in calories, it contributes to weight gain by spurring cravings thus making you eat more food.
White bread and white rice are made of refined grains which are stripped off nutrient-rich germ and bran thus leaving only starchy endosperm. Starchy foods are absorbed quickly by your body which leads to the rapid rise in blood sugar. However, levels of blood sugar in your body decrease soon thus causing cravings.
Fibre is important for slowing food in your digestive tract and acting as the appetite suppressant. Without the fibre content, white bread and white rice are emptied from your stomach quite quickly further increasing hunger.
High-fiber snack bars
Fibre is important for digestion and essential for weight loss. This is why most people think that consumption of high-fibre snack bars is a great and logical idea. Well, that might not be the case. These bars contain a high level of fibre which is a good thing, but they deliver it in high amounts, and this delivery isn’t steady throughout the day which is a bad thing.
According to Rachel Harvest, a registered dietitian affiliated with Tournesol Wellness in New York, healthy weight loss requires consistent and steady fibre intake throughout the day to improve digestive health, suppress hunger, and not cause the upset stomach. Consumption of high-fibre snack bars causes large spikes in fibre intake and is inconsistent (as one day you will eat a high-fibre snack bar, the next day you skip, etc.) which isn’t a great idea when you’re trying to lose weight.
Fried foods
Fried foods should be avoided at all times, even when you already have your target weight. Fried foods are associated with weight gain, increased levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, high blood pressure thus creating a greater risk of heart diseases or stroke.
To make sure you don’t jeopardize your diet or put on the lost pounds after it, you should avoid fried foods and try healthier cooking methods.
French fries: it’s often said it’s worse for your health than smoking a cigarette. Fried foods, even veggies, are sources of trans fats that make you gain weight and affect your cardiovascular system.
Fried chicken: one thigh contains 25g of fat which means that eating fried chicken leads to quick weight gain
Donuts: they are fried, sugary, and contain trans-fats. You should avoid them at all costs. Also, an average doughnut contains at least 300 calories.
Ideally, you should prepare your veggies, chicken, and other foods using healthier methods e.g. cooking, grill, baking, etc.
Cream-based salad dressings
Salads are healthy, and it’s always recommended to include them with your meals. But, you should avoid using cream-based salad dressings. These dressings are popular, and they are known to make salads tastier, but they contain a lot of calories and fat. In fact, cream-based salad dressings can have more calories than your entire salad thus undermining your hard work and effort to lose weight.
This is also the reason many people eat healthy foods and salads but complain they are not losing weight; they aren’t aware that their cream-based salad dressing destroys their effort.
If you simply can’t have your salad without salad dressing, then you should opt for oil-based salad dressings which are healthier and have fewer calories. Add a little bit of salt, pepper, and garnish salad with herbs. It’s delicious and healthy at the same time.
Sugar-free products
One might think that sugar-free products are beneficial when you’re trying to lose weight. However, they are on our foods to avoid when dieting list for a good reason – they can increase insulin levels because they usually contain unhealthy sugar alternatives. Yes, sugar-free products are just as bad for your diet as sugar itself. They can stimulate your appetite, stimulate weight gain and fat storage and increase cravings for carbs.
To conclude, in order to lose those extra pounds successfully and maintain a healthy weight it is important to avoid certain food groups. Ideally, you should make sure your diet is balanced, rich in healthy foods and keep healthy dieting habits even after you reach your target weight.
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Want more health and beauty tips from David? Find him at https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/
